QUICK SYNOPSIS

Bart is reluctant to hang out with Ralph Wiggum, until he gains access to Chief Wiggum’s master key to the city.

POINTLESS GUEST STAR(S)

Not a one.

WHY THIS EPISODE SUCKS

“This Little Wiggy” is on the good edge of mediocrity. Is it likely that this is one of the most iconic episodes in the post-Classic era? Maybe. Not since “I Love Lisa” have we seen Ralph shine. Well… not shine. He mostly glistens. Wetly.

The problem I have with this episode is the exaggeration of Ralph’s character. It’s becoming clear that Mike Scully wants to bring minor characters to the forefront, what with Moe in “Dumbbell Indemnity”, Principal Skinner in “The Principal and the Pauper”, Apu in “The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons”, and Krusty in “The Last Tempatation of Krust”. Ralph is supposed to be this dimwitted little spaz, but now he borders on mentally challenged. The eight-year-old boy running around playing Wiggle Puppy in public isn’t the same well-meaning lovesick boy from “I Love Lisa”. Would Season 9 Ralph be able to play George Washington in the school play? Or would he merely just wallow in a pool of melted fudgsicles? We go even further by introducing the leprechaun who tells Ralph to burn things. Are we to believe now that Ralph teeters on the brink of complete psychosis? I thought he was just a kid who brought Star Wars figurines to a diorama competition, not an arsonist. Weird, right?

The third act is dumb, too. Taking Chief Wiggum’s skeleton key to the old, abandoned (but still guarded?) penitentiary just so we can lead into a shitty sequence where Quimby sits in the electric chair? Lazy writing.

I like the joke where Chief Wiggum gives the kids riot gear on the house. So I guess it isn’t all bad.

IMDb TRIVIA FUNHOUSE!

Episode director Neil Affleck was praised by the staff for his directing in this episode. Affleck was also praised for his ability to create three new elaborate settings in the episode: the science museum, the Springfield penitentiary, and the large toy store.
Kudos to Neil! Round of applause for the man, ladies and gentlemen. The dude really knows how to create three new elaborate settings. Wow. Conan O’Brien invented a whole monorail in Season 4, but ok.

When Bart looks through the police records, he finds Homer’s and comments, “Wow, Homer’s been in jail six times.” Originally, the line after that was, “Aw, he killed a swan at the zoo,” but the line was changed to “Aw, Mom’s only been in jail twice.” The resulting line change raises questions of how Marge’s arrest information can be on Homer’s police record.
I’ll field this one: It was a poorly written joke! There, that was easy.

The episode originally did not involve Lisa helping Ralph and Bart to brainstorm an idea to alert the penitentiary. The original scene, which Dan Greaney cites as one of his favorite scenes in the show, despite never actually being in the show, involved Bart, Ralph, and Homer trying to make a plan to save Mayor Quimby.
Too bad it’ll never see the light of day, because I trust some dipshit named “Dan Greaney” to tell me how good a scene in the show would be. Oh look, I found a piece of the original script!

Bart: “We need to get to the penitentiary, quick!”
Ralph: “My daddy penitentaries bad guys all the time!” *falls on face*
Bart: *groan* “Ralph, you’re dead weight!”
Homer: “Let’s go, boys! I’ve got my keys!” *holds up giant novelty foam baseball glove* “D’oh!” *falls on face*

FINAL GRADE
C+