Opposites A-Frack

"Opposites A-Frack" is the fifth episode in the 26th season of the animated series The Simpsons, and the 557th episode of the series overall. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 2, 2014.

Plot

Patty and Selma invite themselves over to stay in the Simpson home without asking, much to the anger of Homer. The twins light up cigarettes, causing Bart and Maggie to cough severely. Homer makes a deal: if they smoke at all during their uninvited stay, Patty and Selma must leave right away. Homer installs smoke alarms all over the house to ensure this. The twins go into a downstairs bathroom to smoke, seeing as Homer forgot to put a smoke alarm there, but they catch fire from the tap water. Lisa informs Marge that this is possibly a result of fracking, which she discovers that Mr. Burns is operating. She successfully calls on Democratic Assemblywoman Maxine Lombard to stop the fracking.

Burns is furious at Lombard and storms into her office, but the two end up having sexual intercourse and vow to continue their romance despite their political differences. On learning that he must obtain the mineral rights to all land in Springfield in order to resume his fracking operation, Burns gives Homer the job of marketing it to the citizens of Springfield. At a Town Hall meeting, Professor Frink warns about water contamination, but Homer promises $5,000 to every person who gives their mineral rights to Burns. When he is about to resume the operation, Burns discovers that Marge did not give permission to him, and thus the project is abandoned, infuriating many residents who were looking forward to the money. Knowing that he will lose his new job, Homer is angry at Marge, and Burns breaks up with Lombard.

Lombard takes revenge on Burns, demolishing his mansion to use the land for various liberal causes, including Robert Siegel's National Public Radio. Burns plans an even bigger vengeance, and resumes his hydraulic fracturing at maximum power, causing earthquakes in the city. Marge pleas with Homer to shut it down, and he lights the inflammable water to burn the fracking plant down. On seeing that Homer and Marge can reconcile despite their differences due to their passion, Burns and Lombard get back together.

During the credits, Burns and Lombard are seen having a conversation while lying in bed with their tablet computers.

Cultural references

Mr. Burns says to Maxine Lombard that she was the best woman he had ever been with, including Nellie Taft, the wife of President William Howard Taft.^[1] The episode "Homer the Smithers" had previously revealed that Burns' mother had an affair with President Taft himself.

Production

The episode was two-time Academy Award winner Jane Fonda's first voiceover work

Jane Fonda had never done a voiceover before recording for this episode. Executive producer Matt Selman said "I think she was a little nervous. I think I was more nervous. She was very encouraging of direction and line readings and all the things that famous Oscar-winning actors don't usually ask for. She understood the character and just read every scene perfectly."^[2]

Reception

The episode received an audience of 4.22 million, making it the most watched show on Fox that night.^[3] Dennis Perkins of The A.V. Club gave the episode a B-, saying that Homer working for Burns and then sabotaging his operation was part of his "basic humanity". He referred to the ending with Burns and Lombard as having a "chilling sadness", and stated that Fonda's voiceover was too similar to The Simpsons regular Tress MacNeille. Although admitting that the episode followed what he saw as the series' usual liberal bias, he said that there were enough jokes at Lombard's agenda too, highlighting how she wanted a photograph of a baby next to the burning water.^[4]

References