Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind

Infobox Simpsons episode
episode_name = Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind


image_caption = Homer preparing to commit suicide.
episode_no = 409
prod_code = KABF02
airdate = December 16, 2007
show runner = Al Jean
writer = J. Stewart Burns
director = Chuck Sheetz
blackboard = "The Capital of Montana is not Hannah."
couch_gag = The camera zooms out from the living room, to outer space and beyond, through DNA and atoms, and back into Homer's head. Homer then says "Weird".
season = 19

"Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind" is the ninth and Emmy award winning episode of "The Simpsons"' nineteenth season, and was first broadcast on December 16, 2007 on FOX. [cite news|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/listings.aspx?id=20071121fox23|title=Homer wakes up with no recollection of the past 24 hours and discovers that Marge and the kids are nowhere to be found on "The Simpsons" Sunday, 16 December, on FOX|accessdate=2007-12-04|publisher=The Futon Critic] The episode averaged 10.15 million viewers, winning in its time slotcite web|url=http://www.simpsonschannel.com/cgi-bin/newspro/addons/iSay.cgi?Page=Comments&ID=EEAZAykkFFztasybyA|title=Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind|accessdate=2008-01-28|date=2008|publisher=Simpsons Channel] and receiving a 12 percent audience share. [http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/ratings/e3ifdd1930172991cbff58adf90c8699835 Ratings] , "Hollywood Reporter"] The episode follows Homer's attempts to recall a deliberately forgotten memory from the previous night.

Plot

During winter, Homer wakes up in a pile of snow and does not remember the events of the previous day, commenting that he must have drunk heavily the night before. Homer goes home and finds his family absent. Santa's Little Helper attacks him. Homer travels to Moe’s, where Moe informs him that he was there the previous night and wanted to forget an unpleasant memory. Moe explains he gave Homer a "Forget-Me-Shot", which wiped out the last 24 hours of his memory. Chief Wiggum tells Homer that there was a domestic disturbance at his house last night, which was reported by Ned Flanders. Homer instantly receives a flashback to the night before showing Wiggum questioning Marge about a black eye she had received, to which Marge nervously replies that she walked into a door.

A still confused Homer goes home, where a picture of Marge causes a flashback of her pleading Homer to stop, and then rubbing her eye in pain. Horrified, Homer goes to Grampa Simpson for help. Grampa tells Homer about Professor Frink's new machine that helps people sort through their memories. With the help of this technology, Homer sees himself walking in on Marge and Duffman. In the flashback, Marge tells Homer that she did not want him to find out about it, and Homer assumes that Marge was cheating on him and that he beat his wife in retaliation.

Homer now considers his life to be worthless and decides to commit suicide by jumping off a bridge. He begins to reconsider, but is pushed off by Patty and Selma. While falling, Homer's life flashes before his eyes in the form of a YouTube video, and he sees the full memory of the preceding night. It is revealed that Marge was planning a surprise party for Homer finishing his community service, and did not want Homer to find out about it. Duffman, who was hired by Marge to entertain at the party, brings out a bottle of Duff Champagne. Overjoyed, Homer tries to open the bottle, while Marge pleads with Homer to stop, as she wants to save it for the party. The cork flies off and hits Marge in the eye. The flashback ends and, instead of falling to his death, Homer lands on a moon bounce, which is at the surprise party on board a ship.

When Homer asks Marge why she lied to Chief Wiggum, she claims that she did not want him at the party, because he would bring Sarah Wiggum, of whom Marge is not very fond. Lenny and Carl appear and cause a flashback which shows Homer telling his bar buddies that he felt very guilty for finding out about the party that Marge worked so hard on. When Moe offers the Forget-Me-Shot, Homer predicts exactly what is going to happen, and tells Lenny to make sure there is a moon bounce at the party. Finally, it is revealed that the dog attacked Homer because he doesn't take care of him.

In the end, Homer decides not to drink at the party, as this is a night he wants to remember.

Cultural references

The episode's title and the plot of Homer trying to forget an unpleasant memory refers to the film "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind".cite news|url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/841/841817p1.html|title=The Simpsons: "Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind" Review|accessdate=2007-12-17|publisher=IGN] [http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/12/16/the-simpsons-eternal-moonshine-of-the-simpson-mind/ The Simpsons: Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind] , December 16 ,2007, "TV Squad"] Homer's life appears in the form of a Youtube video which is a spoof of Noah Kalina's "Noah Takes a Photo of Himself Every Day for 6 Years".cite news |title= D'oh-tube! Internet Sensation Scores Big Simpsons Moment |url=http://www.observer.com/2007/d-oh-tube-internet-sensation-scores-big-simpsons-moment|publisher= "The New York Observer" | first= Spencer |last=Morgan |date= 2007-12-18] Scrat, the squirrel from "Ice Age", makes an appearance.cite news|url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/841/841817p1.html|title=The Simpsons: "Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind" Review|accessdate=2007-12-17|publisher=IGN] Krusty states that he did a "Mel Gibson", referencing the incident when Gibson complained about the Jewish people.This episode also references "The Game" when Homer attempts suicide by jumping off the bridge, but lands onto a safety mat and to his birthday party. The scene where Patty and Selma appear to watch him jump references "It's A Wonderful Life".

Reception

The episode averaged 10.15 million viewers, won in its time slot, and received a 12 percent audience share. Robert Canning of IGN enjoyed the episode, saying it "did both very well by putting Homer in his own head as he tried to recall the events that transpired the previous day. Smart, funny and visually engaging, this episode was an absolute pleasure to watch." He gave it an 8.8/10,cite news|url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/841/841817p1.html|title=The Simpsons: "Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind" Review|accessdate=2007-12-17|publisher=IGN] and later cited it as the season's high point. [cite web|url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/876/876631p1.html|title=The Simpsons: Season 19 Review|accessdate=2008-01-28|date=2008-05-27|author=Robert Canning|publisher=IGN]

Awards

At the 2008 Primetime Emmy Awards, the episode won the award for Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming Less Than One Hour).cite web|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSN1344233120080914|title="Simpson's" wins 10th best cartoon Emmy|date=2008-09-13|accessdate=2008-09-13|publisher=Reuters]

References

External links

*imdb episode|1147352|Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind