Episode Recap: Sky Police

What’s up party people?

Wookiee popping in with another episode recap for y’all. A bunch of new episodes have aired over the last month or so and true to form, I fell behind again in writing them up for all my friends who cant see them or like my random recaps of them. I promise I’ll keep up with these as best I can but for now, I’ll just stick with the better late than never idea and get them out to you as fast as life allows. I kept to the stream of consciousness style for the review. Here’s my thoughts on Season 26, Episode 16: “Sky Police”.

– So another episode with no intro. This usually means they needed the extra time for bits in the episode. We find ourselves starting out with Wiggum at the Police Station. There’s a sniper down at the Warehouse District but the chief has to wait around for his new dust ruffle. Wiggum contents himself by eating an entire Stuffer’s Family-Size Lasagna… you know it’s Stuffer’s because the noodles are thick. As Wiggum prepares to dig into a second tray (Anyone else hungry for oven lasagna now?), his package finally arrives. Oh wait, it’s not his… it’s for Clancy Wiggins and is a Skymaster X500 Jet Pack. “Justice has a new name… up.”

– Wiggum foregoes the 40 hour training course/certification and is off to be the Sky Police. Busting crime, mincing bad guys, pulling over jetliners… Sky Police. Seems Wiggum never takes off the jet pack and Lou and Eddie complain it’s starting to smell. Brigadier General Clancy Wiggins shows up with the Chief’s dust ruffle. Wiggum heads off to find the perp responsible for the mix-up as the only floating future cop. Of course the military sees through his ruse and shoots him down. The jet pack careens off, misses the tire fire and jet pack disposal area and crashes right into the First Church of Springfield.

– Meanwhile, Bart and Homer are unhappily headed to church with the family. They find the church burnt down which is prayers answered for the Simpson boys. Gil informs Reverend Lovejoy that according to the church’s policy, it is covered for everything but acts of God. Too bad they believe everything that happens everywhere is one of those acts. No insurance money for the parishioners. Saluki strut!

– The church has no money and developers are itching to build on the land. “Fast-casual dining downstairs, live-work lofts upstairs and as an anchor store—a chain pharmacy.” A mixed-use nightmare!

– Marge convinces them to save the heart of the community but they’re going to have to ask people for money. Apu actually has an idea to save the church to keep people from stealing from him and from killing him also. Too bad it can’t save him from being held up by the Sea Captain who’s apparently addicted to Oxy.

– Apu presents his idea but doesn’t like to be called a heathen by Reverend Lovejoy. “It offends Hanuman, the monkey-headed lord of winds who believed the sun to be a ripe mango.” Apu’s idea to save the church is counting cards at Blackjack in the casino. Apu has experience in a card counting ring from when he went to MIT (the Mumbai Institute of Tantric Sex). He made enough money to attend the real MIT with fake SAT scores and promptly failed, was kicked out and moved to Springfield.

– Ned is against the gambling idea but Lovejoy convinces Flanders by pointing out biblical characters drawing lots in the good book. Now that Ned knows gambling is ok, he can finally get medical insurance for the boys. Ouch… that shouldn’t be so funny but I really laughed at that last one.

– Apu points out that card counting is not cheating it’s just math and not officially against the rules. Worst thing that could happen is the church gang gets beaten by a phone book or the casino breaks some fingers. Gotta love Apu giving the group a crooked thumbs up as he says, “It is all good.” Apu teaches the church group to count cards. He’s actually a good teacher. The church gang thinks of what could happen if they don’t take Apu’s option.

– If you’re all wondering who Crystal Hitchens is, it’s a nod to famous atheist and journalist Christopher Hitchens. He certainly was an interesting fellow. Anyone who blasts Mother Teresa would be.

– Marge goes off to “fund raise” but can’t tell Homer. Her lie is that the church is putting on a revue. Ned, Mr. and Mrs. Lovejoy, Agnes, Mel and Marge all end up quite good at the card counting scheme aka a morally acceptable screw job. They hit up the La Belle Frottage Casino and enjoy their winnings at Skobo’s. Mmmmmm…. marshmallow-y s’more-garita.

– Marge is so excited at helping the church she feels like a non-calendar celebration. “Night marriage rules!” Homer is very curious about the revue though… why is he always so attentive when he shouldn’t be?

– Apu warns the group that the casino might be on to them so now it’s time for costumes!

– Bart and Lisa want to tell Marge about the broken freezer at school and how they had to cook all the Tater Tots and teachers took some home in manila envelopes but she’s all dressed up and headed to the casino. Marge lets them know she’s doing math (not gambling lol) to make money for the church.

– The gang hits it big at the casino and finish off at the Quantity Inn. Unfortunately Homer has been kidnapped by the casino guys. Homer’s pretty upset… how could Marge give up on the revue? Turns out Bart & Lisa gave up their secret and Homer didn’t want them to all end up orphans and got pulled aside for questions in the beating room. Marge rushes to tell Reverend Lovejoy and finds him still dressed Emo and having a little Asphodel and corpse bride Belladonna fun with the Mrs. The rev already gave the money to the contractor though.

– Homer doesn’t get why the casino claims Marge stole from them. “Football players can do the quarterback sneak and baseball players can steal bases. Why can’t I just remember which cards have been played?” Bring in the vice that Homer knew the tough guys had.

– The counting ring says maybe its God’s will that Homer be punished but Marge knows God isn’t a gamer or Sky Police. She’s off to pray to her maker in her new temple… the casino. Her praying gains the attention of the C. O. O. of the gaming and resorts division of Stuffer’s Italian Foods (argh! I need to eat!). As long as she stops praying and people can get back to gaming, they’ll return Homer. She just can’t take her faith-based counting ring to any river or maritime casino ever again.

– Bring on the end with a beautiful moment of Homer believing in God. Well… Hanuman but still a funny ending. It is Homer after all.

– The very end is one last episode of Wiggum as Sky Police… we all knew we wanted to see more of it. Now Snake has a jet pack too!

All in all I really likde this episode. It had lots of jokes and everything was tied together from beginning to end. Marge was involved in gambling and this time it wasn’t all about addiction. Sure the church got destroyed again but the writers found a fresh way to rebuild it. Apu got some more back-story and Wiggum got some hilarious bits. Marge realized an important moral lesson of sorts and all ended well.

If you look at the episode title it’s actually pretty clever… literally Wiggum’s shenanigans and God and the casino as the Sky Police. What did you think of the episode? Sound off below and stay classy. Now all I need is a jet pack and some lasagna.

TTFN… Wookiee out!