"The Tell-Tale Pants" is the sixteenth episode of the thirty-fifth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 766th episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on May 5, 2024. The episode was directed by Steven Dean Moore and written by Al Jean.
| "The Tell-Tale Pants" | |
|---|---|
| The Simpsons episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 35 Episode 16 |
| Directed by | Steven Dean Moore |
| Written by | Al Jean |
| Production code | 35ABF10 |
| Original air date | May 5, 2024 |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
Plot
editHomer rips his pants and asks Marge to repair them. Feeling underappreciated by her family and annoyed at Homer, Marge discovers that Homer's pants have a rare feature that is worth thousands of dollars. She keeps it to herself and tells Homer that his pants are not repairable. She sells the pants but feels guilty about spending the money on herself. Meanwhile, Homer wears sweatpants to work. His pants give him a newfound mobility that helps him prevent an accident, so Mr. Burns sends him to a baseball game as a reward. When Marge hears where Homer is, she spends the money on a ring. Homer feels guilty for not inviting Marge to the game while, at home, Marge feels guilty and tries to hide the ring. When Homer comes home, he sees the ring and puts it on Marge's finger, and they reconcile.
Cultural references
edit- The title is a reference to the 1843 short story The Tell-Tale Heart, it's film adaptations and the season 1 episode The Telltale Head.
- The musical number, "She's A Mad Wife, Homer J." is a reference to the song based on the 1957 children's book How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch"
- Duffman references the Bud Light controversy
Reception
editViewing figures
editThe episode earned 0.85 million viewers and was the most watched show on Fox that night.[1]
Critical reception
editJohn Schwarz of Bubbleblabber gave the episode a 6 out of 10, calling the episode's plot "all over the place" and "unoriginal", referring to it as "a bad mish mash of bad ideas that have been done previously".[2]
Mike Celestino of Laughing Place gave the episode a more positive review, particularly praising the Mr. Burns and Smithers subplot.[3]
References
edit- ^ Pucci, Douglas (2024-05-07). "Sunday Ratings: Miami Grand Prix on ABC Drives to Largest U.S. Audience for Formula 1 Racing To-Date". Programming Insider. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
- ^ Schwarz, John (2024-05-06). "Review: The Simpsons "The Tell-Tale Pants"". Bubbleblabber. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
- ^ Celestino, Mike (2024-05-05). "TV Recap / Review: Marge Sells Homer's Valuable Vintage Jeans in "The Simpsons" – "The Tell-Tale Pants"". LaughingPlace.com. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
