In Marge We Trust - Revision history

201.239.69.204 at 15:47, May 1, 2026

2026-05-01T15:47:26Z

Solar Dragon at 12:02, May 1, 2026

2026-05-01T12:02:38Z

MaxPower: /* Production */

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‎Production

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‎Reception: replaced: == Synopsis == → == Synopsis == (5), “ → ", ” → ", replaced: → (10)

Solar Dragon at 16:38, April 25, 2026

2026-04-25T16:38:46Z

Solar Dragon at 16:29, April 25, 2026

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Solar Dragon at 15:58, April 25, 2026

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Solar Dragon at 15:17, April 25, 2026

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Solar Dragon at 15:15, April 25, 2026

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← Older revision		Revision as of 15:47, May 1, 2026
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	As of April [[2026]], "In Marge We Trust" has an 8.1 rating on {{W\|IMDb}}.<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0701136/ IMDb - "In Marge We Trust"]</ref>		As of April [[2026]], "In Marge We Trust" has an 8.1 rating on {{W\|IMDb}}.<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0701136/ IMDb - "In Marge We Trust"]</ref>
		+
		+	== In other languages ==
		+	{{LanguageBox
		+	\|de=yes
		+	\|deName=Marge als Seelsorgerin
		+	\|deTrans=Marge as a pastor
		+	\|es=yes
		+	\|esName=En Marge confiamos
		+	\|esTrans=We trust Marge
		+	\|la=yes
		+	\|laName=Pregúntale a Marge
		+	\|laTrans=Ask Marge
		+	\|fr=yes
		+	\|frName=Je crois en Marge
		+	\|frTrans=I believe in Marge
		+	\|qu=yes
		+	\|quName=Je crois en Marge
		+	\|quTrans=I believe in Marge
		+	\|it=yes
		+	\|itName=In Marge abbiamo fede
		+	\|itTrans=In Marge we have faith
		+	\|br=yes
		+	\|brName=Em Marge Confiamos
		+	\|brTrans=In Marge We Trust
		+	\|jp=yes
		+	\|jpName=マージのテレホン人生相談
		+	\|jpTrans=Marge's Telephone Life Counseling
		+	}}

	== References ==		== References ==

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:02, May 1, 2026
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 The trip to the dump was inspired by Donick Cary's youth, where he would go "dump picking". The producers then came up with the idea of having Homer's face on a box.<ref name="Cary"/> The writers watched a tape of Japanese commercials to get inspiration for the Mr. Sparkle commercial.<ref name="Groening">{{Com|Groening, Matt|In Marge We Trust|Eighth|(2006).|link=Matt Groening}}</ref> The reason Mr. Sparkle looked like Homer came from [[George Meyer]] after hours had been spent trying to come up with a realistic ending.<ref name="Cary"/> Matsumura Fishworks was named after a friend of [[David X. Cohen]], Ichiro Matsumura.<ref name="Cohen">{{Com|Cohen, David X.|In Marge We Trust|Eighth|(2006).|link=David X. Cohen}}</ref>
-An earlier draft of the episode had Reverend Lovejoy take over the church from [[Jasper Beardley]].<ref name="Moore">{{Com|Moore, Steven Dean|In Marge We Trust|Eighth|(2006).|link=Steven Dean Moore}}</ref>
+An earlier draft of the episode had Reverend Lovejoy take over the church from [[Jasper Beardley]].<ref name="Moore">{{Com|Moore, Steven Dean|In Marge We Trust|Eighth|(2006).|link=Steven Dean Moore}}</ref> There is also a scene at the beginning where Lovejoy telling everyone that he'll see them next Sunday. Marge tells him she didn't understand his sermon, but Lovejoy signals that he's not interested.
 == Reception ==

