Million Dollar Maybe
Homer wins the lottery and hides the truth from Marge.
"Million Dollar Maybe" is the eleventh episode of the twenty-first season of *The Simpsons*. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on January 31, 2010. Bill Odenkirk wrote the episode, and Chris Clements directed it.
In the main plot, Homer and Marge are set to perform a singing toast at the wedding of Marge’s cousin Valerie, making Marge nervous about being embarrassed. Homer reassures her but then gets a fortune cookie that says it’s his lucky day. After a vending machine accident and finding an Emerson, Lake & Palmer CD, he sings along to "Lucky Man" while driving recklessly. He stops at the Kwik-E-Mart to buy a lottery ticket, arriving late for the wedding, which ends before he gets there. Distracted, he crashes his car. Waking up in the hospital, Homer discovers he won $1 million. To hide that he missed the wedding for the ticket, he has Barney pose as the winner and secretly leaves anonymous gifts for his family. Bart figures out the scheme and blackmails Homer into publicly embarrassing himself.
Quick Facts
- Season
- 21
- Episode
- 11
- Director
- Chris Clements
- Writer
- Bill Odenkirk
- Production
- MABF03
- Airdate
- 2010-01-31
- Guests
- Chris Martin as himself
- Prev
- Once Upon a Time in Springfield
- Next
- Boy Meets Curl
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
In the episode, Homer wins $1 million in the lottery but fears Marge will discover he missed a wedding reception to buy the ticket. He uses the money to buy anonymous gifts for his family. Meanwhile, Lisa buys a Funtendo Zii console for the residents of Grampa's retirement home, making them act younger until the nurses destroy the machine. The episode features a guest appearance from Chris Martin of Coldplay. It also introduced a new character, Ricardo Bomba, created by contest winner Peggy Black, who described him as "someone that all the women love and all the men want to be." The character appears to be killed in a fiery car crash.
Reader's Guide
The episode was well received by most television critics, who praised its humor and storyline. It attained 5.11 million viewers and a 2.4 rating in the 18-49 demographic. Critics noted the convoluted plot but appreciated the self-awareness. The subplot involving the Funtendo Zii (a parody of the Nintendo Wii) was seen as a commentary on pop culture. The episode is notable for being the second Simpsons episode to parody the film Million Dollar Baby, following "Million Dollar Abie."
Did You Know?
- The episode was written by Bill Odenkirk and directed by Chris Clements.
- Chris Martin of Coldplay guest-starred as himself.
- The Funtendo Zii is a fictional console that parodies the Nintendo Wii.
- The character Ricardo Bomba was created by contest winner Peggy Black from Orange, Connecticut.
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