The Last of the Red Hat Mamas

"The Last of the Red Hat Mamas" is the seventh episode of Season 17 (originally going to be the last episode of Season 16 in production order).
==Synopsis==
Homer ruins Marge's chance to make friends and, just when she thinks she will never have friends, a woman called Tammy offers her to join a group called "The Cheery Red Tomatoes". Meanwhile, Lisa Simpson wants to learn Italian.
==Full Story==
===Main Story===
The Simpson children participate in the annual Easter celebration at Mayor Quimby's mansion. When Maggie is unable to gather any Easter eggs, Homer attempts to take the other children's eggs. Maggie is delighted, but Hugs Bunny, who is refereeing the egg hunt, voices his displeasure. Homer and Hugs get into a huge fight. Meanwhile, Marge goes on a tour of the mansion, led by Quimby's estranged wife, but matters quickly go downhill when the fight spills into Quimby's office. Marge is embarrassed by Homer's childish actions, and her friends determine she is bad news and shun her.
At home in bed that night when Homer tries to snuggle, Marge tells Homer exactly how she feels, that whenever she tries to make friends he ruins the moment. This leads Homer to try to make amends by trying to find some new friends for Marge. He goes to the supermarket and begins pursuing a potential friend, but the woman (thinking she is being stalked) winds up running into a display of cans.
Where Homer fails, Marge succeeds. At a restaurant, she meets up with members of the Cheery Red Tomatoes. She quickly impresses the group's leader, Tammy, and - after participating in a few low-key meetings - is soon invited to become a member of the women's group.
However, when it comes time for the initiation, Tammy asks Marge to assist in their efforts to break into Burns' mansion to steal $1 million. They explain they are a group that raises funds for charity, and that Burns once promised them that amount to donate to a children's hospital; however, at a press conference, the selfish millionaire announced he plans to keep the money for himself (to undergo a procedure that will extend his life by ten minutes). Marge tells the Cheery Red Tomatoes members she can't go ahead with the robbery, however bad of a person Burns is, but when told her membership rides on her participation, she plans to cast her morals aside and proceed with the robbery.
At home, Homer finds Marge's Tomatoes folder laying around the house and after rummaging through it, learns about the group's plans to break into Burns' safe. He tries to warn the police, but they are too busy watching Officer Eddie direct traffic. Meanwhile, Marge is able to sneak onto Burns' grounds through an air duct and unlock a gate; from there, the women crack open the safe and begin helping themselves to the expensive jewels and other items that sit inside.
As the women are leaving, Chief Wiggum and Burns arrive at the mansion to arrest the women. Burns is disgusted by Chief Wiggum and Lou tiff over Wiggum's pants size. Homer arrives to prevent Marge from doing something she will regret but finds himself a prime suspect in the heist. However, once the situation is explained, Marge realizes she doesn't need the group to make friends; after all, she already has one very special friend - Homer. Marge does, however, give the group a Fabergé egg she took.
=== Sub Story ===
While at school one day, Lisa sees a flier advertising a study abroad program in Rome, Italy and goes to meet with Principal Skinner about it. But during her meeting with the school principal, Lisa discovers that one of the program's main requirements is being fluent in Italian -- she's not but tries convincing Skinner that she is. He's clearly skeptical but, instead of putting her on the spot, decides to test Lisa's supposed fluency at a later date. This gives Lisa time to find a tutor and hopefully learn enough Italian to get accepted into the study abroad program.
Lisa's tutor ultimately turns out to be Milhouse Van Houten. Initially thinking that he and Bart are up to some kind of prank, Lisa's shocked to discover that her brother's best friend is actually fluent in Italian -- Milhouse (who has Italian ancestry through his mother's side of the family) explains that ever since he was a baby, he spends part of each summer visiting Nana Sophie (his maternal grandmother), who lives in Tuscany. Sophie hates the English-language (mainly because of how she was left pregnant by an American-soldier in WW2) and Milhouse was basically forced to learn Italian because every time he spoke in English to his grandmother, she'd beat him with an olive branch.
Milhouse proves to be an excellent tutor and Lisa enjoys the time they spend together during their lessons -- Lisa begins liking Milhouse more and more, but she soon comes across Milhouse tutoring another girl in the same way he taught her. This makes Lisa very angry, and she starts berating him in perfect Italian -- while she does thank Milhouse for teaching her, she soon starts chasing after him in the same way his grandmother would.
==Behind the Laughter==
=== Broadcasting Information ===
USA /Canada
*1st Airdate: Sunday, November 27, 2005
*2nd Airdate: Sunday, January 8, 2006
*3rd Airdate: Sunday, April 16, 2006 (Repeated on Easter Day)
UK
*1st Airdate: Sunday, April 16, 2006 (Aired on Easter Day)
*2nd Airdate: Friday, April 21, 2006 (Encore Screening)
*3rd Airdate: Friday, May 26, 2006
*4th Airdate: Friday, July 7, 2006
*5th Airdate: Monday, August 14, 2006
*6th Airdate: Tuesday, August 29, 2006
' Australia
*1st Airdate: Tuesday, April 4, 2006 (12 Days before EasterThe Last of the Red Hat Mamas)
Iceland
*1st Airdate: Tuesday, August 11, 2006
== Citations ==
fr:Un casse sans casse
pl:The Last of the Red Hat Mamas
pt:A Última das Mães de Chapeu Vermelho
Category:Marge episodes
Category:Lisa episodes
Category:Milhouse episodes
Category:Mayor Quimby episodes
Category:Episodes featuring guest stars
Category:Marge Seeks Friends episodes
Category:Simpson Family Are Pariahs episodes
Category:Mr. Burns Episodes
Category:Crime-themed Episodes
Category:'Of' Episodes
Category:Episodes on DVD
Category:Written by Joel H. Cohen
Category:Directed by Matthew Nastuk
Category:Episodes where Maggie giggles
Category:Episodes in which Homer almost loses Marge