The Scorpion's Tale
Encyclopedia
"The Scorpion's Tale" is the fifteenth episode of The Simpsons
' twenty-second season
. It aired on the Fox network
in the United States on March 6, 2011.
meets and runs over "realistic" versions of Coyote and Road Runner; Martin meets an eccentric and grumpy hermit artist that the government tried to hire for years but never succeeded; Bart, Nelson and Milhouse found old French postcards; and Lisa
is almost attacked by scorpion
s, but they quickly become passive after Lisa passes through a field of silvertongue flowers in Springfield
's desert, prompting her to take the scorpions and some flowers for further experiments. However, while they return home, the Simpsons family is soon forced to let Grampa
live at their house: he was kicked out of the old folks home because he has become too obnoxiously grumpy to them. After Lisa confirmed that the flower has a powerful chemical agent that nullifies all the negative feelings of any living being, Homer sneaks some into his father's coffee, something that cures his usual crankiness. Grampa decides to do this daily, acknowledging that a drug that stimulates happiness was the best thing that ever happened in his bitter life.
Unfortunately, despite the positive effects, Lisa refuses to give more of this drug, or to tell them the composition. While they complain about it at Moe's Tavern, a drug industry employee from Hottenhoffer Pharmaceuticals named Walter Hotenhoffer (formerly known as Augustus Gloop) (voiced by Werner Herzog
) manages to duplicate the liquid's effects using a sample of Grampa's perspiration and produces 20mg "MusBeNys" pills
, but since this product has not been properly tested, only Grampa is allowed to use the pills. Unfortunately, Bart
decides to sell some of the pills to everyone who has a problem with grumpy old people, making all the elderly people in Springfield becoming happy and carefree.
Lisa eventually realizes that Grampa is still using the drug, but she also admits that the pills are rather helpful to him. However, the drug's side effect
quickly arises: it makes everyone's eyes become so lubricated that they literally pop out of their sockets. The elderly people do not mind this rather gruesome aspect of the drug, but upon seeing Homer's antics with his friends and his car, Grampa convinces the old people to stop using the pills, saying that the Baby Boomer
generation still needs their guidance, and this is only possible with their constant nagging. In the end, everything turns back to normal (except Hotenhoffer, who still has nightmares regarding what happened at Wonka's factory.).
was listed in the FOX press release as a guest star, but his lines were cut. Mason's character Rabbi Krustofsky is briefly seen in the episode jumping rope.
series is parodied in the episode with a real coyote
chasing a real roadrunner
.
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...
The Simpsons (season 22)
The Simpsons twenty-second season began airing on Fox on September 26, 2010 and ended on May 22, 2011. The Simpsons was renewed for at least two additional seasons during the twentieth season leading up to this season. The cast is currently signed through the 25th season. On November 11, 2010, the...
. It 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 on March 6, 2011.
Plot
During a trip at the "Satan's Anvil", every student stumbles into several bizarre people and situations: OttoOtto Mann
Otto Mann is a fictional character on the animated TV series The Simpsons, voiced by Harry Shearer. He is the school bus driver for Springfield Elementary School...
meets and runs over "realistic" versions of Coyote and Road Runner; Martin meets an eccentric and grumpy hermit artist that the government tried to hire for years but never succeeded; Bart, Nelson and Milhouse found old French postcards; and 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...
is almost attacked by scorpion
Scorpion
Scorpions are predatory arthropod animals of the order Scorpiones within the class Arachnida. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by the pair of grasping claws and the narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back, ending with a venomous stinger...
s, but they quickly become passive after Lisa passes through a field of silvertongue flowers in 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...
