Mad About the Toy
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"Mad About the Toy"
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Episode Information
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"Mad About the Toy" is eleventh episode of broadcast season 30 of The Simpsons and the six-hundred and fiftieth episode overall. It originally aired on January 6, 2019. The episode was written by Michael Price and directed by Rob Oliver. It guest stars Bryan Batt as Philip Hefflin, Bill de Blasio as himself, and Lawrence O'Donnell as himself.
Synopsis[edit]
- "When Marge and Homer leave Grampa to babysit the kids, some little green army men trigger a PTSD episode. The family looks into Grampa's past, discovering that he was a post-war toy model for the Whiz-Bang Toy Company."
Plot[edit]
Homer and Marge get ready to go out on an anniversary date, but they do not have a babysitter because they are blacklisted. Homer tries to leave the kids with the Amazon Alexa and Google Home, but Marge disapproves, so they get Grampa to babysit instead. Since they need to get Grampa back to the Retirement Castle in an hour, they rush through their date. Meanwhile, the kids are bored at home watching The Geezer Channel, which Grampa enjoys. Bart turns the TV off, swallows the batteries, and the kids suggest they play a game instead. While digging through a box of toys in the basement, they find a set of old army men, which causes Grampa to start screaming.
Assuming that Grampa's reaction is PTSD from World War II, the family takes him to the V.A. Hospital. The psychiatrist determines that nothing war-related is wrong with Grampa, as he does not react to war photographs. However, when Bart takes out the army men again, Grampa has another outburst. Lisa examines the figures and realizes they are modeled after Grampa. Grampa then remembers how it happened and tells the story. A couple of years after World War II, Grampa is left with nothing to do. The Whiz-Bang Toy Company finds him in uniform and offers him a job modeling for toy army men, with royalties promised for every unit sold. Grampa accepts and starts the job but cannot remember what happened afterward. In the present day, once it becomes clear that his condition is not war-related, the psychiatrist prepares to start charging the family, prompting them to leave the building in a hurry.
Frustrated that he did not get paid, Grampa appears on Channel 6 News before being taken to The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell. After arguing with Lawrence O'Donnell, he is cut off. Shortly after, the family receives a call from the toy company and is offered an all-expenses-paid trip to the company's headquarters in New York City. After exploring the city briefly, they visit the company to confront them. Don, the CEO, tells Grampa that he never signed the contract because he ran out of the photoshoot unexpectedly. They did not even know his name until that week when he started appearing on the news. Grampa then remembers what happened and recounts the story.
During the photoshoot, everything goes well, and Grampa becomes friendly with the photographer, Philip Hefflin. Philip mistakes Grampa's friendliness for flirting and kisses him, which causes Grampa to panic and flee the shoot. After hearing the story, Don tells the family that Philip was fired for being gay. On the plane home, the family decides to visit Philip in Marfa, Texas, so Grampa can apologize.
Upon arriving in Marfa, Grampa walks into town on his own. He sees a rainbow-colored statue of himself and freaks out, backing into a building that turns out to be Philip's art gallery. The two reconcile, and Philip explains that his life improved after he was fired. They agree to finish the photoshoot. After the shoot, Grampa kisses Philip on the cheek and apologizes again, saying he is as straight as Gomer Pyle. Grampa later places a picture of himself and Philip on the wall of his room.
Afterward, Bart, Milhouse, and Nelson play with the army men before deciding to microwave them.
Production[edit]
Reception[edit]
"Mad About the Toy" won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program in the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards.[1]
Gallery[edit]
References[edit]
Promo videos[edit]
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Wikisimpsons has a collection of images related to "Mad About the Toy". |
