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Worst Episode Ever |
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- "Why you ill-mannered sack of crap!"
- ―Agnes Skinner
"Worst Episode Ever" is the eleventh episode of Season 12.
Synopsis[]
The Comic Book Guy bans Bart and Milhouse from his store after they talk Martin's mom out of selling his rare Star Wars memorabilia, but is forced to take a sabbatical from working at the Android Dungeon after suffering a heart attack during a Tom Savini Q&A session. While Comic Book Guy navigates through the world of human interaction, Bart and Milhouse run The Android Dungeon, where they discover a secret basement of illegal videotapes and charge the kids in town to see them.
Full Story[]
Marge makes pancakes for the family breakfast, but when Lisa goes to get the syrup, she notices a very old box of odor absorbing baking soda at the back of the fridge. Homer makes a bet with Bart that he can eat the whole box for $50. After one bite, Homer has an "antacid trip" and is unable to finish. Bart takes his newly won $50 and goes on a spending spree with Milhouse.
Comic Book Guy impressed with Martin's collection
After spending $40, Bart and Milhouse go to The Android's Dungeon to buy a new edition of Radioactive Man, but don't have enough money. Meanwhile, Martin's mother shows up with a box of her son's items to sell to Comic Book Guy. Unbeknownst to her, the old box of "junk" is actually her son's extremely rare Star Wars memorabilia. Comic Book Guy offers her 5 dollars for the box, but Bart and Milhouse intervene and convince her not to sell it to him. Consequently, Comic Book Guy bans the two from the store for life.
Lisa and Marge see a notice in the paper that a show by Tom Savini will be performed at the Android's Dungeon. Bart and Milhouse try to bypass the ban by carrying Homer on their shoulder under a trench coat in the guise of Shaquille O'Neal. However, Comic Book Guy had previously been tipped off to the plan by Homer for a bribe. He lets Homer in to see since he is not banned.
Milhouse enjoys Biclops comics
During the show, Tom Savini plays several pranks on Comic Book Guy, humiliating him. After he declares everyone is banned from his store, he collapses, and Savini says he's had a heart attack. At the hospital after the ordeal, Dr. Hibbert tells Comic Book Guy to avoid stress and stop running the store for a while, or have a friend do it for him. However, he has no real friends. Bart and Milhouse called 911 when he had his heart attack, so to make it up to them, he unbans and allows them to manage the store during his absence. Their management of the store goes well (with Bart ordering Milhouse around) until, in an attempt to impress Lisa, Milhouse makes a bold management decision to buy 2,000 copies of a comic called "Biclops", a comic sold by Plan 9 Comics and published by Lens Crafters about a glasses-wearing superhero.
Meanwhile, Comic Book Guy has been searching for human companionship. After being called a manatee at Moe's Tavern, he returns by first insulting Duff and then air conditioners, upsetting everyone and getting himself kicked out the bar. On his way to a group therapy session, he bumps into Agnes Skinner. They exchange insults, and end up falling in love and beginning a torrid relationship.
The police find Comic Book Guy's bootleg collection
Milhouse's purchase decision proves to be poor as the comic is very unpopular with customers. He spent all the money on "Biclops". Bart and Milhouse start fighting over their predicament and accidentally stumble upon CBG's illegal video stash. In order to recoup their losses, Milhouse hatches a plan to sell tickets to a midnight showing of the videos in there (which include CCTV footage of various actions by the townspeople and a stolen video tape of Ned Flanders revealing that Homer released a radioactive ape into his house). During a showing, they are busted by Chief Wiggum. He nevertheless lets the children off the hook after learning the videos are not theirs.
Comic Book Guy and Agnes make out on top of Agnes's bed, about to have sex, when the cops burst in and arrest him. At the sight of Wiggum and Agnes, Eddie retches and Chief Wiggum offers to reduce the sentence if Comic Book Guy puts some pants on. The police lead him away as he bids farewell to Agnes.
Bart and Milhouse leave the store, which is now an evidence scene, and claim everything is "back to normal". However, the ape seems to still be living with Ned.
Behind the Laughter[]
Production[]
The episode was written by Larry Doyle (in his last Simpsons credit) and directed by Matthew Nastuk. The picture of Matt Groening on the list of people banned from The Android's Dungeon & Baseball Card Shop is sometimes credited as George Lucas. There was an in-joke on the title of newspaper Lisa reads with the staff trying to figure out how to set up the dinner-scene and decided to add a newspaper called "The Daily Set-Up". The joke where Ralph says everyone is hugging was originally supposed to be "she's hungry", but was changed as it was thought to be too inappropriate. The scene where Ralph goes in the adult section is Hank Azaria's favorite joke from the episode.
Reception[]
Despite its title saying "Worst Episode Ever", the episode was named a "classic" by several critics, who reviewed it & fans. Matt Groening called it "a very special story" and was ranked #12 in the Top 20 Best Episodes List which was listed by AOL. Hank Azaria won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance for voicing The Comic Book Guy.