{{Use American English|date=January 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}} {{Infobox Simpsons episode | image = Papa Don't Leech.jpg | caption = Promotional image featuring [[Homer Simpson|Homer]] (in his "[[Colonel Homer]]" attire) and the [[Dixie Chicks]]. | season = 19 | episode = 16 | director = [[Chris Clements (animation director)|Chris Clements]] | writer = [[Reid Harrison]] | production = KABF09 | airdate = {{Start date|2008|04|13}} | guests = * [[Beverly D'Angelo]] as Lurleen Lumpkin * [[The Chicks]] as themselves {{small|(credited as The Dixie Chicks)}} | blackboard = | couch_gag = A paintbrush dabs paint blobs on the couch, which form into the Simpsons. | commentary = * [[Al Jean]] * [[Matt Selman]] * [[Tom Gammill]] * [[Max Pross]] * [[David Silverman (animator)|David Silverman]] | prev = [[Smoke on the Daughter]] | next = [[Apocalypse Cow]] }}
"'''Papa Don't Leech'''" is the sixteenth episode of the [[The Simpsons season 19|nineteenth season]] of the American animated television series ''[[The Simpsons]]''. It originally aired in the United States on April 13, 2008 on the [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox network]].<ref name="FF">{{cite news | title = Primetime Listings (April 6 - April 13) | publisher = FoxFlash | date = 2008-03-21 | url = http://www.foxflash.com/div.php/main/page?aID=1z4&ID=91 | accessdate = 2008-03-21 | archive-date = 2008-03-29 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080329004359/http://www.foxflash.com/div.php/main/page?aID=1z4&ID=91 | url-status = dead }}</ref> The episode was written by [[Reid Harrison]] and directed by [[Chris Clements (animation director)|Chris Clements]].
In this episode, Lurleen Lumpkin turns to Homer when she cannot afford to pay her taxes. Although Marge feels conflicted about her, she thinks that reuniting her with her father will help her. [[Beverly D'Angelo]] reprises her role of Lurleen Lumpkin. The [[Dixie Chicks]] also appear as themselves.<ref name="FF"/> The episode was watched by 6.93 million viewers and received mixed reviews.
==Plot== [[Lisa Simpson|Lisa]] is delivering scout cookies to [[Mayor Quimby]], but they find the town treasury empty, and he cannot pay for it. The town holds a meeting to raise money. [[Homer Simpson|Homer]] proposes faking a natural disaster to get relief money from the federal government. However, the government officials who come are impostors, and the town goes further into debt. Lisa finds that the town has millions in uncollected taxes, so the town collects them from its residents. Later, [[Kent Brockman]] reports that all the residents have paid their back taxes except [[Lurleen Lumpkin]], a country music star whom Homer once managed and who had previously fallen in love with him.{{efn|As depicted in the [[The Simpsons season 3|third season]] episode "[[Colonel Homer]]"}} The town searches for her. Homer finds Lurleen hiding in his car and takes her to the Simpson house. However, [[Marge Simpson|Marge]], angry from their previous encounter, drives her to her home. When she discovers that Lurleen is homeless, Marge brings her back to the house.
Lurleen cooks a barbecue for the family, but the police arrest her, and she is taken to court. [[Judge Snyder (The Simpsons)|Judge Snyder]] requires her to pay her debt in increments. Lurleen explains to the Simpsons that all her money went to her former husbands, which all resemble Homer. She goes to work for [[Moe Szyslak|Moe]] at his bar where she turns down dates with [[Lenny Leonard|Lenny]] and [[Carl Carlson|Carl]]. When Marge wonders why Lurleen did that, she hears Lurleen sing about how her father abandoned her. Marge finds Lurleen's father, Royce, and he asks Lurleen for forgiveness. They reconcile, and she writes a new song to celebrate their reunion: "Daddy's Back". However, Royce decides to leave Lurleen again.
Lurleen becomes depressed without her father. She hears a new song from the [[Dixie Chicks]] on television that sounds like her song with different lyrics and realizes that her father gave it to them. Later, Homer appears in his Colonel Homer attire with "Major Marge", and they tell her to take control of her destiny. Lurleen tells the Dixie Chicks that her father stole her song, and they hit him with their instruments as punishment. Lurleen becomes the new opening act for the Dixie Chicks and finds a new boyfriend who resembles Homer. As she leaves, Marge and Lurleen embrace, and Marge warns Lurleen never to come near Homer again.
