The Squirt and the Whale
Encyclopedia
"The Squirt and the Whale" is the nineteenth episode of The Simpsons
twenty-first season
, which premiered on the Fox
network on April 25, 2010 as the 460th episode for the series overall. In the episode, the Simpson family attempt to save a beached whale that washed up onshore, only for it to die.
The episode was written by Matt Warburton
and directed by Mark Kirkland
. The episode features references to William Shatner
and fellow animated show, South Park
and the controversy of the depiction of Muhammad
in the-then two recent episode, "200
" and "201
". "The Squirt and the Whale" received positive reviews from critics with IGN naming it and "The Bob Next Door
" the best episodes of the season and got a 2.8/8 in the 18-49 demographic riding 1-tenth from last weeks episode, "Chief of Hearts
" according to the Nielsen Media Research
.
is outraged by the family's high electricity bill, they attend an alternate energy expo and purchase a wind turbine
. At first the turbine produces an excess of electricity, so Homer decides the family will live off the grid. They soon discover that they have no electricity when there is no wind. Homer tries to power the turbine with fans plugged into Ned Flanders
' house, but Ned angrily disconnects them. One evening Bart
is manually turning the turbine so Lisa
can watch House
, and when he prays for wind, a severe storm blows through town. The next morning Lisa and Bart bike through town to survey the damage and discover a beached
blue whale
.
Lisa immediately bonds with the whale and names her Bluella. She appeals to her parents for help returning Bluella to the sea, but Marge fears Lisa will be let down because the outcome for beached whales is usually poor. Still, Homer rallies the townspeople and they unsuccessfully attempt to move Bluella. As night falls, Lisa decides to stay with Bluella and starts reading her excerpts from the poem "The World Below the Brine" from the poetry collection "Leaves of Grass
" by Walt Whitman
. She dozes off and awakes to the Marines rescuing Bluella wiggling its tail with helicopters. Bluella happily swims away but when she leaps into the northern lights (this is probably a reference to the constellation Cetus
), Lisa awakes, realizes she was dreaming and discovers Bluella has died.
Homer tries to comfort a heartbroken Lisa, while Bart and Milhouse
, who plan to poke Bluella with a stick, return to the beach and discover the penguin police with guns are going to blow up the whale carcass, as it cannot stay on the beach. The results are disastrous and blubber is everywhere, prompting the townspeople to use Bluella's remains for products such as corsets and perfume. Lisa sadly walks through town, where every squeaky noise reminds her of Bluella. She winds up at the beach, where she spots two whale calves — presumed to be Bluella's offspring — surrounded by sharks. Homer suddenly appears with a boat (which he had apparently offered to test drive
) and a harpoon and they rush to the rescue, only to be stopped by two eco-activists, who caution Lisa that being an eco-activist means supporting all forms of life (including the sharks). Lisa agrees and stops Homer from shooting the sharks, but he inadvertently falls overboard. The eco-activists advise Homer to hit the sharks on the nose with a steel pail, which will either cause them to retreat or make the sharks devour Homer faster. When the eco-activists throw the pail to Homer, it strikes him in the head causing him to bleed and even more sharks arrive and circle Homer. Fortunately, the whale calves' father appears and rescues the young whales and Homer, driving the sharks away. In the end (and to the strains of "La Mer
"), the Simpson family watches the three whales swim out to sea, confident that they will thrive. Homer assumes that the whale will get married to a "sexy lady octopus", and that a "little whale-upus is on the way!" Marge then suggests that they draw pictures of that tonight. Over the ending credits, the song La Mer plays while the pictures the Simpsons drew are shown.
his ninth writing credit for the series and directed by Mark Kirkland
his third directing credit for the season after "Bart Gets a 'Z'
", and "Postcards from the Wedge
". Due to the controversy behind the South Park two-part episode "200" and "201," some Fox affiliates aired the "Je ne parle pas français" chalkboard gag used on season 17's "The Monkey Suit
" en lieu of "South Park -- We'd Stand Beside You If We Weren't So Scared."