's desert, prompting her to take the scorpions and some flowers for further experiments. However, while they return home, the Simpsons family is soon forced to let Grampa
Abraham Simpson
Abraham J. "Abe" Simpson, often known simply as Grampa, is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and he is also the patriarch of the Simpson family, the father of Homer Simpson, and the grandfather of Bart, Lisa, and Maggie Simpson...
live at their house: he was kicked out of the old folks home because he has become too obnoxiously grumpy to them. After Lisa confirmed that the flower has a powerful chemical agent that nullifies all the negative feelings of any living being, Homer sneaks some into his father's coffee, something that cures his usual crankiness. Grampa decides to do this daily, acknowledging that a drug that stimulates happiness was the best thing that ever happened in his bitter life.
Unfortunately, despite the positive effects, Lisa refuses to give more of this drug, or to tell them the composition. While they complain about it at Moe's Tavern, a drug industry employee from Hottenhoffer Pharmaceuticals named Walter Hotenhoffer (formerly known as Augustus Gloop) (voiced by Werner Herzog
Werner Herzog
Werner Herzog Stipetić , known as Werner Herzog, is a German film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and opera director.He is often considered as one of the greatest figures of the New German Cinema, along with Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Margarethe von Trotta, Volker Schlöndorff, Werner...
) manages to duplicate the liquid's effects using a sample of Grampa's perspiration and produces 20mg "MusBeNys" pills
Pill (pharmacy)
A pill is a small, round, solid pharmaceutical oral dosage form that was in use before the advent of tablets and capsules. Pills were made by mixing the active ingredients with an excipient such as glucose syrup in a mortar and pestle to form a paste, then rolling the mass into a long cylindrical...
, but since this product has not been properly tested, only Grampa is allowed to use the pills. Unfortunately, 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...
decides to sell some of the pills to everyone who has a problem with grumpy old people, making all the elderly people in Springfield becoming happy and carefree.
Lisa eventually realizes that Grampa is still using the drug, but she also admits that the pills are rather helpful to him. However, the drug's side effect
Side effect
In medicine, a side effect is an effect, whether therapeutic or adverse, that is secondary to the one intended; although the term is predominantly employed to describe adverse effects, it can also apply to beneficial, but unintended, consequences of the use of a drug.Occasionally, drugs are...
quickly arises: it makes everyone's eyes become so lubricated that they literally pop out of their sockets. The elderly people do not mind this rather gruesome aspect of the drug, but upon seeing Homer's antics with his friends and his car, Grampa convinces the old people to stop using the pills, saying that the Baby Boomer
Baby boomer
A baby boomer is a person who was born during the demographic Post-World War II baby boom and who grew up during the period between 1946 and 1964. The term "baby boomer" is sometimes used in a cultural context. Therefore, it is impossible to achieve broad consensus of a precise definition, even...
generation still needs their guidance, and this is only possible with their constant nagging. In the end, everything turns back to normal (except Hotenhoffer, who still has nightmares regarding what happened at Wonka's factory.).
Production
Jackie MasonJackie Mason
Jackie Mason is an American stand-up comedian and movie actor.-Early life:Born Yacov Moshe Maza in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, he grew up on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, New York City....
was listed in the FOX press release as a guest star, but his lines were cut. Mason's character Rabbi Krustofsky is briefly seen in the episode jumping rope.
Reception
The episode received a 2.8/8 in the 18-49 share, and 6.20 million viewers, slightly edged out by the new Family Guy in the Animation Domination block. Rowan Kaiser of the A.V. Club gave the episode a "B-", the second highest rating of the night (next to Bob's Burgers), praising Herzog's performance, but finding Lisa's varying opinions throughout the episode annoying.Cultural references
The Wile E. Coyote and Road RunnerWile E. Coyote and Road Runner
Wile E. Coyote and The Road Runner are a duo of cartoon characters from a series of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons. The characters were created by animation director Chuck Jones in 1948 for Warner Bros., while the template for their adventures was the work of writer Michael Maltese...
series is parodied in the episode with a real coyote
Coyote
The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...
chasing a real roadrunner
Roadrunner
Roadrunners are birds of the genus Geococcyx.Roadrunner or Road Runner may also refer to:* Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner, an animated character based on the bird** The Road Runner Show, compiled cartoons including the character...
.