Midnight Towboy

{{Use American English|date=January 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}} {{Infobox Simpsons episode | image = | caption = | season = 19 | episode = 3 | director = [[Matthew Nastuk]] | writer = [[Stephanie Gillis]] | production = JABF21 | airdate = {{Start date|2007|10|07}} | guests = [[Matt Dillon]] as Louie | blackboard = | couch_gag = The family is built out of [[Lego|LEGO]] bricks, in a LEGO living room. [[Homer Simpson|Homer]] is initially built with hair, but it is then removed. | commentary = {{Plainlist| * [[Al Jean]] * Stephanie Gillis * [[Matt Selman]] * [[Tom Gammill]] * [[Max Pross]] * [[David Silverman (animator)|David Silverman]] * Violet Jean }} | prev = [[The Homer of Seville]] | next = [[I Don't Wanna Know Why the Caged Bird Sings]] }}

"'''Midnight Towboy'''"<ref name="FF">{{cite web|url=http://www.foxflash.com/div.php/main/page?aID=1z4&ID=55|title=Fox Flash|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011145828/http://foxflash.com/div.php/main/page?aID=1z4&ID=55 |archive-date=2007-10-11|access-date=November 24, 2024|website=Fox Flash}}</ref> is the third episode of the [[The Simpsons season 19|nineteenth season]] of the American animated television series ''[[The Simpsons]]''. It first aired on the [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox network]] in the United States on October 7, 2007, and in the United Kingdom on November 11, 2007. This is the first ''Simpsons'' episode to premiere in October since [[The Simpsons season 11|season eleven]]'s "[[Treehouse of Horror X]]", which aired on October 31, 1999.

When Homer's car is towed, he meets Louie, a tow truck driver who introduces Homer to the joy of towing cars for a living. Homer soon goes too far, prompting Springfieldians to plot their revenge. Meanwhile, Marge becomes concerned about Maggie's clinginess and hires a counselor to make her independent.<ref name="FF"/> This episode was written by [[Stephanie Gillis]], and directed by [[Matthew Nastuk]].<ref name="FF"/> [[Matt Dillon]] guest stars as Louie.<ref name="FF"/>

During its first airing, the episode gained 7.89 million viewers. It received positive reviews.

==Plot== [[Marge Simpson|Marge]] discovers that [[Maggie Simpson|Maggie]] has become excessively clingy while putting her to bed one night. After Maggie's behavior causes a bottle of milk to fall and break on the kitchen floor, [[Bart Simpson|Bart]] and [[Lisa Simpson|Lisa]] help Marge get in touch with Creative Responses for Infant Edu-Loving (CRIE, pronounced as the word "cry"), a group that helps children to be more independent. A CRIE counselor arrives to work with Maggie, ordering Marge to leave her alone in a room. Marge is unnerved by Maggie's crying at first, but Maggie quickly calms down as Marge watches in surprise. Maggie is soon able to climb up into her own high chair and get a book and banana for herself, and Marge is saddened to realize that she is no longer needed.

Meanwhile, [[Homer Simpson|Homer]] drives all over Springfield in search of more milk, to no avail. He finally buys some in the sleazy neighboring city of Guidopolis, which is populated by [[Italian-American]] stereotypes, but finds his car being towed away by a man named Louie. Seeing Homer's fascination with towing, Louie unhooks the car and introduces him to the business, but warns him not to work in Guidopolis as it is Louie's territory. Homer begins to tow one car after another in Springfield, angering the residents and prompting them to plan revenge.

The residents plant a car just inside Guidopolis, set it up to appear as if it is parked illegally, and hide the city-limits sign to fool Homer into thinking that it is within Springfield. When he tows the car, they reveal the sign; furious at this trespassing, Louie abducts Homer and locks him in his basement with other tow truck drivers who have run afoul of him.

With Homer gone, the parking situation in Springfield degenerates into pandemonium. After four days, Maggie rides [[Santa's Little Helper]] into Guidopolis and frees the drivers by using the hook on Louie's tow truck to rip out the bars on his basement window. Homer returns home with Maggie and the dog, and Marge and Maggie happily reconcile.<ref name="FF"/>

==Production== The couch gag was created by Assistant Color Designer Mike Battle. He used [[stop motion]] animation to create the Simpson family out of [[Lego]].<ref>{{cite web|first=Felicia|last=Swartzenberg|date=November 18, 2019|title=Alumni Update: Alumnus works with his childhood heroes on 'The Simpsons'|url=https://www.rit.edu/news/alumni-update-alumnus-works-his-childhood-heroes-simpsons|publisher=[[Rochester Institute of Technology]]|access-date=November 24, 2024}}</ref>

