Gump Roast
Encyclopedia
"Gump Roast" is the seventeenth episode of The Simpsons
’ thirteenth season
. It originally aired on the Fox network
in the United States
on April 21, 2002. In the episode, Homer Simpson
is honored by the townspeople at a Friars' Club Roast, until it is interrupted by Kang and Kodos.
The episode was directed by Mark Kirkland
and was written by Dan Castellaneta
and his wife Deb Lacusta
. The plot idea for the episode came about when The Simpsons cast members were on hiatus following a payment dispute. This is the fifth and, so far, the last clip show The Simpsons has produced. Instead, the series implements one "trilogy episode" each season. When it was first broadcast, "Gump Roast" received a 5.7 rating and was watched by 12.2 million viewers, making it the 16th most watched television show of the night. However, following its release on DVD
and Blu-ray, the episode received negative reviews from critics.
sits on a park bench holding a box of chocolates, when Chief Wiggum appears to arrest him for impersonating a movie character. Homer tells Wiggum a story that he is not interested in at first, but becomes more intrigued when Homer uses flashbacks to help him tell the story. The Simpson family then arrives to take Homer to the Friars’ Club, where he is roasted
by Krusty the Clown and other prominent citizens of Springfield
. Among those roasting him are his son Bart
, his daughter Lisa
, and his boss Mr. Burns who tries to warn the people of Springfield of Homer's incompetence which, much to his dismay, they think is a joke. The roasters utilize more clips from previous episodes.
Soon, Kang and Kodos arrive at the roast and declare that humans are stupid, as demonstrated by more clips. However, when they probe Homer's baby daughter Maggie
's brain and see her memories through a monitor, they at first demonstrate what looks like crying with joy. However, they later reveal that they were vomiting from their eyes. Just as they announce destruction of the Earth
, Maggie's mind reveals more clips that show Kang and Kodos something on Earth that makes it worth sparing: celebrities. Kang and Kodos and the citizens make a deal, they agree to spare the Earth if everyone agrees to give them a place in the People's Choice Awards. They do, and Kang and Kodos enjoy the award ceremony. The episode ends with the song "They’ll Never Stop the Simpsons," which recounts additional past plots, possible future plots, and an apology for airing this clip show.
"Gump Roast" was co-written by Dan Castellaneta
and his wife Deb Lacusta
, while Mark Kirkland
served as director. It was first broadcast on the Fox network in the United States on April 21, 2002. The idea for the episode came about when Castellaneta and the other main Simpsons cast members were on hiatus while renegotiating their salaries. During the hiatus, Lacusta and Castellaneta were discussing the film Forrest Gump
and questioned whether the stories Gump told actually happened, or if he made them up. They then compared the character to Homer, since they are both dimwitted and have "fumbled into" many different situations. Writing ensued, and when the cast members had settled the payment issue, Castellaneta and Lacusta presented the script to show runner
Al Jean
, who put the script into production.
The clip in which Homer skis down a mountain is one of the most used clips during events, according to Jean. One of the plot turns in the episode sees Kang and Kodos interrupting the roast. These characters normally only appear in Halloween episodes, however since "Gump Roast" is a clip show and therefore not in The Simpsons canon, Kang and Kodos were included in the episode. Since "Gump Roast," there has not been any more clip shows of The Simpsons. Jean stated in the DVD commentary for the episode, that since the show now produces "trilogy episodes" (episodes that have three separate stories for each act) each season after season 13, making a clip show would be unnecessary.
The song "They will never stop The Simpsons" playing at the end of the episode was written by Simpsons writer Matt Selman
and sung by Castellaneta. It is a parody on the song “We Didn't Start the Fire
” by Billy Joel
, and was originally the same length as the song it was based on. However, because the episode was too long, the song had to be cut to its current length. In 2011, the song was re-recorded with alternative lyrics as a promotional video after The Simpsons was renewed for an additional 24th and 25th season. Castellaneta came in and recorded eight new takes, which was mixed together with some of the original vocals.
and Reverend Lovejoy are performing at the roast is an homage to the Smothers Brothers
, who would later appear on The Simpsons in the episode “O Brother, Where Bart Thou?
.” Dr. Hibbert wears a costume of the character Darth Vader
from the Star Wars
series.
, making it the 16th most watched television show of the night, as well as the highest-ranked show on the Fox network. It received, along with a new episode of Malcolm in the Middle
, a 5.7 rating among adult viewers between ages 18 and 49, meaning it was seen by 5.7% of the population in said demographic.