As aired on many stations, Bart's chalkboard gag is "South Park - We'd stand beside you if we weren't so scared", a reference to the controversy surrounding the South Park
episodes "200
" and "201
". The episodes satirized the controversies surrounding depictions of the Muslim
prophet Muhammad
. This led to threats against South Park creators Trey Parker
and Matt Stone
. and the original broadcast of "201" on April 21, 2010, was heavily censored by Comedy Central
before being banned outright. The episode also features references to actor William Shatner
with Comic Book Guy wearing a corset
and says he is Captain Kirk
from Star Trek I
then as the corset loosens he says he becomes Star Trek I
, Star Trek II
, Star Trek V
, Star Trek Generations, and finally Boston Legal
.
rerun and slightly beating last weeks "Chief of Hearts
". The episode ranked 25th in the weekly 18-49 demographic dropping one position from last week's, "Chief of Hearts
".
"The Squirt and the Whale" received positive reviews from critics with many praising the South Park chalkboard. Robert Canning of IGN.com gave the episode 9.3/10 and remarked that the episode "was an absolute gem." He also stated "It was hilarious and heartwarming. In a time when many are saying the series has lost its magic, Sunday night's episode proved that even the old-timers can show you how it's done once in a while." He concluded that it was "the best episode of the season so far."
Todd VanDer Werff of The A.V Club gave the episode a B, scoring lower than American Dad!
s "Bully for Steve
". He stated, "I thought it was a really well done version of a story we've seen a number of times, where Lisa becomes involved with some sort of improbable cause, finds herself disappointed, and is only brought out of her bad mood when her family rallies around her." but also remarked that the episode "tried too hard to push for a happy ending." Jason Hughes of TV Squad who is usually critical of the show gave the episode a positive review as well saying "Finally, a good -- maybe even great -- episode. 'The Squirt and the Whale' packed more laughs in the first few minutes' Alternative Energy Expo than the entire running time of most recent eps."
Eric Goldman of IGN
described the opening chalkboard gag as "a humorous one, which used self-deprecation to say The Simpsons couldn't fully stand with South Park - yet clearly stating that the producers do indeed support them, by bringing up the issue at all." Robert Canning of IGN
in a review of the season named it one of the best episodes of the season tied with "The Bob Next Door
".
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...
twenty-first season
The Simpsons (season 21)
The Simpsons twenty-first season aired on Fox from September 27, 2009 to May 23, 2010. It was the first of two seasons that the show was renewed for by Fox, and also the first season of the show to air entirely in high definition....
, which premiered on the Fox
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...
network on April 25, 2010 as the 460th episode for the series overall. In the episode, the Simpson family attempt to save a beached whale that washed up onshore, only for it to die.
The episode was written by Matt Warburton
Matt Warburton
Matt Warburton is an American television writer currently working on The Simpsons. In reference to Warburton, Current show runner Al Jean once joked that the show now has a writer younger than Bart...
and 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:...
. The episode features references to William Shatner
William Shatner
William Alan Shatner is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, and author. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T...
and fellow animated show, South Park
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
and the controversy of the depiction of Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
in the-then two recent episode, "200
200 (South Park)
"200" is the fifth episode of the fourteenth season of South Park, and the 200th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on April 14, 2010...
" and "201
201 (South Park)
"201" is the sixth episode of the fourteenth season of South Park, and the 201st overall episode of the series. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on April 21, 2010. The episode continued multiple storylines from the previous episode, "200", in which a group of angry...
". "The Squirt and the Whale" received positive reviews from critics with IGN naming it and "The Bob Next Door
The Bob Next Door
"The Bob Next Door" is the twenty-second episode of The Simpsons twenty-first season and the 463rd episode overall on Fox Broadcasting Company...
" the best episodes of the season and got a 2.8/8 in the 18-49 demographic riding 1-tenth from last weeks episode, "Chief of Hearts
Chief of Hearts
"Chief of Hearts" is the eighteenth episode of The Simpsons twenty-first season. It aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 18, 2010....
" according to the Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre films and newspapers...
.
Plot
When HomerHomer 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 outraged by the family's high electricity bill, they attend an alternate energy expo and purchase a wind turbine
Wind turbine
A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...
. At first the turbine produces an excess of electricity, so Homer decides the family will live off the grid. They soon discover that they have no electricity when there is no wind. Homer tries to power the turbine with fans plugged into Ned Flanders
Ned 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...
' house, but Ned angrily disconnects them. One evening 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...
is manually turning the turbine so 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...
can watch House
House (TV series)
House is an American television medical drama that debuted on the Fox network on November 16, 2004. The show's central character is Dr. Gregory House , an unconventional and misanthropic medical genius who heads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in...
, and when he prays for wind, a severe storm blows through town. The next morning Lisa and Bart bike through town to survey the damage and discover a beached
Beached whale
A beached whale is a whale that has stranded itself on land, usually on a beach. Beached whales often die due to dehydration, the body collapsing under its own weight, or drowning when high tide covers the blowhole.-Species:...
blue whale
Blue Whale
The blue whale is a marine mammal belonging to the suborder of baleen whales . At in length and or more in weight, it is the largest known animal to have ever existed....
.
Lisa immediately bonds with the whale and names her Bluella. She appeals to her parents for help returning Bluella to the sea, but Marge fears Lisa will be let down because the outcome for beached whales is usually poor. Still, Homer rallies the townspeople and they unsuccessfully attempt to move Bluella. As night falls, Lisa decides to stay with Bluella and starts reading her excerpts from the poem "The World Below the Brine" from the poetry collection "Leaves of Grass
Leaves of Grass
Leaves of Grass is a poetry collection by the American poet Walt Whitman . Though the first edition was published in 1855, Whitman spent his entire life writing Leaves of Grass, revising it in several editions until his death...
" by Walt Whitman
Walt Whitman
Walter "Walt" Whitman was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among the most influential poets in the American canon, often called the father of free verse...
. She dozes off and awakes to the Marines rescuing Bluella wiggling its tail with helicopters. Bluella happily swims away but when she leaps into the northern lights (this is probably a reference to the constellation Cetus
Cetus
Cetus is a constellation. Its name refers to Cetus, a sea monster in Greek mythology, although it is often called 'the whale' today. Cetus is located in the region of the sky that contains other water-related constellations such as Aquarius, Pisces, and Eridanus.-Ecliptic:Although Cetus is not...
), Lisa awakes, realizes she was dreaming and discovers Bluella has died.
Homer tries to comfort a heartbroken Lisa, while Bart and Milhouse
Milhouse Van Houten
Milhouse Mussolini Van Houten is a fictional character featured in the animated television series The Simpsons, voiced by Pamela Hayden. He is Bart Simpson's best friend in Mrs. Krabappel's fourth grade class at Springfield Elementary School....
, who plan to poke Bluella with a stick, return to the beach and discover the penguin police with guns are going to blow up the whale carcass, as it cannot stay on the beach. The results are disastrous and blubber is everywhere, prompting the townspeople to use Bluella's remains for products such as corsets and perfume. Lisa sadly walks through town, where every squeaky noise reminds her of Bluella. She winds up at the beach, where she spots two whale calves — presumed to be Bluella's offspring — surrounded by sharks. Homer suddenly appears with a boat (which he had apparently offered to test drive
Beyond Blunderdome
"Beyond Blunderdome" is the 11th season premiere of The Simpsons, and the last episode produced for the tenth season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on September 26, 1999. Homer test drives an electric car because it will get him a gift. The gift is that Homer and Marge get...
