The Joy of Sect

Season 9, Episode 13, Aired
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Episode Summary

Homer gets a brochure from a religious group at the airport and being highly gullible, he goes to their retreat. Because of Homer's intelligence quotient they have more trouble brainwashing him than the rest of Springfield most of who are all sucked into joining this cult. When they finally succeed with Homer, he signs over the family house to the Leader. The Leader begins taking over various media outlets, making Mr. Burns envy him. Seeing an opportunity to pay even less in taxes, Mr. Burns tries to form his own cult, although he is unsuccessful. Homer and the family move to an agricultural compound and begin picking beans. When the children become just as brainwashed as Homer, Marge escapes and enlists the help of Lovejoy, Flanders, and Willie to kidnap her family. They are able to deprogram them and then Homer tries to show the cult that the Leader is a fraud. When he does, and life returns to normal.moreless
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Cast & Crew

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  • Julie Kavner

    Marge Simpson, Patty Bouvier, and Selma Bouvier

  •

    Harry Shearer

    Mr. Burns, Ned Flanders, Principal Skinner, Waylon Smithers, Kent Brockman, and others

  •

    Dan Castellaneta

    Homer Simpson, Grampa Simpson, Barney Gumble, Krusty the Clown, Groundskeeper Willie, and others

Fan Episode Reviews (7)

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  • this was a good ep

    8.5
    "Great"
    By cube2k8, May 24, 2010 Report Abuse
    in this ep of the simpsons there is a cult that comes to springfield and they are having others sign over everything they own to the leader and they come to homer and they cant program homer like they did theo others so homer signs over everything to the leader and homer thinks the leader is good and stuff but . turns out no one has ever seen the leader really. and they work and homer gets deprogramed by marge and homer gets the group to dispand and they find out the leader was really taken peoples money nad they take him down. this was a good epmoreless

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  • The Joy of Sect

    10
    "Perfect"
    By futuramarama, Apr 19, 2010 Report Abuse
    Homer is brainwashed into joining a cult, and the cult expands to other Springfield citizens. Marge tries to save her kids and Homer because she was never brainwashed. In the end, they are all saved, and the cult leader turns out to be a maniac who just wanted money.

    This was an interesting episode on cults, and I think, for the most part, it was handled pretty nicely. It had some good jokes and an overall good plot. I can name two hilarious jokes off the top of my head. My overall grade for this episode is probably an A+moreless

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  • Homer gets brainwashed?!?! You need a brain for that first!

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By twilightboy, May 14, 2008 Report Abuse
    Ahh! what a great episode! Me being a christian, I enjoy all the episodes that criticize in sucha a good way anything remotely related to God. I know they are critizicing cults which are by defintion destructive, but I can't help but wonder if they are also antagonizing regular world religions. The way Homer buys into this new "religion" is so pathetic. After all these years going to a boring sunday service and getting the same messages over and over again in his head not learning one thing and now just by sitting for a couple of hours in a room watching a movie, he is completely converted, is hard to believe. But that's the way this show is, illogical.moreless

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  • Homer joins the family in a cult and It's up to Marge, Reverend Lovejoy, and Willie to get them out and reveal the secret.

    10
    "Perfect"
    By codename11, Feb 01, 2008 Report Abuse
    A great episode it figures Homer would do something so stupid. One of my favorite moments from the Simpsons ever. Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na LEADER Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Leader Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na LEADER Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na BATMAN oh wait I mean LEADER. Delivery from all voice actors was excellent. I also enjoyed Reverend Lovejoy and Willie in this episode and Marge was kick - butt for her family in escaping the Movementarians scene. Awesome job on to the next episode review!moreless

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  • ANother one of Homer's crazy schemes delivers amazing humor once again!!!

    9.9
    "Superb"
    By Iverson82094, Jan 26, 2008 Report Abuse
    The Simpsons join a religious sect called The Movementarians. The sect worships an all-powerful leader who claims that he will take his followers to the planet Blisstonia, where they will all live lives of uninterrupted happiness. Everyone takes to the Movementarian lifestyle, moving to a compound and working for the leader. But Marge is incredulous and flees the compound. Now free, she hires Groundskeeper Willie to kidnap her husband and kids and deprogram them. The kids return to their unwashed minds, but Homer appears to still believe in Movementarianism. He goes back to the compound and surprises his Movementarian friends by denouncing the leader and proving that his spaceship to Blisstonia is a fake. Because of Homer, the Movementarians disband.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

    ADD TRIVIA
    • The Movementarians who recruit Homer are called Glen and Jane. Edit
    • Syndication cuts from the show all the scenes with the Special K cereal. Edit
    • Syndication cuts out the part where Mr. Burns makes a mention of people kneeling before him as a divine God and Smithers gladly responds to that. Edit

  • Notes

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    • This episode is the origin of the term "Jerkass Homer," used by alt.tv.simpsons members to describe a perceived change in Homer's personality around season nine or so. Homer shouts "Outta my way, Jerkass!" while driving into the Movementarian compound, and once again when he's told there will be a free movie. Edit
    • Blackboard Joke: Shooting paintballs is not an art form. Couch Gag: The family are now micro-sized and Santa's Little Helper takes Homer away. Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Bart: Ha ha! When I'd finished with that people, oh man! Nobody can brainwash to Bart Simpson. Nothing that I can't handle. (pull out a briefcase labeled with "Lil' Bastard Brainwash") (Bart enters to the room) (a few seconds later) Bart: (hypnotized) I love the Leader. Edit
    • (Reverend Lovejoy tries to knock Homer out with a baseball bat) Willie: Give me that, you noodle-armed choir boy! (Willie hits Homer and still doesn't knock him out) Reverend Lovejoy: Well, that didn't do it Mr. Kilt. Edit
    • (Watching the leader drive past) Lisa: We toil in the fields and he drives around in a Rolls-Royce? Homer: Yes, it would be nice if he'd buy American, but what are you going to do? Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • Batman When Homer is fishing he sings "na-na-na-na-na-na-na fishing" and then later the Movementarians chant "na-na-na-na-na-na-na leader" parodying the theme song to the 1960's Batman TV series starring Adam West. Edit
    • Michael Crichton/Stephen King In the airport there is a store called "Just Crichton and King Bookstore" referring to popular authors Michael Crichton and Stephen King. Edit
    • Scientology The Movementarians are based on Scientologists and the leader of Scientology, founder L. Ron Hubbard. Both call themselves religions but are called cults by many and both strong-arm people out of money by using lawyers. Also, the Leader looks just like a younger Hubbard. Nancy Cartwright, who voices Bart Simpson as well as a number of other characters, is a member of the Church of Scientology. Edit

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