The Simpsons Season 21 Episode 13: The Color Yellow
When Miss Hoover assigns the class to write a paper on their family tree, Lisa is excited to find out what famous people she is related to. Lisa is disappointed to find out there are only scoundrels associated with the Simpson side of the family. Lisa searches the attic to see if any other family history is packed away there. Lisa finds her ancestor Eliza Simpson’s diary and is thrilled to find that Eliza was part of the Underground Railroad, a group that helped slaves escape to freedom. As Lisa reads the diary out loud she relives the story as Eliza Simpson. Lisa discovers one of her ancestors, Virgil Simpson, was a slave. Lisa exclaims they are 1/64 black. Bart says “So that’s why I’m so cool”, while Lisa says “And that’s why my jazz is so smooth”. In typical Simpsons social commentary, Homer says “And that’s why I earn less than my white co-workers.”
In a flashback, Eliza discovers an evil slave owner (Mr. Burns) bribes her father (Homer) to give up Virgil, a slave hiding in their shed, for fried dough bits (donuts). Eliza runs to Virgil to warn him and they escape from the slave owners men, hiding in the bushes. As Lisa reads the final pages of the diary, the pages turn to dust. Lisa can’t stand that she doesn’t know the rest of the story. When Marge suggests they go to the library to do more research on Eliza Simpson, Lisa is hopeful they will find more about their family tree.
Homer decides to take Marge out for Valentine’s Day but the restaurant is full so they look for an alternative place for their date night. They see an old skating rink and Marge decides they should skate. When the skating rink turns out to be closed Homer and Marge discover the local curling team is meeting there to practice curling. Invited to try curling, Homer and Marge immediately take to the game, well, at least Marge is good at it since she likes the sweeping aspect of the game.
Homer and Marge practice their duet of “Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off” for their cousin’s wedding. At work Homer opens a fortune cookie, the fortune tells Homer this is his lucky day. Lucky things keep happening to Homer so he heads for the Kwik-E-Mart to buy a lottery ticket. The lottery ticket line is very long and Homer has to wait forever. Homer is supposed to meet Marge at their cousin’s wedding but instead he stays in the line for the lottery ticket. Marge ends up singing the duet by herself, creating an awkward situation. Marge brings Bart on stage with her trying to tell knock-knock jokes and gets booed off the stage. Homer finally buys his lottery ticket and races to the wedding, only to end up driving off the road and tumbling down the hill.
In the 450th episode of The Simpsons Krusty the Clown is confronted by network executives who want to give him a co-star for his comedy show since his ratings with young girls is dropping. Krusty resists but the network executives win out. Princess Penelope is every little girl’s dream, singing love songs while dressed in princess costumes with a fake unicorn at her side. Bart and Homer love Krusty’s show and are horrified. Bart and Milhouse watch the show with the new co-star and go into a fetal position in a catatonic state while Lisa is enthralled with Princess Penelope. Soon all the Krusty store items are in the dumpster along with Krusty while the show’s store is filled with Princess Penelope items. As Krusty reluctantly performs alongside Princess Penelope sparks begin to fly between them.
The Simpsons visit Wet and Wacky World. Grandpa complains about being tired. The family goes to the Splash Zone but Grandpa doesn’t want to go so he sits on the bench shaped like a shark. The family watches the giant Slimu octopus who does a big show for the guests. A young newspaper columnist named Marshall sits with Grandpa on the shark bench. Grandpa tells the reporter all about his experiences in the Navy and how when his ship went down he and his shipmates rode on the back of sharks until help arrived. The reporter wants to hear more stories. The reporter tells Grandpa he will feature Grandpa’s stories in the newspaper.
Ricky Gervais will star in a new animated series for HBO entitled “The Ricky Gervais Show”. Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, along with their friend Karl Pilkington, will serve as producers of the new animated TV comedy. Gervais, Merchant and Pilkington will also star as the voice talent for the new animated series. HBO stated that The Ricky Gervais Show is based on Gervais’ popular podcasts with Pilkington’s musings, similar to the podcasts, inspiring storylines for the series episodes. “Ricky Gervais is one of the most original comic voices working today,” noted Carolyn Strauss, president, HBO Entertainment.
To celebrate The Simpsons 20th anniversary, FOX is going yellow. Beginning January 3rd FOX graphical elements on their website will turn yellow to honor Matt Groening’s show. The Simpsons has become an icon in television history as the longest running television show. The Simpsons holds the record as the longest-running American animated program, the longest-running American sitcom and surpassed Gunsmoke in 2009 as the the longest running American primetime entertainment series. The celebration will cover all FOX web sites, on-air graphics, social-networking pages and on-air promotions including FOX news anchors wearing yellow ties.
Peter discovers his father-in-law never had a bachelor party and decides to throw him one. Mr. Pewterschmidt is hesitant to agree but finally gives in. Peter, Joe and Quagmire take Mr. Pewterschmidt to the local strip bar for a lap dance. Mr. Pewterschmidt is so shocked by the lap dance that he has a heart attack and falls into a coma. Lois, her mother and Peter sit by while Mr. Pewterschmidt is in the hospital and not responding to treatment. Even Dr. House (guest voice Hugh Laurie) cannot find a way to help bring Mr. Pewterschmidt out of his coma. Lois is given control over her father’s corporation and wonders how her father’s company will run without him. Peter talks Lois into letting him run the corporation while Mr. Pewterschmidt is in a coma. Peter begins to like the feeling of power and the many benefits he receives while running the company.
Bart is hoping school is closed during the big snowstorm. Bart is excited to find that he has a snow day. After trying to go outside and being blown back into the house due to the snowstorm, Bart settles for a day of video games and TV. The storm downs electrical lines foiling Bart’s plan for electronic play. Bart finds Lisa and Maggie playing fashion show dress up. Bart is desperate and begs them to let him play along. Lisa and Maggie dress Bart up in girls clothes and giggle. Lisa tells Bart he will never have the close relationship she and Maggie have because they are sisters and Bart has no brother. 
The Simpsons are leaving from their ski weekend early Sunday morning to beat the weekend traffic. Bart and Lisa protest leaving so early and Marge looks half asleep. Homer gets on the freeway and finds that everyone else away for the weekend is leaving at the same time, bogging them down for a long trip home. As hours go by, Bart, Lisa and Maggie play an annoying game that makes noise and repeats its instructions over and over. After hours of noise from the toy Homer has had enough and grabs the toy, smashing it at his feet in the car. When Homer looks up he sees a semi-truck coming straight at them and realizes the toy is wedged under his gas peddle, all he can do is turn the wheel. They careen off the highway and the family ends up on an icy lake from the accident. Cleatus, a local hillbilly, drags the unconscious Simpsons out of their car and takes them to his cabin in the snowy hills.
