The Simpsons – Season 35 Episode 4 “Thirst Trap: A Corporate Love Story” Recap & Review

Thirst Trap: A Corporate Love Story

Episode four of The Simpsons starts with Lisa interviewing Persephone Odair, the founder of Lifeboat, a startup that claims to have the technology to fully desalinize ocean water into clean drinking water. Persephone is looking for rich investors who can help her raise capital for Lifeboat. Lisa mentions the only person she knows is Montgomery Burns, however, she specifically advises Persephone not to go to Burns. But a fired-up Persephone doesn’t heed her advice and sets out to meet Burns.

Persephone hounds Burns from one place to another urging him to fund her business. Eventually, Burns gives in to Persephone’s persistence and decides to aid her. Lifeboat takes off, and soon, Burns and Persephone get married. The newlyweds become the power couple of the business world.

However, things take a mysterious turn as it seems Persephone is hiding something. Every employee who questions them gets the sack. Following a series of controversial incidents, an anonymous whistleblower comes up with the information that Lifeboat’s desalination machine doesn’t work. The reports rock Lifeboat.

Mr. Burns and Persephone later find out the anonymous whistleblower was nobody but Homer. As a result, Homer is sued for breaking the NDA. Later Lisa makes a video footage that shows Carl admitting to putting a liquid called Jabatose into the Lifeboat devices. This liquid masks the Ocean’s water salt with sweetness, and hence the water remains deadly to drink but the drinker can’t find out.

On the demo day at Springfield Elementary, Lifeboat water is served to children. Homer informs Mr. Burns that Lifeboat and Persephone are fraud, and he must do something about it. Mr. Burns understands and he confronts Persephone about it. Lifeboat goes bankrupt, and Mr. Burns and Persephone get divorced. Persephone is sent to prison for fraud.

The Episode Review

Hands down, the best this season so far and one of the best in the recent years, the latest Simpsons episode engages your attention like an awesome thriller film and slaps satires like a creative work of a clever artist. The narrative is a wonderful web of themes of drama, love, betrayal, wealth, and power. Homer and Lisa appear in the second half in significant cameos.

This is the kind of episode that we expect from a a show of The Simpsons’ calibre – strong, intelligent, funny, and entertaining through and through. We can’t wait to see what’s next.