Wedding For Disaster
Encyclopedia
"Wedding for Disaster" is the fifteenth episode of the twentieth season of The Simpsons
. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 29, 2009. In the episode, Marge and Homer's second marriage turns out to be invalid, so they decide to get married again. Right before the re-marriage, Homer goes missing, and Bart and Lisa suspect that he has been kidnapped by Sideshow Bob
. The episode was written by Joel H. Cohen
and directed by Chuck Sheetz
. It features a guest appearance by Kelsey Grammer
as Sideshow Bob. Since airing, the episode has received mostly positive reviews from television critics. It was viewed by 6.58 million viewers in its original American broadcast.
The June 28, 2009 rerun of the episode featured a brief alternate opening. Following the death of Michael Jackson
three days prior, on June 25, the music video
for "Do the Bartman
" was shown, followed by a title card in memory of Jackson, showing a still of his appearance as Leon Kompowsky from the episode "Stark Raving Dad
".
, the head of the Presbylutheran denomination, tells Reverend Lovejoy that due to a lapsed ministerial certification various ceremonies he performed are invalid. This affects Homer
and Marge
, who turn out not to be remarried as they previously thought
. Homer vows to give Marge the perfect wedding he did not give her either of the first two times they got married. Marge is thrilled to be able to plan her dream wedding, but it is not long before she turns into a Bridezilla, shooting down all of Homer’s ideas and mowing down everyone who gets in her way. The day of the wedding finally arrives, and everything is perfect except for one small detail — Homer is missing. At first it appears that Marge has driven him away, but Bart
and Lisa
stumble on a clue that leads them to believe their father was kidnapped: a keychain with the initials "S.B."
Meanwhile, Homer finds himself chained to a pipe in a dark room. When a mysterious voice tells him that the key to unlock his chains is inside a lollipop, he frantically eats it only to discover the lollipop is made of fiery hot sauce, which the mysterious voice took sick pleasure of laughing at.
His torments continue as Bart and Lisa race to save him. They first assume Homer's captor "S.B." is Sideshow Bob
(who had escaped from jail
). However, it turns out that he was innocent the whole time. Krusty the Clown explains that he was with him the whole day, doing artwork on his face and watching the film adaptation
of House of Sand and Fog.. Bob helps them figure out that the keychain actually belongs to their aunts, Patty and Selma Bouvier. Bart and Lisa soon realise that they intentionally kidnapped Homer out of spite for him and have planned to keep him cooped up until Marge forgets about him.
Feeling resigned to his fate, Homer reads the wedding vows he wrote for Marge to them. Patty and Selma soon have a change of heart after being touched by his wedding vows. Realising how much Homer truly loves her, they release him. However, with the keychain as proof, Bart and Lisa comes inside the apartment and confront Patty and Selma for their actions. They also blackmail
their aunts by threatening to tell their mother about what they did to Homer unless the twins pay for their parents' remarriage ceremony. Patty and Selma reluctantly agrees to do so and Homer and Marge at last get married outside city hall.
reference the Saw film series.
The title recalls the phrase "heading for disaster".
The Parson is modeled after singer and actor Bing Crosby
. The singing the Parson does is a reference to Crosby's character as Father O'Malley in Going My Way
.
During a fight between Homer and Marge in front of Maggie, Homer calls Marge Bridezilla because of her behaviour during wedding preparation and arrangements, Maggie then imagines them as King Kong vs. Godzilla
.
Erich Asperschlager of TV Verdict wrote: "'Wedding for Disaster' worked because it had a cool mystery. Granted, I’m a sucker for mysteries, but some of the best Simpsons episodes are mysteries—and most of those feature Sideshow Bob. I was more than ready to let tonight’s episode turn into the next Sideshow Bob story, but I also like that they let him just be a cameo. Much as I love Kelsey Grammer’s scheming sidekick, he’s too smart to have kidnapped Homer for the reason Bart suspected: 'If Mom and Dad don’t get married, I’ll never be born!' The real solution made a lot more sense, and gave the ending a little more weight. 'Wedding for Disaster' may have been a little light on laughs compared to the last few episodes, but the story carried the day."
Joel H. Cohen won a Writers Guild of America Award
in the Animation category in 2010
for writing the episode.
