{{Use American English|date=January 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}} {{Infobox Simpsons episode | image = | caption = | season = 24 | episode = 11 | director = [[Bob Anderson (director)|Bob Anderson]] | writer = [[Rob LaZebnik]] | production = RABF04 | airdate = {{Start date|2013|1|27}} | guests = *[[Danny DeVito]] as [[Herb Powell]] *[[Rashida Jones]] as Portia *Terry W. Greene as Man Baby | blackboard = | couch_gag = The couch is part of a dunk tank. After the Simpsons sit down, [[Nelson Muntz|Nelson]] throws a ball at the target and the family falls into the water. | commentary = | prev = [[A Test Before Trying]] | next = [[Love Is a Many-Splintered Thing]] }}
"'''The Changing of the Guardian'''" is the eleventh episode of the [[The Simpsons season 24|twenty-fourth season]] of the American animated television series ''[[The Simpsons]]'', and the 519th episode overall. The episode was directed by [[Bob Anderson (director)|Bob Anderson]] and written by [[Rob LaZebnik]]. It originally aired on the [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox network]] in the United States on January 27, 2013. The title "The Changing of the Guardian" is a pun on the term [[Guard Mounting|the changing of the guard]].
In this episode, Homer and Marge find a couple to be their children's guardians in case of their deaths. [[Danny DeVito]] and [[Rashida Jones]] guest starred. The episode received negative reviews by critics.
==Plot== A storm passes over [[Springfield (The Simpsons)|Springfield]], and the Simpson family tries to pass it by playing a board game. Suddenly, [[Lisa Simpson|Lisa]] spots a [[tornado]] that has touched down and sucks up [[Santa's Little Helper]]. [[Homer Simpson|Homer]] and [[Marge Simpson|Marge]] leave the children behind to find Santa's Little Helper and are aided by [[Lenny Leonard|Lenny]] and [[Carl Carlson|Carl]]. They come across the [[tornado]] which nearly sucks everyone up and then traps Homer and Marge inside the intact building of a [[bank]]. The police eventually get them out, but Marge is traumatized by the situation. Realizing that the kids do not have proper guardians, she and Homer decide to find someone to pick as the kids' guardian. They try [[Abraham Simpson|Grandpa]], [[Patty and Selma]], Homer's half-brother [[Herb Powell]] (who, for reasons unknown, is now poor again), [[Kirk Van Houten|Kirk]] and [[Luann Van Houten]], and [[Cletus Spuckler|Cletus]] and [[Brandine Spuckler]], but Homer and Marge reconsider all of them, and eventually rumors spread through Springfield that they are looking for guardians for their children, to which no one else in Springfield wants to take the job.
Homer and Marge decide to search the shoreline for any childless couples and eventually find Mav, a smooth-talking professional [[Surfing|surfer]]. He and his wife Portia, an environmental [[lawyer]], both win the hearts of Bart and Lisa, and the couple agrees to become their guardians under the agreement that they borrow the Simpson children for the weekend. Homer and Marge approve, but after a few weeks spent with each other, they find a family photo of Mav and Portia with their kids and realize that the two are planning to induct them into their family. Marge initially wonders if Mav and Portia are more suitable parents than Homer and she ever were, but Homer reassures her that Bart, Lisa, and [[Maggie Simpson|Maggie]] are their children and they are their responsibilities. The two rush over to Mav and Portia's place. Mav and Portia refuse to give up the children, but end up deciding to let them go when the children say that they prefer their parents over them.
==Production== [[Danny DeVito]], who provides the voice for Herb Powell, stated on Twitter in August 2012 that he was going to be recording dialogue for a new episode.<ref>{{cite tweet|first=Danny|last=DeVito|author-link=Danny DeVito|user=DannyDeVito|number=240098298894110720|title=@LeithAitken @dailysimpsons goin back to do a line. Very excited to see the SP.|accessdate=January 24, 2013}}</ref>
==Reception==
===Critical reception=== The episode received mixed to negative reviews.
Robert David Sullivan of ''[[The A.V. Club]]'' giving the episode a C, commenting, "'Changing Of The Guardians' is three mini Simpsons episodes: a comic portrayal of a natural disaster, a well-worn sitcom story with cameos from lots of recurring characters, and a brief tale in which our favorite family is threatened by the Guest Voice Of The Week." He goes on to state that "everything is so rushed that none of this feels sad or tense or heartwarming or funny."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.avclub.com/articles/changing-of-the-guardians,91548/|title=The Simpsons: "Changing of the Guardians"|work=[[The A.V. Club]]|last=Sullivan|first=Robert David|date=January 27, 2013|access-date=January 28, 2013|archive-date=January 31, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130131004847/http://www.avclub.com/articles/changing-of-the-guardians,91548/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Teresa Lopez of ''TV Fanatic'' called this episode "the most disappointing I can recall" of the [[The Simpsons season 24|24th season]] far. She found it "very difficult to stay tuned in for the whole episode - and that's pretty sad," explaining that "The dullness of the installment lies in the uninspired storytelling."<ref>{{cite web |first=Teresa |last=Lopez |url=http://www.tvfanatic.com/2013/01/the-simpsons-review-changing-of-the-channel/ |title=The Simpsons Review: Changing of the Channel |website=TV Fanatic |date=2013-01-27 |accessdate=2014-01-07 |archive-date=January 31, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130131131507/http://www.tvfanatic.com/2013/01/the-simpsons-review-changing-of-the-channel/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
Rob H. Dawson of ''TV Equals'' gave the episode an equally negative review saying "The whole thing feels rushed and weird, as well as heavily [[BLUF (communication)|front-loaded]]."<ref>{{cite web|first=Rob H.|last=Dawson|url=http://www.tvequals.com/2013/01/28/the-simpsons-season-24-review-changing-of-the-guardian/ |title=The Simpsons Season 24 Review "Changing of the Guardian" |website=TV Equals |date=2013-01-28 |accessdate=2014-01-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140107063201/http://www.tvequals.com/2013/01/28/the-simpsons-season-24-review-changing-of-the-guardian/|archive-date=January 7, 2014}}</ref>
===Ratings=== The episode was watched by 5.23 million viewers and received a 2.3 rating in the 18-49 demographic. This made it the second most watched show on Fox's [[Animation Domination]] lineup that night.<ref>{{cite web|last=Kondolojy|first=Amanda|date=January 29, 2013|title=Sunday Final Ratings: 'The Mentalist', 'Family Guy' & 'American Dad' Adjusted Up; 'The Simpsons' Adjusted Down|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/01/29/sunday-final-ratings-the-mentalist-family-guy-the-simpsons-adjusted-down/167103/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130204051352/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/01/29/sunday-final-ratings-the-mentalist-family-guy-the-simpsons-adjusted-down/167103/|url-status=dead|archive-date=2013-02-04|work=[[TV by the Numbers]]|access-date=August 12, 2023}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
== External links == {{Wikiquote|The_Simpsons/Season_24#The Changing of the Guardian|"The Changing of the Guardian"}} {{Portal|The Simpsons}} * {{IMDb episode|2649908}} {{The Simpsons episodes|24}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Changing Of The Guardian, The}} [[Category:The Simpsons season 24 episodes]] [[Category:2013 American television episodes]] [[Category:Television episodes about tornadoes]] [[Category:Television episodes written by Rob LaZebnik]] [[Category:Television episodes directed by Bob Anderson (director)]]