Episode 14 - In the Name of the Grandfather
27 March 2012
Synopsis: To make up for neglecting Grandpa, Homer takes the whole family to Ireland. But when they arrive they find Grandpa’s favourite bar is empty and Ireland a much changed place from the one he knew. Marge takes the children around the sites while Homer and Abe drunkenly purchase the bar. They decide to make it a smoking bar to attract customers but of course are arrested and deported.
The Good: I’m sure the relentless parade of Irish jokes will please some. If you haven’t heard bad jokes about leprechauns, drunkenness and Irish accents before then you will be at an advantage.
The Bad: Otherwise these country-specific episodes can grow old very quickly. The jokes don’t flow from a story and so seem more manufactured and fake than usual. And certainly dancing over sheep, kissing Bart’s butt and Q*Bert references don’t exactly thrill those of us who like some sense of reality. There’s no mention of how the Simpsons can afford hot tubs, trips to Ireland or bar purchases either. There’s quite a few digs at the Irish which probably won’t go down too well, including the implication that Chief Wiggum is the result of Irish emigration.
Best Joke: The idea of attracting customers by breaking the smoking ban is a nice one. “Gentlemen we have a lot of work to do” says Grandpa. Homer tears the “NO SMOKING” sign in half and pins it back up. Done.
The Bottom Line: I suppose if you know a lot about Ireland but haven’t heard all the jokes this might be funny. But isn’t that impossible?
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