Lemon of Troy
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| The Simpsons episode | |
| "Lemon of Troy" | |
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| Episode no. | 127 |
| Prod. code | 2F22 |
| Orig. Airdate | May 14, 1995 |
| Writer(s) | Brent Forrester |
| Director | Jim Reardon |
| Chalkboard | "The First Amendment does not cover burping." |
| Couch gag | The family is in black and white and wear Mickey Mouse gloves. |
| SNPP capsule | |
| Season 6 September 4, 1994 – May 21, 1995 |
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| List of all Simpsons episodes... | |
"Lemon of Troy" is the 24th episode of The Simpsons' sixth season. "Lemon of Troy" explores the town rivalry between the fictional communities of Springfield and Shelbyville.
Contents |
[edit] Synopsis
When Marge catches Bart vandalizing a town sidewalk, she lectures him on the importance of town pride. Afterwards, Bart realizes how wonderful living in Springfield truly is, due to its fishing, "good friends, lots of lemons, and numerous angel sightings." Consequently, however, Bart also becomes more upset with anti-Springfield sentiments coming from the neighboring town of Shelbyville, especially from the bully Shelby. As it turns out, this rivalry can be traced back to both towns' establishment, as founders Jebediah Springfield and Shelbyville Manhattan discovered they had irreconcilable differences regarding their visions for a perfect town, Jebediah favouring promotion of chastity and Shelbyville advocating incestuous marriages between cousins.
In modern times, Shelby and his followers steal Springfield's lemon tree, striking at what Bart feels is one of the town's hearts. Now seeing war with Shelbyville as a matter of civic virtue, Bart leads Milhouse, Nelson, Martin, Todd, and Database in an incursion of the rival town. The group splits up and has a few misadventures. Martin shakes down a kid for information but is confronted by a larger kid, and Nelson must save him, albeit hesitantly (as Martin is perhaps Nelson's most common target of bullying). Milhouse meets his double and the two have an oddly emotional moment of understanding. Finally, Bart goes behind enemy lines and infiltrates the ranks of the Shelvyville kids by disguising himself, which eventually leads to his discovery and a long chase. Eventually they track down the tree to an impound lot, but at this point they are discovered by their angry parents. The children convince their parents of the importance of recovering the tree, and they join forces to take it back. They are caught in the middle of the act but manage to escape, albeit with significant damages to the tree.
The title of the episode is a play on the name Helen of Troy from Greek mythology, and the episode bears some clear parallels to the Troy legend. In addition to the obvious echo of the Trojan Horse in the method of recovery of the tree, the basic outline of the plot - Springfield attacking their neighbouring rivals after they steal their prize possession - is an obvious reference to the legend, in which the incentive for the Greeks declaring war on their neighbours Troy is their theft of their most famous and beautiful woman citizen, Helen.
[edit] Trivia
- According to the DVD episode commentary, Shelby's father, an analogue of Homer, was voiced by Hank Azaria, who based his performance on Walter Matthau. The voice of Homer, Dan Castellaneta, originally based his performance of Homer on Matthau as well.
[edit] Cultural References
- When the Milhouse from Springfield bonds with the Milhouse from Shelbyville, he sobs, "This is what it feels like when doves cry", a slightly paraphrased line from Prince's 1984 hit song, "When Doves Cry", which was in his musical movie, "Purple Rain".
- The scene of the Springfield Lake catching on fire mirrors what happened to the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio in 1969.
- This episode title is based on Helen of Troy, whose abduction caused the Greek war during which the Trojan Horse was used (similar to the fashion in which Ned's RV is used in this episode)
- Bart identifies the number seven in Roman numerals by referring to a nonexistent sequel of the Rocky series, Rocky VII: Adrian's Revenge. Additionally, a seventh film can be expected more than before, as a sixth is currently in-development.
- There are several possible nods to The A-Team, including Bart leading his men on a mission of mercy, Bart's disguise (similar to George Peppard's many disguises in that series), and his make-shift method of escape, another element often used in that show.
[edit] Goofs
- All the kids leave Mrs. Krabappel's class when Nelson announces that the tree is missing, but only some show up at the spot where the lemon tree used to be.
- In this episode, Shelbyvillians are depicted as yokels, but in the season 16 episode The Seven-Beer Snitch, they're depicted as being more sophisticated than Springfielders (or at least they think so).
- Milhouse and Lewis don’t add any water to the lemon juice to make their lemonade.
- Professor Frink is the only native to Springfield that is seen in Shelbyville that is not trying to get the lemon tree back.
[edit] Similarities between Springfield and Shelbyville
- The local elementary school's groundskeeper is Scottish, though the groundskeeper at Shelbyville Elementary is female.
- The local bar in Shelbyville is Joe's (as opposed to Moe's)
- The Shelbyvillians' preferred brand of beer is Fudd, which is "Duff" with the D's and F's switched. Fudd Beer was first mentioned in the episode, Colonel Homer.
- The Speed-E-Mart is owned by an East-Asian American, as opposed to the Kwik-E-Mart, which is owned by a South-Asian (Indian) American
- The leader of the gang of Shelbyville kids wears an orange shirt, like Bart, and his father wears a white shirt, like Homer (his hair also bears startling resemblance to that of Homer, before it fell out). His father also appears to have a stupid streak like Homer because he takes a direct bite out of a lemon.
