Boy Meets Curl

"Boy Meets Curl"
The Simpsons episode
Promotional image featuring Homer, Marge, Maggie, and Bob Costas
Episode no.	453
Directed by	Chuck Sheetz
Written by	Rob LaZebnik
Showrunner(s)	Al Jean
Production code	MABF05
Original air date	February 14, 2010
Couch gag	The family is depicted as tarot cards in a psychic reading that Grampa has. After the psychic deals the Death card (Maggie), Grampa pushes it back toward her and she falls over dead.
Guest appearance(s)
Bob Costas as himself
Season 21 episodes September 27, 2009 – May 23, 2010 "Homer the Whopper" "Bart Gets a 'Z'" "The Great Wife Hope" "Treehouse of Horror XX" "The Devil Wears Nada" "Pranks and Greens" "Rednecks and Broomsticks" "O Brother, Where Bart Thou?" "Thursdays with Abie" "Once Upon a Time in Springfield" "Million Dollar Maybe" "Boy Meets Curl" "The Color Yellow" "Postcards from the Wedge" "Stealing First Base" "The Greatest Story Ever D'ohed" "American History X-cellent" "Chief of Hearts" "The Squirt and the Whale" "To Surveil with Love" "Moe Letter Blues" "The Bob Next Door" "Judge Me Tender"
Seasons
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

Bob Costas as himself

"Boy Meets Curl" is the twelfth episode of The Simpsons' twenty-first season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 14, 2010. In this episode, Homer and Marge Simpson form a mixed curling team with Agnes and Seymour Skinner, which is chosen to play in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Meanwhile, Lisa begins collecting pins shaped like Olympic mascots, but her obsession soon turns to desperation.

With the Winter Olympics being held in Canada, the writers wanted an Olympic-themed episode that could air during the Games. The script was written by Rob LaZebnik, who considered having the plot revolve around Homer competing in four-man bobsled. However, he decided a curling episode would allow for the plot to revolve around Homer and Marge. In order to try to make the depiction of curling in the episode accurate, the writers visited a curling club and tried the sport themselves. They also consulted with a number of curlers. The episode was directed by Chuck Sheetz, while sportscaster Bob Costas guest-starred in the episode.

Airing during the Olympics, the episode was watched by 5.87 million viewers and had a Nielsen rating of 2.6. The episode received positive reviews from critics, and CTV Olympics reported that Olympic curlers largely enjoyed the episode.

Marge and Homer's plans for a romantic date night fall through when Homer is forced to stay longer than expected at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant to fix a leak in one of the plant's nuclear processing pipes. Looking for a romantic activity after walking out of a movie starring Ben Affleck, they find an ice rink and decide to do some skating. However, they are unable to rent skates because it is curling night. They decide to try it and discover their innate talent for the sport — particularly Marge, who has years of experience sweeping floors. Agnes and Seymour Skinner notice and invite Marge and Homer to join their mixed-doubles team. It is announced that mixed-doubles has been added to the Winter Olympics as a demonstration sport, and the Skinner-Simpson team qualifies for the United States curling trials. Agnes cautions Marge not to let emotions get in the way of winning, relating how a fetal kick by an unborn Seymour foiled her chances at winning gold in pole vault at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki. At the trials, Marge's talented sweeping earns the team a win and a trip to the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.