Four Regrettings and a Funeral

Plot

The death of Springfield resident Chip Davis, a previously unseen character, prompts several townspeople to reflect on their own regrets. Homer regrets selling his Apple stock to buy a bowling ball, and grows irritated as Mr. Burns gloats over profiting from that stock. Marge worries that listening to Kiss albums while pregnant with Bart caused his disruptive behavior, which includes removing church kneelers, stealing collection plates, and mocking Reverend Lovejoy during the funeral.

Mr. Burns regrets ending his engagement to a French woman named Lila, who became a Buddhist nun after he rejected her proposal due to his selfishness. He finds her at a Buddhist temple and they reunite, but while he freshens up in the bathroom, she dies in bed. His attempt at resuscitation disintegrates her body, and Smithers urges Burns to honor her wish that he be selfless for five minutes; Burns volunteers at a soup kitchen and stays longer. Kent Brockman regrets not taking a job as a cable news anchorman when younger; he goes to New York and visits Fox News, but finds the station petty and returns home.

Bart creates a balloon ride from a laundry basket and hundreds of balloons, but regrets it as he ascends too high. Kent broadcasts the event on local news, and Homer shoots his bowling ball from a cannon to weigh down the basket, bringing Bart safely down.

Everyone celebrates Bart's rescue while ignoring Lisa's academic success. Homer appreciates his bowling ball again, but a police sniper accidentally shoots it, causing it to explode. A tribute to Chip Davis, showing him inserted into notable moments from the show, plays before the credits.

Production

Following the death of recurring guest star Marcia Wallace, the episode acknowledged her passing with a chalkboard gag reading "We'll really miss you Mrs. K" as Bart looks on. The producers planned to retire her character after remaining recorded episodes aired. Rachel Maddow guest starred as a fictionalized version of herself who once worked with Kent Brockman. Joe Namath appeared as himself, having previously appeared in the ninth season episode "Bart Star." Writer Aaron Sorkin was reported to guest star but did not appear.

Reception

The episode drew 5.43 million viewers and a 2.4/6 rating among adults 18–49, ranking as Animation Domination’s top show. This was a drop from the prior installment, "Treehouse of Horror XXIV," which had 6.42 million viewers and a 3.0 rating.

Critics were split. Dennis Perkins of The A.V. Club graded it a C−, arguing that its callbacks and inside jokes sparked recognition but no real humor, and that the gags lacked punch. Tony Sokol of Den of Geek awarded four out of five stars, commending the episode for challenging mainstream entertainment and satirizing media frenzy. Harry Shearer earned his first Emmy for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance at the 66th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards for this work.