Wedding for Disaster
| "Wedding for Disaster" | |
|---|---|
| The Simpsons episode | |
| File:Wedding for Disaster.png | |
| Episode no. | Season 20 |
| Directed by | Chuck Sheetz |
| Written by | Joel H. Cohen |
| Original air date | March 29, 2009 |
| Episode features | |
| Chalkboard gag | My piggy bank is not entitled to TARP funds |
| Couch gag | The Simpsons are a four-course dinner (with Maggie being a mint) at a fancy restaurant that get eaten up by The Comic Book Guy. |
"Wedding for Disaster" is the fifteenth episode of the twentieth season of The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 29, 2009.[1] In the episode, Marge and Homer's re-marriage turns out to be invalid, so they decide to get re-married again. Right before the re-marriage, Homer goes missing, and Bart and Lisa suspect that he has been kidnapped by Sideshow Bob. However, Bob turns out to be innocent, and the real kidnappers are revealed to be Patty and Selma Bouvier, who kidnapped Homer to prevent the re-marriage. The episode was written by Joel H. Cohen and directed by Chuck Sheetz. It features a guest appearance by Kelsey Grammer as Sideshow Bob. Since airing, the episode has received mostly positive reviews from television critics. It was viewed by 6.58 million viewers its original American broadcast.
Plot
The head of the Presbylutheranism denomination tells Reverend Lovejoy[who?] that due to a lapsed ministerial certification various ceremonies he performed are invalid. This affects Homer and Marge, who turn out not to be remarried. Homer vows to give Marge the perfect wedding he did not give her either of the first two times they got married. Marge is thrilled to be able to plan her dream wedding, but it is not long before she turns into a Bridezilla, shooting down all of Homer’s ideas and mowing down everyone who gets in her way. The day of the wedding finally arrives, and everything is perfect except for one small detail—Homer is missing. At first it appears that Marge has driven him away, but Bart and Lisa stumble on a clue that leads them to believe their father was kidnapped: a keychain in the shape of the initials "S.B." They suspect that Sideshow Bob kidnapped Homer, but he turns out to be innocent. Bob leads them to the true SB: their aunts, Patty and Selma Bouvier, who kidnapped Homer to prevent the re-marriage. They have been holding Homer hostage in a cell and torturing him. They are finally convinced to let Homer go after they hear the vows he had planned on reciting to Marge at the marriage. Just as they are preparing to release Homer, Lisa and Bart catch up to their aunts, and threaten to tell their mother about the kidnapping unless they pay for Marge and Homer’s remarriage ceremony.
Cultural references
Homer's torture cell and its voice changer reference the Saw film series.[2]
Reception
"Wedding for Disaster" received a Nielsen rating of 3.7/6[3] and was viewed by 6.58 million viewers.[4] Since airing, the episode has received mostly positive reviews from television critics. Robert Canning of IGN gave the episode a 7.3/10, saying, "'Wedding for Disaster' was one of those episodes that, while not knocking you down with laughter, was quite fun to watch." He went on to say, "it was also sweet to have Homer's recitation of his vows be the turning point for his sisters-in-law. Again, this wasn't a howlingly funny episode, but there were some great parts, and overall 'Wedding for Disaster' was a pleasant enough telling of Marge and Homer's third and fourth weddings."[2]
Erich Asperschlager of TV Verdict wrote: "'Wedding for Disaster' worked because it had a cool mystery. Granted, I’m a sucker for mysteries, but some of the best Simpsons episodes are mysteries—and most of those feature Sideshow Bob. I was more than ready to let tonight’s episode turn into the next Sideshow Bob story, but I also like that they let him just be a cameo. Much as I love Kelsey Grammer’s scheming sidekick, he’s too smart to have kidnapped Homer for the reason Bart suspected: 'If Mom and Dad don’t get married, I’ll never be born!' The real solution made a lot more sense, and gave the ending a little more weight. 'Wedding for Disaster' may have been a little light on laughs compared to the last few episodes, but the story carried the day."[5] Ariel Ponywether of Firefox News wrote: "Even at its worst, the show’s always been consistent about Homer and Marge’s love for one another, and this episode is another reminder of the bond that’s always been portrayed as being the strongest, most important one on the show. In that, 'Wedding for Disaster' succeeds in its aims, and provides a sentimental, if not exactly funny, episode."[6]
References
- ^ "Primetime Listings (March 21 - March 28)". FoxFlash. 2009-02-20. Retrieved 2009-02-20.
- ^ a b Canning, Robert (2009-03-30). "The Simpsons: "Wedding For Disaster" Review". IGN. Retrieved 2009-03-30.
- ^ "TV Ratings: CBS hits winning shot Sunday". Zap2It. Retrieved 2009-04-02.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ Simpsons Channel | Your Source For Simpsons News
- ^ Erich Asperschlager (March 30, 2009). "The Simpsons 20.15: "Wedding for Disaster"". Retrieved 2009-04-04.
- ^ Ariel Ponywether (March 30, 2009). "Review -- The Simpsons: "Wedding For Disaster"". Firefox News. Retrieved 2009-04-04.