) and a harpoon and they rush to the rescue, only to be stopped by two eco-activists, who caution Lisa that being an eco-activist means supporting all forms of life (including the sharks). Lisa agrees and stops Homer from shooting the sharks, but he inadvertently falls overboard. The eco-activists advise Homer to hit the sharks on the nose with a steel pail, which will either cause them to retreat or make the sharks devour Homer faster. When the eco-activists throw the pail to Homer, it strikes him in the head causing him to bleed and even more sharks arrive and circle Homer. Fortunately, the whale calves' father appears and rescues the young whales and Homer, driving the sharks away. In the end (and to the strains of "La Mer
La Mer (song)
Trenet wrote the lyrics of "La Mer" on a train in 1943 while travelling along the French Mediterranean coast, returning from Paris to Narbonne. He supposedly wrote the song in ten minutes, on toilet paper supplied by SNCF. He was assisted with the tune by Leo Chauliac. It was originally published...
"), the Simpson family watches the three whales swim out to sea, confident that they will thrive. Homer assumes that the whale will get married to a "sexy lady octopus", and that a "little whale-upus is on the way!" Marge then suggests that they draw pictures of that tonight. Over the ending credits, the song La Mer plays while the pictures the Simpsons drew are shown.
Production
The episode was written by Matt WarburtonMatt Warburton
Matt Warburton is an American television writer currently working on The Simpsons. In reference to Warburton, Current show runner Al Jean once joked that the show now has a writer younger than Bart...
his ninth writing credit for the series and 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:...
his third directing credit for the season after "Bart Gets a 'Z'
Bart Gets a 'Z'
"Bart Gets a 'Z" is the second episode of The Simpsons twenty-first season. It originally aired on the Fox Broadcasting Company in the United States on October 4, 2009....
", and "Postcards from the Wedge
Postcards from the Wedge
"Postcards from the Wedge" is the fourteenth episode of The Simpsons twenty-first season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 14, 2010. In the episode, Homer and Marge once again try to discipline Bart after Mrs...
". Due to the controversy behind the South Park two-part episode "200" and "201," some Fox affiliates aired the "Je ne parle pas français" chalkboard gag used on season 17's "The Monkey Suit
The Monkey Suit
"The Monkey Suit" is the twenty-first episode of the seventeenth season of the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 14, 2006. In the episode, Ned Flanders is shocked after seeing a new display at the museum about evolution...
" en lieu of "South Park -- We'd Stand Beside You If We Weren't So Scared."
Cultural references
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
episodes "200
200 (South Park)
"200" is the fifth episode of the fourteenth season of South Park, and the 200th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on April 14, 2010...
" and "201
201 (South Park)
"201" is the sixth episode of the fourteenth season of South Park, and the 201st overall episode of the series. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on April 21, 2010. The episode continued multiple storylines from the previous episode, "200", in which a group of angry...
". The episodes satirized the controversies surrounding depictions of the Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
prophet Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
. This led to threats against South Park creators Trey Parker
Trey Parker
Trey Parker is an American animator, screenwriter, director, producer, voice artist, musician and actor, best known for being the co-creator of the television series South Park along with his creative partner and best friend Matt Stone.Parker started his film career in 1992, making a holiday short...
and Matt Stone
Matt Stone
Matthew Richard "Matt" Stone is an American screenwriter, producer, voice artist, musician and actor, best known for being the co-creator of South Park along with creative partner and best friend, Trey Parker....
. and the original broadcast of "201" on April 21, 2010, was heavily censored by Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
before being banned outright. The episode also features references to actor William Shatner
William Shatner
William Alan Shatner is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, and author. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T...
with Comic Book Guy wearing a corset
Corset
A corset is a garment worn to hold and shape the torso into a desired shape for aesthetic or medical purposes...
and says he is Captain Kirk
James T. Kirk
James Tiberius "Jim" Kirk is a character in the Star Trek media franchise. Kirk was first played by William Shatner as the principal lead character in the original Star Trek series. Shatner voiced Kirk in the animated Star Trek series and appeared in the first seven Star Trek movies...
from Star Trek I
Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Star Trek: The Motion Picture is a 1979 American science fiction film released by Paramount Pictures. It is the first film based on the Star Trek television series. The film is set in the twenty-third century, when a mysterious and immensely powerful alien cloud called V'Ger approaches the Earth,...
then as the corset loosens he says he becomes Star Trek I
Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Star Trek: The Motion Picture is a 1979 American science fiction film released by Paramount Pictures. It is the first film based on the Star Trek television series. The film is set in the twenty-third century, when a mysterious and immensely powerful alien cloud called V'Ger approaches the Earth,...
