In the Name of the Grandfather (S20, E14-434)

Nothing like an army veteran dancing on graves to boost your spirits.

Plot Summary
Marge brings the family to a Home & Garden show, much to the disappointment of everyone else.  However, that disdain turns to joy when Homer finds a booth advertising a home spa system, and everyone in the family agrees to get one.  Upon setting it up, the family (and for a time Ned Flanders) melts away in the warm, soothing bubbles provided by the hot tub.  For a moment, the family tries to remember that there was something urgent to attend to, but are too enveloped in pleasure to care.  As it turns out, they're missing Senior-Family day at the retirement home, and Grampa is left alone for yet another social affair.  Angered, the old man goes to the Simpsons home and unplugs and eventually demolishes the hot tub.  The family does feel bad for missing Grampa's event, though, and knowing that Grampa may not be around for much longer, agrees to do one thing on his list of stuff to do before he dies.  Homer decides on an initially simple one: having one more beer at O'Flanagan's Bar.  Then he learns the place is actually in Ireland, but the family goes anyway.

Upon reaching Ireland, Grampa is more than ready to embrace Ireland's rich history.  Unfortunately for him, even Ireland has modernized, and is full of the same businesses and people one could find in, say, Seattle.  Still, O'Flanagan's bar is still around, but Grampa learns its also empty.  He finds an elder O'Flanagan in the back, who reveals that since all of his drunken patrons have since become employed, his business has tanked so bad he can't even remember how to pronounce 'pint' and 'pub'.  Regardless, Grampa and Homer buy a beer.  Marge takes the kids sightseeing in the meantime.  Grampa and Homer actually drink quite a bit, and wake up some time later hungover.  They learn that in their drunken state, they purchased the bar from O'Flanagan, who merrily leaves his dead pub to the pair of suckers.

The two men have as much trouble attracting customers as the previous owner, but Homer recalls there was someone who was able to make money from a old, customer-less bar: Moe!  Moe gets shipped in directly and upon arriving gives the two an important tip: provide a service that no other bar or pub can do, even if its not legal.  Quickly, they realize that smoking in bars is no longer allowed in Ireland, and they decide to run a smoking bar.  As Moe takes his leave, the bar quickly fills up with patrons who love to smoke, however the police arrive in due time and arrest the two for what they're doing.  Somewhat fortunately for them, the only punishment they receive is deportation and a small fine, as the judge admits that all of Ireland's dimwits of old have since gone to America and became cops somehow.  Just then, Chief Wiggum comes in...

Quick Review
So the Simpsons go on another adventure in a different country.  Unlike past episodes where they insult everything within, like in Australia or England or Brazil, this episode treats Ireland rather well.  In fact, it treats Ireland much better than it does the people watching the episode.  This was not a funny episode at all.  The random Q-bert reference was pretty bad, and the continued use of 'progressive' leprechauns was stupid, too.  The main plot was okay, as okay as it could be, but it wasn't nearly enough to salvage this mess.

Final Score: 4.6