{{Use American English|date=January 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}} {{Infobox Simpsons episode | image = | caption = | season = 21 | episode = 18 | director = [[Chris Clements (animation director)|Chris Clements]] | writer = [[Carolyn Omine]] & William Wright | production = MABF09 | airdate = {{Start date|2010|04|18}} | guests = *[[Jane Kaczmarek]] as [[Judge Constance Harm]] *[[Maurice LaMarche]] *[[Joe Mantegna]] as [[Fat Tony (The Simpsons)#First Fat Tony|Fat Tony]] | blackboard = "This counts as gym and art class" | couch_gag = The same four-course dinner gag as in "[[Wedding for Disaster]]", but [[Comic Book Guy]] calls the meal "terrible" after tossing down his napkin. | commentary = | prev = [[American History X-cellent]] | next = [[The Squirt and the Whale]] }} "'''Chief of Hearts'''" is the eighteenth episode of the [[The Simpsons season 21|twenty-first season]] of the American animated television series ''[[The Simpsons]]''. It originally aired on the [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox network]] in the United States on April 18, 2010. In this episode, [[Homer Simpson|Homer]] and [[Chief Wiggum]] become friends after Homer shares a sandwich with Wiggum during his community service sentence. Meanwhile, [[Bart Simpson|Bart]] becomes addicted to a Japanese kids' game called Battle Ball, but [[Marge Simpson|Marge]] and [[Principal Skinner]] believe that Bart is dealing drugs. It is also the first episode in which [[Lisa Simpson|Lisa]] does not deliver any dialogue.
The episode was written by [[Carolyn Omine]] and William Wright and directed by [[Chris Clements (animation director)|Chris Clements]], features guest star [[Jane Kaczmarek]] as [[Judge Constance Harm]], [[Maurice LaMarche]] and [[Joe Mantegna]] as [[Fat Tony (The Simpsons)|Fat Tony]] and has references to the [[television shows]] ''[[Starsky and Hutch]]'', ''[[Three's Company]]'', and ''[[Bakugan Battle Brawlers]]''.
"Chief of Hearts" received mixed to positive reviews from critics and came first in its timeslot.
==Plot== When [[Homer Simpson|Homer]] attempts to bring a [[candy apple]] into a bank, he is mistaken for a gun-toting bank robber and sentenced by [[Judge Constance Harm]] to 100 hours of [[community service]]. While completing his community service, Homer offers [[Chief Wiggum]] a sandwich. Wiggum is touched by the offer, and the two become instant friends. As the two spend time together, Wiggum confesses to Homer that he has very few friends because citizens fear him as a cop and other cops belittle him. Their moment is interrupted when the chief must rush to a robbery, where Wiggum is shot by a thug in [[Fat Tony (The Simpsons)|Fat Tony]]'s mob. Homer keeps a bedside vigil in the hospital until Wiggum awakes, but soon tires of Wiggum's neediness and goes to Moe's for a break. When Wiggum finds him there, he declares Homer to be a bad friend and demands that Eddie and Lou arrest him, but when they refuse the unlawful task, Wiggum yells at them and storms out.
Later, Homer finds Wiggum on the same hillside where they first hung out together. When they spot Fat Tony and his mob counterfeiting [[Lacoste]] shirts, Homer and Wiggum are captured and thrown in the trunk of Tony's car to be taken to an execution site. The situation seems hopeless, but Homer expresses faith in Wiggum to find a way out. Wiggum rearranges the [[CD]]s to play "[[At Seventeen]]" by [[Janis Ian]] instead of a dramatic song, angering Tony. When Legs and Louie open the trunk, Wiggum uses items in it to knock them out and the two make their escape. They reconcile and proceed to hassle [[Ned Flanders]] with the police helicopter, tricking him into believing that God is convincing him to do embarrassing tasks.