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 March 29, 2009. In the episode, Marge and Homer's second marriage turns out to be invalid, so they decide to get married again. Right before the re-marriage, Homer goes missing, and Bart and Lisa suspect that he has been kidnapped by Sideshow Bob
Sideshow Bob
Robert Underdunk Terwilliger, better known as Sideshow Bob, is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Kelsey Grammer and first appeared briefly in the episode "The Telltale Head". Bob is a self-proclaimed genius who is a graduate of Yale, a member of...
. The episode was written by Joel H. Cohen
Joel H. Cohen
For the film director, see Joel Coen.Joel H. Cohen is a writer for Saturday Night Live, Suddenly Susan and The Simpsons...
and directed by Chuck Sheetz
Chuck Sheetz
Chuck Sheetz is an animation director on The Simpsons. He was the producer on 'What's new, Scooby-Doo?", the director of the TV series, Recess. He has also done work on Bobby's World, Rocko's Modern Life, King of the Hill, Recess, and Welcome to Eltingville in addition to directing the Drawn...
. It features a guest appearance by Kelsey Grammer
Kelsey Grammer
Allen Kelsey Grammer is an American actor and comedian. He is most widely known for his two-decade portrayal of psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the sitcoms Cheers and Frasier...
as Sideshow Bob. Since airing, the episode has received mostly positive reviews from television critics. It was viewed by 6.58 million viewers in its original American broadcast.
The June 28, 2009 rerun of the episode featured a brief alternate opening. Following the death of Michael Jackson
Death of Michael Jackson
On June 25, 2009, American singer Michael Jackson died of acute propofol intoxication after he suffered a respiratory arrest at his home in the Holmby Hills neighborhood in Los Angeles. His personal physician, Conrad Murray, said he found Jackson in his room, not breathing, but with a faint pulse,...
three days prior, on June 25, the music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "Do the Bartman
Do the Bartman
"Do the Bartman" is a pop rap song from the 1990 Simpsons album The Simpsons Sing the Blues. It was performed by The Simpsons cast member Nancy Cartwright and was released as a promotional single from the album on November 20, 1990. The song was written and produced by American recording artist...
" was shown, followed by a title card in memory of Jackson, showing a still of his appearance as Leon Kompowsky from the episode "Stark Raving Dad
Stark Raving Dad
"Stark Raving Dad" is the first episode of the third season of American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on September 19, 1991...
".
Plot
His Holiness the ParsonParson
In the pre-Reformation church, a parson was the priest of an independent parish church, that is, a parish church not under the control of a larger ecclesiastical or monastic organization...
, the head of the Presbylutheran denomination, tells Reverend Lovejoy that due to a lapsed ministerial certification various ceremonies he performed are invalid. This affects 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...
and Marge
Marge Simpson
Marjorie "Marge" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the eponymous family. She is voiced by actress Julie Kavner and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
, who turn out not to be remarried as they previously thought
A Milhouse Divided
"A Milhouse Divided" is the sixth episode of The Simpsons eighth season, first aired by the Fox network on December 1, 1996. Milhouse's parents Kirk and Luann get a divorce, causing Homer to examine his own marriage...
. Homer vows to give Marge the perfect wedding he did not give her either of the first two times they got married. Marge is thrilled to be able to plan her dream wedding, but it is not long before she turns into a Bridezilla, shooting down all of Homer’s ideas and mowing down everyone who gets in her way. The day of the wedding finally arrives, and everything is perfect except for one small detail — Homer is missing. At first it appears that Marge has driven him away, but 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...
and 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...
stumble on a clue that leads them to believe their father was kidnapped: a keychain with the initials "S.B."
Meanwhile, Homer finds himself chained to a pipe in a dark room. When a mysterious voice tells him that the key to unlock his chains is inside a lollipop, he frantically eats it only to discover the lollipop is made of fiery hot sauce, which the mysterious voice took sick pleasure of laughing at.
His torments continue as Bart and Lisa race to save him. They first assume Homer's captor "S.B." is Sideshow Bob
Sideshow Bob
Robert Underdunk Terwilliger, better known as Sideshow Bob, is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Kelsey Grammer and first appeared briefly in the episode "The Telltale Head". Bob is a self-proclaimed genius who is a graduate of Yale, a member of...
(who had escaped from jail
Sex, Pies and Idiot Scrapes
"Sex, Pies and Idiot Scrapes" is the season premiere of The Simpsons’ twentieth season, and first aired September 28, 2008. After getting charged for being involved in a fight, Homer meets bail bondsman Lucky Jim and Wolf the Bounty Hunter, who convince Homer to become a bounty hunter. In a...
