Marge on the Lam

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Marge on the Lam
Season 5 Episode 6
Production Code	1F03
Original Airdate	November 4, 1993
Written By	Bill Canterbury
Directed By	Mark Kirkland
Show Runners	David Mirkin
Special Guests	Pamela Reed as Ruth Powers George Fenneman as the narrator
Blackboard Text

"Marge on the Lam" is the sixth episode of 'fifth season' 87 overall.

Plot

Marge calls into a public television marathon and donates $30, for which she receives two tickets to the ballet Romeo and Juliet. At work, Homer gets his arms stuck in a cola vending machine and a candy machine, which means he can't be home in time to go to the ballet with Marge. Marge invites her next door neighbor, Ruth Powers, to go. The next night, Marge and Ruth head out for a night on the town in Ruth's convertible. They visit a bar that Marge calls "Shotkickers", although the third letter in the bar's exterior sign is missing and could be the letter "i". Afterwards, they go to an empty farmer's field and Ruth instructs Marge on how to shoot a pistol she has brought with her using some old tin cans. (The farmer that owns the field becomes emotional over the destruction of his "Precious cans"). The kids during all this are being babysat by Lionel Hutz who overheard that Homer needed a babysitter while going through their trash. At one point, he burns all his personal papers in the Simpsons fireplace and claims that he is now "Miguel Sanchez".

As Ruth is driving Marge home at the end of the night, Chief Wiggum, who is giving Homer a ride home, claims that one tail light on Ruth's car is slightly smaller than the other, and tries to pull them over. Ruth informs Marge that she stole the car from her ex-husband for not paying her for child support, and manages to evade Wiggum by turning off her headlights. (Chief Wiggum: "A ghost car!"). Marge and Ruth are eventually chased by a large number of police cars, and drive towards a large ravine. Homer, thinking that Marge is purposely heading over the cliff, apologizes to Marge through a bullhorn for "just about everything" and begs her not to drive over the cliff. Ruth and Marge, upon hearing about the cliff, immediately slam on the brakes and stop short. Homer and Chief Wiggum, following behind them, are not so lucky, and fly into the air. The scene fades out (just like the end of Thelma and Louise), but quickly fades back to reveal that the ravine is actually a landfill, and Homer and Wiggum are safe. The very end of the episode ends in a Dragnet-like sequence (including the music), telling the fates of each of the characters involved in the episode: Ruth gets her child support money. Lionel Hutz gets his payment for babysitting Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. ("He was glad to get it.") Marge has to pay 50 cents to replace the antique cans and a further $2,000 for punitive damages and mental anguish. Homer is taken back to a military base in Maryland for extensive neurochemical testing.

Cultural references

• Much of the plot, along with Ruth's blue convertible and Homer and Wiggum's fall over the chasm, is a parody of Thelma and Louise]] (which executive producer David Mirkin jokingly denies). Also, in the third part of the episode, a road sign reads:

"Entering Badlands: High-Speed Chases Use Diamond Lane"

• A possible reference to the film Badlands, in which a man goes on a killing spree while he takes a woman as his accomplice.
• The Badlands resemble the Badlands National Monument in South Dakota. This is the second reference to Springfield's possible location in this state (the first being Mount Rushmore in "Mr. Lisa goes to Washington). There is actually a Springfield, SD.
• Crystal Buzz Cola is a reference to the fad drink Crystal Pepsi.
• The SPRINGFIELD letters on the hill are reminiscent of the famous Hollywood sign.
• The comedian who performs at the telethon whom Homer does not find funny is a parody of Garrison Keillor.
• When Ruth tells Marge that she "better get home before that naked talk show comes on", she is referring to the Robin Byrd Show.
• The songs "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns N' Roses and "Sunshine Lollipops and Rainbows" by Lesley Gore are featured in the car chase scenes.
• Homer reads a Jet Magazine which has an article about the birthday of former Saturday Night Live castmember Garrett Morris at the Kwik-E-Mart.
• Lionel Hutz mentions being at the YMCA after he wakes up with a knife in his hand.
• Lionel Hutz makes fun of the legal drama L.A. Law for depicting lawyers as successful.
• The Police Mug scene at the end of the episode is a direct parody of Dragnet.
• Homer tries to convince Bart and Lisa they don't need a babysitter by mentioning the movie Home Alone
• The comment Marge makes to Ruth on the farmer's field about being hunted for sport is a reference to The Most Dangerous Game.
• Homer mentions that Marge has became a criminal just because he didn't take her to the ballet; Chief Wiggum then claims "that's exactly how John Dillinger got started."
• Homer reveals that he and Marge watch Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman on Saturday nights.