The Sweetest Apu
Encyclopedia
"The Sweetest Apu" is the nineteenth episode of The Simpsons
' thirteenth season
. It originally aired on the Fox network
in the United States
on May 5, 2002. In the episode, Homer
and his wife Marge
discover that convenience store owner Apu
is having an affair with the Squishee delivery lady working in his store. It is up to Marge, Homer and Apu to try to keep his wife Manjula from learning his secret.
"The Sweetest Apu" was written by John Swartzwelder
and directed by Matthew Nastuk
. It features Inside the Actors Studio
host James Lipton
as himself. It also features references to The New Yorker
, photographer Richard Avedon
and the film Wild Wild West
. In its original broadcast, the episode was seen by approximately 7.1 million viewers and finished in 37rd place in the ratings the week it aired. Following its home video release on August 24, 2010, the episode received mostly negative reviews from critics.
sells Homer
a beer keg for the American Civil War
reenactment of the Battle of Springfield
. At the reenactment, Principal Skinner watches as Springfielders disobey him and hold a rather inaccurate battle (featuring an orange clad "East" faction, a roller skating Stone Wall Jackson, and a giant robotic spider
made by Professor Frink
). After the battle, Homer brings the empty, dented keg back to Apu at the Kwik-E-Mart
in an attempt to get the deposit. There, he hears a giggle coming from a closet and finds Apu making love
with the woman who delivers Squishees to Kwik-E-Mart. He then walks backwards in shock all the way home to his bed.
Marge
figures out what Homer saw from the movements of his pupil. They decide not to tell Manjula but while they are playing Badminton
Homer and Marge act awkwardly with Manjula and Apu looking at them, trying not to give out hints Apu cheated on Manjula. They then confront Apu and he says he will break up with the Squishee Lady named Annette. However, he breaks his promise (as it gets his mind off the octuplets). Later, Manjula watches the surveillance footage of Apu cheating
. To help get them together, Homer and Marge invite them both to dinner, but do not tell them that the other one is coming. After a failed attempt with Bart and Lisa, Apu tries to promise to Manjula that he will change, but Manjula refuses to listen and demands a divorce
.
Kicked out, Apu moves into the apartment complex where Kirk Van Houten lives. The octuplets then speak their first words, which put together, say "Mommy, will you let daddy come back...cookie!" Marge and Manjula go to Apu's and arrive in time to prevent him from hanging himself. Apu is then subjected to several tasks to redeem himself (such as eating a light bulb), though Manjula says it will take time for everything to get back to normal. In bed, Manjula, finally satisfied with what he has done, kisses Apu while Homer watches from the window, on a ladder. The couple continues and Homer, traumatized, hops backwards on the ladder all the way home, without falling, mimicking what he did earlier.
"The Sweetest Apu" was written by former Simpsons writer John Swartzwelder
and directed by director Matthew Nastuk
. It was first broadcast on the Fox network
in the United States
on May 5, 2002. After seeing Apu cheating on Manjula with the squishee girl, an extensive scene in which Homer dramatically backs out of the room, into the Simpson house and into his bed is shown. The scene was conceived by episode writer Swartzwelder. Another scene in the episode shows Apu breakng up with the Squishee lady in front of her house. Originally, police chief Clancy Wiggum would be seen in a robe inside the house, implying that other men in Springfield cheat on their wives as well, however it was dismissed because the writers thought it would look "too sad." Originally, Swartzwelder wanted the kama sutra sex position in the episode to show several arms and legs "sticking out in crazy positions," however it received a censor note and the Simpsons staff were allowed to show "less and less" of it as time progressed.
The episode features American writer and actor James Lipton
, host of the television program Inside the Actors Studio
, as himself. The divorce lawyer was portrayed by series regular voice actor Hank Azaria
, and was based on "many lawyers that the writing staff had faced," according to current show runner Al Jean
. Professor Frink's steam-powered "Super-spider" seen during the reenactment is a reference to the 1999 steampunk film Wild Wild West
. One of Apu's promises to Manjula is to get a comic strip printed in The New Yorker
. American photographer Richard Avedon
is also mentioned in the episode.
