The Simpsons has traveled to Middle Earth for its latest couch gag. As we approach the release date of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, the timing seems right for the beloved series to get the couch gag treatment over in Springfield, merging The Simpsons with everything Middle Earth has to offer, including hobbits, trolls, dragons and ghosts.
In the video, Homer studies the map, which includes everywhere from "Funkytown" to "Shelbyville" to LAX self-parking, to "The James L. Brook" (a nod to Simpsons producer James L. Brooks). Then he and his family set off, leaving Grandpa behind as they start on the journey. Along the way, they pass Gollum’s cave, where Moe-Gollum meets a cave-girl, but she disappears the second he puts a ring on it. Carl, Lenny and Barney play three trolls who are enjoying some beer before they turn to stone. The Simpsons travel over a bridge, past an Elf Hotel that discriminates against dwarves and Irish. Homer gets snatched by a dragon as he attempts to steal some treasure. And finally, Marge — who’s the Gandalf of the group — zaps ghost versions of Nelson, Jimbo Jones and Kearney in order to pass them and make their way to the comfy couch, the true final destination for any proper couch gag. But only one Simpson gets a seat.
The couch gag’s set to air this Sunday night (November 3) for the episode titled "Four Regrettings and a Funeral." Despite the planned funeral featured in the episode, EW says this episode won’t feature a death of a major character (that's coming next season) nor is it the funeral for the late Marcia Wallace’s character Edna Krabappel. They say the funeral in this episode is for a minor character.
On the subject of The Hobbit, the timing of this couch gag seems fitting for the global fan celebration that’s set to take place Monday, November 4. The event will be hosted from four major cities around the world (New York, London, Wellington and Los Angeles) and simulcast to other cities across the globe. Nearly 15 minutes of footage from The Hobbit will be screened and the stars and filmmakers will participate in a Q&A. More info on that here. Watch one of the trailers for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug here. And you can find a bunch of screenshots from The Simpsons couch gag in the gallery below.
