Entertainment
The Simpsons’ Most Important Dan McGrath Episode Is The Perfect Way To Honor Him
The comedy world lost a giant with the death of prolific writer Dan McGrath, who passed away from a stroke this Friday. McGrath’s list of writing credits spans classic shows like Saturday Night Live, where he worked with future up-and-comers including Adam Sandler, and more modern animated fare like Gravity Falls. McGrath’s biggest claim to fame, however, was working as a story editor and producer on The Simpsons during the series’ “Golden Age“. If fans want to see a perfect example of McGrath’s comedic work, they need to watch the Season 5 episode “Boy-Scoutz ‘n the Hood.”
“Boy-Scoutz ‘n the Hood” begins when Homer (Dan Castellaneta) discovers $20…then promptly loses it, where it’s discovered by Bart (Nancy Cartwright). He then proceeds to use that $20 to buy a Squishee made entirely out of syrup and goes on a “sugar bender” which somehow ends with him joining the Junior Campers, aka the Simpsons version of the Boy Scouts. The usually-rebellious Bart is horrified at first, until he learns that Junior Campers can own pocket knives and dedicates himself to earning badges. Trouble strikes when Homer joins Bart’s camping trip, leading them to try and survive alongside Bart’s troop leader — and Homer’s perennial “nemesis” Ned Flanders (Harry Shearer). What follows might be one of the best Simpsons episodes ever put to screen.
“Boy Scoutz ‘n the Hood” Is A Perfect Example Of ‘The Simpsons’ Firing on All Cylinders
The best episodes of The Simpsons manage to combine humor and heart into a unique blend, and “Boy-Scoutz ‘n the Hood” succeeds on all counts. Homer has some of his funniest moments in this episode; when he discovers the $20, his inner monologue wisely reminds him that “Money can be used for goods and services“. This moment’s topped by the final scene where Homer, famished after being stranded on a raft, kicks in the door of a Krusty Burger restaurant and shouts “Give me 700 Krusty Burgers!” Dan McGrath knows just how to utilize the right amount of comic timing, and to get the most out of an esteemed guest star like Ernest Borgnine, who plays himself during the episode. The reception was glowing, as “Boy-Scoutz ‘n the Hood” became the highest-rated show on Fox when it aired, and reviews called it “comic gold from start to finish.”
“Boy-Scoutz ‘n the Hood” is also one of the best episodes to focus on Homer and Bart’s relationship. Throughout the episode, Homer constantly mocks Bart for joining the Junior Campers, leading Bart to retaliate by setting traps for wild animals and injure him. Yet the two bond when their rafting trip goes south, with Homer even trying to gift Bart his pocket knife (in true Simpsons fashion, he drops it and punctures their raft.) Other episodes would follow suit, until The Simpsons Movie finally took things to their extreme when Bart is torn between two father figures with Homer and Flanders. This subplot wouldn’t hit as hard as it does without McGrath setting the bedrock in “Boy-Scoutz ‘n the Hood.”
Dan McGrath Perfected ‘The Simpsons’ Art of Movie Parodies
Another way that “Boy-Scoutz ‘n the Hood” stands out in The Simpsons canon is that it showcases Dan McGrath’s ability to perfectly parody movies within the show. When Bart and his friend Milhouse (Pamela Hayden) go on a sugar bender, they end up performing a musical number called “Springfield, Springfield” that’s a direct reference to On The Town‘s “New York, New York” number sung by Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra. The ending of the episode is also a direct homage to Friday the 13th, down to the way it’s framed. Unlike other parodies, McGrath showed a deep understanding of the movies he was mocking and did it in a way that fit The Simpsons‘ irreverent sense of humor.
It’s a trait that McGrath would bring to his other Simpsons episodes, particularly the “Treehouse of Horror” segments he co-wrote. “The Devil and Homer Simpson,” which features the normally God-fearing Flanders as Satan himself, has a segment inspired by Disney’s classic Fantasia; specifically, the iconic “Night on Bald Mountain” segment. Another episode, “Bart of Darkness”, is a recreation of Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window. “Boy Scoutz ‘n the Hood” remains both a classic Simpsons episode and a reminder of Dan McGrath’s immense comedic talent, which will be sorely missed.
- Release Date
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December 17, 1989
- Network
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FOX
- Directors
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Steven Dean Moore, Mark Kirkland, Rob Oliver, Michael Polcino, Mike B. Anderson, Chris Clements, Wes Archer, Timothy Bailey, Lance Kramer, Nancy Kruse, Matthew Faughnan, Chuck Sheetz, Rich Moore, Jeffrey Lynch, Pete Michels, Susie Dietter, Raymond S. Persi, Carlos Baeza, Dominic Polcino, Lauren MacMullan, Michael Marcantel, Neil Affleck, Swinton O. Scott III, Jennifer Moeller
- Writers
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J. Stewart Burns, Michael Price, Brian Kelley, Bill Odenkirk, Dan Vebber, Kevin Curran, Stephanie Gillis, Dan Castellaneta, Deb Lacusta, Billy Kimball, Jessica Conrad, Cesar Mazariegos, Daniel Chun, Jennifer Crittenden, Conan O’Brien, Valentina Garza, Elisabeth Kiernan Averick, Christine Nangle, Broti Gupta, Loni Steele Sosthand, Megan Amram, Bob Kushell, David Isaacs, David Mandel
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Homer Simpson / Abe Simpson / Barney Gumble / Krusty (voice)
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Julie Kavner
Marge Simpson / Patty Bouvier / Selma Bouvier (voice)