- One of the gang members in Shelbyville is named Milhouse and, like the Springfield Milhouse, has blue hair.
[edit] Quotes
- Bart: Ok, here's how it goes: I'm the leader, Milhouse is my loyal sidekick, Nelson's tough guy, Martin's the smart guy, and Todd's the quiet religious guy who ends up going crazy.
- Nelson: (catching fish with plastic soldiers) When it comes to catching trout, nothing beats the German light infantry.
Bart: Beautiful, aren't they?
Nelson: Yup. I'm gonna huck 'em at cars. - Bart: Milhouse, you and I will be Team Omega. Todd, you and Data are Team Strike Force. Nelson, that leaves you with Martin.
Martin: Team Discovery Channel!
Nelson: (groans) Oh... your wussiness better come in handy. - Milhouse: Hey, everybody, an old man's talking!
Grampa: Grampa's the name. Did you know this tree dates back to frontier times?
All: Wow... frontier times...
Grampa: Shut up! - Jebediah: People, our search is over! On this site we shall build a new town where we can worship freely, govern justly, and grow vast fields of hemp for making rope and blankets.
Shelbyville: Yes! And marry our cousins.
Jebediah: I was- wha... what are you talking about, Shelbyville? Why would we want to marry our cousins?
Shelbyville: Because they're so attractive. I... I thought that was the whole point of this journey.
Jebediah: Absolutely not!
Shelbyville: I tell you, I won't live in a town that robs men of the right to marry their cousins!
Jebediah: Well, then, we'll form our own town. Who will come and live a life devoted to chastity, abstinence, and a flavorless mush I call rootmarm? - Ned Flanders: Okay, folks, look, I called the police captain in Shelbyville. He says he hasn't seen our kids, but if they show up in the morgue, he'll fax us.
- Shelbyvillian #1 (mockingly): Sounds like Springfield's got a discipline problem.
Shelbyvillian #2: You know, maybe that's why we beat them at football nearly half the time, huh? - Bart: Eat my shorts, Shelbyville!
Homer and Bart: Eat my shorts!
Ned Flanders: Yes, eat all of our shirts! - Elderly Shelbyvillian (glorifying the loss): ...and with that, a mighty cheer went up from the heroes of Shelbyville. They had banished the awful lemon tree forever... because it was haunted. Now let's all celebrate with a nice cool glass of turnip juice.
- Shelby: Springfield sucks!
Bart: Hey, stop talking bad about my town, man!
Shelby: Why don’t you make me?
Bart: I don’t make trash, I burn it.
Shelby: Then I guess you’re a garbage man.
Bart: I know you are, but what am I?
Shelby: A garbage man.
Bart: Oh, I know you are, but what am I?
Shelby: A garbage man.
Bart: I know you are, but what am I?
Shelby: A garbage man.
Bart: Takes one to know one!
Database: Checkmate! - Bart: Hello, there, fellow Shelbyvillians.
Shelbyvillian #1: Wait a minute. If you're from Shelbyville, how come we've never seen you at school?
Bart: I don't go to school.
Shelbyvillian #2: OK. What's two plus two?
Bart: Five.
Shelbyvillian #2: Oh. Story checks out. - Bart: Fools, the new kid was I, Bart Simpson!! [no reaction from Shelbyvillians] (emphasis) Bart Simpson!! [still no reaction] (sighs) From Springfield!
Shelby: He's from Springfield! Get 'em! - Homer: Give it back, or I'll bust in there and take it!!!
Shelby's Dad: Bust in here and take it? You must be stupider than you look!
Homer: Stupider like a FOX!!! - Marge: Whatever happened to good old-fashioned town pride?
Lisa: It's been going downhill ever since the lake caught fire. - Marge: This is a Springfield Isotopes hat. When you wear it, you're wearing Springfield. When you eat a fish from our river, you're eating Springfield. When you make lemonade from our trees, you're drinking Springfield!
Bart: Mom, when you give that lecture, you're boring Springfield. - Milhouse: Ohh! They're always eating candy in Shelbyville. They love the sweet taste!
- Bart: Oh, it's no use. I'm never gonna find that tree. This whole raid was as useless as that yellow lemon shaped rock over there. Wait a minute... there's a lemon behind that rock!
- Bart (trapped in tiger room): (desperately communicating on walkie-talkie) Milhouse, what's seven in Roman numerals?!
Milhouse (else-where): I'll tell you, Bart. But you must end each transmission with the word "over". Over.
Shelbyville Milhouse: Correction! The only thing that is over is that transmission!
Milhouse (dramatically): Is this the untimely end of Milhouse?
Shelbyville Milhouse: But "Milhouse" is my name.
Milhouse: I thought I was the only one.
Shelbyville Milhouse: A pain I know all too well.
Milhouse: So, this is what it's like...when doves cry. (they embrace) - Bart: (after seeing Shelbyville kids talking about selling lemons) They're getting rich off us!
Milhouse: And that kid with the backpack said "radical"! I say "radical"! That's the thing that I say! Oh, I feel like I'm gonna explode here! (holds his breath as he tries to explode. The invading squad just looks at him. Todd takes a step back)
[edit] External links
- "Lemon of Troy" episode capsule at The Simpsons Archive
