"Crystal Blue-Haired Persuasion" is the twenty-third and final episode of the thirtieth season of the American animated television series ''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a Satire (film and television), satirical depiction of American life ...

'', and the 662nd episode overall. The episode was directed by

Matthew Faughnan Matthew Faughnan is an American animation director with ''The Simpsons'' and has directed twenty four episodes. Prior to that, he was an assistant director with the show and won a Primetime Emmy Award in the category Primetime Emmy Award for Outst ...

and written by

Megan Amram Megan Amram (born September 3, 1987) is an American comedy writer, producer, and performer. She is most known for her work as co-writer and producer for the NBC series ''The Good Place''. Amram created and starred in the comedy web series, '' An ...

. It aired in the United States on

Fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...

on May 12, 2019. In this episode, Marge sells crystals when it appears they helped Bart do well in school.

Illeana Douglas Illeana Hesselberg ( ; born July 25, 1961), known professionally as Illeana Douglas, is an American actress and filmmaker. She appeared in three episodes of '' Six Feet Under'', for which she received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination as Outsta ...

Werner Herzog Werner Herzog (; né Stipetić; born 5 September 1942) is a German filmmaker, actor, opera director, and author. Regarded as a pioneer of New German Cinema, his films often feature ambitious protagonists with impossible dreams, people with unusu ...

, and

Jenny Slate Jenny Slate (born March 25, 1982) is an American actress, stand-up comedian, and writer. After early acting and stand-up roles on television, Slate gained recognition for her live variety shows in New York City and for co-creating the children's ...

guest starred. It received negative reviews.

Plot

Due to a slight fall in profits at the nuclear plant, Mr. Burns cancels the employee's children's health care. Because the town's approval of corporate tax cuts prevents anyone from getting government health care, Bart is forced to switch to a generic medicine for his

attention deficit disorder Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and emotional dysregulation that are excessive and pervasive, impairing in multiple con ...

, which results in odd side effects. Dr. Nick is no help with the situation, but at a crystal shop, FAO Quartz, Marge and Bart discover blue healing crystals, and she decides to use these to supplement his treatment. Three weeks later Bart takes home an "A" on a paper, demonstrating the powers of the crystals. When word of Bart's academic success spreads throughout the town's parents, who want to use the crystals for personal means, Marge goes to buy more crystals, but the shop is closing, and the owner gives Marge the entire inventory, while she joins a new cult. Marge opens her own crystal shop, Ye Olde New Age Store, out of the garage, and begins a thriving business. When materials start to run out, Lindsey Naegle appears and offers to expand her business, renaming it to Murmur. Lisa is skeptical about the powers, while Piper Paisley, the owner of a healing beauty relaxorium in Shelbyville, Plop, menaces Marge to get out of the business. Marge, ignoring Homer's concerns, decides to open up a Murmur kiosk at the Shelbyville Mall next to Plop. At the school, Lisa investigates Bart's recent papers and discovers that Bart has hidden crib notes in the drawings around the classroom, which only the crystals reveal. She convinces Bart to confess to Marge, as he is betraying the one person who has treated him with love and affection. When Bart confesses to Marge that he cheated and Marge's customers angrily tell her the crystals did not work, Marge realizes that the crystals only made people's lives worse, so closes down Murmur and concedes to Piper, much to Piper's relief. She also tells Homer, who has quit his job due to Marge's success and taken on the role of a stereotypical stay-at-home spouse, to get back to work at the power plant. In the tag scene, Marge visits the former owner of FAO Quartz at the cult to check up on her. The woman takes the opportunity to escape the cult with Marge. As they drive off in Marge's car, the cult owner blows up the bridge in an attempt to stop them from escaping.

Production

In April 2019, it was reported that

was cast as rival store owner Piper.

and

were also cast as guest stars.

Cultural references

The stores that Marge and Piper run are parodies of

Gwyneth Paltrow Gwyneth Kate Paltrow ( ; born September 27, 1972) is an American actress and businesswoman. The daughter of filmmaker Bruce Paltrow and actress Blythe Danner, she established herself as a leading lady appearing in mainly mid-budget and perio ...

's company

goop Goop may refer to: People * Alfons Goop (1910–1993), Liechtenstein Nazi leader *Björn Goop (born 1976), Swedish trotting driver and trainer, son of Olle * Olle Goop (1943–2022), Swedish trotting driver and trainer Other uses * Goop, a ''Ben ...

. During Homer and Marge's dream sequence, the Road Runner from ''

Looney Tunes ''Looney Tunes'' is an American media franchise produced and distributed by Warner Bros. The franchise began as a series of animated short films that originally ran from 1930 to 1969, alongside its spin-off series ''Merrie Melodies'', during t ...

'' appears in which he is attacked and eaten by Homer's spirit guide Space Coyote. The episode title is a play on the song " Crystal Blue Persuasion" which plays in the episode.

Reception

Viewing figures

"Crystal Blue-Haired Persuasion" scored a 0.5 rating with a 3 share and was watched by 1.5 million people.

Critical response

Dennis Perkins of ''

The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was created in ...

'' gave the episode a B−, stating, "’Crystal Blue-Haired Persuasion’ left me feeling tired. Not because it's a bad episode, necessarily—it's above average, as far as a season 30 episode of ''The Simpsons'' goes. The overall feeling left after this 30th ''Simpsons'' season finale is more one of rueful resignation that, for all the show's pedigree, its occasional flashes of former glory, and the ever-hopeful optimism of the lifelong fan, the long-awaited Simpsons renaissance is just never going to come."

Tony Sokol Tony Sokol (born March 23, 1963, in Brooklyn, New York, United States) is an American playwright, writer and composer, best known for writing the theatrical horror series La Commedia Del Sangue: Vampyr Theatre in New York City. As a musician, So ...

of ''

Den of Geek ''Den of Geek'' is a UK and US-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture. The website also issues a biannual magazine. History ''Den of Geek'' was founded in 2007 by Simon Brew in London. In 2012, DoG Tech LLC licensed ' ...

'' gave the episode 2.5 out of 5 stars. He stated that the episode was "too balanced to be truly effective." He disliked the jokes stemming from the new age store products, but highlighted the commentary on health care.

References

External links

* {{The Simpsons episodes, 30 2019 American television episodes The Simpsons season 30 episodes Television episodes directed by Matthew Faughnan