Boy Meets Curl
"Boy Meets Curl" | |
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Grampa has. After the psychic deals the Death card (Maggie ), Grampa pushes it back toward her and she falls over dead. | |
"Boy Meets Curl" is the twelfth episode of the
With the Winter Olympics being held in
Airing during the Olympics, the episode was watched by 5.87 million viewers and had a
The episode received positive reviews from critics, and CTV reported that Olympic curlers largely enjoyed the episode.
Plot
Meanwhile, at the trials, Lisa is given an Olympic mascot pin, which she attaches to her dress. She decides that it "looks lonely" and buys another, but her interest in the pins quickly spirals out of control. The Simpsons arrive in Vancouver, where Agnes insists that Homer be cut from the team. Marge refuses and insists she can compensate for his weak throws, but Homer accidentally overhears the exchange and feels terrible. Marge continues to perform superbly, but she injures her right shoulder while sweeping to secure a win in the semifinals. She is told that she will never curl again and that the American team must forfeit the gold-medal match to
As Marge prepares to leave Vancouver, she reveals to Homer that she is left-handed, but has always used her right hand to avoid seeming unusual. She has become cross-dominant, with enough dexterity to change Maggie's diaper and dress her one-handed. Homer and Marge return to the rink just in time to stop Seymour from forfeiting the match and go on to defeat Sweden for the gold. Agnes softens her attitude of unyielding contempt toward her son after he breaks his broom and has to drop out, and Marge and Homer agree that they had a great date night.
Production
With the 2010 Winter Olympics occurring in Vancouver, the writers wanted an Olympics-themed episode that could air during the Games. The script was written by
On the issue of whether competitive curlers would be offended by the episode, LaZebnik said "When you hear The Simpsons is going to do their take on your sport, you naturally get a little alarmed, But we ended up being respectful I would say, even, surprisingly respectful. Both Homer and Marge take it seriously."[3] Some curlers, including the Clarks and Patzke, felt that the exposure the sport received was beneficial.[4] Cristin Clark said "Although Homer Simpson probably isn't the ideal athlete I would want to see representing our sport, I just think it's great exposure."[4] Canadian curler Randy Ferbey, a four-time world champion, said "I'm sure they're going to somehow make a mockery of it like they do every other thing, but I think you need to take it with a grain of salt. It brings attention to our sport and I think it's wonderful. The more curling on TV, whether it's in an animated form or real form, the better."[7]
Sportscaster Bob Costas guest-starred in the episode as a caricature of himself.[1][8]
Cultural references
Homer's speech before he and Marge begin curling is a parody of the
Reception and legacy
In its original American broadcast, "Boy Meets Curl" was viewed by 5.87 million viewers and got a
The episode received positive reviews.
Robert Canning of IGN gave the episode an 8.4/10 saying it was "Impressive" and "With or without the timeliness of the story and setting, 'Boy Meets Curl' was a fast and funny episode certain to be a highlight of the season".[9]
Emily VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club gave the episode an A, the best grade of the night, saying "Simpsons was one of their best episodes in a long time, and it continues a season that's had some pretty good episodes overall. I wouldn't put this on The Simpsons' top tier, but I think it's definitely on that next tier down, episodes that maybe don't have the most original plots but do have solid jokes throughout. Even the Bart and Lisa B-plot, involving Lisa getting a sudden addiction to Olympic pin collecting, starts out kind of bland and gets better and better as Lisa's jones grows."[13]
Jason Hughes of the
Steve Tilley of the Toronto Sun wrote "Sure, the episode was probably funnier for Canadians and curlers (and maybe Harry Potter fans) than anyone else, but it did prove Homer has got a bit of meteorological, psychic in him: 'Pack your winter coat, we're going to Canada's warmest city!'"[10]
