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Midnight Rx
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Midnight Rx" is the sixth episode of The Simpsons sixteenth season. It was the first new episode of 2005.
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Mr. Burns reserves the Springfield Air and Space Museum for a plant company party. Cletus Spuckler and his family arrive at the closed museum, but still become satisfied after rubbing the line rope. Cletus says "On the plus side, this rope is mighty soft. Touch it kids." While there, Burns acts strangely kind to all of his employees. At the end of the party, Burns announces that he will terminate the prescription drug plan. The workers chase after him, but Burns is able to escape in a wacky flying machine, based on Leonardo Da Vinci's flying machine plans. At home, the Simpsons try to figure out how they can afford new prescription drugs. Homer decides to get another job, but he can not have his choice of starring on Friends as Rachel’s Irish cousin, and is unable to get a new job. Other companies follow Burns's lead and all prescription drug plans are cancelled.
At the retirement home, all prescription drugs are unaffordable and the staff decided to let the old folks go cold turkey. Grampa Simpson comes up with a plan to get more drugs for Springfield. He and Homer go to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and, with help from Grampa's friend, they are able to get unlimited access to the drugs they need and get massive amounts of the drugs. They take them back into the United States and are praised in Springfield. Later, Apu and Ned ask Homer if they can tag along on one of his smuggling trips. He accepts, even though Ned tries to convert Apu on the way. Ned even meets his Canadian counterpart, but takes an instant dislike to him when he offers Ned reeferino. On the way back, Ned offers his home-brewed coffee to the others and gives a cup to Apu. However, the incredibly hot coffee causes Apu to ululate uncontrollably and Ned gives him a wet towel to calm him down; this makes Apu look like an Arab. When the border guard sees them, he thinks Apu is a terrorist and when Homer tries to calm the guards down, the drugs are revealed and they are thrown in jail. They are later allowed to leave Canada, on the condition that they never return.
Meanwhile, Smithers' thyroid becomes a goiter as he could no longer afford the medicine he needs that was provided under the drug plan. With his assistant dying, Burns vows to move Heaven and Earth to save him (since it is easier than teaching someone his filing system). He takes Homer and Grampa along in his plane, the Plywood Pelican (a parody of the Spruce Goose) which he built for Nazi Germany. After getting the drugs, while flying back to Springfield, the plane loses altitude and Burns jumps off with Homer and Grampa's parachutes (two are gifts for his nephews). They crash-land in Springfield Town Square, almost crushing Chief Wiggum's squad car. Wiggum arrests Grampa (on charges of smuggling and scaring a police chief), but the people of Springfield protest, as his smuggling has gotten them the medicine they need. Wiggum lets Grampa leave. Meanwhile, Burns arrives at his mansion with Smithers's medicine and, giving CPR, makes Smithers conscious again. Burns then decides to bring back the drug plan to all his full time employees. Homer gets a job with Burns again, but only as a free lance consultant, then wonders what the lump on his neck is.
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Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones. |
- Ironically, with part of the episode taking place in Winnipeg, CKND, the Winnipeg station that airs first-run episodes of The Simpsons, aired an NFL playoff game on January 16, 2005 in place of this episode.
- Krusty the Clown mentions that he needs lithium dibromide (a fictional medication and chemical compound) to treat his bipolar disorder. Lithium dibromide appears to be a reference to either lithium bromide, which is now only used in air-conditioning systems and has not been used to treat bipolar disorder since the 1940's when some heart patients died after using it as a salt substitute, or lithium carbonate which still is commonly used to treat bipolar disorder. Seeing as Krusty has had open-heart surgery, this may be a reference to suicidal tendencies. Lithium dibromide is also incorrectly named using the system of IUPAC nomenclature of inorganic chemistry. The part where Krusty convinces the kids at home to get lithium dibromide from their parents to help him was cut from the episode when it aired on the UK channel Sky One. What is heard on the UK airing instead is the end of his speech which is "Nobody likes a bipolar clown." [1], followed by Krusty alternately laughing and crying.
