{{Use American English|date=January 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}} {{Infobox Simpsons episode | image = TheSagaofCarl.jpg | image_size = 200 | caption = Promotional poster | season = 24 | episode = 21 | director = [[Chuck Sheetz]] | writer = [[Eric Kaplan]] | production = RABF14 | airdate = {{Start date|2013|5|19}} | guests = *[[Sigur Rós]] as themselves | couch_gag = The Simpsons are sea creatures sitting on a shell couch. All of them get eaten by [[Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish|Blinky, the three-eyed fish]]. | commentary = | prev = [[The Fabulous Faker Boy]] | next = [[Dangers on a Train]] }} "'''The Saga of Carl'''" is the twenty-first and penultimate episode of the [[The Simpsons season 24|twenty-fourth season]] of the American animated television series ''[[The Simpsons]]'', and the 529th episode overall. The episode was directed by [[Chuck Sheetz]] and written by [[Eric Kaplan]]. It originally aired on the [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox network]] in the United States on May 19, 2013, in conjunction with the season finale, "[[Dangers on a Train]]."<ref name="TFC">{{cite web|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/listings/20130502fox01/|title=(SI-2414/17) "The Saga of Carl/Dangers on a Train" |website=[[The Futon Critic]]|access-date=August 26, 2023}}</ref>
In this episode, Homer and his friends follow Carl to Iceland after he disappears with their lottery winnings. The Icelandic band [[Sigur Rós]] guest starred and scored original music for the episode, along with their own interpretation of the [[The Simpsons Theme|''Simpsons'' opening theme]]. The episode received mixed reviews.
==Plot== [[Bart Simpson|Bart]] and [[Lisa Simpson|Lisa]] become addicted to ''Ki-Ya Karate Monsters'', an animated show featuring monsters who are karate warriors. [[Marge Simpson|Marge]] becomes annoyed at their play-fighting and insists they go to a museum, but the main attraction is ''The Science of Ki-Ya Karate Monsters''. At another exhibit on probability, [[Homer Simpson|Homer]] becomes fascinated by a video featuring [[Blaise Pascal]] that discusses the odds of winning the lottery. Later, Homer, [[Lenny Leonard|Lenny]], [[Carl Carlson|Carl]] and [[Moe Szyslak|Moe]]'s weekly lottery ticket wins them $200,000, which they agree to share four ways. Carl goes to cash in the ticket while the others prepare for a celebration. When he does not appear, the others realize that he has fled with the money.
After some genealogy research, Homer discovers that Carl fled to his adoptive ancestors' home of [[Iceland]].{{efn|As mentioned in the [[The Simpsons season 14|fourteenth season]] episode {{"-}}[['Scuse Me While I Miss the Sky]]"<ref>{{cite web|first=Tony|last=Sokol|author-link=Tony Sokol|date=February 27, 2023|title=The Simpsons Takes Lesson from Finding Your Roots|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/the-simpsons-takes-lesson-from-finding-your-roots/|website=[[Den of Geek]]|access-date=January 12, 2025}}</ref>}} Homer, Lenny, and Moe fly to [[Reykjavík]] to claim their share of the money. They meet a man who tells them about the Carlsons' family history. An [[Sagas of Icelanders|Icelandic saga]] depicts them as cowards who failed to stop the barbarians from invading Iceland 1,000 years earlier and causing massive destruction. When they find Carl, they learn he came to clear his family name by buying a lost page from the saga that he hopes will reveal the Carlsons were brave warriors. He did not tell them earlier because he does not consider them true friends. An infuriated Lenny brawls with Carl.
The guys capture the lost page and abandon Carl. They plan to destroy the page, but a call from Marge makes them feel sympathetic towards Carl's plight. They translate the page to use the information to help him. However, they learn that the Carlson ancestors were not just cowards, but were, in fact, collaborators who joined the barbarians in looting, arson, and mass murder. This increases their sorrow for Carl. Gathering the Icelandic people, they explain the good deeds that Carl has done for them. Impressed by his good qualities, the people forgive the Carlson family so they can show their faces in public again. When Carl's father asks him how he cannot accept that Homer, Lenny and Moe are true friends, Carl cries and says that he cannot deny it. Back home, Carl thanks them for teaching him the values of friendship.
