In a parody of VH1's Behind the Music (and other cable documentary shows, like E! True Hollywood Story, that chronicle the rise and fall of celebrities and casts of famed TV shows), The Simpsons are depicted as a real-life family who created a sitcom about their lives that becomes popular -- and with fame, comes drug addictions, behind-the-scenes feuds, tell-all book scandals, ego trips, poor investments, and run-ins with the law that are contributing to the show's decline in quality and jeopardizing its future.
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The first part of the mockumentary follows the family from their weak beginnings to their exceptional prosperity. A television show, a recording contract, a lot of awards, and countless wealth follow Homer's inadequate video "pilot".
Homer discusses his painful experiences
However, problems begin to arise as the Simpsons' fame continues. After a funny stunt causes him injury (the cliff plummet from "Bart the Daredevil"), Homer becomes addicted to prescription painkillers, Marge makes some senseless business investments (Marge Simpson Diaphragms, for example), and Bart goes to jail for assaulting flight attendants. Later, the IRS examines soon after they are alerted via Apu (whose voice is only heard) and takes away their house, which used to belong to M.C. Hammer. Then, the family gets into a big dispute and splits up at the Iowa State Fair.
Marge performs a musical act
Fox is forced put the show on hiatus (replacing it with a reality show called Peepin' It Real!, which follows the security camera footage at Ann Taylor), since none of the Simpsons will talk to each other and the show's quality has been falling due to gimmicky episodes like "The Principal and the Pauper" and the parade of needless celebrity guest stars. The members go their independent ways: Homer follows a career in the theater; Bart replaces Lorenzo Lamas as the star of the syndicated action show Renegade; Marge makes a nightclub act, and Lisa writes a tell-all book about her experiences on the show. Bringing the family back together seems hopeless until country singer Willie Nelson puts on a phony awards show in order to reconcile the family (and also patch matters up with Van Halen and Sammy Hagar). At the award show, Willie calls out the whole family (minus Maggie) to present one award. Lisa deduces that the award show is fake and they refuse to even look at each other. However, after Willie and the audience encourage them, they hug and forget past wrongs in a sensitive reunion. Again, they look with hope to the many years of episodes of The Simpsons to come.
The final images show Homer giving orders regarding the editing of "the last season" of the Simpsons series, followed by a preview of the next episode of Behind The Laughter, where Huckleberry Hound talks about how he had to hide his homosexuality from everyone. A montage of Homer's most memorable comic injuries are played over the end credits.
At the end of the episode, Forbes names the state that the Simpsons live in as Kentucky, the writers didn't understand how many more years the series would run so they finally chose to reveal it in this season finale. Specifically, the episode mentions the Simpsons live in northern Kentucky.
According to TV.com user ratings, this is the best Season 11 episode with a 9.0/10 rating, followed closely by E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt) which has an 8.9/10 rating.