, Star Trek II
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is a 1982 American science fiction film released by Paramount Pictures. The film is the second feature based on the Star Trek science fiction franchise. The plot features James T...
, Star Trek V
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier is a 1989 American science fiction film released by Paramount Pictures. It is the fifth feature in the franchise and the penultimate to star the cast of the original Star Trek science fiction television series...
, Star Trek Generations, and finally Boston Legal
Boston Legal
Boston Legal is an American legal dramedy created by David E. Kelley, which was produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for the ABC...
.
Reception
In its original American broadcast, "The Squirt and the Whale" was viewed by an estimated 5.94 million households and received a 18-49 Nielsen rating demographic of 2.8 and a share of 8% coming second in its timeslot and the second most viewed and rated show on "Animation Domination" after a Family GuyFamily Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
rerun and slightly beating last weeks "Chief of Hearts
Chief of Hearts
"Chief of Hearts" is the eighteenth episode of The Simpsons twenty-first season. It aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 18, 2010....
". The episode ranked 25th in the weekly 18-49 demographic dropping one position from last week's, "Chief of Hearts
Chief of Hearts
"Chief of Hearts" is the eighteenth episode of The Simpsons twenty-first season. It aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 18, 2010....
".
"The Squirt and the Whale" received positive reviews from critics with many praising the South Park chalkboard. Robert Canning of IGN.com gave the episode 9.3/10 and remarked that the episode "was an absolute gem." He also stated "It was hilarious and heartwarming. In a time when many are saying the series has lost its magic, Sunday night's episode proved that even the old-timers can show you how it's done once in a while." He concluded that it was "the best episode of the season so far."
Todd VanDer Werff of The A.V Club gave the episode a B, scoring lower than American Dad!
American Dad!
American Dad! is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane and owned by Underdog Productions and Fuzzy Door Productions. It is produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television...
s "Bully for Steve
Bully for Steve
"Bully for Steve" is the sixteenth episode of the fifth season of the animated comedy series American Dad!. It originally aired in the United States on Fox on April 25, 2010...
". He stated, "I thought it was a really well done version of a story we've seen a number of times, where Lisa becomes involved with some sort of improbable cause, finds herself disappointed, and is only brought out of her bad mood when her family rallies around her." but also remarked that the episode "tried too hard to push for a happy ending." Jason Hughes of TV Squad who is usually critical of the show gave the episode a positive review as well saying "Finally, a good -- maybe even great -- episode. 'The Squirt and the Whale' packed more laughs in the first few minutes' Alternative Energy Expo than the entire running time of most recent eps."
Eric Goldman of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
described the opening chalkboard gag as "a humorous one, which used self-deprecation to say The Simpsons couldn't fully stand with South Park - yet clearly stating that the producers do indeed support them, by bringing up the issue at all." Robert Canning of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
in a review of the season named it one of the best episodes of the season tied with "The Bob Next Door
The Bob Next Door
"The Bob Next Door" is the twenty-second episode of The Simpsons twenty-first season and the 463rd episode overall on Fox Broadcasting Company...
".
External links
- "The Squirt and the Whale" at TheSimpsons.com
- "The Squirt and the Whale" at The Simpsons ArchiveThe Simpsons ArchiveThe Simpsons Archive, better known as snpp.com or simply SNPP , is a Simpsons fan site that has been online since 1994...