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 Authors of the book ''I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide'', Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, said that the episode was "A rare case of both storylines being worthy of full episodes in their own right, this is a cracking episode which highlights the unduly neglected Rev. Lovejoy and makes you realise Homer isn't the only one ready to kill Ned Flanders! Great stuff."<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20050731090402/http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season8/page22.shtml BBC Cult - "In Marge We Trust"] (archived on {{W|Wayback Machine}})</ref>
-In a [[2015]] review by ''{{W|The A.V. Club}}'', Alasdair Wilkins says that what makes the episode special is "that it does something so different from almost any other episode" because it "breaks that mold" of keeping the show so focused on the Simpson family.<ref>[https://www.avclub.com/the-simpsons-classic-in-marge-we-trust-1798183345 The A.V. Club - "The Simpsons (Classic): “In Marge We Trust”"]</ref>
+In a [[2015]] review by ''{{W|The A.V. Club}}'', Alasdair Wilkins says that what makes the episode special is "that it does something so different from almost any other episode" because it "breaks that mold" of keeping the show so focused on the Simpson family.<ref>[https://www.avclub.com/the-simpsons-classic-in-marge-we-trust-1798183345 The A.V. Club - "The Simpsons (Classic): "In Marge We Trust""]</ref>
 In a [[2000]] article for ''{{W|Entertainment Weekly}}'', Matt Groening ranked "In Marge We Trust" as his fifth favorite episode of the show, despite being a "peculiar episode."<ref>[https://ew.com/article/2000/01/14/springfield-dreams/ Entertainment Weekly - "Springfield of Dreams"]</ref> Showrunner Josh Weinstein called "In Marge We Trust" one of the best of the season and one of the most underrated ''Simpsons'' episodes of all time. The Mr. Sparkle commercial is also one of his favorite sequences of the show.<ref name="Weinstein"/>

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 == Production ==
-"In Marge We Trust" was the first episode written by [[Donick Cary]]. Cary was a bit disappointed that his first episode would be about Marge's crisis of faith.<ref name="Cary">{{Com|Cary, Donick|In Marge We Trust|Eighth|(2006).|link=Donick Cary}}</ref> Showrunner [[Josh Weinstein]] said that in [[season 8]], they wanted to explore more secondary characters in episodes. Up to this point, they considered Lovejoy to be a one or two note character, so they wanted to develop him more.<ref name="Weinstein">{{Com|Weinstein, Josh|In Marge We Trust|Eighth|(2006).|link=Josh Weinstein}}</ref>
+"In Marge We Trust" was the first episode written by [[Donick Cary]]. Cary was a bit disappointed that his first episode would be about Marge's crisis of faith.<ref name="Cary">{{Com|Cary, Donick|In Marge We Trust|Eighth|(2006).|link=Donick Cary}}</ref> Showrunner [[Josh Weinstein]] said that in [[season 8]], they wanted to explore more secondary characters in episodes. Up to this point, they considered Lovejoy to be a one- or two-note character, so they wanted to develop him more.<ref name="Weinstein">{{Com|Weinstein, Josh|In Marge We Trust|Eighth|(2006).|link=Josh Weinstein}}</ref>
-The trip to the dump was inspired by Donick Cary's youth where he would go "dump picking". The producers then came up with the idea of having Homer's face on a box.<ref name="Cary"/> The writers watched a tape of Japanese commercials to get inspiration for the Mr. Sparkle commercial.<ref name="Groening">{{Com|Groening, Matt|In Marge We Trust|Eighth|(2006).|link=Matt Groening}}</ref> The reason as to why Mr. Sparkle looked like Homer came from [[George Meyer]] after hours had been spent trying to come up with a realistic ending.<ref name="Cary"/> Matsumura Fishworks was named after a friend of [[David X. Cohen]], Ichiro Matsumura.<ref name="Cohen">{{Com|Cohen, David X.|In Marge We Trust|Eighth|(2006).|link=David X. Cohen}}</ref>
+The trip to the dump was inspired by Donick Cary's youth, where he would go "dump picking". The producers then came up with the idea of having Homer's face on a box.<ref name="Cary"/> The writers watched a tape of Japanese commercials to get inspiration for the Mr. Sparkle commercial.<ref name="Groening">{{Com|Groening, Matt|In Marge We Trust|Eighth|(2006).|link=Matt Groening}}</ref> The reason Mr. Sparkle looked like Homer came from [[George Meyer]] after hours had been spent trying to come up with a realistic ending.<ref name="Cary"/> Matsumura Fishworks was named after a friend of [[David X. Cohen]], Ichiro Matsumura.<ref name="Cohen">{{Com|Cohen, David X.|In Marge We Trust|Eighth|(2006).|link=David X. Cohen}}</ref>
 An earlier draft of the episode had Reverend Lovejoy take over the church from [[Jasper Beardley]].<ref name="Moore">{{Com|Moore, Steven Dean|In Marge We Trust|Eighth|(2006).|link=Steven Dean Moore}}</ref>
 == Reception ==
-The authors of the book ''I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide'', Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, said: "A rare case of both storylines being worthy of full episodes in their own right, this is a cracking episode which highlights the unduly neglected Rev. Lovejoy and makes you realise Homer isn't the only one ready to kill Ned Flanders! Great stuff." In a 2000 Entertainment Weekly article, [[Matt Groening]] ranked it as his fifth favorite in the history of the show.
+In its original broadcast, "In Marge We Trust" was watched by 9.8 million households, finishing 25th in ratings for the week of April 21–27, 1997, with a Nielsen rating of 10.1. It was the third-highest-rated show on the Fox network that week, following ''[[The X-Files]]'' and ''[[King of the Hill]]''.<ref>{{cite news|title=NBC holds onto lead as sweeps start|work={{W|Sun Sentinel}} |page=4E |date=May 1, 1997}}</ref>
-Showrunner Josh Weinstein called "In Marge We Trust" one of the best of the season and and one of the most underrated ''Simpsons'' episodes of all time. The Mr. Sparkle commercial is also one of his favorite sequences of the show.<ref name="Weinstein"/>
+Authors of the book ''I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide'', Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, said that the episode was "A rare case of both storylines being worthy of full episodes in their own right, this is a cracking episode which highlights the unduly neglected Rev. Lovejoy and makes you realise Homer isn't the only one ready to kill Ned Flanders! Great stuff."<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20050731090402/http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season8/page22.shtml BBC Cult - "In Marge We Trust"] (archived on {{W|Wayback Machine}})</ref>
 == References ==

