Mother and Child Reunion (The Simpsons)

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"Mother and Child Reunion" is the 20th episode of the thirty-second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 704th episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on May 9, 2021. The episode was directed by Jennifer Moeller, and written by J. Stewart Burns. In this episode, Lisa makes a shocking college decision which wounds Marge, even when it leads into a very surprising place. The episode was dedicated in memory of Olympia Dukakis, who previously guest starred as a character named Zelda in season 13's "The Old Man and the Key".

Plot[]

The Simpson family goes to Werner Herzog's Magic Shop to buy a magic set for Lisa's birthday. When Bart traps Homer in a straitjacket, Marge asks them if they will ever stop fighting, to which Herzog asks if they want to see the future. He takes them to the back of his shop and reads them the future with tarot cards, and reveals that Lisa will become President of the United States, Homer will stop drinking, Bart will become a fine person, and there will be years of trouble between Marge and Lisa.

Nine years into the future, 17-year-old Lisa has to choose which college to go to. 19-year-old Bart reminds her that she could have had fun with her childhood, but instead focused on studying and got accepted to all colleges. Marge sets up a meeting with the family to celebrate her choice, but Lisa reveals that she has decided to not go to any college. This breaks Marge's future expectations that she had already prepared for Lisa and they soon argue over her decision.

Lisa gets advice from Ned Flanders and starts working at the Springfield Mall under the Squeaky Voiced Teen's ownership, but she soon dislikes her job and starts teaching instead. She creates her own school called the Lisa Simpson Academy and it expands all over the United States. She also runs for school superintendent against an older Superintendent Chalmers and wins, later running for U.S. president. She also wins the presidential election and moves into the White House at Inauguration Day.

By then, the family has changed in different ways: Marge and Lisa are barely speaking to each other, Bart is now a pot CEO and the owner of three NBA teams who visits Lisa. He makes her remember all the times that Marge was there for her in all the moments that she needed help, even if she forgot. Marge also visits Lisa and they reconcile, with the help of a mother/daughter translator.

Back in the present, Lisa asks Herzog how much of those events will be true and Nate Silver gives her a group of options, each with a different percentage. Homer asks if he can watch a game on the oracle, but Nate informs him it is not a television.

Production[]

The episode was previously titled "Senior Moment" with the production code QABF09,^[3] before it switched with "Manger Things", which aired over a month prior to this episode.^[4]

Cultural references[]

The episode's title is a reference to the song "Mother and Child Reunion" by Paul Simon. The song was previously played in season 15's "My Mother the Carjacker" and season 19's "Mona Leaves-a".

Reception[]

Critical reception[]

Tony Sokol of Den of Geek gave the episode 2.5 stars out of 5, saying "“Mother and Child Reunion” is a retreaded tire which should have been left to cook longer at Springfield’s burning tire yard. This is a shame because The Simpsons have been doing well breathing new life into old premises this season."^[5]

Viewing figures[]

In the United States, the episode was watched live by 1.11 million viewers.^[6]

References[]

External links[]

"Mother and Child Reunion" at IMDb