Kill the Alligator and Run (The Simpsons)
| "Kill the Alligator and Run" | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Once they hit that alligator, it all goes downhill...
| ||||||||||||||||
|
"The entire time, the alligator was alive. The alligator was alive the entire time. Was the alligator alive the entire time? The alligator WAS alive the entire time. Alive the entire time, was the alligator. The. Alligator. Was. Alive. The. Entire. Time. Time entire the alive was alligator the. Alive time the alligator was the entire. The the time was entire alligator alive. THE. ALLIGATOR. WAS. ALIVE. THE. ENTIRE. TIME! Worst episode ever…" — TheRealJims
"Kill the Alligator and Run" is the nineteenth episode of Season 11 of The Simpsons. It aired on April 30, 2000, with Diedrich Bader guest-starring as the sheriff, and Kid Rock, Robert Evans, Charlie Rose, and Joe C. as themselves.
Plot
Homer takes a quiz that ends up predicting his death in only three years, resulting in him having a nervous breakdown. The Simpsons take a vacation to Florida after being advised to by a psychiatrist. Little do they know, it is spring break when they arrive. After Homer is believed to have killed the state's alligator mascot, Captain Jack, the family needs to go into hiding to avoid getting arrested.
Why It Needs to "Get in The Pit and Try to Love Someone"
- The episode is notably mean-spirited, even for The Simpsons. It also serves as a torture episode for the entire Simpson family.
- The pacing of this episode is quite erratic, with a plot that is inconsistent and shifts frequently. It begins with Homer thinking he has only three years left to live, then transitions to the family vacationing in Florida, accidentally hitting an alligator named Captain Jack, getting arrested, working at a restaurant, living in a trailer, and transforming into hillbillies—all within just over 20 minutes.
- Ironically, the episode was written by veteran writer John Swartzwelder, known for superior episodes such as "Itchy & Scratchy & Marge" and "Homer's Enemy."
- The sheriff emerges as an unsympathetic character for arresting not only Homer but also his wife and children, including the infant Maggie, for the alleged "murder" of Captain Jack.
- This introduces a continuity error since Chief Wiggum stated in "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" that no state, with the possible exception of Texas, had the legal authority to prosecute a baby for attempted murder.
- The title may be considered misleading since it is revealed at the end of the episode that Captain Jack has been alive all along.
- There was a deleted scene on the Season 11 DVD that shows various Florida people mourning Captain Jack's "death", which makes the revelation even more confusing.
- Adding to that point, the sheriff didn't even bother to check if Captain Jack was still alive or not, instead choosing to arrest the whole family on the spot without any investigation.
- At no point do the Simpson family ever think to testify that they didn't mean to "kill" Captain Jack and that it happened by accident, nor do they apologize for the whole ordeal.
- There's a dumb running gag involving Homer singing Starship's "We Built This City".
- One scene features the family getting whipped for minor offenses. Homer even gets whipped just for listening to the sheriff talking.
- Neither the sheriff nor state of Florida apologized for convicting the whole family of accidental murder, and they get away scot-free for their unjustified actions.
- Awful ending: Even after Captain Jack is found to be alive and well, the sheriff and the judge prohibit the entire family from ever returning to Florida. Upon the Simpsons' return home to select a new vacation destination, they discover they are barred from every U.S. state except North Dakota and Arizona—the latter of which Homer rejects, claiming it "smells funny." Banning the Simpsons from Florida is one matter, but the question remains: how did the judge manage to persuade nearly all of the United States, possibly even including Springfield's state, to forbid the family from visiting any state other than North Dakota and Arizona?
- Even worse, the Simpsons treat it as no big deal.
- Additionally, the family is depicted visiting other states in subsequent episodes, which seems to render this particular episode irrelevant. Nonetheless, it's conceivable that the prohibition was eventually rescinded.
- Kid Rock and Joe C.'s guest appearances are pointless as they only show up during a concert and Kid Rock mourns Captain Jack's "death" in a deleted scene and don't appear again after that, not even to defend the Simpsons when they're prosecuted for attempted murder.
- There was a goof where Homer sped through a 1 Track crossing, but when the family made it on the other side, another track appeared.
Redeeming Qualities
- The initial segment of the episode, which deals with Homer's nervous breakdown, is quite good and had the potential to be a standalone episode.
- The diner lady who says, "I like that!" is a pretty entertaining and likable character.
- There's a clever nod to Logan's Run involving MTV veejays being replaced once they reach a certain age.
- The animation and voice acting are still great, as usual.
- In subsequent episodes, the family is depicted traveling to various states, Florida included, suggesting that the previously imposed ban was ultimately revoked.
Reception
"Kill the Alligator and Run" has received significant criticism from fans and critics alike for its erratic plot and perceived mean-spirited tone, earning it a reputation as one of the series' worst episodes. It has a 6.6/10 rating on IMDb. Users of NoHomers.net once ranked it as the worst episode of The Simpsons, a position it held until 2011 when "The Greatest Story Ever D'ohed" claimed the top spot.
Trivia
- All of Joe C.'s lines were recorded via telephone, reportedly because he was gravely ill during the production of the episode.
Videos
References
- ↑ 60 Second Simpsons Review: Kill the Alligator and Run
- ↑ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0701143/
- ↑ https://simpsonswiki.com/wiki/NoHomers.net%27s_50_Worst_episodes#2003
- ↑ https://simpsonswiki.com/wiki/NoHomers.net%27s_50_Worst_episodes#2011