'Round Springfield #11: The Crepes Of Wrath

Another staple plot concept for The Simpsons is the episodes where either the whole family (or one in general) leave Springfield to see another part of the world. Sometimes it can be like "Bart Vs. Australia" where the show's lighthearted jabbing at Australian stereotypes can prove to be timeless.  And there's some occasions like "Blame it on Lisa" where it falls flat on their face, like trying to generalize Brazil as the land of thieves, kidnappings, and gay money. Yes, the Simpsons have been everywhere, man. And the first big adventure out of Springfield came in season one's "The Crepes of Wrath", released April 15th, 1990. The same night another Fox staple "In Living Color" premiered.

Chalkboard Gag: "Garlic Gum is not funny."
Couch Gag: Reused Homer popping gag from "There's No Disgrace Like Home"

We open this episode as all great episodes start, Homer being seriously injured. Bart returns home and feeds his pet frog Froggy (the same frog in Bart Vs. Australia?). Meanwhile, Homer notices that Bart has made a mess of the hallway, just leaving his toys scattered everywhere. This then leads Homer to slip on Bart's skateboard, and tumble down the stairs, left paralyzed and forced to endure Bart's talking Krusty doll. After being scolded by Marge for putting his father back out, he cleans up his room, only to find a cherry bomb. Thus leads us to Bart's next big prank, if you can call it that.

Now, time for me to be a wet blanket on a nearly 30-year old cartoon, but I have to make the point that Bart bringing a concealed weapon, even a cherry bomb to school kind of loses its comedic edge in what is the grim reality that we live in today. Hell, this will be put up not even a day after the Parkland school shooting. So, that taints what is otherwise a fun segment. Bart takes the cherry bomb to school, where we meet Principal Skinner's mother for the first time. Less, the cranky and oppressive Agnes Skinner that we see down the line, but more a kindly old woman who still calls her son "Spanky".  Bart, having a soft spot for the classics, flushes the cherry bomb in the toilet, causing the other toilets to react with massive bursts of water.

Mother Skinner not being so lucky. 

Line of the Episode:

"Oh, hi Principal Skinner. I'd get up, but the boy crippled me."- Homer Simpson

Finally tired of Bart's antics, Principal Skinner head to the Simpson household to offer a proposition to the family. To enroll Bart into the student exchange program. In this case, Bart would spend the next three months studying in France, while the Simpsons take care of another kid from Albania. Bart is completely on board without any qualms, and the exchange is made. The Simpsons take care of a boy named Adil, who seems very kindly and unassuming to them. He ultimately becomes the son that Homer always wanted. Bart however gets the short end of the twig as he ends up at the Chateau Maison, living with Cesar and Ugolin, two harsh winemakers who use Bart as a mule.

Moreso than their actual mule. 

But it turns out that Adil isn't as kindly and unassuming as you'd think. He's actually a spy known as "The Sparrow", sent to America to get access to information from the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. Eventually this leads to the FBI getting information on him and being ready to arrest him, all while Homer is none the wiser. Even after Adil gets busted and sent back to Albania, he's still willing to send him those civil defense plans he wanted. It took most of this season, but we are finally entering the idiot Homer that we all know and love.

Meanwhile, Bart is still having a rough time. Forced to stomp grapes, sleeping on the floor, being treated like a slave. Not exactly the life in Gay Paree that he was anticipating. But he soon discovers that Cesar and Ugolin are selling wine laced with antifreeze. Bart tries to get help, but he still can't speak French. Until about a minute later where he can suddenly speak French. They do mention earlier that it's likely that Bart could learn French through long exposure, but I gotta admit, that does feel like an ass pull. Regardless, he gets the shady winemakers arrested and returns home. He even brings the family gifts. His first unselfish act.

The Crepes of Wrath is one of the better first season episodes. It tells a good pair of stories with Bart's torment in France and the saga of Adil. I do think the episode moves at a bit too fast a pace, especially the A-plot. And I do feel like the episode is a victim of an ultra-fast resolution, but for season one and its rocky run of episodes, this still feels like a stronger showing than episodes like "Homer's Night Out" or "Homer's Odyssey". It's a good Bart story, though there are far better ones, including the next episode coming up.

FIRST APPEARANCE:

AGNES SKINNER

NEXT TIME ON "'ROUND SPRINGFIELD"...

KRUSTY GETS BUSTED