Homer, who planned to build a swimming pool with his winnings, creates mini-pools made of beer kegs with his friends that everyone enjoys except for Homer, who gets stuck in his pool.
==Production== The producers thought the original script was complicated, and the table read for the episode was confusing. Executive producer [[James L. Brooks]] suggested that the story focus on Lenny, so the producers changed the script to bring attention to Lenny's feelings.<ref>{{cite web|last=Fox|first=Jesse David|url=https://www.vulture.com/2014/09/simpsons-showrunners-on-the-classic-era-myth.html|title=3 Simpsons Showrunners Reflect on New Fans and the 'Classic Era' Myth|date=September 23, 2014|website=[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]]|access-date=August 26, 2023|archive-date=April 27, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240427162227/https://www.vulture.com/2014/09/simpsons-showrunners-on-the-classic-era-myth.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
The band [[Sigur Rós]] wrote original music for the episode and appeared as themselves.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mbl.is/folk/frettir/2013/05/02/sigur_ros_semur_fyrir_simpsons|title=Sigur Rós semur fyrir Simpsons|date=May 2, 2013|website=[[Morgunblaðið]] |access-date=August 26, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130605125557/http://www.mbl.is/folk/frettir/2013/05/02/sigur_ros_semur_fyrir_simpsons|archive-date=June 5, 2013|language=is}}</ref> They also covered the show's theme song.<ref>{{cite web|first=Gerrick D.|last=Kennedy|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-sigur-ros-simpsons-20130503-story.html|title=Sigur Ros to get animated for 'The Simpsons'|date=May 3, 2013|website=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=August 26, 2023|archive-date=April 27, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240427162843/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-sigur-ros-simpsons-20130503-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Creator [[Matt Groening]] was a fan of the band and was honored to have their music in the episode.<ref>{{cite web|first=Jenn|last=Pelly|url=http://pitchfork.com/news/50603-this-is-what-sigur-ros-look-like-on-the-simpsons/|title=This Is What Sigur Rós Look Like on "The Simpsons"|date=May 4, 2013|website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |access-date=August 26, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130531203854/http://pitchfork.com/news/50603-this-is-what-sigur-ros-look-like-on-the-simpsons/|archive-date=May 31, 2013}}</ref>
To promote the episode, a poster was released showing Homer, Lenny, and Moe chasing Carl with Sigur Rós overhead.<ref>{{cite web|first=Jenn|last=Pelly|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/50783-check-out-this-incredible-promo-poster-for-sigur-ros-on-the-simpsons/|title=Check Out This Incredible Poster for Sigur Rós on "The Simpsons"|date=May 17, 2013|website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |access-date=August 26, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130607111821/https://pitchfork.com/news/50783-check-out-this-incredible-promo-poster-for-sigur-ros-on-the-simpsons/|archive-date=June 7, 2013}}</ref> The episode was broadcast with the next episode as a one-hour season finale.<ref name="TFC"/>
==Reception== ===Ratings=== The episode received a 1.9 in the 18–49 demographic and was watched by a total of 4.01 million viewers. However, it was the second most watched show on Fox's Animation Domination lineup that night.<ref>{{cite web|first=Sara|last=Bibel|date=May 21, 2013|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/05/21/sunday-final-ratings-the-simpsons-the-cleveland-show-adjusted-up-the-billlboard-music-awards-americas-funniest-home-videos-60-minutes-adjusted-down/183358/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130607193851/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/05/21/sunday-final-ratings-the-simpsons-the-cleveland-show-adjusted-up-the-billlboard-music-awards-americas-funniest-home-videos-60-minutes-adjusted-down/183358/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-06-07 |title=Sunday Final Ratings: 'The Simpsons' & 'The Cleveland Show' Adjusted Up, 'The Billboard Music Awards', 'America's Funniest Home Videos' & '60 Minutes' Adjusted Down |website=[[TV by the Numbers]] |access-date=2013-05-21}}</ref>