). However, it turns out that he was innocent the whole time. Krusty the Clown explains that he was with him the whole day, doing artwork on his face and watching the film adaptation
Film adaptation
Film adaptation is the transfer of a written work to a feature film. It is a type of derivative work.A common form of film adaptation is the use of a novel as the basis of a feature film, but film adaptation includes the use of non-fiction , autobiography, comic book, scripture, plays, and even...
of House of Sand and Fog.. Bob helps them figure out that the keychain actually belongs to their aunts, Patty and Selma Bouvier. Bart and Lisa soon realise that they intentionally kidnapped Homer out of spite for him and have planned to keep him cooped up until Marge forgets about him.
Feeling resigned to his fate, Homer reads the wedding vows he wrote for Marge to them. Patty and Selma soon have a change of heart after being touched by his wedding vows. Realising how much Homer truly loves her, they release him. However, with the keychain as proof, Bart and Lisa comes inside the apartment and confront Patty and Selma for their actions. They also blackmail
Blackmail
In common usage, blackmail is a crime involving threats to reveal substantially true or false information about a person to the public, a family member, or associates unless a demand is met. It may be defined as coercion involving threats of physical harm, threat of criminal prosecution, or threats...
their aunts by threatening to tell their mother about what they did to Homer unless the twins pay for their parents' remarriage ceremony. Patty and Selma reluctantly agrees to do so and Homer and Marge at last get married outside city hall.
Cultural references
Homer's torture cell and its voice changerVoice changer
The term voice changer refers to a system of altering a person's voice to either make them sound like someone else or to disguise their voice.Voice changers change the tone or pitch, add distortion to the user's voice, or a combination of all of the above and vary greatly in price and sophistication...
reference the Saw film series.
The title recalls the phrase "heading for disaster".
The Parson is modeled after singer and actor Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
. The singing the Parson does is a reference to Crosby's character as Father O'Malley in Going My Way
Going My Way
Going My Way is a 1944 film directed by Leo McCarey. It is a light-hearted musical comedy-drama about a new young priest taking over a parish from an established old veteran . Crosby sings five songs in the film. It was followed the next year by a sequel, The Bells of St. Mary's. This picture was...
.
During a fight between Homer and Marge in front of Maggie, Homer calls Marge Bridezilla because of her behaviour during wedding preparation and arrangements, Maggie then imagines them as King Kong vs. Godzilla
King Kong vs. Godzilla
is a 1962 Japanese science fiction kaiju film produced by Toho Studios. Directed by Ishirō Honda with visual effects by Eiji Tsuburaya, the film starred Tadao Takashima, Kenji Sahara, and Mie Hama. It was the third installment in the Japanese series of films featuring the monster Godzilla...
.
Reception
"Wedding for Disaster" received a Nielsen rating of 3.7/6 and was viewed by 6.58 million viewers. Since airing, the episode has received mostly positive reviews from television critics. Robert Canning of IGN gave the episode a 7.3/10, saying, "'Wedding for Disaster' was one of those episodes that, while not knocking you down with laughter, was quite fun to watch." He went on to say, "it was also sweet to have Homer's recitation of his vows be the turning point for his sisters-in-law. Again, this wasn't a howlingly funny episode, but there were some great parts, and overall 'Wedding for Disaster' was a pleasant enough telling of Marge and Homer's third and fourth weddings."Erich Asperschlager of TV Verdict wrote: "'Wedding for Disaster' worked because it had a cool mystery. Granted, I’m a sucker for mysteries, but some of the best Simpsons episodes are mysteries—and most of those feature Sideshow Bob. I was more than ready to let tonight’s episode turn into the next Sideshow Bob story, but I also like that they let him just be a cameo. Much as I love Kelsey Grammer’s scheming sidekick, he’s too smart to have kidnapped Homer for the reason Bart suspected: 'If Mom and Dad don’t get married, I’ll never be born!' The real solution made a lot more sense, and gave the ending a little more weight. 'Wedding for Disaster' may have been a little light on laughs compared to the last few episodes, but the story carried the day."
Joel H. Cohen won a Writers Guild of America Award
Writers Guild of America Award
The Writers Guild of America Award for outstanding achievements in film, television, and radio has been presented annually by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America, West since 1949...
in the Animation category in 2010
Writers Guild of America Awards 2009
The 62nd Writers Guild of America Awards honored the best film, television, and videogame writers of 2009. Winners were announced on February 20, 2010.-Best Adapted Screenplay:*Crazy Heart*Julie & Julia...
for writing the episode.