This Little Wiggy
From Simpsons Wiki
"This Little Wiggy" is the eighteenth episode of the ninth season of The Simpsons. It is the second episode to center around Ralph Wiggum, the other being "I Love Lisa".
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Plot
The Simpsons family decides to visit the newly open science center in Springfield. There, Bart wanders off and walks into an exhibit of the planet Mars. He meets Ralph there, but Nelson and his gang of bullies are also there and stick Ralph in a giant ear. When Ralph is freed by a center employee, Marge and Chief Wiggum are there to meet him. Marge observes that he has a great imagination, but it was time for the family to go home.
When Marge realizes Ralph Wiggum, much like herself as a child, has no friends, she arranges for him to spend time with Bart. Bart is unhappy with the arrangement, but later sees it as a benefit when he discovers Ralph's father has a police master key capable of opening any door in Springfield. Bart and Ralph thus steal the key, and after encountering Springfield Elementary School bullies Nelson, Jimbo, Kearney and Dolph, the six boys go to an unused penitentiary. When Ralph objects, the bullies leave, but not before tossing the key into the penitentiary. Ralph and Bart go in after it, but in the process turn on the electric chair.
Afterwards, while at the Simpsons' house, Bart and Ralph learn the penitentiary will once again be used by the town. Mayor Quimby even sits in the electric chair as a publicity move, unaware it now works. Unable to warn Mayor Quimby by telephone that he may be electrocuted, Ralph points out to Bart that Lisa can probably figure out a way to warn the Mayor. She does indeed launch a small rocket with a warning message attached. The rocket misses the penitentiary but lands at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, and Mr. Burns responds to it (realizing it has been getting free electricity for thirty years) by shutting off the penitentiary's power. By this point, the mayor is in the middle of being electrocuted, but he survives. In the aftermath, the Simpsons congratulate Ralph on pointing out that Lisa could solve the problem. Lisa, at first baffled that she receives no credit, is reminded by Bart that it is rare for Ralph to prove useful, and that he needs a little credit. Lisa thus praises him. Then the pyromaniacal leprechaun appears, telling Ralph that he has done a good job, and the leprechaun tells him "burn the house down! Burn 'em all! Hahaha!"
Trivia
- Bart, whilst reading Chief Wiggum's police records, states that Homer has been in jail five times. These are when he gets arrested for speeding (One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish), arrested for drunk driving ("Duffless"), arrested (by Marge) for parking in a disabled parking spot, buying alcohol for minors [Dolph, Jimbo, and Kearney], and imitating a police officer (Marge) (The Springfield Connection), arrested for selling illegal beer to Moe (Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment) and for stealing Moe's car (Dumbbell Indemnity). He also states Marge has been in jail twice; these are when she blocked off traffic on the Springfield Bridge ("Homer Alone") and for shoplifting at the Kwik-E-Mart ("Marge In Chains"). He also sees some other Springfieldians' records including Dr. N. Riviera Dr. Nick Riviera, H. Krustofski (Krusty the Clown) and R. Terwilliger (Sideshow Bob)
Cultural references
- The title of the episode is a play on the name of a children's nursery rhyme, "This Little Piggy".
- Robbie the Automaton is a parody of the Robot from Lost in Space as well as Robby the Robot from the film Forbidden Planet. The same robot was also used earlier in Treehouse of Horror VIII, except he was named Floyd.
- Homer's answering machine message of "show me the message" spoofs a classic line from the Tom Cruise film Jerry Maguire. Marge's answering machine message spoofs two catchphrases popularized on the Flip Wilson Show. ("Here come the judge" and "The devil made me do it".)
- The name of the toy store is J.R.R. Toykin's, a spoof of author J.R.R. Tolkien's name combined with Toys R Us.
- While Bart and Ralph try to take the master key from a sleeping Chief Wiggum, the announcer on the TV says "We now return to 'The Return of the Pink Panther Returns', starring Ken Wahl as Inspector Clouseau." This makes fun of the Pink Panther film series and the other actors that played protagonist Inspector Clouseau after Peter Sellers' death to keep the franchise alive.
- The title of the "Mars" exhibition is written in the notorious "Star Wars" typeface.