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 Marge goes back to the church to talk to Reverend Lovejoy about his sermons. She tells him that the church could be doing more to reach out to people. Lovejoy tells her that he doesn't see her volunteering to help make things better, so Marge decides to do just that. At the Springfield Dump, Homer and Bart get the Christmas tree out of the car and dump it before they go scrounging for anything interesting. Bart calls Homer and Lisa over to him after he finds a box of {{ap|Mr. Sparkle|product}} with a mascot who looks just like Homer on the front.
 At the church, Marge finishes doing several chores as Lovejoy gets a call from [[Principal Skinner]]. Lovejoy tells Skinner to just read the Bible, and doesn't even give him a specific passage to read. Marge is disappointed in Lovejoy for giving him lackluster advice, and Lovejoy tells her that he used to be like her fresh out of seminary, but then [[Ned Flanders]] started asking for advice all the time. This eventually became too much for the reverend, and he stopped caring. Marge says that he can't let a few bad experiences sour him on helping people, but he says that he can. The phone rings, and he tells Marge to answer it. The caller turns out to be [[Moe]], who wants advice because he has lost the will to live. Marge tells him that he has lots to live for, which makes him happier.
@@ Line 37: / Line 38: @@
 During the next church service, Reverend Lovejoy replaces his usual sermons with a retelling of how he saved Ned. The church congregation is hooked on the story and listens to his every word.
 == Reception ==
-The authors of the book ''I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide'', Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, said: "A rare case of both storylines being worthy of full episodes in their own right, this is a cracking episode which highlights the unduly neglected Rev. Lovejoy and makes you realise Homer isn't the only one ready to kill Ned Flanders! Great stuff." In a 2000 Entertainment Weekly article, [[Matt Groening]] ranked it as his fifth favorite in the history of the show. [[Josh Weinstein]] described it as one the best of the season, as well as being one of the most underated episodes of all time. He also described the Mr. Sparkle commercial as his all time favorite sequence.
+The authors of the book ''I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide'', Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, said: "A rare case of both storylines being worthy of full episodes in their own right, this is a cracking episode which highlights the unduly neglected Rev. Lovejoy and makes you realise Homer isn't the only one ready to kill Ned Flanders! Great stuff." In a 2000 Entertainment Weekly article, [[Matt Groening]] ranked it as his fifth favorite in the history of the show.
 {{Images|ep=yes}}