, translating to approximately 7.1 million viewers. The episode finished in 37rd place in the ratings for the week of April 29-May 5, 2002. On August 24, 2010, "The Sweetest Apu" was released as part of The Simpsons: The Complete Thirteenth Season DVD
and Blu-ray set. Al Jean, Ian Maxtone-Graham, Matt Selman, Tim Long, Dan Castellaneta, James Lipton and Matt Warburton participated in the audio commentary of the episode.
Following its home video release, "The Sweetest Apu" received mostly negative reviews from critics. DVD Movie Guide's Colin Jacobson wrote "I don’t recall ever being particularly excited by other Manjula episodes, and 'Sweetest' does nothing to alter that perception." He praised Homer's reaction to seeing Apu cheating on Manjula, but maintained that "much of the remaining gags tend to be lackluster." He concluded by writing "This ends up as a pretty flat, forgettable show." Project-Blu's Nate Boss called it "An average episode, by this season's standards," describing it as "a bit too cut and dry for my taste." Writing for Blu-ray.com, Casey Broadwater wrote that "The Sweetest Apu" is "near-laughless," and Ryan Keefer of DVD Talk
wrote "The less said about this episode, the better." Both reviewers considered the episode to be one of the season's worst. On the other hand, giving the episode a positive review, Jennifer Malkowski of DVD Verdict
gave the episode a B, praising the "Badminton [scene] and its many double entendres" as the episode's "highlight."
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 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 May 5, 2002. In the episode, Homer
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...
and his wife Marge
Marge Simpson
Marjorie "Marge" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the eponymous family. She is voiced by actress Julie Kavner and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
discover that convenience store owner Apu
Apu Nahasapeemapetilon
Apu Nahasapeemapetilon is a character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Hank Azaria and first appeared in the episode "The Telltale Head". Apu is the proprietor of the Kwik-E-Mart, a popular convenience store in Springfield, and a friend of Homer Simpson. He is also...
is having an affair with the Squishee delivery lady working in his store. It is up to Marge, Homer and Apu to try to keep his wife Manjula from learning his secret.
"The Sweetest Apu" was written by John Swartzwelder
John Swartzwelder
John Swartzwelder is an American comedy writer and novelist, best known for his work on the animated television series The Simpsons, as well as a number of novels. He is credited with writing the largest number of Simpsons episodes by a large margin...
and directed by Matthew Nastuk
Matthew Nastuk
Matthew Nastuk is an animation director on The Simpsons. He started directing during the tenth season, and has since directed over a dozen episodes and continues to direct today.-Season Ten:...
. It features Inside the Actors Studio
Inside the Actors Studio
Inside the Actors Studio is a series on the Bravo cable television channel, hosted by James Lipton. It is produced and directed by Jeff Wurtz; the executive producer is James Lipton. The program, which premiered in 1994, is distributed internationally by CABLEready and is broadcast in 125 countries...
host James Lipton
James Lipton
James Lipton is an American writer, poet, composer, actor and dean emeritus of the Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University in New York City. He is the executive producer, writer and host of the Bravo cable television series Inside the Actors Studio, which debuted in 1994...
as himself. It also features references to The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
, photographer Richard Avedon
Richard Avedon
Richard Avedon was an American photographer. An obituary published in The New York Times said that "his fashion and portrait photographs helped define America's image of style, beauty and culture for the last half-century."-Photography career:Avedon was born in New York City to a Jewish Russian...
and the film Wild Wild West
Wild Wild West
Wild Wild West is a 1999 American steampunk action-comedy film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, and starring Will Smith, Kevin Kline , Kenneth Branagh and Salma Hayek.Similar to the original TV series it was based on, The Wild Wild West, the film features a large amount of gadgetry...
. In its original broadcast, the episode was seen by approximately 7.1 million viewers and finished in 37rd place in the ratings the week it aired. Following its home video release on August 24, 2010, the episode received mostly negative reviews from critics.
