|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||
|
The Twisted World of Marge Simpson |
|
- “You have 24 hours to give us the money. And to show you we're serious, you have 12 hours.”
- ―Fat Tony to Marge
"The Twisted World of Marge Simpson" is the eleventh episode of Season 8.
Synopsis
After being kicked out of the Springfield Investorettes, Marge invests in a pretzel franchise. But when her new business starts to fail, Homer turns to the mafia in Springfield to help turn Marge's failing business around.
Full Story
At a meeting of the Springfield Investorettes, Marge admits that she is reluctant to invest money in any ventures and is ejected from the group and give back her $500 investment. After some consideration, Lisa convinces Marge to buy her own franchise. During a Franchise Expo, the Investorettes become members of the "Fleet-A-Pita" franchise, in return prompting Marge to join a smaller one called "Pretzel Wagon," owned by a man named Frank Ormand. After watching a promotional video, Marge sets up a makeshift office in her garage, distributes flyers, and with Homer, Bart and Lisa's help, proceeds to make pretzels.
Marge gets depressed
To begin with, Marge sets up shop outside the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, with Homer convincing his colleagues to each try the new snack. However, the Investorettes' Fleet-A-Pita van rolls up, and within a few seconds, converts Marge's customers. Lisa suggests that Marge "think big," so the family offers "Free Pretzel Day" at the Springfield Isotopes baseball stadium. Before the crowd has a chance to consume their complimentary pretzels, it is announced that Mr. Burns has won a 1997 Pontiac Astro Wagon in the day's give-away competition. The supporters react angrily to the news and bombard the field with the pretzels, knocking out Whitey Ford in the process. No one tries the food and Marge's efforts end, once again, in vain. This puts Marge into a deep depression. She says that it's wrong for her to have a dream and tells Bart and Lisa with Homer listening to "aim so low, no one will even care if you succeed." Her depression soon starts to concern the family.
Homer, seeing Marge depressed, plans to take matters into his own hands and searches for someone who can help Marge. After discovering that Frank Ormand has died in a car accident (as has the executor of his estate), Homer reaches out to Fat Tony's mafia for help.
The following morning, Marge surprisingly receives a large order for pretzels and the business is reinvigorated. Many snack-food vendors, such as Luigi Risotto's restaurant and the Girl Scouts are intimidated by the mob, culminating with the Investorettes' Fleet-A-Pita van being detonated.
Shortly after, Fat Tony greets Homer and demands he pay for his favor, but he promptly refuses. As a result, Marge is given an order to be delivered to a remote, undeveloped, rural location. She is approached by Fat Tony and his henchmen. He declares that, as her "business partners," they are entitled to 100% of her profits. He suggests she have a conversation with her husband.
Marge confronts Homer about this and he comes clean, explaining that he was only trying to help her. They decide to just make pretzels.
The following morning the mob arrives, but Marge and Homer refuse to pay them any money. As Legs and Louie advance on the pair, the Investorettes arrive with the Japanese Yakuza. The rival gangs begin to fight and Marge asks Homer to go inside. Homer insists to see what the smallest of the Yakuza, who hasn't moved yet, will do first but gets pulled inside the house right before he acts. Homer apologizes for his indiscretion, and Marge forgives him. One of the Yakuza breaks the window as he gets tossed in and asks the Simpsons to forgive him before going back out to fight.
Production
The episode's final scene, the mob war, was conceived by Matt Groening.
Trivia
In a deleted scene, Marge asks Homer to "Name one thing that was ever helped by mob ties." Homer says "The Children's Television Workshop" (later, Sesame Workshop).
Extras
[1] Part of the mob fight scene with The Little Guy.