Replaceable You
Encyclopedia
"Replaceable You" is the fourth episode of the twenty-third season
of the American animated sitcom The Simpsons
. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 6, 2011. In the episode, Homer
gets a new assistant named Roz who is secretly out to steal his job. Meanwhile, Bart
teams up with Martin Prince
for the upcoming Springfield Elementary science fair, constructing robot baby seals that become popular with the senior citizens at the Springfield Retirement Castle. The role of Roz was played by American actress Jane Lynch
. "Replaceable You" was seen by approximately eight million viewers during its original broadcast, and it has received mixed reviews from critics.
is initially happy to get an organized, cheerful new assistant at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant named Roz. However, when he and Barney
head out to see a film during their work shift, Roz reveals this to Mr. Burns, who demotes Homer to Roz's job and gives Roz Homer's position. Roz proceeds to charm the regulars at Moe's Tavern while finding dozens of ways to make Homer's job miserable. After Ned Flanders
sees Homer is depressed, Homer tells him about Roz, and is shocked to learn that Ned knew Roz back in Ohio; they were part of the same Christian group, and when Ned gave her a congratulatory hug for winning a "no-fun run" he learned that Roz cannot stand any physical contact. When Roz wins a "Worker of Millennium" award at the plant, Homer manipulates Burns into giving Roz a hug. She proceeds to beat Burns up, and is fired. Roz then compliments Homer for being much smarter than she expected, in terms Homer does not quite understand.
Elsewhere, Bart
is not ready for the upcoming Springfield Elementary science fair. He ends up working with Martin Prince
and after Bart comes up with a general idea—cool robotics—Martin does all the work and constructs an adorable robot baby seal. However, it is revealed that when the wiring is tampered with, they become violent attackers. The seal wins first prize at the Fair, to Lisa
's disdain. When she goes to the Springfield Retirement Castle to whine about the injustice to Grampa, the seniors citizen see the seal visibly cheer up Jasper and the value of the invention becomes clear. All of the senior citizens then get their own seals, and they become happier and healthier, which angers a consortium of local businesses (led by the local funeral home) who want the oldsters to go back to being miserable and more rapidly dying. The group figures out the wiring secret and reworks the seals so their fury returns, even causing the death of Mrs. Glick. Chief Wiggum has all the robots incarcerated. Bart and Martin enlist the aid of Professor Frink
who then enlists a larger group of nerds to remotely hack into the robot software and make them nice again. They succeed and as a result, Chief Wiggum releases all the seals, who return to the nursing home.
and directed by Mark Kirkland
. American actress Jane Lynch
guest starred in the episode as Roz.
Showrunner Al Jean
noted in an interview with Entertainment Weekly
that it was easy to cast Lynch, since "she can do edge, sweetness, and a mix of both". He further noted that the crew was happy when she agreed to take the role, and that he was "embarrassed [the show] didn’t ask her before she was so successful because she’s funny in everything she does." Lynch recorded her scenes together with cast member Dan Castellaneta
, who voices Homer. In an interview with the website Hollywood Outbreak, she commented that "It was pretty amazing to every once in a while look up at his face and go 'Oh my God, it's that guy that does that voice.'" Lynch added that she "had the best time. I would do it again and again. This is kind of very much a milestone in my career. I will point to this as a big deal." In an interview with Fox All Access, Lynch revealed that she is a long time fan: "Indeed I am a fan of The Simpsons. I started watching twenty years ago. I remember the first season. I remember clearly moments from the episodes and I thought it was revolutionary, the comedy of it. I really loved it."
As with most episodes of The Simpsons, the music was composed by Alf Clausen
and edited by Chris Ledesma. In a blog written by Ledesma, it was revealed prior to the airing of the episode that it would contain the use of the waltz "Tales from the Vienna Woods" by Johann Strauss II
as well as a musical cue similar to the style of the main theme from the film Catch Me If You Can
. The episode features several other references to popular culture
as well. For example, Homer skips work to go see a film called Paul Flart: Water Park Cop, a parody of the 2009 film Paul Blart: Mall Cop. In addition, there is a brief shot of the character Bender from the animated television series Futurama
.
, American Dad!
