Midnight Rx

"Midnight Rx" is an episode of The Simpsons from its sixteenth season. It was the first new episode of 2005.

Synopsis
Mr. Burns reserves the Springfield Air and Space Museum for a plant company party. Cletus Spuckler and his family arrive at the closed museum, but still become satisfied after rubbing the line rope. Cletus says "On the plus side, this rope is mighty soft. Touch it kids." While there, Burns acts strangely kind to all of his employees. At the end of the party, Burns announces that he will terminate the prescription drug plan. The workers chase after him, but Burns is able to escape in a wacky flying machine. At home, the Simpsons try to figure out how they can afford new prescription drugs. Homer decides to get another job, but he can't have his choice of starring on Friends as Rachel’s Irish cousin, and is unable to get a new job. Other companies follow Burns' lead and all prescription drug plans are canceled.

At the retirement home, all prescription drugs are unaffordable and the staff decided to let the old folks go cold turkey. Grampa Simpson comes up with a plan to get more drugs for Springfield. He and Homer go to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and, with help from Grampa's friend, they are able to get unlimited access to the drugs they need and get massive amounts of the drugs. They take them back into the United States and are praised in Springfield. Later, Apu and Ned ask Homer if they can come along on one of his smuggling trips. He accepts, even though Ned tries to convert Apu on the way. On the way back, Ned offers his home-brewed coffee to the others and gives a cup to Apu. However, the incredibly hot coffee causes Apu to ululate uncontrollably and Ned gives him a wet towel to calm him down; this makes Apu look like Osama Bin Laden. When the border guard sees them, he thinks Apu is a terrorist and when Homer tries to calm the guards down, the drugs are revealed and they are thrown in jail. They are later allowed to leave Canada, but never return.

Meanwhile, Smithers' thyroid swells up dangerously as he could no longer afford the medicine he needs that was provided under the drug plan. With his assistant dying and not wanting to teach a new one his filing system, Burns vows to move Heaven and Earth to save him (since it is easier then teaching someone his filing system). He takes Homer and Grampa along in his plane, the Plywood Pelican, a parody of the Spruce Goose, which he built for Nazi Germany. After getting the drugs, while flying back to Springfield, the plane loses altitude and Burns jumps with Homer and Grampa's parachutes. They land in Springfield Town Square, right on Chief Wiggum's squad car. Wiggum arrests Grampa, but the people of Springfield protest, as his smuggling has gotten them the medicine they need. Wiggum lets Grampa leave. Meanwhile, Burns arrives at his mansion with Smithers' medicine and kissing him makes Smithers conscious again. Burns then decides to bring back the drug plan to his full time employees. Homer gets a job as a free lance consultant, but wonders what a lump on his neck is.

Trivia

 * Ironically, with part of the episode taking place in Winnipeg, CKND, the Winnipeg station that airs first-run episodes of The Simpsons, aired an NFL playoff game on January 16, 2005 in place of this episode.
 * On the Canadian News, Homer is referred to as a former U.S. astronaut, a reference to Deep Space Homer
 * Krusty the Klown mentions that he needs lithium dibromide (an imaginary medication and chemical compound) to treat his bipolar disorder. Lithium dibromide appears to be a reference to either lithium bromide, which is used in air-conditioning systems, or lithium carbonate which is commonly used to treat bipolar disorder. Lithium dibromide is also incorrectly named using the system of IUPAC nomenclature of inorganic chemistry. This line was cut from the episode when it aired on Sky One. What is heard on the UK airing is the end of his speech which is "Nobody likes a bipolar clown." Krusty does his trademark laugh, then begins to cry. He repeats this laugh-cry pattern a few times.

Cultural References

 * The title is a parody of the film Midnight Express.
 * The drug store is called "Dudley Do Drugs" a parody of Dudley Do-Right.

Quotes

 * Canadian Ned: Well, circle cut my bacon. Look at all these Yankee-doodily-Dandies. Is there another Vietnam going on? Ned: Hello neighbor-reeno to the North. I like the cut of your gibberish. (as Homer and Apu look, both Neds go into a conversation of "diddly-doodily-daddily" nonsense) Canadian Ned: You wanna puff on a reef-er-reeno? It's legal here. (a reference to marijuana and an ongoing debate on its decriminalization in Canada) Ned: (shocked) They warned me Satan would be attractive. Let's go!
 * Johnny Canuck: You'll get enough drugs to make Regina look like Saskatoon.
 * Homer: (looking at the Plywood Pelican, a parody of the Spruce Goose) A wooden plane? 'Bout time trees were good for something instead of standing around like jerks! Lisa: (reading pamphlet) "The Plywood Pelican is larger than a football field and weighs more than the state of New Hampshire. It was flown only once by its builder, C. Montgomery Burns." Burns: I flew it at an altitude of six feet for a distance of four and a half feet. We later learned that rain makes it catch fire. Then the Führer fired me.
 * Springfield retirement castle nurse: (after giving out pill cups with items other than pills in them) Let me explain from behind this cage. Now, your pills have become very expensive, and no one gives a rat's ass about you.  So, after a lot of thought, we have decided to let you go cold turkey.  For those of you that survive the night, we'll be having waffles tomorrow.
 * Burns: We're losing altitude! We'll have to jettison all unnecessary weight! (Burns and Grampa look at Homer) Homer: Don't dump me! I can lose weight, just give me a chance! (Homer begins doing jumping-jacks) One, two... (giving up) Eh, forget it, I'd rather die.
 * Grampa: (bursting into the Simpsons' house) I have the answer! Homer: Dad? Grampa: (relieved) Oh, thank God this is the right place. I burst into four homes before this one.
 * Grampa: We'd like to have some drugs. Drug Store Guy: Sure thing, fellow Canadian. Grampa: Canadian?! (grabs the man's collar) Them's fightin' words! (lets go) I mean accurate words.
 * Mountie: Stop him! He's expressing his faith eh!
 * Translator 1: Your car and all its contents have been confiscated. Translator 2: Nous avons confencated votre voiture et tout son contenu Translator 1: You may leave Canada but never return. Translator 2: Vous pouvez quitter le Canada mais ne jamais retourner Translator 1: I am a big, fat French idiot. Translator 2: Je suis un grand, gross... Hey! (audio clip)
 * Johnny: Your plane's pretty full, eh? Don't wanna overload it. Grampa: Typical Canadian wimpiness! That's why you have snowballs and we have the H-bomb!
 * Apu: Oh look. It's Mr. Homer, my favorite customer. Please feel free to flip through my Playdudes and eat my raw bacon and tell me to go back to some country I'm not actually from. (audio clip)
 * (At the border) Homer: Hola, señor! We are gringos who wish to spend mucho dinero in your country. Immigration official: Splendid! Welcome to Canada! Homer: D'OH!
 * Grampa: (to seniors in the retirement home) Now who's next? I got pills to make you sleep late, coagulate, eliminate, and copulate, in that order!
 * Krusty (looking as though he hasn't slept for a while): Well kids, I want you to go to your parents' medicine cabinets, and take out all the pills labeled lithium dibromide (Mr. Teeny on his show holds up a large pill with the name of the drug on it.) And send them to me. Now! Nobody likes to see a bipolar clown. (he begins to do his trademark laugh, then starts sobbing. He repeatedly does this.)