Plot
ApuApu Nahasapeemapetilon
Apu Nahasapeemapetilon is a character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Hank Azaria and first appeared in the episode "The Telltale Head". Apu is the proprietor of the Kwik-E-Mart, a popular convenience store in Springfield, and a friend of Homer Simpson. He is also...
sells Homer
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...
a beer keg for the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
reenactment of the Battle 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...
. At the reenactment, Principal Skinner watches as Springfielders disobey him and hold a rather inaccurate battle (featuring an orange clad "East" faction, a roller skating Stone Wall Jackson, and a giant robotic spider
Wild Wild West
Wild Wild West is a 1999 American steampunk action-comedy film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, and starring Will Smith, Kevin Kline , Kenneth Branagh and Salma Hayek.Similar to the original TV series it was based on, The Wild Wild West, the film features a large amount of gadgetry...
made by Professor Frink
Professor Frink
Professor John Nerdelbaum Frink, Jr., or simply Professor Frink, is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Hank Azaria, and first appeared in the 1991 episode "Old Money". Frink is Springfield's nerdy scientist and professor and is extremely...
). After the battle, Homer brings the empty, dented keg back to Apu at the Kwik-E-Mart
Kwik-E-Mart
The Kwik-E-Mart is a fictional chain of convenience stores in the animated television series The Simpsons. It is a parody of American convenience store chains, such as 7-Eleven and Circle K, and represents many myths and stereotypes of them. It is notorious for its high prices and the poor quality...
in an attempt to get the deposit. There, he hears a giggle coming from a closet and finds Apu making love
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
with the woman who delivers Squishees to Kwik-E-Mart. He then walks backwards in shock all the way home to his bed.
Marge
Marge Simpson
Marjorie "Marge" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the eponymous family. She is voiced by actress Julie Kavner and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
figures out what Homer saw from the movements of his pupil. They decide not to tell Manjula but while they are playing Badminton
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
Homer and Marge act awkwardly with Manjula and Apu looking at them, trying not to give out hints Apu cheated on Manjula. They then confront Apu and he says he will break up with the Squishee Lady named Annette. However, he breaks his promise (as it gets his mind off the octuplets). Later, Manjula watches the surveillance footage of Apu cheating
Adultery
Adultery is sexual infidelity to one's spouse, and is a form of extramarital sex. It originally referred only to sex between a woman who was married and a person other than her spouse. Even in cases of separation from one's spouse, an extramarital affair is still considered adultery.Adultery is...
. To help get them together, Homer and Marge invite them both to dinner, but do not tell them that the other one is coming. After a failed attempt with Bart and Lisa, Apu tries to promise to Manjula that he will change, but Manjula refuses to listen and demands a divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
.
Kicked out, Apu moves into the apartment complex where Kirk Van Houten lives. The octuplets then speak their first words, which put together, say "Mommy, will you let daddy come back...cookie!" Marge and Manjula go to Apu's and arrive in time to prevent him from hanging himself. Apu is then subjected to several tasks to redeem himself (such as eating a light bulb), though Manjula says it will take time for everything to get back to normal. In bed, Manjula, finally satisfied with what he has done, kisses Apu while Homer watches from the window, on a ladder. The couple continues and Homer, traumatized, hops backwards on the ladder all the way home, without falling, mimicking what he did earlier.
Production and cultural references
John Swartzwelder
John Swartzwelder is an American comedy writer and novelist, best known for his work on the animated television series The Simpsons, as well as a number of novels. He is credited with writing the largest number of Simpsons episodes by a large margin...
and directed by director Matthew Nastuk
Matthew Nastuk
Matthew Nastuk is an animation director on The Simpsons. He started directing during the tenth season, and has since directed over a dozen episodes and continues to direct today.-Season Ten:...
. It was first broadcast 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 May 5, 2002. After seeing Apu cheating on Manjula with the squishee girl, an extensive scene in which Homer dramatically backs out of the room, into the Simpson house and into his bed is shown. The scene was conceived by episode writer Swartzwelder. Another scene in the episode shows Apu breakng up with the Squishee lady in front of her house. Originally, police chief Clancy Wiggum would be seen in a robe inside the house, implying that other men in Springfield cheat on their wives as well, however it was dismissed because the writers thought it would look "too sad." Originally, Swartzwelder wanted the kama sutra sex position in the episode to show several arms and legs "sticking out in crazy positions," however it received a censor note and the Simpsons staff were allowed to show "less and less" of it as time progressed.
