|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||
|
Shoddy Heat |
|
“ | They say women are like soda water. They go better with a gallon of scotch. And when the weather's hot, we drink a lot. And sometimes it's so hot, people open their windows to let the air in and their secrets out. | „ |
~ Grampa during opening scene with extreme heat. |
Shoddy Heat is the fourth episode of Season 36 (originally produced for Season 35).
Synopsis[]
An unearthed corpse opens up a cold case from Springfield in the 1980s… as well as a steamy relationship between young Grampa and Agnes Skinner.
Plot[]
On a scorching day in Springfield, everyone is trying to cool down with water sprays, cold drinks, and air conditioning. Unfortunately, the air conditioner in the Simpson home is malfunctioning, prompting the family to seek refuge at the Retirement Castle.
Inside, Grampa blocks the cool air from reaching Homer, who becomes furious and threatens to send Grampa to a veteran's nursing home—a fate worse than the Retirement Castle. Grampa accuses Homer of elder abuse, and just then, the police arrive, but for a different reason: they need assistance with an investigation at Shady Oaks.
At Shady Oaks, after excavating graves, Chief Wiggum discovers two bodies in a single grave, one of which has a business card from "Simpson and O'Donnell." Grampa then reveals his past as a private detective.
In 1982, Agnes Skinner visited the Simpson and O'Donnell Detective Agency to ask Grampa and Billy O'Donnell to follow her boyfriend, Mr. Burns, whom she suspected of cheating. Since Grampa had to babysit Homer, Billy suggested that he go with Agnes. However, Grampa claimed he never returned and had created new business cards that read "Simpsons and Nobody." Chief Wiggum declared Grampa a person of interest but ultimately left him alone.
Determined to continue the investigation, Lisa took her forensic kit to search for blood traces and discovered AB-negative blood. Bart and Lisa then decided to visit the DMW to spend time with Patty and Selma while searching for Billy's blood. Lisa found that William O'Donnell's blood type was AB-negative and brought the folder to Grampa. She informed him they had discovered Billy's car at the site of the current power plant, but Grampa cautioned her that she was meddling in matters best left alone.
After a romantic interlude, Lisa recounted the prior night’s events: they had been tailing Mr. Burns and Smithers to uncover their activities. Billy had told Lisa to stay in the car, but when morning came, she was woken by Cletus, having received no word from Billy.
Chief Wiggum spotted Bart wearing sunglasses, riding his skateboard, and sneaking inside. Grampa planned to help Bart and Lisa escape without being noticed by the police, and Lisa intended to cut the car's tires with a knife. When Lou noticed Grampa's escape attempt towards Agnes's house, Wiggum pursued him, but his car wouldn’t move because all the tires had been flattened.
Grampa finally visited Agnes after many years. She instructed Skinner to close the kitchen door and play with Bart, allowing her a private moment with Grampa. Agnes revealed that the road was covered with something, and after sharing some fun, Grampa headed to Mr. Burns's manor. During their conversation about events from 1982, it was revealed that Mr. Burns had killed Billy and that he and Grampa had struck a deal to conceal this fact. Under this agreement, Homer was guaranteed a job at the plant, no matter his mistakes—which totaled 742 times.
As the family approached, Homer expressed his gratitude to Grampa for everything he had done. Memories of past errors flooded Homer's mind, and moved by these reflections, he hugged Grampa. Just then, Mr. Burns attempted to use poison gas, but Grampa intervened, revealing that he had discovered Burns's true secret: he built the power plant using shredded phone books. However, Burns clarified that he had merely compensated Grampa for his silence and Billy was, in fact, alive and well on a tropical island, a claim confirmed by a phone call from Billy himself.
Agnes then arrived at the manor, having lied to him all along, bringing Grampa to the brink of killing Mr. Burns out of spite. Cunningly, she inserted her name into his will. She drew a gun, but Grampa intervened and received a kiss from her as a reward. Later, Homer and Grampa went to Tapioca on Tap for ice cream, but Grampa had already finished his, much to Homer's frustration.
In the end, at the police station, Lisa inquired about the additional body found in the coffin. It turned out to be Harold Baumgartner, the business card printer, who had requested to be buried alongside his wife. Chief Wiggum suggested that Lisa join the police force, but Lou pointed out that she was too young. Meanwhile, Ralph aimed a gun at the crowd discussing nearby, and Lisa left the police station, heading back home.