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Penny-Wiseguys

Wikisimpsons - The Simpsons Wiki
Season 24 Episode
512 "Gone Abie Gone"
513
"Penny-Wiseguys"
"A Tree Grows in Springfield" 514
"Penny-Wiseguys"
Penny-Wiseguys promo 7.jpg
Episode Information
Episode number: 513
Season number: S24 E5
Production code: PABF19
Original airdate: November 18, 2012
Title screen: Homer flies by wearing his Muumuu
Billboard gag: Springfield: Unsolved Murder Capital of the World
Chalkboard gag: I want to secede but don't know which state I'm in.
Couch gag: A tattooing needle is seen drawing a picture of the family seated on the couch. When the tattoo is finished, the view pulls back to reveal that Marge is getting a lower-back tattoo and has her dress rolled down to her waist. She pulls her dress back up and chuckles coyly.
Guest star(s): Steve Carell as Dan Gillick
Joe Mantegna as Fat Tony
Alex Trebek as himself
Showrunner(s): Al Jean
Written by: Michael Price
Directed by: Mark Kirkland


"Penny-Wiseguys" is the fifth episode of season 24 of The Simpsons and the five-hundred and thirteenth episode overall. It originally aired on November 18, 2012. The episode was written by Michael Price and directed by Mark Kirkland. It guest stars Steve Carell as Dan Gillick, Joe Mantegna as Fat Tony and Alex Trebek as himself.

Synopsis[edit]

"Homer is shocked to discover that his bowling teammate, Dan Gillick, is an accountant for Fat Tony and his mob. When Fat Tony gets jury duty, he appoints Dan as the temporary don of the mafia. Meanwhile, Lisa adds insects to her vegetarian diet after she passes out in the middle of a saxophone solo, but starts questioning her decision when bugs start pleading for mercy in her dreams."


Plot[edit]

Homer is surprised to discover that his neighbor and bowling teammate, Dan Gillick, is an accountant for Fat Tony and his mob. When the government finally catches up with Fat Tony and he is forced to serve time on a jury, he names Dan as his temporary replacement. Dan eventually becomes power-hungry from the position, which frightens him. Matters take a tipping point when Fat Tony orders him to whack redundant mafia members, to which Dan tries to get Homer to stop him. Despite Homer's efforts, the ploy fails when Dan escapes and goes after the people he was assigned to kill. Homer eventually catches up with him and convinces him to stop. When Fat Tony is relieved of his jury duty, he regains control of the mob, while Dan goes on to run an ear-piercing stand at the Springfield Mall, commenting that he loves the job because he gets to use an ear-piercing gun.

Meanwhile, at a school concert, Lisa passes out during a saxophone solo (from iron deficiency), so she chooses to add insects to her vegetarian diet. She breeds grasshoppers to eat, but it turns disastrous after they escape from their container and contribute to Dan's escape. When the bugs haunt Lisa in her dreams, she immediately quits eating insects. The grasshoppers form a swarm and strip a corn maze.

Production[edit]

Dan Gillick's original design.png

On November 20, 2012, the storyboard, the animatic and the full color images of three scenes from the episode were posted on Pinterest. The storyboards and the animatics showed Dan Gillick's original design, who wore glasses.

Reception[edit]

The episode gathered 5.18 million viewers on its premiere airing.[1]

The Simpsons: Tapped Out was used to promote this episode by adding Fat Tony as a playable character.

International airdates[edit]

Country Date Channel Note
Hispanic America.gif Latin America April 21, 2013 Fox Latin America
800px-Flag of the United Kingdom.svg.png United Kingdom April 14, 2013; 6pm Sky1 Gathered 717,000 viewers
Spain flag.png Spain December 26, 2014 Antena 3

Gallery[edit]

References[edit]


The Saga of Carl - title screen.png Wikisimpsons has a collection of images related to "Penny-Wiseguys".
Season 24 Episodes
Moonshine River Treehouse of Horror XXIII Adventures in Baby-Getting Gone Abie Gone Penny-Wiseguys A Tree Grows in Springfield The Day the Earth Stood Cool To Cur, with Love Homer Goes to Prep School A Test Before Trying The Changing of the Guardian Love Is a Many-Splintered Thing Hardly Kirk-ing Gorgeous Grampa Black-Eyed, Please Dark Knight Court What Animated Women Want Pulpit Friction Whiskey Business The Fabulous Faker Boy The Saga of Carl Dangers on a Train