Poorhouse Rock

General

References/Trivia

Appearances

Gags

Credits

Quotes

	Season 33 Episode
← 727 "Meat Is Murder"	728 "Poorhouse Rock"	"Season 34" →

This episode is considered non-canon and the events featured do not relate to the series and therefore may not have actually happened/existed. The reason behind this decision is: Large amount of the episode has a song and dance routine, part of which took place in the past. If you dispute this, please bring it up on the episode's talk page.

"Poorhouse Rock"

Episode Information Episode number: 728 Season number: S33 E22 Production code: UABF14 Original airdate: May 22, 2022 Couch gag: Several of the kids from Springfield Elementary are having a party in the house, when Marge and Homer suddenly arrive and everyone hides behind furniture or in other rooms. Lisa then retrieves a shirt that was left on the floor just as they're sitting on the couch. Everyone peek from around the corner and Maggie pops her lollipop out of her mouth. Guest star(s): Hugh Jackman as the janitor Megan Mullally as Sarah Wiggum Robert Reich as himself Showrunner(s): Matt Selman Al Jean Written by: Tim Long Directed by: Jennifer Moeller

"Poorhouse Rock" is the twenty-second and finale episode of season 33 of The Simpsons and the seven-hundred and twenty-eigth episode overall. It originally aired on May 22, 2022. The episode was written by Tim Long and directed by Jennifer Moeller. It guest stars Hugh Jackman as the janitor, Megan Mullally as Sarah Wiggum, and Robert Reich as himself

Synopsis

"After Bart humiliates him at church, Homer finally teaches his son to admire his dad - until a visit from a magical, singing janitor changes everything they thought they knew."

Plot

Marge has organized a reunion with her lady friends to watch Tunnelton and denies the rest of the family access to the biscuits and pastries she has prepared. The ladies start watching the show, using Helen Lovejoy's Netflix password while drinking. The next morning Marge has hangover and asks Homer to take the kids to church.

At the church after the hymn the kids are taken to Sunday school with Helen, where Bart is asked to present his work on "Honor Thy Mother and Father", where he shows how much Marge is a role model while Homer is a goofball, showing videos of the past, including a prank with him and Lisa and Homer chasing Capital City Goofball after he proposes to Marge with flowers.

Homer gets tired of church and uses Maggie as an excuse to get out of it, but discovers Bart's presentation, seeing how he thinks he's a loser, and gets angry once more, confirming how he acts in the scenes is real and gets sent into the angry grownup room. Later, Homer convinces himself that taking Bart to work will change his idea of him being a loser, so he takes him there while using a trick to take him inside once he shows no interest in going.

Once in the Power Plant, Homer shows Bart the best parts of his job, gaining Bart's respect, ending with them getting the money from his paycheck. The next morning Bart gets dressed just like Homer and announces he wants to be a nuclear safety inspector just like Homer.

Later, Bart goes to the Plant to see his father working again, but only finds a janitor, which explains with a song how his job is coming to pass and doesn't exist anymore, with the help of Lisa. Bart tries to counteract with him saying he could use all the new technologies instead to make money and then they show him the crude reality of how making money out of them is impossible, thanks to the help of other Springfielders.

Bart realizes it's all true and goes to his treehouse, where the janitor tells him to burn the system, but Bart misunderstands him and burns the treehouse instead, getting saved by the Springfield Fire Department, and finally realizing what he's going to do, becoming a fireman. Later, Marge and Homer are recovering the backyard, thinking of upgrading it, but Lisa tells them their homeowners policy doesn't cover musical numbers.

Production

The story is the inspired by an article in The Atlantic of February 2021, inspired by a twitter post by Erika Chappell, about how the middle-class lifestyle of The Simpsons is no longer realistic.

The episode is a final one, which long-time music editor Chris Ledesma worked on.

The episode's couch gag was designed by Venezuelan artist Spike Monster.

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Promo videos

• "The Simpsons season finale is the hottest show in town — featuring @RealHughJackman this Sunday on @FOXTV!" on Twitter
• Marge Watches "Tunnelton" With Her Friends at YouTube
• Hugh Jackman makes his Simpsons debut singing about middle class decline at YouTube
• "I’m grateful to be able to share this sneak peek of @TheSimpsons season finale, where @RealHughJackman and I team up to tackle inequality and the demise of the middle class. Here's a sneak peak of the episode. Be sure to tune in at 8pm ET/7pm CT/8pm PT this Sunday for the rest!" on Twitter
• Marge's Guilty Pleasure at YouTube

Wikisimpsons has a collection of images related to "Poorhouse Rock".

← Season 32 Season 33 Episodes Season 34 →

The Star of the Backstage • Bart's in Jail! • Treehouse of Horror XXXII • The Wayz We Were • Lisa's Belly • A Serious Flanders (Part 1) • A Serious Flanders (Part 2) • Portrait of a Lackey on Fire • Mothers and Other Strangers • A Made Maggie • The Longest Marge • Pixelated and Afraid • Boyz N the Highlands • You Won't Believe What This Episode Is About – Act Three Will Shock You! • Bart the Cool Kid • Pretty Whittle Liar • The Sound of Bleeding Gums • My Octopus and a Teacher • Girls Just Shauna Have Fun • Marge the Meanie • Meat Is Murder • Poorhouse Rock