==Production== This is the final episode of the series written by [[Reid Harrison]] before his death in 2024.<ref>{{cite web|date=April 10, 2024|title= Dimeslots to pay tribute to Reid Harrison Saturday |url= https://www.gazettejournal.net/dimeslots-to-pay-tribute-to-reid-harrison-saturday/ |website= Gloucester-Mathews Gazette-Journal |access-date=August 5, 2024}}</ref> [[Beverly D'Angelo]] reprised her role as Lurleen Lumpkin. D'Angelo previously voiced this character in the [[The Simpsons season 3|third season]] episode "[[Colonel Homer]]".<ref>{{cite web|date=February 13, 2019|title=Beverly D'Angelo to be honored at Las Cruces International Film Festival|url=https://www.lcsun-news.com/story/entertainment/2019/02/13/las-cruces-film-festival-beverly-dangelo-honor-national-lampoons-movie/2850788002/|website=[[Las Cruces Sun-News]]|access-date=August 5, 2024|archive-date=June 9, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230609072734/https://www.lcsun-news.com/story/entertainment/2019/02/13/las-cruces-film-festival-beverly-dangelo-honor-national-lampoons-movie/2850788002/|url-status=live}}</ref> Country band [[The Chicks]], then known as the Dixie Chicks, appeared as themselves.<ref>{{cite web|first=Joe|last=Lynch|date=March 21, 2022|title=Here's Every Musical Guest on 'The Simpsons,' in Chronological Order|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/the-simpsons-every-music-guest-chronological-order-6228944/|website=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|access-date=August 5, 2024|archive-date=August 6, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230806005624/https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/the-simpsons-every-music-guest-chronological-order-6228944/|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Cultural references== Several years prior to the airing of the episode, the Dixie Chicks made remarks about [[George W. Bush]] that were perceived to be unpatriotic.<ref name=Telegraph>{{cite news | date=June 14, 2006 | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/3653132/How-the-Chicks-survived-their-scrap-with-Bush.html | newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]] | title=How the Chicks survived their scrap with Bush | last=Sweeting|first=Adam | location=London| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081012151525/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=%2Farts%2F2006%2F06%2F15%2Fbmdixie15.xml | archive-date=October 12, 2008 | df=mdy-all|access-date=February 25, 2022}}</ref> In a self-deprecating reverse, the lyrics they sing in the episode were nationalistic in nature.<ref name="Koski"/><ref name="ign"/><ref name="Morgan">{{cite web|first=Chris|last=Morgan|date=July 17, 2015|title=We Ranked The 20 Best Musical Guest Stars On 'The Simpsons'|url=https://uproxx.com/music/the-simpsons-best-musical-guests/|website=[[Uproxx]]|access-date=August 5, 2024|archive-date=August 6, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240806033957/https://uproxx.com/music/the-simpsons-best-musical-guests/|url-status=live}}</ref>
When Lurleen sings about her father leaving her, Maggie holds the telephone receiver towards the music, which is similar to what happens in the 1985 film ''[[Back to the Future]]''. As the Simpsons sing "Daddy's Back" with Lurleen, they mention the book series ''[[Harry Potter]]'' and the cosmetic brand [[The Estée Lauder Companies|Estée Lauder]].<ref name="TVsquad"/>
Homer's dream about being in a car crash with Grampa is an almost shot-for-shot remake of a scene in the 2007 episode of ''[[The Sopranos]]'', [[Kennedy and Heidi]].
==Reception== ===Viewing figures=== The episode earned a 2.4 rating and was watched by 6.93 million viewers, which was ranked the 43rd most-watched show that week.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] Medianet|date=April 15, 2008|url=https://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=041508_09|title=Weekly Program Rankings (Apr. 7-13)|work=ABC Medianet|access-date=June 10, 2023|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120329105759/http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=041508_09|archive-date=March 29, 2012}}</ref>
===Critical response=== The episode received mixed reviews by critics.
Richard Keller of ''[[TV Squad]]'' expressed dislike for the episode, stating that he hopes the show will reconsider the next time they decide to give a solo opportunity to a supporting character many people don't remember.<ref name="TVsquad">{{cite web| last = Keller| first = Richard|date=April 13, 2008| title = The Simpsons: Papa Don't Leech - VIDEO| url = http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/04/13/the-simpsons-papa-dont-leach/| website =[[TV Squad]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080414201250/http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/04/13/the-simpsons-papa-dont-leach/|archive-date=April 14, 2008|accessdate = 2008-04-14 }}</ref>
Robert Canning of ''[[IGN]]'' said, "there were too few laugh-out-loud moments in this lackluster episode. Overall, it was nice to see Lurleen again, but she'd probably get more laughs in future cameos than in carrying an entire episode." He gave the episode a 6/10.<ref name="ign">{{cite news|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/04/14/the-simpsons-papa-dont-leech-review|title=The Simpsons: "Papa Don't Leech" Review|accessdate=August 5, 2024|date=2008-04-14|website=[[IGN]]|first=Robert|last=Canning|archive-date=July 30, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240730071212/https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/04/14/the-simpsons-papa-dont-leech-review|url-status=live}}</ref> The opening sequence where Homer murders Grampa in a dream was criticized, being called "the least funny thing I've ever seen on the show" by ''IGN'',<ref name="ign"/> and "very un-Homer-like" by ''TV Squad''.<ref name="TVsquad"/>
Genevieve Koski of ''[[The A.V. Club]]'' gave the episode a B+. She thought the episode was “pretty damn good”. She liked that the story focused on the Simpsons and Lurleen without having a subplot, and she said that the Dixie Chicks' appearance served a purpose rather than appearing just because of their fame.<ref name="Koski">{{cite web|first= Genevieve|last= Koski|date= April 14, 2008|title= "Papa Don't Leech" / "The Courtship Of Joseph's Father"|url= https://www.avclub.com/papa-dont-leech-the-courtship-of-josephs-father-1798204205|website= [[The A.V. Club]]|access-date= August 5, 2024|archive-date= August 6, 2024|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240806033957/https://www.avclub.com/papa-dont-leech-the-courtship-of-josephs-father-1798204205|url-status= live}}</ref>
In 2014, Priya Elan of ''[[The Guardian]]'' named the song "Daddy's Back" as one of the most underrated songs of the series.<ref>{{cite web|first=Priya|last=Elan|date=September 10, 2014|title= The Simpsons' most underrated musical numbers|url= https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2014/sep/10/the-simpsons-most-underrated-musical-numbers|website=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=August 5, 2024}}</ref> In 2015, the Dixie Chicks were named the 17th best musical guest of the series.<ref name="Morgan"/>
==Notes== {{Notelist}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Wikiquote|The Simpsons/Season 19#Papa Don't Leech|"Papa Don't Leech"}} {{portal|The Simpsons}} * {{IMDb episode|1211739}}
{{The Simpsons episodes|19}}
[[Category:The Simpsons season 19 episodes]] [[Category:2008 American television episodes]] [[Category:Television episodes directed by Chris Clements (animation director)]]