Following the home video release of the thirteenth season of The Simpsons, "Gump Roast" received overwhelmingly negative reviews from critics. Both Ron Martin of 411Mania and Adam Rayner of Obsessed with Film wrote that the episode's premise is "lazy," and Rayner added that he felt "cheated." Andre Dellamorte of Collider was negative as well, writing that the episode “does a very poor job at justifying its existence." The episode's plot was criticized by reviewers; Jennifer Malkowski of DVD Verdict called the plot "lackluster" and added that it "doesn't really make sense—and I mean that last part in a bad way!" Nate Boss of Project-Blu held a similar view, stated that the plot "made no sense" and that the episode as a whole was "complete lameness." Some reviewers considered the episode to be the worst of the season. However, Colin Jacobson of DVD Movie Guide stated that, even though he thought the episode was "a cheap excuse for a new episode", he found that it "provokes more laughs than many of the other season 13 episodes since it quotes better programs from the past." Furthermore, the song at the end of the episode was well-received by Malkowski, who described it as the best moment of the episode.
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
’ thirteenth season
The Simpsons (season 13)
The Simpsons thirteenth season originally aired on the Fox network between November 6, 2001 and May 22, 2002 and consists of 22 episodes. The show runner for the thirteenth production season was Al Jean who executive-produced 17 episodes...
. It originally aired on the Fox network
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on April 21, 2002. In the episode, Homer Simpson
Homer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
is honored by the townspeople at a Friars' Club Roast, until it is interrupted by Kang and Kodos.
The episode was directed by Mark Kirkland
Mark Kirkland
Mark Kirkland is an American director. He has directed 69 episodes, from 1990-present, of The Simpsons, more than any other person.-Career:...
and was written by Dan Castellaneta
Dan Castellaneta
Daniel Louis "Dan" Castellaneta is an American actor, voice actor, comedian, singer and screenwriter. Noted for his long-running role as Homer Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons, he voices many other characters on The Simpsons, including Abraham "Grampa" Simpson, Barney Gumble,...
and his wife Deb Lacusta
Deb Lacusta
-Personal life:Lacusta is the wife of The Simpsons star Dan Castellaneta...
. The plot idea for the episode came about when The Simpsons cast members were on hiatus following a payment dispute. This is the fifth and, so far, the last clip show The Simpsons has produced. Instead, the series implements one "trilogy episode" each season. When it was first broadcast, "Gump Roast" received a 5.7 rating and was watched by 12.2 million viewers, making it the 16th most watched television show of the night. However, following its release on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
and Blu-ray, the episode received negative reviews from critics.
Plot
Homer SimpsonHomer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
sits on a park bench holding a box of chocolates, when Chief Wiggum appears to arrest him for impersonating a movie character. Homer tells Wiggum a story that he is not interested in at first, but becomes more intrigued when Homer uses flashbacks to help him tell the story. The Simpson family then arrives to take Homer to the Friars’ Club, where he is roasted
Roast (comedy)
A roast is an event in which an individual is subjected to a public presentation of comedic insults, praise, outlandish true and untrue stories, and heartwarming tributes, the implication being that the roastee is able to take the jokes in good humor and not as serious criticism or insult, and...
by Krusty the Clown and other prominent citizens of Springfield
Springfield (The Simpsons)
Springfield is the fictional town in which the American animated sitcom The Simpsons is set. A mid-sized town in an undetermined state of the United States, Springfield acts as a complete universe in which characters can explore the issues faced by modern society. The geography of the town and its...
. Among those roasting him are his son Bart
Bart Simpson
Bartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by actress Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
, his daughter Lisa
Lisa Simpson
Lisa Marie Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons. She is the middle child of the Simpson family. Voiced by Yeardley Smith, Lisa first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Cartoonist Matt Groening...
, and his boss Mr. Burns who tries to warn the people of Springfield of Homer's incompetence which, much to his dismay, they think is a joke. The roasters utilize more clips from previous episodes.
Soon, Kang and Kodos arrive at the roast and declare that humans are stupid, as demonstrated by more clips. However, when they probe Homer's baby daughter Maggie
Maggie Simpson
Margaret "Maggie" Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. She first appeared on television in the Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Maggie was created and designed by cartoonist Matt Groening while he was waiting in the lobby of James...
's brain and see her memories through a monitor, they at first demonstrate what looks like crying with joy. However, they later reveal that they were vomiting from their eyes. Just as they announce destruction of the Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
, Maggie's mind reveals more clips that show Kang and Kodos something on Earth that makes it worth sparing: celebrities. Kang and Kodos and the citizens make a deal, they agree to spare the Earth if everyone agrees to give them a place in the People's Choice Awards. They do, and Kang and Kodos enjoy the award ceremony. The episode ends with the song "They’ll Never Stop the Simpsons," which recounts additional past plots, possible future plots, and an apology for airing this clip show.
