Goo Goo Gai Pan

Plot

While giving Mr. Burns a driving test, Selma experiences a hot flash and learns she has entered menopause, meaning she can no longer have children. Fearing dying alone, she decides to adopt a baby girl from China. She sponsors a trip to China for the Simpsons; Homer reluctantly agrees to pretend to be married to her for Marge's sake. In Beijing, adoption agent Madam Wu demands details of the supposed marriage relationship.

Selma presents Bart and Lisa as her children and Marge as their nanny, while Homer claims to be an acrobat. He is forced to substitute in a Chinese acrobatics display and ends up hospitalized. While Homer recovers, Madam Wu overhears him and Marge discussing the false marriage and discovers the ruse. Selma receives a baby daughter, Ling, but Madam Wu denies the adoption and takes Ling as they prepare to leave.

Lisa devises a plan: Homer is dressed and spray-painted to resemble a golden Buddha statue and left outside Ling's nursery. Following feng shui custom, guards bring the statue indoors, and Homer retrieves Ling. As the family crosses Tiananmen Square, Madam Wu confronts them in a Type 59 Tank. Selma appeals to her, and Wu, drawing on her own experience of being raised by a single mother, allows the adoption.

The family departs China by junk, accompanied by a Chinese child spy disguised as Bart and three Chinese dragons singing while playing an erhu.

Reception

The episode pulled in a 3.7 rating and 10.28 million viewers, landing as the 45th most-watched program of the week. IGN's Robert Canning found the premise straightforward: Selma, facing menopause, decides to adopt, and after a failed attempt, Lisa suggests China. He called the setup of Homer and Selma pretending to be married a classic mismatch but noted the humor in China relied on random gags about the country rather than the absurd marriage.

Colin Jacobson of DVD Movie Guide deemed the episode erratic, saying it seemed like an excuse to take the Simpsons to China. On Four Finger Discount, Guy Davis and Brendan Dando appreciated Homer helping Selma adopt but criticized the episode for leaning on stereotypes about China. It received a Turner Award nomination at the 15th Environmental Media Awards.