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| Iceland has never seen such a dramatic chase. |
With the kids all hyped up over some show, Marge attempts to get some education in them by taking them to a museum... which has exhibits up about that show. Still, she takes them to a rather boring wing all about probability, and how stupid it is to play the lottery. Regardless, Homer buys a weekly ticket for himself, Moe, Lenny and Carl at the bar - each person providing one number for a Pick Four type game. To their amazement, all four of their numbers are called and they win the prize money of $200,000. Everyone is excited, especially Carl, who takes the ticket and tells the three he'll cash the ticket while they set up a celebratory party. Homer, Moe and Lenny do just that, inviting all sorts of people. Homer reveals he plans on using his share of the winnings to build a swimming pool - in the ground! However, Carl never comes back. The three decide to check out Carl's apartment but learn its been emptied out a bit and Carl has left a message saying he's going home, and goodbye forever.
Moe is particularly upset that Carl ditched them, though Lenny persists there must be a good reason. Marge wonders where Carl is actually from, but none of the men know, which Marge chides as the guys have only really done "guy stuff" and haven't really bonded as friends. Still, the three are able to find a clue in a picture of Carl when it barely reveals that Carl, in the picture, is at "Strokkur Geysir". The three enlist Lisa's help, and she determines that Carl is an adopted child who grew up in Iceland, something that Carl somewhat mentioned once some time ago as what was once a passing joke. Quickly, the three pack up to go to Iceland which, while not as icy as Greenland, is still pretty cold. After dressing appropriately, the three learn from a passerby that the Carlson family is scorned in Iceland, showing them a written "saga" that shows that, a thousand years ago, the Carlsons were tasked to keep watch on invading hordes, but failed and Iceland was subsequently ransacked thanks to that failure. The three are given the address of Carl's old home, and learn that, yeah, Carl did go back here, but the mansion-like home bars them from getting inside. The three stake out nearby, and as Carl exits the gates in his car, the three give chase. They follow Carl to a building, and when he exits it, the three make their presence known and chase after Carl, eventually paying a guy to tackle Carl for them.
Carl reveals that he planned on using the lottery winnings to purchase a missing page from his family's saga which he believes will clear their name of any shame. Lenny still ponders why Carl didn't just tell them, and Carl is blunt: they aren't friends, they're just four guys who sit together at the bar to talk about "guy stuff", and don't really share feelings (and facts like that Carl is from Iceland) like friends are supposed to. This sets off the no longer faithful Lenny, who attacks Carl and the two get into a fight. Moe grabs the briefcase Carl had been carrying which he believes has the lottery money, but it turns out Carl already purchased the missing page. Upset, Moe, Lenny and Homer leave with the page, only willing to give it back "to a friend", which devastates Carl.
Later, the three ponder if they really are friends or just guys that hang out. Marge calls Homer to see if he retrieved the money for the pool, but Homer reveals what's happened. Marge reasons with the three that screwing with Carl at this point isn't really going to make them feel better and that they should at least figure out what the page says. The three relent and, thanks to Moe's pep pills, take a crash course in ancient Icelandic to translate the page. Afterward, the three are able to decipher the lost tale: that the ancient Carlsons didn't just fail to stop the viking invasion, they willingly gave up and joined the vikings in their raids. The three now kinda feel bad for Carl as he wasted their lottery winnings on something that would've made his family look worse.
Some time later, the three are able to gather up the entirety of Iceland to tell them about Carl Carlson, telling them about the little good deeds Carl has done for each of them over the years, and that if they can forgive Carl for wasting their lottery winnings, then Iceland can forgive the Carlsons for something their ancestors did a thousand years ago. The Icelandic people agree, and Carl and his parents can once again be seen in public. Carl thanks the three for what they've done, and the four are friends again, going back to Springfield to do "guy stuff". Later, Homer does get pools for his family, albeit its just water in split-open beer kegs.
Quick Review
It was a decent episode, nothing special but it wasn't bad either. Its a somewhat odd episode to focus on both Carl and on Iceland, but it wasn't a particularly bad combination. Could've been funnier, but oh well.
Final Score: 7.1
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