Crook and Ladder

"Crook and Ladder"
The Simpsons episode
Episode no.	Season 18
Directed by	Unknown
Written by	Unknown
Original air dates	May 6, 2007
Episode features
Couch gag	The family sits down on the couch then the T.V. gets moved away, and they are pulled through a painful car wash sequence, including large prickly brushes scraping them and workers hand washing them; and they end in a sad pose on the couch.

"Crook and Ladder" is an episode of The Simpsons that was aired May 6, 2007.

Plot

Marge, following the advice of a parenting magazine, throws away Maggie's pacifier, leading Maggie to destroy the inside of the Simpson home. Marge decides to get Maggie a new pacifier, but can't find the right brand. Santa's Little Helper gives Maggie his squeaky toy that leads to Homer being unable to sleep. He takes sleeping pills and becomes a fat, suggestible zombie dad. Bart and Milhouse take advantage of him by having him take them places. Homer then wakes up while driving, causing him to crash into the Fire Department, injuring all the firemen, and sending them to the hospital. As a result, Homer, Apu, Moe, and Principal Skinner become volunteer firefighters. After the first few fires, they are rewarded for saving the buildings. They then save Mr. Burn's house, to which he gives them no reward. Feeling cheated, they decide to steal some of his treasures. From then on, they start taking items form the places they save for their payment. After Marge and the kids see Homer stealing, he decides to stop, and convinces the others to stop also after saving Moe's and Apu's life.

Cultural References

• One of the pacifier brands Homer buys for Maggie is Bink 182, based off Blink-182.
• The advertisement for fictional sleeping aid Nappien, which features a bird visiting people in their bed rooms, is a parody of the commericals for Lunesta, which features a butterfly.
• When Lisa says,"this is what happened to people that take Ambien...I mean Nappien," she was referencing the actual sleeping pill Ambien.
• The song that plays when Bart and Milhouse abuse "Zombie Homer" is Edgar Winter's "Frankenstein."
• Rainer Wolfcastle's movies Total Explosion and Dr. Frankenberry Wears Prada are take-offs of Total Recall and The Devil Wears Prada, respectively.
• The videotape shown in the front of the chain of dominoes was C.H.U.D..