The episode features American writer and actor James Lipton
James Lipton
James Lipton is an American writer, poet, composer, actor and dean emeritus of the Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University in New York City. He is the executive producer, writer and host of the Bravo cable television series Inside the Actors Studio, which debuted in 1994...
, host of the television program Inside the Actors Studio
Inside the Actors Studio
Inside the Actors Studio is a series on the Bravo cable television channel, hosted by James Lipton. It is produced and directed by Jeff Wurtz; the executive producer is James Lipton. The program, which premiered in 1994, is distributed internationally by CABLEready and is broadcast in 125 countries...
, as himself. The divorce lawyer was portrayed by series regular voice actor Hank Azaria
Hank Azaria
Henry Albert "Hank" Azaria is an American film, television and stage actor, director, voice actor, and comedian. He is noted for being one of the principal voice actors on the animated television series The Simpsons , on which he performs the voices of Moe Szyslak, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, Chief...
, and was based on "many lawyers that the writing staff had faced," according to current show runner 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...
. Professor Frink's steam-powered "Super-spider" seen during the reenactment is a reference to the 1999 steampunk film Wild Wild West
Wild Wild West
Wild Wild West is a 1999 American steampunk action-comedy film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, and starring Will Smith, Kevin Kline , Kenneth Branagh and Salma Hayek.Similar to the original TV series it was based on, The Wild Wild West, the film features a large amount of gadgetry...
. One of Apu's promises to Manjula is to get a comic strip printed in The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
. American photographer Richard Avedon
Richard Avedon
Richard Avedon was an American photographer. An obituary published in The New York Times said that "his fashion and portrait photographs helped define America's image of style, beauty and culture for the last half-century."-Photography career:Avedon was born in New York City to a Jewish Russian...
is also mentioned in the episode.
Reception
In its original American broadcast on May 5, 2002, "The Sweetest Apu" received a 6.7 rating, 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...
, translating to approximately 7.1 million viewers. The episode finished in 37rd place in the ratings for the week of April 29-May 5, 2002. On August 24, 2010, "The Sweetest Apu" was released as part of The Simpsons: The Complete Thirteenth Season 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 set. Al Jean, Ian Maxtone-Graham, Matt Selman, Tim Long, Dan Castellaneta, James Lipton and Matt Warburton participated in the audio commentary of the episode.
Following its home video release, "The Sweetest Apu" received mostly negative reviews from critics. DVD Movie Guide's Colin Jacobson wrote "I don’t recall ever being particularly excited by other Manjula episodes, and 'Sweetest' does nothing to alter that perception." He praised Homer's reaction to seeing Apu cheating on Manjula, but maintained that "much of the remaining gags tend to be lackluster." He concluded by writing "This ends up as a pretty flat, forgettable show." Project-Blu's Nate Boss called it "An average episode, by this season's standards," describing it as "a bit too cut and dry for my taste." Writing for Blu-ray.com, Casey Broadwater wrote that "The Sweetest Apu" is "near-laughless," and Ryan Keefer of DVD Talk
DVD Talk
DVD Talk is a website for DVD enthusiasts founded in January 1999 by Geoffrey Kleinman when DVDs and DVD players were first beginning to hit the market.The site started as an online forum, an email newsletter, and a page of DVD news and reviews...
wrote "The less said about this episode, the better." Both reviewers considered the episode to be one of the season's worst. On the other hand, giving the episode a positive review, Jennifer Malkowski of DVD Verdict
DVD Verdict
DVD Verdict is a judicial themed website for DVD reviews. The site was founded in 1999. Current editor in chief is Michael Stailey, who also reviews for Rotten Tomatoes...
gave the episode a B, praising the "Badminton [scene] and its many double entendres" as the episode's "highlight."
External links
- "The Sweetest Apu" at The Simpsons.com