Production
Dan Castellaneta
Daniel Louis "Dan" Castellaneta is an American actor, voice actor, comedian, singer and screenwriter. Noted for his long-running role as Homer Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons, he voices many other characters on The Simpsons, including Abraham "Grampa" Simpson, Barney Gumble,...
and his wife Deb Lacusta
Deb Lacusta
-Personal life:Lacusta is the wife of The Simpsons star Dan Castellaneta...
, while Mark Kirkland
Mark Kirkland
Mark Kirkland is an American director. He has directed 69 episodes, from 1990-present, of The Simpsons, more than any other person.-Career:...
served as director. It was first broadcast on the Fox network in the United States on April 21, 2002. The idea for the episode came about when Castellaneta and the other main Simpsons cast members were on hiatus while renegotiating their salaries. During the hiatus, Lacusta and Castellaneta were discussing the film Forrest Gump
Forrest Gump
Forrest Gump is a 1994 American epic comedy-drama romance film based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom. The film was directed by Robert Zemeckis, starring Tom Hanks, Robin Wright and Gary Sinise...
and questioned whether the stories Gump told actually happened, or if he made them up. They then compared the character to Homer, since they are both dimwitted and have "fumbled into" many different situations. Writing ensued, and when the cast members had settled the payment issue, Castellaneta and Lacusta presented the script to show runner
Show runner
Showrunner is a term of art originating in the United States and Canadian television industry referring to the person who is responsible for the day-to-day operation of a television seriesalthough such persons generally are credited as an executive producer...
Al Jean
Al Jean
Al Jean is an award-winning American screenwriter and producer, best known for his work on The Simpsons. He was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan and graduated from Harvard University in 1981. Jean began his writing career in the 1980s with fellow Harvard alum Mike Reiss...
, who put the script into production.
The clip in which Homer skis down a mountain is one of the most used clips during events, according to Jean. One of the plot turns in the episode sees Kang and Kodos interrupting the roast. These characters normally only appear in Halloween episodes, however since "Gump Roast" is a clip show and therefore not in The Simpsons canon, Kang and Kodos were included in the episode. Since "Gump Roast," there has not been any more clip shows of The Simpsons. Jean stated in the DVD commentary for the episode, that since the show now produces "trilogy episodes" (episodes that have three separate stories for each act) each season after season 13, making a clip show would be unnecessary.
The song "They will never stop The Simpsons" playing at the end of the episode was written by Simpsons writer Matt Selman
Matt Selman
Matthew "Matt" Selman is an American writer and producer. Selman grew up in Massachusetts, attended the University of Pennsylvania and was editor-in-chief of student magazine 34th Street Magazine. After considering a career in journalism, he decided to try and became a television writer...
and sung by Castellaneta. It is a parody on the song “We Didn't Start the Fire
We Didn't Start the Fire
"We Didn't Start the Fire" is a song by Billy Joel. Its lyrics are made up from rapid-fire brief allusions to over a hundred headline events between March 1949 and 1989, when the song was released on his album Storm Front...
” by Billy Joel
Billy Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
, and was originally the same length as the song it was based on. However, because the episode was too long, the song had to be cut to its current length. In 2011, the song was re-recorded with alternative lyrics as a promotional video after The Simpsons was renewed for an additional 24th and 25th season. Castellaneta came in and recorded eight new takes, which was mixed together with some of the original vocals.
