Livin La Pura Vida

"Livin La Pura Vida" is the 7th episode of the thirty-first season of the American animated sitcom The Simpsons, and the 669th episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on November 17, 2019.[1][2] The writer was Brian Kelley,[3] director was Timothy Bailey.

"Livin La Pura Vida"
The Simpsons episode
Episode no.Season 31
Episode 7
Directed byTimothy Bailey
Written byBrian Kelley
Production codeZABF03
Original air dateNovember 17, 2019 (2019-11-17)
Guest appearance(s)

Plot

While Marge picks up Bart from a sleepover at the Van Houten house, Luann invites the Simpson family to their annual trip to Costa Rica. Marge hurries home to propose the trip and the family quickly accepts. Lisa overhears Homer and Marge as they discuss how expensive the trip will get and quickly becomes worried at the cost herself.

At the airport, the Simpsons meet with the Van Houten family, the Hibbert family, Chalmers and his daughter Shauna, and Patty and her new girlfriend Evelyn, to go on the vacation. Though Homer tries to be nice to Evelyn for Patty's sake, Evelyn openly disparages him after what she heard about him from Patty. After arriving in Costa Rica, Lisa gets more worried by the expenses of the journey. Meanwhile Kirk keeps track of all expenses upfront and will split the checks at the end.

At dinner at the Van Houten vacation home, Homer and Evelyn quickly discover they have a lot in common. The next morning, Homer and Evelyn stay at the beach while the rest of the guests shop. However, the group come back to find the two drunk and sunburned, having let in monkeys who have trashed the entire place. Marge is furious at Homer, and makes him promise to behave for the rest of the trip so she can get the perfect photo of them of their vacation.

Homer and Marge snap the perfect photo of their vacation at a waterfall, but the wave from Evelyn splashing knocks the phone into the water. At dinner, Patty blames a depressed Marge for making Homer reduce her girlfriend to his level. Marge points out how Evelyn ruined everything for her and is a bad influence on Homer because she acts just like him, telling Patty she is "dating a Homer". Patty is horrified and abruptly breaks up with Evelyn that night.

Bart finds Lisa upset and she reveals to him her financial concerns, so Bart suggests they show their parents the expenses in Kirk's book. They sneak into the master bedroom to look for the evidence. Underneath the bed they find what Lisa believes to be rare priceless artifacts. Lisa tries to expose the stones the Van Houtens are selling back home to pay for their vacation every year at dinner, but Kirk tells her off, pointing out that they are just salt and pepper holders: they were meant to be a gift for the families.

The next morning, the Simpsons decide to leave the trip and are quickly given their bill by Kirk. In revenge for Kirk charging them extra for ruining the trip, the family sneak back into the bedroom to take the salt and pepper holders but inadvertently discover a painting of the explorer Kirkedemious Van Houten, who built the house the Van Houtens own, and confront the Van Houtens for making people pay for the trip with their own money while they get the house for free. In the middle of the commotion, Marge has a heart to heart with Patty, apologizing for causing her break-up with Evelyn. She tells Patty that while Homer hates her, Evelyn loves her more than anything else in the world. Patty then agrees to reconcile with Evelyn.

Kirk bitterly refunds the families their money back so they can live the vacation like they intended to. Homer wants to go back to the waterfall to retake the perfect photo of him and Marge, but she convinces him that their vacation is not about being perfect, it is about living in the moment, just as a reconciled Patty and Evelyn kiss on the zipline.

Reception

Tony Sokol of Den of Geek gave this episode three stars out of five.[4]

Dennis Perkins of The A.V. Club gave this episode a B+, stating "'Livin La Pura Vida' is one of the better recent excursions, though, credited writer Brian Kelley steering the family’s group vacation to the Van Houten’s favorite getaway spot in Costa Rica around the sub-genre’s worst pitfalls, while managing to tell a coherent story from beginning to end. There’s even something of a nifty little mystery in how the seemingly no-more well-off Van Houtens are able to afford their annual multi-family trip, and some above-average character work to address the usually ignored financial stress the Simpsons’ single-episode world traveling would cause".[5]

Brian Kelley received a nomination for the Writers Guild of America Award for Outstanding Writing in Animation at the 72nd Writers Guild of America Awards for his script to this episode.[6]

References
  1. "Listings - SIMPSONS, THE on FOX". The Futon Critic. Retrieved 2019-11-18.
  2. Jean, Al [@AlJean] (2019-03-21). ".@TheSimpsons great read today! pic.twitter.com/75uFPZYipz" (Tweet). Retrieved 2019-11-18 – via Twitter.
  3. Jean, Al [@AlJean] (2019-03-23). "@dcguzzler" (Tweet). Retrieved 2019-11-18 – via Twitter.
  4. Sokol, Tony (November 17, 2019). "The Simpsons Season 31 Episode 7 Review: Livin' la Pura Vida". Den of Geek. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
  5. Perkins, Dennis (November 17, 2019). "A well-written Simpsons gives the family a satisfying vacation for a change". TV Club. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
  6. Lindhal, Chris (1 February 2020). "Writers Guild Awards 2020: 'Parasite' and 'JoJo Rabbit' Win Screenplay Awards". IndieWire. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
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