, and Allen Gregory
. For the week of October 31–November 6, "Replaceable You" finished fifteenth in the ratings among all network prime-time broadcasts in the 18–49 demographic.
wrote positively about the episode, giving it an eight out of ten rating. He commented: "This episode of The Simpsons swerved toward the wacky in the best possible. I approve of this bounce-back from the decidedly meh Treehouse of Horrors [the previous episode of the series—'Treehouse of Horror XXII
'] and I'm looking forward to what's next." Writing for the website Daemon's TV, Jocelyn W commented that she "thought the storyline was just okay but I did enjoy Flanders being the one to advise Homer on how to take [Roz] down. I like to see the dark side of Ned from time to time." She also noted that "The real gem of the episode was the creative ways in which the Springfield Elementary students decided to explore science [as shown at the science fair]." Stephanie Krikorian of The Wall Street Journal
s Speakeasy publication named Lynch's appearance one of the television highlights of the week November 6–13. She wrote that "Simply put, Jane Lynch is good TV. Even the cartoon version, non-track-suit-wearing
Jane Lynch was worth watching. Her role as a schemer on this week’s Simpsons was no exception, making her performance voicing Roz one of the top moments in this week’s Rewind."
The A.V. Club
critic Hayden Childs was more negative, giving the episode a C− rating and criticizing the two plots and the lack of good jokes. He wrote that while there was "some comic potential" in the premise, the writers failed to deliver funny material. Commenting on the plot with Homer and Roz, Childs explained that "there’s some comic possibility and resonance in having Homer stabbed in the back at work. Many people have been stabbed in the back by an ambitious colleague. Unfortunately, Homer may not be the best character to give this sort of storyline a heart. Homer is a bad employee who deserves to be ratted out by his subordinate. The fact that she is selfish and mean doesn’t add to this story. Yes, that is the sort of person who would stab someone in the back for their own gain, but yes, Homer also had it coming. Where is the joke?"
The Simpsons (season 23)
The Simpsons twenty-third season is the current season of The Simpsons. It premiered on September 25, 2011. It will include the 500th episode which is expected to air February 19, 2012. Due to financial difficulties, the network was unable to produce the show under its current contract and unless...
of the American animated sitcom The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 6, 2011. In the episode, Homer
Homer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
gets a new assistant named Roz who is secretly out to steal his job. Meanwhile, Bart
Bart Simpson
Bartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by actress Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
teams up with Martin Prince
Martin Prince
Martin Prince, Jr. is a recurring character in the Fox animated series, The Simpsons, and is voiced by Russi Taylor. Martin is Bart Simpson's classmate, and is Lisa Simpson's rival in intelligence, as well as Nelson Muntz's favorite target for bullying...
for the upcoming Springfield Elementary science fair, constructing robot baby seals that become popular with the senior citizens at the Springfield Retirement Castle. The role of Roz was played by American actress Jane Lynch
Jane Lynch
Jane Marie Lynch is an American comedian, actress and singer. She gained fame in Christopher Guest's improv mockumentary pictures such as Best in Show and is currently best known for playing the role of Sue Sylvester in the television series Glee...
. "Replaceable You" was seen by approximately eight million viewers during its original broadcast, and it has received mixed reviews from critics.
Plot
HomerHomer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
is initially happy to get an organized, cheerful new assistant at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant named Roz. However, when he and Barney
Barney Gumble
Barnard "Barney" Gumble is a fictional character on the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. The character is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared in the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". He is the town drunk and Homer Simpson's best friend. His capacity for...
head out to see a film during their work shift, Roz reveals this to Mr. Burns, who demotes Homer to Roz's job and gives Roz Homer's position. Roz proceeds to charm the regulars at Moe's Tavern while finding dozens of ways to make Homer's job miserable. After Ned Flanders
Ned Flanders
Nedward "Ned" Flanders, Jr. is a recurring fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Harry Shearer, and first appeared in the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". He is the next door neighbor to the Simpson family and is generally...
sees Homer is depressed, Homer tells him about Roz, and is shocked to learn that Ned knew Roz back in Ohio; they were part of the same Christian group, and when Ned gave her a congratulatory hug for winning a "no-fun run" he learned that Roz cannot stand any physical contact. When Roz wins a "Worker of Millennium" award at the plant, Homer manipulates Burns into giving Roz a hug. She proceeds to beat Burns up, and is fired. Roz then compliments Homer for being much smarter than she expected, in terms Homer does not quite understand.
