Marge and Homer Turn a Couple Play
| "Marge and Homer Turn a Couple Play" | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| The Simpsons episode | |||
 | |||
| A shocked Bart watches Tabitha Vixx's pole dancing in the promotional image. | |||
| Episode no. | 378 | ||
| Directed by | Bob Anderson | ||
| Written by | Joel H. Cohen | ||
| Showrunner(s) | Al Jean | ||
| Production code | HABF16 | ||
| Original air date | May 21, 2006 | ||
| Chalkboard gag | Have a great summer, everyone. | ||
| Couch gag | The Simpsons go to sit on the couch, but the couch grows fangs and snarls at the family. The Simpsons run out into the street, where everyone’s chairs, sofas, and loungers are rising up and attacking their masters. Sherri and Terri are swallowed by their beanbag chairs, Officers Eddie and Lou are trapped in their police car as the couches rock it back and forth, Professor Frink is attacked by his futuristic couch, and Moe fights back against his bar stools by blasting them with his shotgun. Homer hides out from the rampaging seats in a store called “Couch World”, but is not safe there as all the couches pile on top of Homer and crush him. | ||
| Guest appearance(s) | Mandy Moore as Tabitha Vixx Stacy Keach as Howard K. Duff | ||
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“Marge and Homer Turn a Couple Play” is the 22nd episode and the season finale of the 17th season of The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 21, 2006.
Plot
The show opens to the family watching a cop drama. As the credits roll, Kent Brockman announces that the Springfield Isotopes are in first place in the NL West thanks to their new acquisition of Buck “Home run King” Mitchell. “To the bandwagon!” shouts Homer, as they all head to Springfield Stadium. Buck’s pop star wife Tabitha Vixx, sings the first few bars of the American national anthem at the game, then strips down to lingerie and launches into one of her own songs. After a minute of lascivious dancing, she concludes “...and the home of the brave.” Buck, humiliated, delivers a terrible performance at that night’s game, even accidentally lets go of the bat while swinging it which accidentally hits Sideshow Mel's fiance, causing the crowd to boo at him. He later sees Homer and Marge kissing on the Jumbo-Vision; later that night, Buck shows up at the Simpsons’ front door and asks for help with his marriage in exchange for season tickets.
Marge doubts their ability to counsel another couple. Her doubts lead to her and Homer flirting, which Buck sees and claims is an example of what he wants with his own wife. At the first session—taking place in the Simpsons’ living room—Buck confesses he assumed Tabitha would give up her recording career to focus on his minor league baseball career, to which she responds she will not stay in a mismatched marriage. The session concludes with Homer asking Buck to sign dozens of baseballs (as a present for Bart), which pour virtually endlessly from the bag.
The next session takes place at Buck and Tabitha’s mansion and goes much more smoothly. As a result of his now-steady personal life, Buck's game returns to superior form. Tabitha continues her singing tour, and Homer comes to meet her in her dressing room to check up on things. There he gives her a neck rub; her loud moans and Homer's praise of the fried chicken he is eating are overheard through the door by Buck, who misinterprets them and barges in enraged and slugs Homer.
Now with his marriage again on the rocks, Buck goes into another slump. Homer wants to get them back together, but Marge refuses to help. He leaves, and a few minutes later Tabitha knocks on the door; she tells a shocked Marge that she plans to leave Buck for good. Marge objects, insisting they stay together.
Buck Mitchell is next seen at the plate in the bottom of the ninth. Homer has hijacked the Duff blimp and spells out a message to Buck, supposedly from Tabitha proclaiming her love. Buck, reinvigorated, hits the ball into the blimp itself, causing it to crash into the field; as Homer alone runs from the wreckage, Buck realizes Tabitha had no part in the message. He charges Homer, bat in hand, but Marge delivers a monologue over the Jumbo-Vision, dissuading him. Tabitha then comes on the Jumbo-Vision to tell Buck she wants to stay together.
The episode closes with another Isotope player, Tito, saying he does not care about the healed marriage because bandits just kidnapped his mother.
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