Referenced clips
| Episode | Season | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Homer the Heretic Homer the Heretic "Homer the Heretic" is the third episode of The Simpsons fourth season, which originally aired on FOX in the United States on October 8, 1992. In the episode, Homer decides to forgo going to church and has an excellent time staying home. His behavior quickly attracts the wrath of God, who visits... |
4 | Homer dreams of being in the womb. |
| Homer Simpson in: "Kidney Trouble" | 10 | In a flashback, Homer tells how he and Grampa were never close, but still loved each other. |
| The Way We Was The Way We Was "The Way We Was" is the twelfth episode of The Simpsons second season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 31, 1991. In the episode, Marge tells the story of how she and Homer first met and fell in love. Flashing back to 1974, we see how Homer falls in love with... |
2 | Homer tells how he met Marge in high school. |
| Take My Wife, Sleaze Take My Wife, Sleaze "Take My Wife, Sleaze" is the eighth episode of the eleventh season of the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 28, 1999. In the episode, Homer wins a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and starts his own biker gang, naming it... |
11 | Homer and Marge dance at Greasers Cafe. |
| Natural Born Kissers Natural Born Kissers "Natural Born Kissers" is the season finale of The Simpsons ninth season which originally aired on the Fox network on May 17, 1998. Homer and Marge discover that the fear of getting caught while making love is a turn on and start making love in public places. It was the first episode written by... |
9 | Nude Homer and Marge hide behind some lawn ornaments. |
| Bart Gets an Elephant Bart Gets an Elephant "Bart Gets an Elephant" is the seventeenth episode of The Simpsons fifth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 31, 1994. In the episode, Bart wins a radio contest and is awarded an elephant named Stampy. After Stampy wrecks the Simpsons' house and eats all the... |
5 | Homer tells how Bart got an elephant. |
| The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson "The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson" is the first episode of The Simpsons ninth season, and premiered on September 21, 1997 on Fox. The episode sees the Simpson family traveling to Manhattan to recover the family car, which was taken by Barney Gumble and abandoned outside the World Trade Center... |
9 | Homer drives the car on the street of New York New York City New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and... , with the boot still on his car. |
| Faith Off Faith Off "Faith Off" is the eleventh episode of the eleventh season of the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 16, 2000. In the episode, Bart believes he has the power to heal others through faith after removing a bucket glued to... |
11 | Homer recklessly drives the car, with the bucket still glued to his head. |
| Dumbbell Indemnity Dumbbell Indemnity "Dumbbell Indemnity" is the sixteenth episode of the ninth season of the animated television series The Simpsons, which originally aired March 1, 1998. It was written by Ron Hauge and directed by Dominic Polcino. The episode sees Moe trying to keep his girlfriend by using a large amount of money,... |
9 | Homer tries escaping his stolen car by rolling out, only to roll over a rock, back in the car, and he drives off a cliff. |
| Grift of the Magi Grift of the Magi "Grift of the Magi" is the ninth episode of the eleventh season of the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 19, 1999. In the episode, Principal Skinner hires Fat Tony's construction company to build wheelchair ramps for the... |
11 | Bart and Lisa do Christmas caroling to distract families while Homer steals their Funzo dolls. |
| Brush With Greatness Brush with Greatness "Brush with Greatness" is the eighteenth episode of The Simpsons second season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 11, 1991. In the episode, Marge revives her high school-era interest in painting by enrolling in an art class after getting encouraged by Lisa... |
2 | Bart and Lisa repeatedly ask Homer to take them to Mt. Splashmore. |
| Thirty Minutes over Tokyo Thirty Minutes over Tokyo "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo" is the twenty-third episode and season finale of The Simpsons tenth season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 16, 1999. In the episode, after being robbed by Snake Jailbird, the Simpsons visit a money-saving seminar, where they learn ways to... |
10 | The family gets seizures from watching Battling Seizure Robots. |
| Montage sequence | 10-12 | Past scenes of Homer singing. |
| Homer to the Max Homer to the Max "Homer to the Max" is the thirteenth episode of The Simpsons tenth season, which originally broadcast on February 7, 1999. Homer discovers that a television show broadcasting in Springfield, Police Cops, has a hero also named Homer Simpson. He is delighted with the positive attention he receives... |
10 | The crowd watches Homer as he's working, waiting for him to do something stupid. |
| Mountain of Madness Mountain of Madness "Mountain of Madness" is the twelfth episode of The Simpsons eighth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 2, 1997. In the episode, Mr. Burns tries to encourage more teamwork among his employees and forces the workers of Springfield Nuclear Power Plant to go... |
8 | A fire drill at the nuclear power plant. |
| Little Big Mom Little Big Mom Little Big Mom is the tenth episode of the eleventh season of the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 9, 2000. In the episode, while the rest of the Simpson family goes skiing, Marge remains at the ski lodge due to her fear... |
11 | Homer fails at skiing. |