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 |blackboard=
 |couchgag= The couch is absent. In its place is a vending machine, which drops a couch from the ceiling onto Homer.
-|guests= [[Sab Shimono]] as [[Mr. Sparkle]]<br>[[Gedde Watanabe]] as the [[Factory foreman]]<br>[[Frank Welker]] as the baboons
+|guests= [[Sab Shimono]] as [[Mr. Sparkle]], the [[Japanese businessman]], and the announcer<br>[[Gedde Watanabe]] as the [[factory foreman]], [[factory worker]], [[Japanese tourist]], and {{ap|reporter|In Marge We Trust}}<br>[[Frank Welker]] as the baboons
 |showrunner1= Bill Oakley
 |showrunner2= Josh Weinstein
@@ Line 18: / Line 18: @@
 }}
-"'''In Marge We Trust'''" is the twenty-second episode of [[Season 8|broadcast season 8]] of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' and the one hundred seventy-fifth episode overall. It originally aired on April 27, [[1997]]. The episode was written by [[Donick Cary]] and directed by [[Steven Dean Moore]]. It guest stars [[Sab Shimono]] as [[Mr. Sparkle]], [[Gedde Watanabe]] as the [[Factory foreman]], and [[Frank Welker]] as the baboons.
+"'''In Marge We Trust'''" is the twenty-second episode of [[Season 8|broadcast season 8]] of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' and the one hundred seventy-fifth episode overall. It originally aired on April 27, [[1997]]. The episode was written by [[Donick Cary]] and directed by [[Steven Dean Moore]]. It guest stars [[Sab Shimono]] as [[Mr. Sparkle]], the [[Japanese businessman]], and the announcer, [[Gedde Watanabe]] as the [[factory foreman]], [[factory worker]], [[Japanese tourist]], and {{ap|reporter|In Marge We Trust}}, and [[Frank Welker]] as the baboons.
 == Synopsis ==

