# Marge Gamer > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Marge_Gamer > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Marge_Gamer.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marge_Gamer > Source revision: 1354316979 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) 17th episode of the 18th season of The Simpsons "Marge Gamer" The Simpsons episode Homer showing Ronaldo a red card (in some promotional images, Ronaldo appears with a Real Madrid uniform, rather than the Brazil national soccer team one). Episode no. Season 18 Episode 17 Directed by Bob Anderson Written by J. Stewart Burns Production code JABF10 Original air date April 22, 2007 (2007-04-22) Guest appearances Ronaldo as himself (credited as Ronaldo Luis Nazário de Lima) Marcia Wallace as Edna Krabappel Episode features Couch gag A copy of The Springfield Shopper spins into frame. The headline reads, “COUCH GAG THRILLS NATION” with a photo of the Simpsons on the couch Commentary Al Jean J. Stewart Burns Matt Selman Joel H. Cohen Jeff Westbrook Tom Gammill Max Pross Yeardley Smith Episode chronology ← Previous "Homerazzi" Next → "The Boys of Bummer" The Simpsons season 18 List of episodes "**Marge Gamer**" is the seventeenth episode of the [eighteenth season](/source/The_Simpsons_season_18) of the American animated television series *[The Simpsons](/source/The_Simpsons)*. It originally aired on the [Fox network](/source/Fox_Broadcasting_Company) in the United States on April 22, 2007. The episode was written by [J. Stewart Burns](/source/J._Stewart_Burns) and directed by [Bob Anderson](/source/Bob_Anderson_(director)). In this episode, Marge joins Bart in playing an online role-playing game while Homer becomes a referee for Lisa's soccer games. It featured a guest appearance from Brazilian [soccer](/source/Association_football) player [Ronaldo](/source/Ronaldo_(Brazilian_footballer)). The episode received negative reviews. ## Plot [Marge](/source/Marge_Simpson) is embarrassed at a Parent-Teacher Association meeting because she does not have an email address. She agrees to get one and learns to browse the internet. Bored with no new email, she repeatedly hits the refresh button causing new advertising banners to appear. An advertisement for a massively [multiplayer online role-playing game](/source/Massively_multiplayer_online_role-playing_game) called *Earthland Realms* catches her attention. Marge clicks on it and creates a character for the game. She quickly learns how to play, exploring the local town when she meets the characters of other Springfield residents who are also playing the game. Soon, she is dragged into hiding with everyone else as a powerful and deadly character named "The Shadow Knight" appears. He kills [Principal Skinner](/source/Principal_Skinner)'s character, a sentient reptilian turkey, before Apu begins eating the roasted remains. Disgusted, Marge stops playing. Walking past [Bart](/source/Bart_Simpson)'s bedroom, she discovers that Bart is the Shadow Knight, yet is pleased about how well he is doing in the game. With this knowledge, Marge goes to the Shadow Knight's castle and meets Bart, fussing over and embarrassing him. Later, when Marge runs into [Jimbo](/source/List_of_recurring_The_Simpsons_characters#Jimbo_Jones), [Dolph](/source/List_of_recurring_The_Simpsons_characters#Dolph_Starbeam) and [Kearney](/source/List_of_recurring_The_Simpsons_characters#Kearney_Zzyzwicz) while exploring, Bart rescues her. Returning to his castle with her, Bart discovers that Marge replaced the contents of his trophy room with a [Hello Kitty](/source/Hello_Kitty) expansion pack. Enraged, Bart smashes the decorations and accidentally kills Marge's character in the process, massively disappointing her, and causing her to act coldly to him. Meanwhile, [Homer](/source/Homer_Simpson) takes [Lisa](/source/Lisa_Simpson) to her soccer game and agrees to referee the match. His subpar skills frustrate Lisa, so Homer learns the rules of soccer and becomes a better referee. While playing, Lisa trips trying to steal the ball from another player. Homer calls a foul and gives the ball to Lisa. She takes advantage of the situation and pretends to be fouled again so Homer can grant her another penalty kick. When Homer's decision is challenged, [Ronaldo](/source/Ronaldo_(Brazilian_footballer)) appears and confirms that Lisa is a [flopper](/source/Diving_(association_football)). Homer gives Lisa a [yellow card](/source/Fouls_and_misconduct_(association_football)#Yellow_card_(caution)). Angered, Lisa rips up the yellow card, causing Homer to give her a [red card](/source/Fouls_and_misconduct_(association_football)#Red_card_(dismissal)) and eject her from the game. Homer returns home with an angry Lisa from the soccer game. Homer and Bart go to Moe's Tavern where [Moe](/source/Moe_Szyslak) gives them advice. Homer gives Lisa a DVD documentary about soccer riots and player fights, which horrifies her. Lisa realizes she was at fault and apologizes to Homer. Meanwhile, Bart uses his character's abilities to transfer health to his mother's character, costing him two-thirds of his life force. Having heard that he is weakened, the other players storm his castle and graphically kill the Shadow Knight, celebrating by propping his limbless body upright and dancing around it like a [maypole](/source/Maypole), using his innards as ribbons. Rather than continuing, Bart instead opts to go outside and play soccer with the rest of his family, barring Marge, who changes her character to a warrior and avenges her son by eliminating all those who participated in killing him, starting with Moe's character, who wonders why he's paying $14.95 a month to play the game. ## Production Brazilian soccer player [Ronaldo](/source/Ronaldo_(Brazilian_footballer)) appeared as himself.[1] ## Cultural references The game *Earthland Realms* is a parody of 2000s massively multiplayer online role-playing games, combining elements of *[EverQuest](/source/EverQuest)* and *[World of Warcraft](/source/World_of_Warcraft)*.