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The Scorpion's Tale

Wikisimpsons - The Simpsons Wiki
Revision as of 12:37, January 31, 2021 by SolarBot (talk | contribs) (top: replaced: {{w|Snoopy}} → Snoopy)
Season 22 Episode
478 "Angry Dad: The Movie"
479
"The Scorpion's Tale"
"A Midsummer's Nice Dreams" 480
"The Scorpion's Tale"
The Scorpion's Tale.png
Episode Information
Episode number: 479
Season number: S22 E15
Production code: NABF08
Original airdate: March 6, 2011
Title screen: Santa's Little Helper flies by on a doghouse, in the same style as Snoopy.
Billboard gag: Springfield Mall: Free Retail Space With Every Purchase
Chalkboard gag: I'm not here on a spitball scholarship.
Couch gag: The "Couch Gag Video Game" starts. The Simpson family members are selected as the players. When they take their seats on the couch, "GAME OVER" appears on the screen.
Guest star(s): Werner Herzog as Walter Hotenhoffer
Kevin Michael Richardson as the Retirement Castle orderly
Showrunner: [[Al Jean]]
Written by: Billy Kimball
Ian Maxtone-Graham
Directed by: Matthew Schofield



"The Scorpion's Tale" is the fifteenth episode of season 22 of The Simpsons and the four-hundred and seventy-ninth episode overall. It originally aired on March 6, 2011. The episode was written by Billy Kimball and Ian Maxtone-Graham and directed by Matthew Schofield. It guest stars Werner Herzog as Walter Hotenhoffer and Kevin Michael Richardson as the Retirement Castle orderly.

Synopsis

"After a field trip to the desert, Lisa discovers that a desert flower mysteriously makes typically combative creatures get along, so she brings some of the flowers home as a souvenir. When Grampa moves in with the family after getting kicked out of the retirement home, Homer secretly tests the flower on Grampa, who is instantly cured of his crankiness. Walter Hotenhoffer gets word of Homer's discovery and quickly tries to replicate the flower into a drug, using Grampa as the primary guinea pig. But when the pills get in the wrong hands and are sold on the black market, unexpected side effects of the new drug take an eye-popping toll on the elderly citizens of Springfield, and the Simpsons learn that their new medical cure comes with major consequences.[1]"


Plot

During a trip to "Satan's Anvil", Martin finds an eccentric but grumpy hermit artist, whom the government tried to hire for years; Bart, Nelson and Milhouse find old postcards from France, and Lisa is nearly attacked by scorpions, but then the scorpions become passive due to silvertongue flowers, meaning she can take them home for further experiments. Grampa is then kicked out of the retirement castle because he is too grumpy; he needs to live with The Simpsons now. Lisa then confirms that silvertoungues has a powerful chemical agent. It nulls the negative feelings of a person. Homer puts some of this in Grampa's coffee, and he is soon happy.

But Lisa refuses to give any more of it. At Moe's Tavern, an employee of Hottenhoffer Pharmaceuticals named Walter Hotenhoffer (who was Augustus Gloop as a child), managed to duplicate the liquid's effects. So Hottenhoffer sells MusBeNys, but it is not properly tested, so only Grampa can use it. Unfortunately, Bart then sells some of the pills to people who are crabby, making them happy.

Lisa eventually learns about Grampa still using the drug, but also of how happy it makes him. However, the side effects change things; soon, the person's eyes become lubricated and they burst out of their sockets. Despite the gruesome effect, the elderly continue to take it, until Grampa sees Homer taking the pills, and tells them to stop using it; he realizes that the Baby Boomers only do things because of constant nagging. Soon, everything is back to normal (except for Hottenhoffer, who still has nightmares over what happened at Wonka's factory)

Reception

The episode received 6.20 million viewers, and was edged out by the new episode of "Family Guy". Rowan Kaiser of the A.V. Club found Lisa's varied options annoying, but praised Herzog's performance. He gave the episode a "B-", the second highest rating of the night (next to Bob's Burgers).[2]

Production

In the original Fox press release for the episode, Jackie Mason was listed as voicing Rabbi Krustofsky as a guest star, but his lines were cut. Rabbi was instead seen jumping rope in the park scene.[citation needed]

Gallery

References


The Saga of Carl - title screen.png Wikisimpsons has a collection of images related to "The Scorpion's Tale".
Season 22 Episodes
Elementary School Musical Loan-a Lisa MoneyBart Treehouse of Horror XXI Lisa Simpson, This Isn't Your Life The Fool Monty How Munched Is That Birdie in the Window? The Fight Before Christmas Donnie Fatso Moms I'd Like to Forget Flaming Moe Homer the Father The Blue and the Gray Angry Dad: The Movie The Scorpion's Tale A Midsummer's Nice Dreams Love Is a Many-Strangled Thing The Great Simpsina The Real Housewives of Fat Tony Homer Scissorhands 500 Keys The Ned-liest Catch