[[Matt Dillon]] guest starred as Louie.<ref name="IGN"/>

==Cultural references==  The episode title is a reference to ''[[Midnight Cowboy]]''.<ref name="IGN">{{cite web|first=Robert|last=Canning|date=October 8, 2007|url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/825/825523p1.html|title=The Simpsons: "Midnight Towboy" Review|website=[[IGN]]|access-date=November 24, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011032549/http://tv.ign.com/articles/825/825523p1.html|archive-date=October 11, 2007}}</ref> Louie's trapdoor is activated by a bust of [[Jon Bon Jovi]], à la the 1960s ''Batman'' TV show.<ref name="IGN"/> Homer, Bart, Lisa, Ralph, and Milhouse parody a scene from ''[[Animal House]]'', and sing "[[Shout (Isley Brothers song)|Shout]]" in togas.<ref name="TVSQUAD">{{cite web|first=Richard|last=Keller|date=October 7, 2007 |url=http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/10/07/the-simpsons-midnight-towboy/|title=The Simpsons: Midnight Towboy|website=[[TV Squad]]|access-date=November 24, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011202137/http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/10/07/the-simpsons-midnight-towboy/|archive-date=October 11, 2007}}</ref> "[[Mr. T]] is ''[[The Lion King]]''" is seen on a billboard while Homer drives to Guidopolis.<ref name="TVSQUAD"/> Maggie owns a stuffed animal, Justin Timberwolf, a reference to [[Justin Timberlake]].<ref name="Recapist">{{Cite web |url=http://www.recapist.com/2007/10/08/the-simpsons-midnight-towboy-episode-1903 |title=The Simpsons - "Midnight Towboy" (Episode 1903) | the Recapist |access-date=2008-04-23 |website=Recapist|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080615135720/http://www.recapist.com/2007/10/08/the-simpsons-midnight-towboy-episode-1903 |archive-date=2008-06-15 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The message in Maggie's blocks is a reference to Homer's "message" in "[[My Mother the Carjacker]]".

Homer enthrals the kidnapped drivers by describing the plots of the summer 2007 releases ''[[Transformers (film)|Transformers]]'' and ''[[Shrek the Third]]''.<ref name="Recapist"/> The kidnapped drivers sing "[[Under the Boardwalk]]" by [[the Drifters]].<ref name="Recapist"/> "[[On the Dark Side]]" from the movie ''[[Eddie and the Cruisers]]'' is heard when Homer is driving through Guidopolis. "[[Cochise (song)|Cochise]]" by [[Audioslave]] is briefly heard on the radio while Homer is riding with Louie. When Maggie leaves the house through the doggy door on Santa's Little Helper's Back and rides around on him, this is a reference to ''[[Toy Story 2]]''.

In one scene, Bart cuts several swear words out of the Bible, stating that since they are in the Bible, he and Milhouse can use them. When Milhouse states that he does not think "Leviticus" is a swear word, Bart replies, "Shut the hell up, you damn-ass-whore!"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120363/|title=Toy Story 2 (1999) - IMDb|website=IMDb|access-date=November 24, 2024|archive-date=August 13, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210813223712/https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120363/|url-status=live}}</ref> When Apu mentions that milk, [[Mentos]] and lottery ticket scrapings are being used as jet fuel it is an allusion to the [[Diet Coke and Mentos eruption]]. Louie is dressed similarly to Steve Randle (played by [[Tom Cruise]]) from the movie ''[[The Outsiders (film)|The Outsiders]]'', which starred [[Matt Dillon]].

==Reception== The episode earned a 2.8 rating and was watched by 7.89 million viewers, which was the 55th most-watched show that week.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] Medianet|date=October 9, 2007 |url=http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=100907_06|title=Weekly Program Rankings (Oct. 1-7)|access-date=June 10, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150218051739/http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=100907_06|archive-date=February 18, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Robert Canning of ''[[IGN]]'' gave the episode 7.4/10, better than each of the previous two episodes, calling it a "solid, funny episode". He felt that the "odd scene involving the Duff blimp, the Sea Captain's pirate ship and a train engine driving through the streets was simply too ridiculous not to be funny."<ref name="IGN"/>

Richard Keller of ''[[TV Squad]]'' called it a "decent, strong episode" that had many laughs and enjoyed the episode's subplot with Marge and Maggie and enjoyed the scene where Marge struggled with the computer.<ref name="TVSQUAD"/>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{wikiquote|The_Simpsons/Season_19#Midnight_Towboy|"Midnight Towboy"}} {{portal|The Simpsons}} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20071011020645/http://www.thesimpsons.com/episode_guide/1903.htm "Midnight Towboy"] at The Simpsons.com *{{IMDb episode|1112081}}

[[Category:The Simpsons season 19 episodes]] [[Category:2007 American television episodes]] [[Category:Television episodes written by Stephanie Gillis]] [[Category:Television episodes directed by Matthew Nastuk]]