- Huey Lewis' single "I Want a New Drug" was used in the Pharmaceutical Ad..
- When the Canadian Ned offers Flanders a "reeferino" and says that "it's legal here", this is somewhat incorrect as non-medicinal marijuana is still technically illegal in Canada, but punishment for possession of the drug in small amounts is relatively minor, and jail time for possession is very unlikely. This scene makes reference to the ongoing debate about the de-criminalization of marijuana in Canada.
- When the Canadian talked gibberish to Flanders, you can hear him say "Shat-diddly-atner," referencing to William Shatner
- During their last drug run, when Homer asks Johnny Canuck how he can repay him, Johnny Canuck responded by saying that he would like to see someone "with an IQ of a child get executed by the state" because they "don't get that up here." Canada officially abolished the death penalty in 1976.
- Because of lactose intolerance medicine, Sideshow Mel (who was revealed to be lactose intolerant in the season five episode Bart Gets Famous) can finally have a Krusty brand milkshake, even though it was stated in the season seven episode 22 Short Films About Springfield that, unlike McDonalds, Krusty Burger's "milkshakes" are actually non-dairy (Chief Wiggum asks if McDonalds has Krusty Partially Gelatinated Non-Dairy Gum Based Beverages, to which Lou [the black cop] says, "Mmm-hmm, they call 'em 'shakes'").
- This episode reveals that Lisa takes Xanax for stress problems.
- When Homer, Grandpa, Ned and Apu are returning to the United States, they encounter an RCMP officer at the border, in full uniform. In actuality, RCMP officers only wear the Red Serge on special occasions; as well, the CBSA is responsible for patrolling the border on the Canadian side, not the RCMP.
- When Homer first walks into the luau party in the backyard, Lisa is seen wearing a flower in her hair on her left side but in the next scene, it is on the right.
- When Homer, Grandpa, Flanders, and Apu go to Winnipeg a sign can be seen as they enter the city. It reads: Welcome to Winnipeg. We were born here, what's your excuse?
- Earlier in the show Mr. Burns mentions that water makes the Plywood Pelican catch fire. Later, it is shown in a dock somewhere in Manitoba and in the next scene is seen flying in a thunderstorm.
Homer (In his car at the border, wearing a sombrero and a poncho): Hola, Señor. We are gringos from America. We wish to spend mucho dinero in your country.
Canadian Border Guard: Splendid. Welcome to Canada!
Homer: D'oh!
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This article does not cite any references or sources. (June 2007) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. |
- The title is a parody of the films Midnight Express and Midnight Run. It may also acknowledge Manitoba's Northern latitude (compared to most of the US), as it was once part of the Northwest Territories also known as a Land of the Midnight Sun.
- The man at the employment agency plays a game clearly modelled after Doom.
- The drug store is called "Dudley Do Drugs" a parody of Dudley Do-Right.
- The scene in which Mr. Burns revives Smithers is a parody of the Disney movies Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and Sleeping Beauty, though the glass coffin Smithers is put in looks like the one from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and the room Smithers is locked in while in the coma is from Sleeping Beauty.
- The Plywood Pelican is a parody of the Spruce Goose built by Howard Hughes' Hughes Aircraft.
- The banner at the U.S.-Canadian border reads that Canada is now "Celine Dion Free", a reference to Canadian singer Celine Dion moving to Las Vegas to perform nightly at Caesars Palace.
- The song that is playing when Homer and Grandpa are getting the drugs is "White Rabbit" by Jefferson Airplane, a song with thinly veiled drug references. "White Rabbit" was also heard on the season ten episode D'oh-in' in the Wind during the sequence where Groundskeeper Willie, Barney Gumbel, Ned Flanders, Abe Simpson, and Jasper drink the hippie juice Homer made and begin acting crazy under its influence.
- The Springfield Air and Space Museum is a parody of the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
- Homer being restricted from entering Canada is a reference to the episode Kill the Alligator and Run in which the whole Simpson family is forbidden from entering Florida.
8.2 million people originally watched this episode.
