Episode no. 599 Written by Dave King Production code VABF17 | Directed by Rob Oliver Showrunner(s) Matt Selman
Al Jean | |
Original air date October 9, 2016 (2016-10-09) | ||
"The Town" is the third episode of the twenty-eighth season of the animated television series The Simpsons, and the 599th episode of the series overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on October 9, 2016.
Contents
Plot
Homer goes to Moe's to watch a football game between the Springfield Atoms and the Boston Americans, but they end up bitterly arguing with a group of Boston fans who are in Springfield for a Dennis Lehane convention over their teams being alleged to be cheaters and losers. Homer and the rest become enraged when the Americans win the game by throwing to their mascot, who was activated for the 53-man roster and reported in as an eligible receiver. Homer then says that he's going to lose it if he sees a Boston fan, but seconds later, he is surprised by a gleeful Bart wearing a Boston Americans' cap as his son makes it plain he hates the hometown Atoms and loves Boston. Homer gets angry at Bart, but he decides to take him around Springfield to encourage him to cheer for the home team. Bart refuses and admits that people at Boston (specifically Southies) are his people. Homer gets so traumatized by this that he starts hallucinating about the Boston team, so he decides to take the family on a "hate-cation" to Boston to show Bart what a terrible place it actually is.
During a visit to Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Homer starts provoking the Bostonians, when a cart full of bobbleheads fall on him. He's helped by some doctors and the family is impressed with the Massachusetts health-care system. Later, Marge, Lisa and Maggie walk down Memorial Drive and onto the MIT campus, which impresses them. Meanwhile, Homer and Bart go candlepin bowling, with Homer claiming that "they even found a way to mess up bowling". Bart encourages Homer to try it, and when Homer finds out you get a third ball in this version of the sport, he falls head over heels for both it and the city. Homer then gives up on the hate-cation and decides to enjoy Boston with Bart. Back at the hotel, Marge and Homer talk about their experience in Boston so far and decide to move to the town, declaring the move to be their "third ball".
The Simpsons rent an apartment and move all their stuff to Boston. Homer finds a job at the NEKCO candy factory and Lisa enjoys attending the Combat Zone Charter School. However, Bart realizes that he can't keep his prankster career anymore, as kids in detention canalyzed their energy into a cappella singing, and that most of the town is made for intellectuals like Lisa. He decides to find a way to make the family move back to Springfield. Bart takes the family to the latest championship parade for the Americans, who used possible cheating to win the crown. Homer tries to control his anger, but he gets enraged when asked to put on a Boston Americans' cap, ripping it into two and yelling that they are cheaters. The Simpsons then have to move back to Springfield, where Marge gets mad at Homer for making them lose that opportunity (though she seems to agree with him that it wouldn't have worked out and doesn't stay angry at him), Bart is now wearing a Springfield Atoms' cap and Lisa is hallucinating about Boston.
Production
The episode was originally titled "Patriot Games", as seen in the script cover. However, the title was changed in January 2016 to "The Town". A deleted scene showed Bart and Lisa outside a "Stawp & Shawp" (referencing Stop & Shop) with newspaper dispensers filled with The Herald newspapers.
"The Town" was rerun by Fox on February 12, 2017, a week after Super Bowl LI, where the New England Patriots defeated the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 in the first ever Super Bowl game to enter overtime. As an easter egg, the final score of the Boston vs. Springfield football game was changed to reference the real-life result of Super Bowl LI. Producer Matt Selman explained that his team had proposed the idea whilst watching the game, having realized that "The Town" had been scheduled for a rerun the following week. Although the idea was a joke, Al Jean took it seriously. He added that "jamming the Super Bowl teams and score into one shot makes no sense in the show, but we couldn't resist." The edit was exclusive to this airing.
Reception
"The Town" received positive reviews from critics. Dennis Perkins of The A.V. Club gave the episode a "B," stating "Luckily, while 'The Town' is another in the long line of Simpsons travelogue episodes, it’s at least an exceptionally lived-in one. Credited writer Dave King (Parks And Recreation, Workaholics) went to Harvard with, and co-founded the bitingly funny sports geek blog Fire Joe Morgan alongside, fellow Parks vets Alan Yang and show creator Mike Schur. And the Simpsons’ legacy of hiring Boston-area writers (like Dana Gould, who guest-voices here tonight) is well-known, and joked about. The Boston that that show visits tonight (after Bart’s adopted fandom of the 'Boston Americans' football team provokes Homer into buying tickets for a 'hate-cation') is dense with nearly every Massachusetts stereotype and reference that you can imagine...Throw in the welcome fact that the show stretches out the single A-story by ditching both the opening credits and couch gag, and 'The Town' turns out to be a funnier and better-realized episode than its promotion made it seem."
"The Town" scored a 1.5 rating and was watched by 3.22 million viewers, making it the most watched show on Fox that night.