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The Squirt and the Whale
To Surveil With Love
Moe Letter Blues

Cultural references[]

  • The title is a reference to the movie To Sir, with Love.
  • The song played on the beginning of the episode is "Tik Tok" by Ke$ha. It was part of the "Fox Rocks" promotion, a week of music themed episodes in different TV shows on the FOX Channel.
  • The episode partially refers to ongoing controversies, in both America and the UK, about surveillance.
  • The company that installs the city-wide camera system is called "Orwell Security," a reference to George Orwell and his novel 1984, about a dictatorial government that maintained control over the population by keeping everyone under surveillance.
    • Ned saying he did not want to be Big Brother is also a reference to the novel, where "Big Brother" is the name by which the leader of the dystopic, totalitarian government, is known.
  • Nagasonic speakers are similar to megasonic speakers.
  • The song that plays at the end of the episode and through the credits is Get Ready for This by 2 Unlimited.
  • British and American Reality Show 'Big Brother' is referenced in this episode by Ned.
  • The CSI: Crime Scene Investigation series is mentioned in one of the school's banners for the second debate.
  • The gay bar patrons resembling Bert and Ernie is a reference to the real-world speculation claiming that Bert and Ernie are a gay couple; the speculation was disproven in 2018 when Sesame Street confirmed Bert and Ernie were not gay, but "just friends." Patrons resembling Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch can also been seen in the bar.

Trivia[]

  • The sign on the town hall reads:
    • Tonight: Discuss Terrorist Threat. Tomorrow: Regret Actions Taken Tonight.
  • El Barto is written on the steps at the police station.
  • When Homer lets people into his blind spot, his outfit is almost the same as the one he imagined himself wearing as Don Homer in "Last Exit to Springfield". However, his shirt is gray instead of the blue as seen in the earlier episode.
  • It is possible that making The American Oafs was a plan from the beginning. Duffman could have given out free Duff stuff so Homer keep a bag with him. Then, somebody working at the power plant deliberately filled up the plutonium. Next, the Springfield Station Man distracted Homer so the town would think that somebody is trying to destroy Springfield. Finally, Nigel Bakerbutcher said the town should put up security cameras, thus starting The American Oafs.
  • The plot of a secret reality show being filmed mirrors the plot of The Simpsons: Hit & Run.
  • Prince Charles says the same thing Ralph said in "Lisa's Rival".
  • During the second act of the episode, there was a cliffhanger in Lisa's storyline in which she dyes her hair. She is absent in the third act, but returns in the fourth act where she is revealed to have brown hair, smooth and pointless.
  • This is the second episode where a Simpson joins a debate team. The first being "The Way We Was".
  • When Ned Flanders is looking at the surveillance cameras, you can see an April calendar in the background with X's on it that matches with April 2010. It is Sunday, April 18, 2010.
  • The last time Homer pulled money out of his pubic area was in "Catch 'Em if You Can".
  • Before Marge comes, Jimbo adds an N to a word that has FU and it's likely he was going to write out the F word or use the letters as a shortened version of F you.
  • Lisa paints her hair brown in this episode, but in the season 22 episode "The Blue and the Gray", she seems not to know where her hairline is, as it's the same color as her skin.
  • Comic Book Guy jokes that the Comic-Con in San Diego would be moving to Anaheim. There actually was a potential move but it did not happen.
  • Anaheim is the third largest city in the Greater Los Angeles Metropolitan Area by population, housing about 340,000 residents as of 2017 and is located in the heart of Orange County. Anaheim is home to some of the most famous attractions in the country. Some include, the Anaheim Ducks, who play at the Honda Center, the Anaheim Angels, who play at the Anaheim Angels Stadium, Disneyland Resort, one of the most visited theme parks in the world, and the Anaheim Convention Center, one of the most popular convention center meeting spots in the United States.
  • Disney+ renamed the episode "The Surveil With Love".

Goofs[]

  • Homer says "Guess which company had a giveaway last night", but when Duffman leaves it's bright outside.
  • The chalk that are on the chalkboard disappear and reappear during Lisa and Megan's conversation.
  • Mr. Burns says to Smithers that he has the very idiot to put the plutonium into the bag, even though Smithers cannot see Homer because he only has a screen to see Burns on.
  • Homer says that it is time for dinner, the clock was saying "6:55" even though the Simpsons ate at 7:00 P.M. Although it could be that Marge was preparing dinner so Homer says that to exaggerate the time.
  • Marge was not seen in the Town Hall until she asks if Nigel speaks with an accent.
  • As Lisa interrupts Nigel, Maggie disappears.
  • When Chief Wiggum got a group of residents to watch the screen, since he got bored from watching them, the group included Julius Hibbert, Waylon Smithers, Jr., Luann Van Houten, Kirk Van Houten, Elizabeth Hoover, Helen Lovejoy, Ned Flanders, and Marge Simpson. However, by the end, just Marge and Ned are left. It’s possible that they got bored too, and took a rest.
  • When Bart was talking to Homer while his shorts were down, his genitalia cannot be seen for obvious reasons.
  • Grandpa crashes Homer's car into the school. But later it appears in great condition as Ned drives it while Homer shoots at the cameras.
ToSurveilWithLove
  • In the promo of this episode, Prince Charles' cat is gray instead of white. Also, the eyes of the cat have the same color as the body.  Also in that scene the view was from behind the queen and prince, showing the TV.  In the actual episode, the scene is viewed from in front of them, with no possible way to see the TV.
  • Ke$ha was not credited for singing the song "Tik Tok" at the beginning.
  • With an explosion that big releasing high amounts of radioactivity, everyone near the train station would be instantly killed or severely injured, but Chief Wiggum didn't even get hurt.
  • It was mentioned that the Simpsons' backyard was the only blind spot in town, however everyone's houses and backyards would be a blind spot as they are private residences.

Censorship[]

On October 28th 2022 Channel 4 cut these four scenes

  • Nelson calling Milhouse a "spaz" was cut, this was also cut in FOX airings.
  • The cops beating the flower saleswomen with clubs was cut.
  • The debate about having sex with animals was cut.
  • Brandine drinking moonshine while pregnant was cut.
Season 20 Season 21 References/Trivia Season 22
Homer the WhopperBart Gets a "Z"The Great Wife HopeTreehouse of Horror XXThe Devil Wears NadaPranks and GreensRednecks and BroomsticksO Brother, Where Bart Thou?Thursdays with AbieOnce Upon a Time in SpringfieldMillion Dollar MaybeBoy Meets CurlThe Color YellowPostcards From the WedgeStealing First BaseThe Greatest Story Ever D'ohedAmerican History X-cellentChief of HeartsThe Squirt and the WhaleTo Surveil With LoveMoe Letter BluesThe Bob Next DoorJudge Me Tender
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