@@ Line 24: / Line 24: @@
 == Plot ==
-[[Reverend Lovejoy]]'s service on "constancy" sends nearly the entire congregation to sleep. After church [[Homer]] takes [[Bart]] and [[Lisa]] to the [[Springfield City Dump]] to dispose of their old Christmas tree, where they find a box of Japanese dishwasher detergent known as [[Mr. Sparkle]]. The face on the box of detergent greatly resembles Homer. The Japanese writing on the box says that he will banish food particles to the land of wind and ghosts.
+[[Bart]] and [[Lisa]] are watching ''[[The Itchy & Scratchy Show]]'' episode "[[Deaf Comedy Blam!]]" on Sunday morning when their laughter wakes up [[Homer]] and [[Marge]]. Marge realizes they are late for church, and the family quickly gets ready to leave. At the [[First Church of Springfield]], [[Reverend Lovejoy]] is giving a sermon on constancy, which is boring everyone. Homer falls asleep and bangs his head on the pew in front of him, causing him to shout out in pain. Lovejoy then decides to start his sermon from the beginning as he has lost his place due to Homer's outburst. When the [[Simpson family|Simpsons]] get home, they quickly begin removing their church clothes. Marge is annoyed at the family because they're treating church as a chore when it should be helping them through life. Homer then tells Marge that he, [[Bart]], and [[Lisa]] are going to the [[Springfield City Dump]] to get rid of their old [[Christmas]] tree and go rummaging for anything interesting.
-Meanwhile, [[Marge]] becomes concerned with [[Reverend Lovejoy]]'s lack of enthusiasm about helping people. She learns that he used to be enthusiastic about his job until Neds endless barrage of petty problems made him what he was today. She begins working for the [[First Church of Springfield|Church]] as "The Listen Lady", listening to people describe their problems, and helping to solve them. Reverend Lovejoy soon realizes his inadequacy and begins to feel depressed.
+Marge goes back to the church to talk to Reverend Lovejoy about his sermons. She tells him that the church could be doing more to reach out to people. Lovejoy tells her that he doesn't see her volunteering to help make things better, so Marge decides to do just that. At the Springfield Dump, Homer and Bart get the Christmas tree out of the car and dump it before they go scrounging for anything interesting. Bart calls Homer and Lisa over to him after he finds a box of {{ap|Mr. Sparkle|product}} with a mascot who looks just like Homer on the front.
-Homer, disturbed by the box of Mr. Sparkle, contacts the manufacturer in Hokkaidō, Japan for information. He is sent a promotional video for Mr. Sparkle, which consists of a bizarre TV commercial. At the end of the video, the mascot is shown to be a result of a joint venture between two large Japanese conglomerates, ''Matsumura Fishworks'' and ''Tamaribuchi Heavy Manufacturing Concern''. Their mascots, a fish and light bulb, merge together to form Mr. Sparkle; thus, Homer discovers the similarity was a mere coincidence.
+At the church, Marge finishes doing several chores as Lovejoy gets a call from [[Principal Skinner]]. Lovejoy tells Skinner to just read the Bible, and doesn't even give him a specific passage to read. Marge is disappointed in Lovejoy for giving him lackluster advice, and Lovejoy tells her that he used to be like her fresh out of seminary, but then [[Ned Flanders]] started asking for advice all the time. This eventually became too much for the reverend, and he stopped caring. Marge says that he can't let a few bad experiences sour him on helping people, but he says that he can. The phone rings, and he tells Marge to answer it. The caller turns out to be [[Moe]], who wants advice because he has lost the will to live. Marge tells him that he has lots to live for, which makes him happier.
-One day, [[Ned Flanders]] calls Marge for help. [[Jimbo]], Dolph, and [[Kearney]] are hanging around outside the [[Leftorium]], and he is worried that they will start causing trouble. Marge suggests he shoo them away. Unbeknownst to him, the trio are about to leave, but when he goes and asks them to leave, they decide to harass him instead. Ned calls Marge again, whilst he is standing on a chair with the three boys circling him on their motorbikes. She suggests that he "lay down the law"; when one of the boys snips the phone cord, Marge assumes that Ned has hung up and that everything is fine.
+At the dinner table, Homer asks Marge why she chose to volunteer at the church. Homer then pulls the Mr. Sparkle out at the table, saying he's obsessed with it. Homer takes the box to [[The Happy Sumo]] to ask [[Akira]] to read it for him. Akira explains that it's Mr. Sparkle, created in Hokkaido, [[Japan]], and that it's a popular dish detergent. Meanwhile, Marge is becoming popular at the church and many people are coming to her for advice. Later, Homer goes to the [[Old Springfield Library]] and asks for a phone book for Hokkaido. The librarian pulls out a phone book from behind the desk, and Homer asks to use the phone. He calls the [[Mr. Sparkle Factory]] and talks to an [[Factory worker|employee]] there who tells him that the company will send him a package to answer his questions.
-The next morning, Maude informs Marge that Ned is missing. Marge realizes that she may be partially responsible for his disappearance. Marge goes to Reverend Lovejoy for help, and the two of them track Ned to the [[Springfield Zoo|zoo]]. Jimbo, Dolph, and Kearney have abandoned their pursuit, but Ned is trapped in the baboon exhibit. While the Simpson family watches on, Reverend Lovejoy rescues Ned in the baboon's food train, defeating several of the animals in doing so. Now that he feels useful again, Reverend Lovejoy rediscovers his passion for his job, regaling his congregation with the tale of Ned's rescue.
+At church, Reverend Lovejoy is giving a sermon and becomes annoyed when the congregation starts praising Marge. After church has ended, Lovejoy wonders what he did to lose his flock. The stained glass window pictures of [[Saint Bartholomew]], [[Saint Donickus]], [[Saint Eleutherius]], and [[Saint Lucian]] then start talking to him, making him realize that he did nothing to keep his flock interested. [[Helen Lovejoy]] calls Marge to ask if she has any advice for her husband, but Marge tells her to just give him a couple of days to get over what he's going through. Back at the Simpson house, Homer receives a videotape. He, Bart, and Lisa watch it to find that it's a commercial for [[Mr. Sparkle]], which features the mascot. At the end of the commercial, it is revealed that the Mr. Sparkle company is a merger of [[Matsumura Fishworks]] and [[Tamaribuchi Heavy Manufacturing Concern]]. The two logos together make Mr. Sparkle, meaning the resemblance to Homer is a coincidence.
 == Reception ==

@@ Line 21: / Line 21: @@
 == Synopsis ==
-{{Desc|[[Marge]] volunteers as an over-the-phone counselor for the church, and the congregation starts turning to Marge more than [[Reverend Lovejoy]]. Meanwhile, [[Homer]] goes on a quest to find out why his likeness is the logo for a Japanese detergent company.}}
+{{Synopsis|[[Marge]] volunteers as an over-the-phone counselor for the church, and the congregation starts turning to Marge more than [[Reverend Lovejoy]]. Meanwhile, [[Homer]] goes on a quest to find out why his likeness is the logo for a Japanese detergent company.}}
 == Plot ==