===Critical response=== Robert David Sullivan of ''[[The A.V. Club]]'' gave the episode a B−, saying "It’s not a very funny episode, but you get the sense that the animators enjoyed getting out of Springfield, and the score for the Iceland scenes, by indie rock group Sigur Ros, is at least a welcome change from the old-timey music that the show has been inexplicably fond of this season."<ref>{{cite web|last=Sullivan|first=Robert David|url=https://www.avclub.com/the-simpsons-the-saga-of-carl-dangers-on-a-train-1798176849|title=The Simpsons: "The Saga Of Carl/Dangers On A Train"|date=20 May 2013|website=[[The A.V. Club]]|access-date=2013-05-21|archive-date=August 10, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130810014601/http://www.avclub.com/articles/the-saga-of-carldangers-on-a-train,97427/|url-status=live}}</ref>
Teresa Lopez of ''TV Fanatic'' thought the episode was an excuse for a trip to Iceland. She also noted that the exploration of the feelings of Homer and his friends did not go deep enough.<ref>{{cite web|first=Teresa|last=Lopez|url=https://www.tvfanatic.com/2013/05/the-simpsons-review-doubly-dull/|title=The Simpsons Review: Doubly Dull|date=May 20, 2013|website=TV Fanatic|access-date=August 26, 2023|archive-date=April 27, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240427164639/https://www.tvfanatic.com/2013/05/the-simpsons-review-doubly-dull/|url-status=live}}</ref>
In 2014, ''[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]]'' named this episode the 76th best episode of ''The Simpsons'' to stream and called it "a perceptive look at male friendship."<ref>{{cite web|first1=Matt Zoller|last1=Seitz|author-link1=Matt Zoller Seitz|first2=Jesse David|last2=Fox|first3=Josh|last3=Kurp|first4=Melody|last4=Lau|first5=Gilbert|last5=Cruz|first6=Margaret|last6=Lyons|date=September 22, 2014|url=https://www.vulture.com/2014/09/100-best-simpsons-episodes-essential-streaming-simpsons-world.html|title=The 100 Best Simpsons Episodes to Stream|website=[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]]|access-date=August 26, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140923115925/https://www.vulture.com/2014/09/100-best-simpsons-episodes-essential-streaming-simpsons-world.html|archive-date=September 23, 2014}}</ref> In 2019, an updated ranking from ''Vulture'' named the episode the 77th best episode to watch.<ref>{{cite web|first1=Matt Zoller|last1=Seitz|author-link1=Matt Zoller Seitz|first2=Jesse David|last2=Fox|first3=Josh|last3=Kurp|first4=Melody|last4=Lau|first5=Gilbert|last5=Cruz|first6=Margaret|last6=Lyons|date=November 19, 2019|url=https://www.vulture.com/article/best-the-simpsons-episodes.html|title=The 100 Best Simpsons Episodes to Stream|website=[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]]|access-date=August 26, 2023|archive-date=August 12, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230812040021/https://www.vulture.com/article/best-the-simpsons-episodes.html}}</ref> In 2024, another updated ranking from ''Vulture'' named the episode the 79th best episode to watch.<ref>{{cite web|first1=Jesse David|last1=Fox|first2=Jen|last2=Chaney|first3=Rebecca|last3=Alter|first4=Melody|last4=Lau|first5=Gilbert|last5=Cruz|first6=Margaret|last6=Lyons|first7=Matt Zoller|last7=Seitz|author-link7=Matt Zoller Seitz|first8=Josh|last8=Kurp|date=December 17, 2024|url=https://www.vulture.com/article/best-the-simpsons-episodes.html|title=The 100 Best Simpsons Episodes|website=[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]]|access-date=January 12, 2025|archive-date=December 19, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241219022515/https://www.vulture.com/article/best-the-simpsons-episodes.html}}</ref>
==Notes== {{Notelist}}
==References== {{reflist}}
== External links == {{Wikiquote|The_Simpsons/Season_24#The Saga of Carl|"The Saga of Carl"}} {{Portal|The Simpsons}} * {{IMDb episode|2857338}} {{The Simpsons episodes|24}} {{Sigur Rós}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saga Of Carl, The}} [[Category:The Simpsons season 24 episodes]] [[Category:2013 American television episodes]] [[Category:Sigur Rós]] [[Category:Television episodes set in Iceland]] [[Category:Television episodes directed by Chuck Sheetz]]