"Kamp Krustier" is the fifthteen episode of the twenty-eighth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 612th episode of the series overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on March 5, 2017 and in the United Kingdom on Sky 1 on May 5, 2017. The follow-up to the season 4 episode "Kamp Krusty", the episode was directed by Rob Oliver and features a script by David M. Stern, who had not written for the show in 18 years.
| "Kamp Krustier" | |
|---|---|
| The Simpsons episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 28 Episode 15 |
| Directed by | Rob Oliver |
| Written by | David M. Stern |
| Featured music | Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber Boléro by Maurice Ravel |
| Production code | WABF09 |
| Original air date | March 5, 2017 |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
| Episode features | |
| Chalkboard gag | "We're the only house where the Christmas tree is still up" |
| Couch gag | A Pachinko machine is shown, with the family at the bottom. Everyone but Homer gets many balls in. Homer is sad but on opening his mouth he swallows one and chokes. |
In the episode, Bart and Lisa return from Kamp Krusty traumatized and Homer becomes a more productive worker. Lizzy Caplan and Michael Sheen guest starred. The episode received mixed reviews.
Plot
editThe story is set right after the events of "Kamp Krusty". Santa's Little Helper follows the trail of Homer and Marge's clothes, leading him to Bart's treehouse, where they were having sex. Chief Wiggum and Officer Lou arrive at the scene, having been called by Ned. Homer tells them the kids are fine, before showing them a postcard from Kamp Krusty. The scene switches to the camp, where everything is getting ruined by Bart and the other bullies.
The traumatized kids return on a bus, guided by Krusty. The kids are taken to therapy and the therapist says to Marge to keep an eye on Bart. Back at home, Bart fakes PTSD and interrupts Homer and Marge's sexual activity. The next day, Bart stays at home watching TV. With Bart on their bed and being unable to have fun with Marge, Homer goes to work early and finds out what happens when the Power Plant is empty.
Bart has a nightmare of the camp when they went on the canoe and asks Lisa for help. Homer gets more productive than ever and gets a raise by Mr. Burns while Bart and Lisa go to the amusement park where they cut the line thanks to the trauma they suffered from.
Homer refuses to have sex with Marge and she thinks they need the help of a therapist too who suggests taking the kids back to Kamp Krusty, which was transformed into an adult retreat called Klub Krusty. Bart and Lisa find a cabin they have visited after escaping with the canoe and remember another kid with them named Charlie who fell in the rapids and never came back up. Marge and Homer have some fun at the club while Bart and Lisa report Charlie missing to the club security which reveals he's alive, and also that Charlie is not a kid but a little person.
During the credits, shots of Homer Simpson clones are shown at work as a Barry White-like singer is heard singing in the background about not wanting to be intimate with the object of the song.
Production
editThis is a direct sequel to the fourth season episode "Kamp Krusty" and the first direct sequel of a previous episode. Both "Kamp Krusty" and this episode were written by David M. Stern, who had not written for the show since 1999.[1]
Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan were cast as William Masters and Virginia Johnson, respectively, reprising their roles from the television series Masters of Sex. Executive producer Al Jean stated that they would tell Homer and Marge to blame their kids for ruining their sex life.[2] Regarding her recording experience, Caplan said she was able to see the production offices and memorabilia and that she received a gift bag.[3]
Cultural references
editWhen Homer is about to have sex, his brain plays Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber followed by Boléro by Maurice Ravel.[4]
Reception
edit"Kamp Krustier" was watched by 2.56 million people and scored a 1.1 rating with a 4 share, making it Fox's highest rated show of the night.[5]
Dennis Perkins of The A.V. Club gave the episode a C− stating, "Well, no one can accuse The Simpsons of trampling all over one of its all-time best episodes. Actually, wait—I can, as the 24-seasons-removed 'Kamp Krustier' finds a way to revisit the classic Simpsons episode 'Kamp Krusty' without expanding on it, deconstructing it, or even making a memorable travesty of it. That long-absent original 'Kamp Krusty' writer David M. Stern returned to the show as main credited writer for the first time in some 18 years and produced something so innocuously unmemorable is a genuine disappointment."[6]
Tony Sokol of Den of Geek gave the episode four out of five stars stating "'Kamp Krustier' is a flashback episode that's heavy on couples' therapy and repression, but don't let that fool you, it's still a foolhardy enterprise".[4]
Emily St. James of Vox stated that the episode was "funny and fresh without feeling like it’s coasting off the show’s glory days."[1]
References
edit- ^ a b St. James, Emily (March 12, 2017). "The Simpsons' "Kamp Krustier" revisits a classic episode with surprisingly funny results". Vox. Archived from the original on July 23, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
- ^ Snierson, Dan (September 23, 2016). "Simpsons season 28 preview: 600th episode, Homer and Marge sex drought". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on July 31, 2024. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
- ^ Spelling, Ian (July 21, 2023). "Lizzy Caplan on the show that changed her career and her guest spot on The Simpsons". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on July 22, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
- ^ a b Sokol, Tony (March 5, 2017). "The Simpsons Season 28 Episode 15 Review: Kamp Krustier". Den of Geek. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
- ^ Porter, Rick (March 7, 2017). "'NCIS: LA' and 'Time After Time' adjust up: Sunday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on March 7, 2017. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
- ^ Perkins, Dennis (March 5, 2017). "The Simpsons brings back the writer of a classic episode, but the sequel is awfully Krusty". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on March 6, 2017. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
