# The Changing of the Guardian > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/The_Changing_of_the_Guardian > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/The_Changing_of_the_Guardian.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Changing_of_the_Guardian > Source revision: 1267273053 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) 11th episode of the 24th season of The Simpsons "The Changing of the Guardian" The Simpsons episode Episode no. Season 24 Episode 11 Directed by Bob Anderson Written by Rob LaZebnik Production code RABF04 Original air date January 27, 2013 (2013-01-27) Guest appearances Danny DeVito as Herb Powell Rashida Jones as Portia Terry W. Greene as Man Baby Episode features Couch gag The couch is part of a dunk tank. After the Simpsons sit down, Nelson throws a ball at the target and the family falls into the water. Episode chronology ← Previous "A Test Before Trying" Next → "Love Is a Many-Splintered Thing" The Simpsons season 24 List of episodes "**The Changing of the Guardian**" is the eleventh episode of the [twenty-fourth season](/source/The_Simpsons_season_24) of the American animated television series *[The Simpsons](/source/The_Simpsons)*, and the 519th episode overall. The episode was directed by [Bob Anderson](/source/Bob_Anderson_(director)) and written by [Rob LaZebnik](/source/Rob_LaZebnik). It originally aired on the [Fox network](/source/Fox_Broadcasting_Company) in the United States on January 27, 2013. The title "The Changing of the Guardian" is a pun on the term [the changing of the guard](/source/Guard_Mounting). In this episode, Homer and Marge find a couple to be their children's guardians in case of their deaths. [Danny DeVito](/source/Danny_DeVito) and [Rashida Jones](/source/Rashida_Jones) guest starred. The episode received negative reviews by critics. ## Plot A storm passes over [Springfield](/source/Springfield_(The_Simpsons)), and the Simpson family tries to pass it by playing a board game. Suddenly, [Lisa](/source/Lisa_Simpson) spots a [tornado](/source/Tornado) that has touched down and sucks up [Santa's Little Helper](/source/Santa's_Little_Helper). [Homer](/source/Homer_Simpson) and [Marge](/source/Marge_Simpson) leave the children behind to find Santa's Little Helper and are aided by [Lenny](/source/Lenny_Leonard) and [Carl](/source/Carl_Carlson). They come across the [tornado](/source/Tornado) which nearly sucks everyone up and then traps Homer and Marge inside the intact building of a [bank](/source/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 [Grandpa](/source/Abraham_Simpson), [Patty and Selma](/source/Patty_and_Selma), Homer's half-brother [Herb Powell](/source/Herb_Powell) (who, for reasons unknown, is now poor again), [Kirk](/source/Kirk_Van_Houten) and [Luann Van Houten](/source/Luann_Van_Houten), and [Cletus](/source/Cletus_Spuckler) and [Brandine Spuckler](/source/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 [surfer](/source/Surfing). He and his wife Portia, an environmental [lawyer](/source/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](/source/Maggie_Simpson) 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](/source/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.[1] ## Reception ### Critical reception The episode received mixed to negative reviews. Robert David Sullivan of *[The A.V. Club](/source/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."[2] Teresa Lopez of *TV Fanatic* called this episode "the most disappointing I can recall" of the [24th season](/source/The_Simpsons_season_24) 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."[3] 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 [front-loaded](/source/BLUF_(communication))."[4] ### 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](/source/Animation_Domination) lineup that night.[5] ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [DeVito, Danny \[@DannyDeVito\]](/source/Danny_DeVito) (August 27, 2012). ["@LeithAitken @dailysimpsons goin back to do a line. Very excited to see the SP"](https://twitter.com/DannyDeVito/status/240098298894110720) ([Tweet](/source/Tweet_(social_media))). Retrieved January 24, 2013 – via [Twitter](/source/Twitter). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Sullivan, Robert David (January 27, 2013). ["The Simpsons: "Changing of the Guardians""](https://web.archive.org/web/20130131004847/http://www.avclub.com/articles/changing-of-the-guardians,91548/). *[The A.V. Club](/source/The_A.V._Club)*. Archived from [the original](http://www.avclub.com/articles/changing-of-the-guardians,91548/) on January 31, 2013. Retrieved January 28, 2013. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Lopez, Teresa (January 27, 2013). ["The Simpsons Review: Changing of the Channel"](http://www.tvfanatic.com/2013/01/the-simpsons-review-changing-of-the-channel/). *TV Fanatic*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20130131131507/http://www.tvfanatic.com/2013/01/the-simpsons-review-changing-of-the-channel/) from the original on January 31, 2013. Retrieved January 7, 2014. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Dawson, Rob H. (January 28, 2013). ["The Simpsons Season 24 Review "Changing of the Guardian""](https://web.archive.org/web/20140107063201/http://www.tvequals.com/2013/01/28/the-simpsons-season-24-review-changing-of-the-guardian/). *TV Equals*. Archived from [the original](http://www.tvequals.com/2013/01/28/the-simpsons-season-24-review-changing-of-the-guardian/) on January 7, 2014. Retrieved January 7, 2014. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Kondolojy, Amanda (January 29, 2013). ["Sunday Final Ratings: 'The Mentalist', 'Family Guy' & 'American Dad' Adjusted Up; 'The Simpsons' Adjusted Down"](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/). *[TV by the Numbers](/source/TV_by_the_Numbers)*. Archived from [the original](http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/01/29/sunday-final-ratings-the-mentalist-family-guy-the-simpsons-adjusted-down/167103/) on February 4, 2013. Retrieved August 12, 2023. ## External links Wikiquote has quotations related to ***["The Changing of the Guardian"](https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/The_Simpsons/Season_24#The_Changing_of_the_Guardian)***. - [The Simpsons portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:The_Simpsons) - ["The Changing of the Guardian"](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2649908/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier)) 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 24 "Moonshine River" "Treehouse of Horror XXIII" "Adventures in Baby-Getting" "Gone Abie Gone" "Penny-Wiseguys" "A Tree Grows in Springfield" "The Day the Earth Stood Cool" "To Cur with Love" "Homer Goes to Prep School" "A Test Before Trying" "The Changing of the Guardian" "Love Is a Many-Splintered Thing" "Hardly Kirk-ing" "Gorgeous Grampa" "Black Eyed, Please" "Dark Knight Court" "What Animated Women Want" "Pulpit Friction" "Whiskey Business" "The Fabulous Faker Boy" "The Saga of Carl" "Dangers on a Train" See also Treehouse of Horror list The Simpsons episode guides "The Simpsons Guy" Category --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [The Changing of the Guardian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Changing_of_the_Guardian) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Changing_of_the_Guardian?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.