Meanwhile, [[Bart Simpson|Bart]] is introduced to a Japanese card game called "[[Bakugan Battle Brawlers|Battle Ball]]" at Dylan's birthday party. While it is never resolved whether Dylan is male or female, Bart becomes hooked on this game. His jargon and secretive behavior lead [[Principal Skinner]] to suspect Bart of dealing drugs. Marge cannot believe that Bart would become involved with drugs, but she becomes suspicious and searches his room. When he catches her rifling through his things, he shows her his Battle Ball gear and she is satisfied that his interests are legal. Bart is horrified, though, that Marge thinks the game is cute and decides to flush it down the toilet, causing it to overflow.
==Production== [[File:Jane Kaczmarek.jpg|left|170px|thumb|[[Jane Kaczmarek]] guest starred as [[Judge Constance Harm]].]] The episode was written by [[Carolyn Omine]] and William Wright and directed by [[Chris Clements (animation director)|Chris Clements]]. The episode features guest appearances by [[Jane Kaczmarek]] as Judge Constance Harm, [[Maurice LaMarche]] and [[Joe Mantegna]] as [[Fat Tony (The Simpsons)|Fat Tony]]. [[Sideshow Bob]] makes a cameo appearance at the end.<ref name="foxflash">{{cite web |url=http://www.foxflash.com/div.php/main/page?aID%3D1z4%26mo%3D4%26d%3D14 |title=Fox Flash - Fox Primetime |accessdate=2010-04-23 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090529053514/http://www.foxflash.com/div.php/main/page?aID=1z4&mo=4&d=14 |archivedate=2009-05-29 }}</ref>
==Cultural references== During the episode an episode of ''[[Starsky and Hutch]]'' can be seen.<ref name="ign"/> Also [[Edward G. Robinson]] is seen.<ref name="D'oh"/> Bart's subplot parallels the ''South Park'' episode, "[[Chinpokomon]]" and the sitcom ''[[Three's Company]]''.<ref name="ign"/> The game Bart and his friends play is a parody of ''[[Bakugan#Games|Bakugan]]'' (one of the kids says it makes ''[[Digimon]]'' look like ''[[Pokémon]]'').<ref name="D'oh">{{cite web|url=http://www.aoltv.com/2010/04/19/the-simpsons-chief-of-hearts-recap|title='The Simpsons' - 'Chief of Hearts' Recap|first=Sharon|last=Knolle|website=[[HuffPost]] TV|date=April 19, 2010|access-date=January 13, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020164721/http://www.aoltv.com/2010/04/19/the-simpsons-chief-of-hearts-recap/|archive-date=October 20, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> Digimon, like The Simpsons, also aired on Fox and the first season episode, ''And So It Begins'', aired on August 14, 1999, just over a month before the season 11 premiere episode, [[Beyond Blunderdome]], had aired. When Wiggum tells Krusty to go sort out the bums we see one of the bums is [[John Swartzwelder]]. [[Julius Hibbert|Dr. Hibbert]] mentions in the hospital that [[Chief Wiggum|Wiggum's]] [[X-ray]] had his left lung full of [[Shamrock Shake]], he mentions that [[McDonald's]] did not sell them this year (2010). The song "[[At Seventeen]]" performed by [[Janis Ian]] is played.