Elsewhere, Bart
Bart Simpson
Bartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by actress Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
is not ready for the upcoming Springfield Elementary science fair. He ends up working with Martin Prince
Martin Prince
Martin Prince, Jr. is a recurring character in the Fox animated series, The Simpsons, and is voiced by Russi Taylor. Martin is Bart Simpson's classmate, and is Lisa Simpson's rival in intelligence, as well as Nelson Muntz's favorite target for bullying...
and after Bart comes up with a general idea—cool robotics—Martin does all the work and constructs an adorable robot baby seal. However, it is revealed that when the wiring is tampered with, they become violent attackers. The seal wins first prize at the Fair, to Lisa
Lisa Simpson
Lisa Marie Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons. She is the middle child of the Simpson family. Voiced by Yeardley Smith, Lisa first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Cartoonist Matt Groening...
's disdain. When she goes to the Springfield Retirement Castle to whine about the injustice to Grampa, the seniors citizen see the seal visibly cheer up Jasper and the value of the invention becomes clear. All of the senior citizens then get their own seals, and they become happier and healthier, which angers a consortium of local businesses (led by the local funeral home) who want the oldsters to go back to being miserable and more rapidly dying. The group figures out the wiring secret and reworks the seals so their fury returns, even causing the death of Mrs. Glick. Chief Wiggum has all the robots incarcerated. Bart and Martin enlist the aid of Professor Frink
Professor Frink
Professor John Nerdelbaum Frink, Jr., or simply Professor Frink, is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Hank Azaria, and first appeared in the 1991 episode "Old Money". Frink is Springfield's nerdy scientist and professor and is extremely...
who then enlists a larger group of nerds to remotely hack into the robot software and make them nice again. They succeed and as a result, Chief Wiggum releases all the seals, who return to the nursing home.
Production
The episode was written by Stephanie GillisStephanie Gillis
Stephanie Gillis is a television writer. She currently works on The Simpsons and has written five episodes: "See Homer Run", "Midnight Towboy", "The Burns and the Bees", "Once Upon a Time in Springfield", and "Moe Letter Blues." She was nominated for Writers Guild of America Awards in 2006 for "See...
and directed by Mark Kirkland
Mark Kirkland
Mark Kirkland is an American director. He has directed 69 episodes, from 1990-present, of The Simpsons, more than any other person.-Career:...
. American actress Jane Lynch
Jane Lynch
Jane Marie Lynch is an American comedian, actress and singer. She gained fame in Christopher Guest's improv mockumentary pictures such as Best in Show and is currently best known for playing the role of Sue Sylvester in the television series Glee...
guest starred in the episode as Roz.
Showrunner Al Jean
Al Jean
Al Jean is an award-winning American screenwriter and producer, best known for his work on The Simpsons. He was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan and graduated from Harvard University in 1981. Jean began his writing career in the 1980s with fellow Harvard alum Mike Reiss...
noted in an interview with Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
that it was easy to cast Lynch, since "she can do edge, sweetness, and a mix of both". He further noted that the crew was happy when she agreed to take the role, and that he was "embarrassed [the show] didn’t ask her before she was so successful because she’s funny in everything she does." Lynch recorded her scenes together with cast member Dan Castellaneta
Dan Castellaneta
Daniel Louis "Dan" Castellaneta is an American actor, voice actor, comedian, singer and screenwriter. Noted for his long-running role as Homer Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons, he voices many other characters on The Simpsons, including Abraham "Grampa" Simpson, Barney Gumble,...
, who voices Homer. In an interview with the website Hollywood Outbreak, she commented that "It was pretty amazing to every once in a while look up at his face and go 'Oh my God, it's that guy that does that voice.'" Lynch added that she "had the best time. I would do it again and again. This is kind of very much a milestone in my career. I will point to this as a big deal." In an interview with Fox All Access, Lynch revealed that she is a long time fan: "Indeed I am a fan of The Simpsons. I started watching twenty years ago. I remember the first season. I remember clearly moments from the episodes and I thought it was revolutionary, the comedy of it. I really loved it."
