Bart vs. Thanksgiving
"Bart vs. Thanksgiving" | |
---|---|
The Simpsons episode | |
Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 7 |
Directed by | David Silverman |
Written by | George Meyer |
Production code | 7F07 |
Original air date | November 22, 1990 |
Guest appearances | |
| |
Episode features | |
Couch gag | The family finds Grampa sleeping on the couch. |
Commentary | Matt Groening James L. Brooks George Meyer Al Jean Mike Reiss David Silverman |
"Bart vs. Thanksgiving" is the seventh episode of the
The episode was written by
Plot
Once they are assembled, the Simpsons sit down to dinner. When Lisa places the centerpiece on the table, Bart removes it to make way for the turkey. In the ensuing scuffle, Bart ends up throwing the centerpiece into the fireplace and it burns to ashes. Lisa runs to her room sobbing, and Homer and Marge punish Bart by sending him up to his room. Marge then tells him that he has ruined Thanksgiving and later informs him that he will not be allowed to eat dinner until he issues a sincere apology to Lisa in front of the family. Bart refuses and climbs out of his room.
After Homer expels Santa's Little Helper from the house for stealing a turkey drumstick, Bart and the dog run away from home. Bart tries to steal a pie cooling on a window sill at Mr. Burns' mansion, but Burns' hounds chase him away. While wandering the streets, Bart uses Homer's ID to sell his blood and after passing out, is brought to a breadline serving dinner to homeless people. Kent Brockman interviews Bart for a human interest story. The family sees the TV report and call the police, hoping they can help find Bart and bring him home. When the police fail to locate Bart, Homer and Marge regret the things they said to him, feeling that it was what caused him to run off.
Bart later returns home feeling remorseful for leaving after lending money to a couple of beggars. He climbs onto the roof to ponder his choices. When he hears Lisa crying because she misses him, Bart invites her to join him on the roof. He finally realizes what he did hurt her deeply and apologizes as Homer and Marge watch proudly. Bart and Lisa later rejoin the family to enjoy a meal of leftovers.
Production
The episode was written by George Meyer and directed by David Silverman. It was the first script Meyer wrote on the show, and he thought he made "quite a few mistakes, but it turned out really well overall."[3] The staff decided to do a Thanksgiving episode after they realized an episode would air on Thursday, November 22, 1990 (Thanksgiving Day). The Simpsons had previously aired at 8:00 p.m. EST on Sunday night but Fox switched its timeslot to the same time on Thursdays at the beginning of the second season.[4] The idea of Bart going up on the roof was suggested by Meyer who used to go up on the roof himself when he had fights with his family.[3]
Voice actor
In Bart's fantasy, Maggie says "It's your fault I can't talk!" Carol Kane voiced this line, although she was uncredited.[1][2]
Cultural references
At the beginning of the episode, Homer and Bart watch
The song that plays on the radio during the break in the Thanksgiving football game is "
Reception
In its original broadcast, "Bart vs. Thanksgiving" finished thirty-seventh in the ratings for the week of November 19–25, 1990, with a
Since airing, the episode has received mostly positive reviews from television critics. The authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, wrote: "Marge's mother Jackie is particularly nightmarish in her first real appearance. The final sequence on the rooftop with Lisa and Bart is lovely, and Homer's comment to Marge is a magical wrap-up to a good episode."[5] DVD Movie Guide's Colin Jacobson said the episode "maintained a nicely irreverent tone most of the time – irreverent enough to make it amusing, at least," and added: "The interaction of the Simpson and Bouvier families at dinner was terrific, and Bart's experiences on skid row made their point while they still managed to be pointed and clever. 'Bart vs. Thanksgiving' was another winner."[8]
Bryce Wilson of Cinema Blend said "Bart vs. Thanksgiving" and "Lisa's Substitute", another season two episode, were the first episodes that "asked [the audience] to truly care about the characters, and they work beautifully".[9] Both Dawn Taylor of The DVD Journal and Jacobson thought the most memorable line of the episode was Jackie's line to Marge: "I have laryngitis and it hurts to talk, so I'll just say one thing – you never do anything right."[8][10]
References
- ^ ISBN 978-0062748058.
- ^ a b Jean, Al [@AlJean] (June 27, 2018). "Bart v thanksgiving" (Tweet). Retrieved January 15, 2022 – via Twitter.
- ^ a b Meyer, George (2002). The Simpsons season 2 DVD commentary for the episode "Bart vs. Thanksgiving" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
- ^ Jean, Al (2002). The Simpsons season 2 DVD commentary for the episode "Bart vs. Thanksgiving" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
- ^ a b c d e f g Martyn, Warren; Wood, Adrian (2000). "Bart vs. Thanksgiving". BBC. Archived from the original on May 25, 2006. Retrieved April 12, 2009.
- ^ OL 433519M..
- ^ Hastings, Deborah (November 29, 1990). "Bart edges out Bill Cosby rerun". South Florida Sun-Sentinel. pp. 3E.
- ^ a b Jacobson, Colin. "The Simpsons: The Complete Second Season". DVD Movie Guide. Archived from the original on March 26, 2009. Retrieved March 23, 2009.
- ^ Wilson, Bryce (April 19, 2004). "The Simpsons – The Complete Second Season – DVD". Cinema Blend. Archived from the original on September 1, 2018. Retrieved March 23, 2009.
- ^ Taylor, Dawn (2002). "The Simpsons: The Complete Second Season". The DVD Journal. Archived from the original on March 26, 2009. Retrieved March 23, 2009.
External links
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