The Cartridge Family
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The Cartridge Family is the fifth episode of The Simpsons' ninth season. The episode first aired on November 2, 1997.
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[edit] Synopsis
The Simpsons, along with most other residents of Springfield attend a soccer match after seeing a TV commercial that makes the game look very exciting. When the game starts, however, the crowd begins to lose interest and becomes violent. Eventually the crowd starts a riot that causes damage to much of Springfield, forcing mob rule to be installed. Homer does not want to pay $500 for a Home Security Installment and decides to get a gun.
In the gun shop, Homer wants a gun but there is a waiting period. Homer spends 5 excruciating days waiting to get his gun. Although his background checks identify him as 'potentially dangerous', he still gets a handgun.
At home, Homer decides to surprise Marge with the old "close your eyes and I'll show you a big surprise" routine. Marge opens her eyes to her staring down the barrel of Homer's new revolver. She is horrified and appalled, and demands that he get rid of the gun at once. A debate ensues about the gun's merits (Homer) and potential dangers (Marge). To aid his side of the story, Homer persuades Marge to come with him to the local National Rifle Association meeting, but she remains unconvinced.
Homer, meanwhile, treats the gun as though it were a toy, casually carrying it into the Kwik-E-Mart (and somehow avoids impulsively robbing the convenience store), firing bullets to retrieve items from the roof, and otherwise using it with reckless disregard for everyone's safety. Finally, after a near accident at the dinner table, Marge gives Homer an ultimatum ... get rid of the gun, or else.
Homer promises to get rid of the gun, but he ends up hiding it in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator. Later, Bart and Milhouse discover the gun and play William Tell in the kitchen. Before Bart can cause a tragedy, Marge sees the shenanigans and puts an immediate stop to the proceedings. Angry at Homer for having lied to her about the gun, Marge gathers the children and leaves for a hotel.
That night, Homer hosts an NRA meeting at his house, but continues to carelessly use his pistol. Appalled at such wanton misuse and concerned for their safety, NRA president Moe dismisses Homer from the group. Homer is left home, alone, moping at what the gun cost him. He decides to go to the Sleep-Eazy (the bold text representing the neon lights that are lit on the hotel's sign) Motel (where Marge and the kids are) to convince them he's gotten rid of the gun and that they should come home.
Homer and Marge make up, but while walking through the lobby to leave, Snake comes in to rob the desk clerk, demanding the cash register's contents while holding a knife to Mayor Quimby's neck. Homer pulls out his gun and disrupts the robbery. Marge, instead of thanking Homer for stopping the robbery, yells at Homer for lying to her again. Snake grabs the gun from a distracted Homer, but it turns out it isn't loaded. However, through Homer's stupidity, Snake grabs the bullets and loads it, planning to shoot everyone. However, all the local NRA members charge into the motel and run Snake off (but not before he makes off with the money).
Fearing that he will continue to lie to his wife about owning a gun, Homer finally asks Marge for assistance in getting rid of the weapon. Marge starts to do just that, but before she can deposit it in a wastebasket, the shiny metal lid shows the reflection of herself holding the gun. She admires what she sees and decides to keep the gun for herself. The episode ends with the closing anthem from The Avengers.
[edit] Trivia
- Apparently, the riot which occurred is an annual event.
- The former soccer player Pelé (voice impersonated by Hank Azaria, and credited as "certain celebrity voices impersonated") appears in this episode.
- John Swartzwelder, the writer of this episode, is said to be a gun rights advocate.
- Swartzwelder was rumored to be doing commentary on this DVD episode. However, the extent of his participation was that the actual commentators called him on the phone to verify for the fans that he exists. The only opinion he offered on the episode was that he recalled it was a good one.[1]
- Homer has previously owned guns in the episodes "Radio Bart", "$pringfield", "Marge Gets a Job", "Homer the Vigilante" and "Homer's Phobia", though never a handgun. Marge carried (and fired) a revolver during her stint as a cop in "The Springfield Connection".
- When this episode was initially aired the two teams in the soccer match, Mexico and Portugal, had never played each other on an official match (They had only played a friendly in 1969 that ended 0-0). That would only occur nine years later, on June 21, 2006 as part of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Portugal won 2-1 and went on to the semi-finals, where they lost to France. They ended up in 4th place. Mexico proceeded to the round of 16, where Argentina beat them.
- Although both Kent Brockman and the other commentator refer to a 'half back' during the soccer match the term has not been used in the game since the early 20th Century.
- The song playing while Homer is waiting to get the gun is "The Waiting" from Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers' album Hard Promises.
- The opening sequence where soccer is portrayed as the most boring sport imaginable was based on an incident where John Swartzwelder watched the United States' opening match in the 1994 World Cup at the urging of a friend. Swartzwelder switched it off after 20 minutes, and vowed never to watch another game.
- The episode is played in the background of an X-Files episode where a young boy witnessed a brutal shooting, the part where Homer performs the "cool shot" involving Marge's photo and knife is shown while he is watching the show and interacting with Mulder.
- This episode was banned from the UK satellite channel Sky One due to scenes of flagrant gun misuse, though it had been released on the Too Hot for TV VHS and DVD, and was aired several times on BBC Two from 26 October 2001 to 2003. It finally aired on Sky One for the first time on 26 September 2005, eight years after its original planned premiere date of 30 November 1997.
- When Marge says, "I told you, no guns at the dinner table", the beads on her necklace turn white. This was probably a coloring error. Her beads are also white in The Springfield Connection.
- When Marge points out that the last time there was a gun in the house Maggie shot Mr Burns, Homer replies "I thought Smithers did it", and Lisa agrees that this would have made more sense. In "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular", a false ending was shown in which Smithers was indeed responsible.
- The end credits were originally to have the song "Happiness Is a Warm Gun" by The Beatles, but Michael Jackson didn't allow them to use it in time.
[edit] Cultural references
- The episode title is a parody of the TV show The Partridge Family.
- The store where Homer gets his gun, Bloodbath & Beyond, is in reference to the real-life store Bed Bath & Beyond.
- The argument over the pronunciation of the word "fudgesicles" is from an episode of Laverne and Shirley.
- The episode's chalkboard joke is a reference to the common urban legend that Richard Gere was/is regularly involved in gerbilling.
[edit] External links
- "The Cartridge Family" episode capsule at The Simpsons Archive