As with most episodes of The Simpsons, the music was composed by Alf Clausen
Alf Clausen
Alf Clausen is an American film and television composer. He is best known for his work scoring many episodes of The Simpsons, of which he has been the sole composer since 1990...
and edited by Chris Ledesma. In a blog written by Ledesma, it was revealed prior to the airing of the episode that it would contain the use of the waltz "Tales from the Vienna Woods" by Johann Strauss II
Johann Strauss II
Johann Strauss II , also known as Johann Baptist Strauss or Johann Strauss, Jr., the Younger, or the Son , was an Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas. He composed over 500 waltzes, polkas, quadrilles, and other types of dance music, as well as several operettas...
as well as a musical cue similar to the style of the main theme from the film Catch Me If You Can
Catch Me If You Can
Catch Me If You Can is a 2002 American biographical comedy-drama film based on the life of Frank Abagnale Jr., who, before his 19th birthday, successfully performed cons worth millions of dollars by posing as a Pan American World Airways pilot, a Georgia doctor, and a Louisiana parish prosecutor...
. The episode features several other references to popular culture
Popular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
as well. For example, Homer skips work to go see a film called Paul Flart: Water Park Cop, a parody of the 2009 film Paul Blart: Mall Cop. In addition, there is a brief shot of the character Bender from the animated television series Futurama
Futurama
Futurama is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a late 20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J...
.
Release
"Replaceable You" originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 6, 2011. It was watched by approximately eight million people during this broadcast. In the demographic for adults aged 18–49, the episode received a 3.7 Nielsen rating (down eight percent from the previous episode) and ten percent share. The Simpsons became the highest-rated program in Fox's Animation Domination lineup that night in terms of total viewers and in the 18–49 demographic, finishing before new episodes of Family GuyFamily Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
, American Dad!
American Dad!
American Dad! is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane and owned by Underdog Productions and Fuzzy Door Productions. It is produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television...
, and Allen Gregory
Allen Gregory
Allen Gregory is an American animated television series created by Jonah Hill, Andrew Mogel, and Jarrad Paul that airs on FOX. The series premiered on October 30, 2011.-Synopsis:...
. For the week of October 31–November 6, "Replaceable You" finished fifteenth in the ratings among all network prime-time broadcasts in the 18–49 demographic.
Critical reception
The episode has received mixed reviews from television critics. Josh Harrison of OlogyOlogy
Ology is an entertainment and social media website based in New York City. It is run by Beth Haggerty and Vivian Moran, both of whom founded it. The company focuses on helping users to find and share content about their interests.-History:...
wrote positively about the episode, giving it an eight out of ten rating. He commented: "This episode of The Simpsons swerved toward the wacky in the best possible. I approve of this bounce-back from the decidedly meh Treehouse of Horrors [the previous episode of the series—'Treehouse of Horror XXII
Treehouse of Horror XXII
"Treehouse of Horror XXII" is the third episode of the twenty-third season and the twenty-second Halloween episode of the animated comedy series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 30, 2011...
'] and I'm looking forward to what's next." Writing for the website Daemon's TV, Jocelyn W commented that she "thought the storyline was just okay but I did enjoy Flanders being the one to advise Homer on how to take [Roz] down. I like to see the dark side of Ned from time to time." She also noted that "The real gem of the episode was the creative ways in which the Springfield Elementary students decided to explore science [as shown at the science fair]." Stephanie Krikorian of The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
s Speakeasy publication named Lynch's appearance one of the television highlights of the week November 6–13. She wrote that "Simply put, Jane Lynch is good TV. Even the cartoon version, non-track-suit-wearing
Sue Sylvester
Susan "Sue" Sylvester is a fictional character of the Fox musical comedy-drama series, Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Jane Lynch, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Sue was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian...
Jane Lynch was worth watching. Her role as a schemer on this week’s Simpsons was no exception, making her performance voicing Roz one of the top moments in this week’s Rewind."
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
critic Hayden Childs was more negative, giving the episode a C− rating and criticizing the two plots and the lack of good jokes. He wrote that while there was "some comic potential" in the premise, the writers failed to deliver funny material. Commenting on the plot with Homer and Roz, Childs explained that "there’s some comic possibility and resonance in having Homer stabbed in the back at work. Many people have been stabbed in the back by an ambitious colleague. Unfortunately, Homer may not be the best character to give this sort of storyline a heart. Homer is a bad employee who deserves to be ratted out by his subordinate. The fact that she is selfish and mean doesn’t add to this story. Yes, that is the sort of person who would stab someone in the back for their own gain, but yes, Homer also had it coming. Where is the joke?"