| When You Dish Upon a Star When You Dish upon a Star "When You Dish Upon a Star" is the fifth episode of The Simpsons tenth season, which was originally broadcast on November 8, 1998. When the family spend the day at Lake Springfield, Homer meets Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger, who are hiding from the media in their secluded summer home... |
10 | Homer goes para sailing. |
| Mom and Pop Art Mom and Pop Art "Mom and Pop Art" is the nineteenth episode of The Simpsons tenth season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 11, 1999. In the episode, Homer inadvertently becomes a well-praised outsider artist after his failed attempts to build a barbecue pit. His exhibit... |
10 | Homer fails at building his BBQ pit. |
| Montage sequence | 3-13 | Homer strangling Bart. |
| Children of a Lesser Clod Children of a Lesser Clod Children of a Lesser Clod is the 20th episode of The Simpsons twelfth season. In the episode, after spraining his knee during a basketball game, Homer begins taking care of the neighborhood kids to cure his boredom, prompting jealousy from Bart and Lisa, who feel that Homer is giving the kids the... |
12 | Homer chases Bart with a mace. |
| Home Sweet Homediddly-Dum-Doodily Home Sweet Homediddly-Dum-Doodily "Home Sweet Homediddly-Dum-Doodily" is the third episode of The Simpsons seventh season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 1, 1995. In the episode, the Simpson children are put in the custody of Ned and Maude Flanders after a series of misadventures. Homer and... |
7 | Maggie almost chooses the Flanders family just before Marge comes over. |
| Lisa's First Word Lisa's First Word "Lisa's First Word" is the tenth episode of The Simpsons fourth season. It was first broadcast on Fox in the United States on December 3, 1992. In the episode, as the Simpson family gathers around Maggie and tries to encourage her to say her first word, Marge reminisces and tells the story of... |
4 | Maggie says her first word, "Daddy" (in this version, Nancy Cartwright Nancy Cartwright Nancy Campbell Cartwright is an American film and television actress, comedian and voice artist. She is best known for her long-running role as Bart Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons... replaces Elizabeth Taylor Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor, DBE was a British-American actress. From her early years as a child star with MGM, she became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age... as the voice of Maggie). |
| Montage sequence | 9-12 | Scenes of guest stars that have previously appeared on the show |
Cultural references
The opening scene, which shows Homer sitting on a bench holding a box of chocolates, is a reference to the movie Forrest Gump. At one point Homer drukenly quotes the film Secrets & Lies. The act that Ned FlandersNed Flanders
Nedward "Ned" Flanders, Jr. is a recurring fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Harry Shearer, and first appeared in the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". He is the next door neighbor to the Simpson family and is generally...
and Reverend Lovejoy are performing at the roast is an homage to the Smothers Brothers
Smothers Brothers
The Smothers Brothers are Thomas and Richard , American singers, musicians, comedians and folk heroes. The brothers' trademark act was performing folk songs , which usually led to arguments between the siblings...
, who would later appear on The Simpsons in the episode “O Brother, Where Bart Thou?
O Brother, Where Bart Thou?
"O Brother, Where Bart Thou?" is the eighth episode of The Simpsons 21st season. It first aired on December 13, 2009. In this episode, Bart goes on a quest to get a baby brother out of jealousy of the sisterly bond Lisa has with Maggie....
.” Dr. Hibbert wears a costume of the character Darth Vader
Darth Vader
Darth Vader is a central character in the Star Wars saga, appearing as one of the main antagonists in the original trilogy and as the main protagonist in the prequel trilogy....
from the Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
series.
Reception
In its original American broadcast on April 21, 2002, "Gump Roast" was watched by 12.2 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media ResearchNielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre films and newspapers...
, making it the 16th most watched television show of the night, as well as the highest-ranked show on the Fox network. It received, along with a new episode of Malcolm in the Middle
Malcolm in the Middle
Malcolm in the Middle is an American television sitcom created by Linwood Boomer for the Fox Network. The series was first broadcast on January 9, 2000, and ended its six-and-a-half-year run on May 14, 2006, after seven seasons and 151 episodes...
, a 5.7 rating among adult viewers between ages 18 and 49, meaning it was seen by 5.7% of the population in said demographic.
Following the home video release of the thirteenth season of The Simpsons, "Gump Roast" received overwhelmingly negative reviews from critics. Both Ron Martin of 411Mania and Adam Rayner of Obsessed with Film wrote that the episode's premise is "lazy," and Rayner added that he felt "cheated." Andre Dellamorte of Collider was negative as well, writing that the episode “does a very poor job at justifying its existence." The episode's plot was criticized by reviewers; Jennifer Malkowski of DVD Verdict called the plot "lackluster" and added that it "doesn't really make sense—and I mean that last part in a bad way!" Nate Boss of Project-Blu held a similar view, stated that the plot "made no sense" and that the episode as a whole was "complete lameness." Some reviewers considered the episode to be the worst of the season. However, Colin Jacobson of DVD Movie Guide stated that, even though he thought the episode was "a cheap excuse for a new episode", he found that it "provokes more laughs than many of the other season 13 episodes since it quotes better programs from the past." Furthermore, the song at the end of the episode was well-received by Malkowski, who described it as the best moment of the episode.
External links
- "Gump Roast" at The Simpsons.com