Bob Costas received praise for his appearance, particularly for his line "This is the sort of bittersweet melodrama Olympic coverage feeds on. I admit, we're vampires who suck on shattered dreams."[9][15]
Jason Hughes of TV Squad called the line "about as accurate a description [of Olympic broadcasters] as I've ever seen."[14]
CTV reported that Olympic curlers largely enjoyed the episode.[16] American men's team coach Phill Drobnick said "The team watched it together and we gave it two thumbs up, they did a great job and it was reaching out to a new audience for our sport, so that's always great for us too."[17] American team alternate Chris Plys said "They didn't make a mockery of the sport, which is nice. Curling catches a lot of abuse."[18]
The episode gained attention in 2018 after the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang when the United States defeated Sweden in men's curling to win the gold medal, with writers commentating how The Simpsons predicted a U.S. upset over Sweden eight years prior.[19][20]
References
- ^ a b c "Catch the fanfare of Fox February". The Futon Critic. January 25, 2010. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
- ^ Gravel, Bill (July 28, 2009). "Homer and Marge join a curling team as the Simpsons pay homage to the popular sport - Metro US". www.metro.us. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
- ^ The Miami Herald. Retrieved January 25, 2010. [dead link]
- ^ a b c d e Golen, Jimmy (January 11, 2010). "Stronger, Higher, Homer? Simpsons go curling". CTV Olympics. Archived from the original on January 18, 2010. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
- ^ Petit, Bernie (February 17, 2010). "Thanks to Homer Simpson and the U.S. men's team, curling is hot". The Gaston Gazette. Retrieved February 20, 2010.
- ^ Spurier, Guy (January 18, 2010). "Fox to counter-program NBC's Olympics with a Simpsons' curling episode". National Post. Retrieved January 25, 2010.[dead link]
- ^ The Canadian Press (July 28, 2009). "The Simpsons to try Olympic curling". CBC Sports. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
- ^ Harris, Bill (February 11, 2010). "'Simpsons' give Olympic curling a whirl". Toronto Sun. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
- ^ a b c d Canning, Robert (February 15, 2010). "The Simpsons: "Boy Meets Curl" Review". IGN. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
- ^ a b Tilley, Steve (February 15, 2010). "Simpsons rock Vancouver". Toronto Sun. Retrieved February 20, 2010.
- ^ Seidman, Robert (February 15, 2010). "TV Ratings Sunday: Olympics Take Night, But Undercover Boss Strong in Second Outing". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on February 18, 2010. Retrieved February 15, 2010.
- ^ Kissell, Rick (February 15, 2010). "Games heat up for NBC". Variety. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
- ^ VanDerWerff, Emily (February 15, 2010). ""Boy Meets Curl"/"Buried Pleasure"/"Extra Large Medium"/"May the Best Stan Win"". The A.V. Club. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
- ^ a b Hughes, Jason (February 15, 2010). "The Simpsons' – 'Boy Meets Curl' Recap". HuffPostTV. Archived from the original on May 27, 2012. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
- ^ Barrett, Annie (January 12, 2022). "The Simpsons': 5 Winter Olympics truisms". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 20, 2010.
- ^ Hoogkamp, Paul (February 15, 2010). "Simpsons episode big hit with curlers". CTV Olympics. Archived from the original on February 21, 2010. Retrieved February 20, 2010.
- ^ Jones, Jeffrey (February 15, 2010). "Homer and Marge rock the house, U.S. curling team says". Reuters. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
- ^ Lopresti, Mike (January 12, 2022). "In Olympics, curlers are average Joes, just like Homer Simpson". USA Today. Retrieved February 20, 2010.
- ^ Barrie, Joshua (February 25, 2018). "The Simpsons somehow predicted the outcome of the men's curling final at the 2018 Winter Olympics". Daily Mirror. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
- ^ Moran, Lee (February 25, 2018). "'The Simpsons' Predicted Team USA's Olympic Curling Gold Back In 2010". HuffPost. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
External links
- "Boy Meets Curl" at IMDb