$pringfield (or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling)
"$pringfield (or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling)" | |
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The Simpsons episode | |
Episode no. | Season 5 Episode 10 |
Directed by | Wes Archer |
Written by | Bill Oakley & Josh Weinstein |
Production code | 1F08 |
Original air date | December 16, 1993 |
Guest appearances | |
| |
Episode features | |
Couch gag | The family runs to the couch, but when they get there, they break and shatter like glass. Santa's Little Helper enters the room confused. |
Commentary | Matt Groening David Mirkin Bill Oakley Josh Weinstein Wes Archer |
"$pringfield (or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling)", simply known as "$pringfield", is the tenth episode of the
The episode was written by
Plot
At a town hall, Mayor Quimby fields suggestions on ways to improve Springfield's faltering economy. Principal Skinner suggests the town legalize gambling to rejuvenate its economy. Everyone likes the idea, even Marge, who has become known for disapproving of the townspeople's ideas. Mr. Burns and Quimby work together to build a casino, and Homer is hired as a blackjack dealer.
While waiting for Homer's shift to end, Marge finds a quarter on the casino floor and uses it to play a
Marge's gambling addiction causes her to neglect her family. She fails to notice when Maggie crawls away from the slots and is nearly mauled by a white tiger from Gunter and Ernst's circus act. Marge forgets to help Lisa make a costume for Lisa's geography pageant. Homer makes a costume of Florida for Lisa, but it is misshapen and shabby, displaying the state's name as "Floreda".
Homer frantically runs throughout the casino, searching for Marge. Security cameras capture his rampage, causing Burns to demote him to his old job at the power plant. After realizing how much he misses the plant, Burns decides to return to it. When Homer confronts Marge for her behavior, she finally realizes she has a gambling problem and agrees to stop.
Lisa wins a prize in the geography pageant for children who "clearly had no help from their parents". Ralph receives the same prize for his costume, a note taped to his shirt that reads "Idaho".
Production
The episode was written by Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein, and directed by Wes Archer.
There was a brief period when the episode had a different subplot that revolved around the restaurant chain Planet Hollywood. Groening had been told by a spokesperson that if he put Planet Hollywood in The Simpsons, the creators of the restaurant, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis and Sylvester Stallone, would agree to make guest appearances on the show. The writers of The Simpsons were excited about this so they wrote a new subplot for the episode that featured Planet Hollywood and the three actors. However, for unknown reasons, they were unable to appear in the episode.[6] Instead,
Cultural references
The title is a reference to the 1964 film
Reception
In its original American broadcast, "$pringfield" finished 35th in the ratings for the week of December 13 to December 19, 1993, with a Nielsen Rating of 11.7, translating to 11 million households. The episode was the highest-rated show on the Fox network that week.[9]
Since airing, the episode has received mostly positive reviews from television critics. DVD Movie Guide's Colin Jacobson commented that "this excellent episode includes a surprising number of concurrent plots. Homer also works in the casino and tries to care for the family without Marge. It balances them deftly and provides great laughs along the way."
References
- ^ OL 433519M..
- 20th Century Fox.
- ^ a b c Oakley, Bill (2004). The Simpsons season 5 DVD commentary for the episode "$pringfield" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
- ^ Archer, Wes (2004). The Simpsons season 5 DVD commentary for the episode "$pringfield" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
- ^ a b c Mirkin, David (2004). The Simpsons season 5 DVD commentary for the episode "$pringfield" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
- ^ a b Groening, Matt (2004). The Simpsons season 5 DVD commentary for the episode "$pringfield" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
- ^ "Stanley and Bart... another Kubrick legend". The Guardian. London. July 16, 1999. Retrieved March 1, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e Martyn, Warren; Wood, Adrian (2000). "$pringfield". BBC. Archived from the original on April 19, 2008. Retrieved April 12, 2008.
- ^ "Nielsen Ratings/December 13–19". Long Beach Press-Telegram. December 22, 1993. p. C6.
- ^ Jacobson, Colin (December 21, 2004). "The Simpsons: The Complete Fifth Season (1993)". DVD Movie Guide. Archived from the original on January 16, 2009. Retrieved January 24, 2009.
- ^ Suraf, Adam (December 18, 2004). "The Simpsons: Season 5". Dunkirkma.net. Archived from the original on February 18, 2009. Retrieved February 10, 2009.
- ^ Bromley, Patrick (February 23, 2005). "The Simpsons: The Complete Fifth Season". DVD Verdict. Archived from the original on January 16, 2009. Retrieved January 24, 2009.
- ^ Gibron, Bill (December 23, 2004). "The Simpsons – The Complete Fifth Season". DVD Talk. Archived from the original on January 22, 2009. Retrieved January 9, 2009.
- ^ Culp, Sarah (February 19, 2003). "The Simpsons' Top 25 Episodes". The Quindecim. Archived from the original on February 19, 2009. Retrieved March 1, 2009.
- ^ Winan, Les (December 28, 2004). "How to Spend $20". Box Office Prophets. Archived from the original on March 14, 2016. Retrieved March 1, 2009.
- ^ MITCHELL, ELVIS (September 26, 2002). "FILM REVIEW; Taking Kissinger to Task, Perhaps Even a Bit More". The New York Times. Retrieved January 16, 2022.