==Reception== This episode was watched in 5.93 million households and an 8-49 [[Nielsen Rating]] of 2.7 and a share of 8 coming first in its timeslot.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/04/19/tv-ratings-country-music-awards-lifts-cbs-desperate-housewives-brothers-sisters-hit-all-time-lows/48981|title=TV Ratings: Country Music Lifts CBS; Housewives, Brothers & Sisters Hit All Time Lows|first=Bill|last=Gorman|date= 19 April 2010|website=[[TV by the Numbers]]|access-date=2010-04-21|archive-date=2010-04-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100422172544/http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/04/19/tv-ratings-country-music-awards-lifts-cbs-desperate-housewives-brothers-sisters-hit-all-time-lows/48981|url-status=dead}}</ref> The episode ranked 24th in the weekly 18-49 rating dropping four positions from last week's "[[American History X-cellent]]."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/04/20/tv-ratings-top-25-american-idol-takes-top-2-ratings-spots-glee-is-weeks-top-18-49-scripted-show/49206|title=TV Ratings Top 25: American Idol Takes Top 2 Ratings Spots; Glee Is Week's Top 18-49 Scripted Show|first=Bill|last=Gorman|date=20 April 2010|website=[[TV by the Numbers]]|access-date=2010-04-23|archive-date=2010-04-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100425013048/http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/04/20/tv-ratings-top-25-american-idol-takes-top-2-ratings-spots-glee-is-weeks-top-18-49-scripted-show/49206|url-status=dead}}</ref>
The episode received mixed reviews. Robert Canning of ''[[IGN]]'' gave the episode an 8/10 and stated "There was a lot to enjoy in 'Chief of Hearts'. Pairing Homer with Wiggum had not been something overdone by the series, so having the two at the center of the episode had a certain freshness to it. The story maybe not so much, but the pairing worked." He also mentioned that "Bart's 'Battle Balls' storyline was also fun, even though there was absolutely nothing to it."<ref name="ign">{{cite web |last1=Canning |first1=Robert |title=The Simpsons: "Chief of Hearts" Review |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/04/19/the-simpsons-chief-of-hearts-review?amp=1 |website=[[IGN]] |access-date=January 13, 2022 |language=en |date=April 19, 2010}}</ref>
[[Emily VanDerWerff]] of ''[[The A.V. Club]]'' gave the episode a B−, saying, "A lot of latter-day Simpsons episodes do this to goose the climax, since the ending of a Simpsons episode, even a good one, is usually its weakest point. This was no exception, so that keeps the episode from the heights of some of the others this season, but it's nice to see the show try new things every once in a while".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/chief-of-hearts-merlot-down-dirty-shame-1798164773|title="Chief of Hearts"/"Merlot Down Dirty Shame"|last=VanDerWerff|first=Emily|author-link=Emily VanDerWerff|website=[[The A.V. Club]]|date=April 18, 2010|access-date=January 13, 2022|archive-date=January 15, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220115062633/https://www.avclub.com/chief-of-hearts-merlot-down-dirty-shame-1798164773|url-status=live}}</ref>
''TV Fanatic'' gave the episode 2.5/5, stating "It's shocking that a Simpsons episode that focused on a friendship between Homer and Clancy would be so mediocre. If the main story wasn't disappointing enough, the side story with Bart becoming addicted to Battle Balls is barely worthy of mention."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hochberger |first1=Eric |title=The Simpsons Review: "Chief of Hearts" |url=https://www.tvfanatic.com/2010/04/the-simpsons-review-chief-of-hearts/ |website=TV Fanatic |access-date=January 13, 2022 |date=April 18, 2010 |archive-date=January 13, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220113160437/https://www.tvfanatic.com/2010/04/the-simpsons-review-chief-of-hearts/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
Jason Hughes of [[TV Squad]] said "Homer Simpson and Clancy Wiggum becoming BFFs should have been comedy gold; instead, this episode of 'The Simpsons' was a colossal bore. It seems like everything hilarious you can do with the Springfield police - high-speed car chases, putting squirrels down your pants for the purpose of gambling - has already been done. They never even go out for donuts!"<ref name="D'oh"/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Wikiquote|The Simpsons/Season_21#Chief of Hearts|"Chief of Hearts"}} {{Portal|The Simpsons}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20100417181156/http://www.snpp.com/episodeguide/season21.html "Chief of Hearts"] at [[The Simpsons Archive]] * {{IMDb episode|1626786}}
{{The Simpsons episodes|21}}
[[Category:The Simpsons season 21 episodes]] [[Category:2010 American television episodes]] [[Category:Television episodes written by Carolyn Omine]] [[Category:Television episodes directed by Chris Clements (animation director)]]