[2] Apu cheers for the parent characters while watching the 2002 film *[Bend It Like Beckham](/source/Bend_It_Like_Beckham)*.[3] ## Reception ### Viewing figures The episode earned a 2.3 rating and was watched by 6.46 million viewers, which was the 53rd most-watched show that week.[4] ### Critical response Adam Finley of *[TV Squad](/source/TV_Squad)* felt "the Homer/Lisa story might have worked better as the main plot, but even that segment of the episode was hindered by a terrible guest voice in soccer player Ronaldo". He also said, "I hate it when non-actors do guest voices on *The Simpsons*" and "bad voice acting becomes much more of a distraction".[5] Robert Canning of *[IGN](/source/IGN)* gave the episode a 4.5 of out 10. He thought the episode contained a random sequence of events with an unrelated subplot that did not begin until the second act. He was also bothered that the video game animation style did not differ from the normal animation.[3] Colin Jacobson of *DVD Movie Guide* thought the story of Marge using the internet was "clever" but the role-playing game parody was "gimmicky".[6] In 2007, Simon Crerar of *[The Times](/source/The_Times)* listed Ronaldo's performance as one of the thirty-three funniest cameos in the history of the show.[7] ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Sports Figures on The Simpsons"](https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2013/07/19/sports-figures-simpsons). *[Sports Illustrated](/source/Sports_Illustrated)*. July 19, 2013. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230507232957/https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2013/07/19/sports-figures-simpsons) from the original on May 7, 2023. Retrieved August 19, 2024. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Schedeen, Jesse (January 13, 2015). ["The Simpsons' Funniest Video Game Parodies"](https://www.ign.com/articles/2015/01/13/the-simpsons-funniest-video-game-parodies). *[IGN](/source/IGN)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240820070845/https://www.ign.com/articles/2015/01/13/the-simpsons-funniest-video-game-parodies) from the original on August 20, 2024. Retrieved August 19, 2024. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Canning_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Canning_3-1) Canning, Robert (April 23, 2007). ["The Simpsons: "Marge Gamer" Review"](http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/04/23/the-simpsons-marge-gamer-review). *[IGN](/source/IGN)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20161119122004/http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/04/23/the-simpsons-marge-gamer-review) from the original on November 19, 2016. Retrieved November 19, 2016. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Weekly Program Rankings (Apr. 16-22)"](https://web.archive.org/web/20100528005657/http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=042407_06). [ABC](/source/American_Broadcasting_Company) Medianet. April 24, 2007. Archived from [the original](http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=042407_06) on May 28, 2010. Retrieved June 10, 2023. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-TVSquad_5-0)** Finley, Adam (April 24, 2007). ["Marge Gamer"](https://web.archive.org/web/20070526053434/http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/04/24/the-simpsons-marge-gamer/). *[TV Squad](/source/TV_Squad)*. Archived from [the original](http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/04/24/the-simpsons-marge-gamer/) on May 26, 2007. Retrieved March 10, 2008. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Jacobson, Colin (December 19, 2017). ["The Simpsons: The Complete Eighteenth Season (2006-07)"](http://www.dvdmg.com/simpsonss18.shtml). *DVD Movie Guide*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230930224657/http://www.dvdmg.com/simpsonss18.shtml) from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved August 19, 2024. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Crerar_7-0)** Crerar, Simon (July 5, 2007). ["The 33 funniest Simpsons cameos ever"](https://web.archive.org/web/20091005132549/http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article2021776.ece). *[The Times](/source/The_Times)*. Archived from [the original](http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article2021776.ece) on October 5, 2009. Retrieved August 9, 2010. ## External links Wikiquote has quotations related to ***["Marge Gamer"](https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/The_Simpsons/Season_18#Marge_Gamer)***. - [The Simpsons portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:The_Simpsons) - ["Marge Gamer"](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0988495/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier)) - [Earthland Realms](http://www.earthlandrealms.com) v t e The Simpsons episodes Seasons 1–20 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Season 21–present 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 Season 18 "The Mook, the Chef, the Wife and Her Homer" "Jazzy and the Pussycats" "Please Homer, Don't Hammer 'Em" "Treehouse of Horror XVII" "G.I. (Annoyed Grunt)" "Moe'N'a Lisa" "Ice Cream of Margie (with the Light Blue Hair)" "The Haw-Hawed Couple" "Kill Gil, Volumes I & II" "The Wife Aquatic" "Revenge Is a Dish Best Served Three Times" "Little Big Girl" "Springfield Up" "Yokel Chords" "Rome-Old and Juli-Eh" "Homerazzi" "Marge Gamer" "The Boys of Bummer" "Crook and Ladder" "Stop, or My Dog Will Shoot!" "24 Minutes" "You Kent Always Say What You Want" See also Treehouse of Horror list The Simpsons episode guides "The Simpsons Guy" Category --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Marge Gamer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marge_Gamer) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marge_Gamer?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.