"Kill the Alligator and Run" is the nineteenth episode of the eleventh season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on April 30, 2000. In the episode, Homer has a nervous breakdown after taking a quiz that suggests he only has three years left to live. To calm himself down, he and the rest of the Simpson family go to Florida for vacation. There, they end up in the middle of a raucous spring break. Homer joins in on the party and ends up getting himself and his family in trouble for killing the state's beloved mascot, an alligator named Captain Jack. The Simpsons run from the law and take jobs at a small restaurant while hiding from the police.
"Kill the Alligator and Run" was written by John Swartzwelder and directed by Jen Kamerman. Diedrich Bader guest starred in the episode as a sheriff that tries to arrest the Simpson family, while Robert Evans and Charlie Rose guest starred in a scene in which Homer watches the two in an interview on television. Kid Rock and Joe C. also made guest appearances as themselves in the episode, performing at a concert in Florida that Homer attends.
The reception of "Kill the Alligator and Run" by critics was mixed. Fan reception was more negative; former showrunner Mike Scully later noted that the episode is considered by many fans to be one of the worst Simpsons episodes due to its outlandish and erratic plotline. Around 7.46 million American homes tuned in to watch the episode during its original airing. In 2008, it was released on DVD along with the rest of the episodes of the eleventh season.
Plot
Homer receives a magazine full of personality tests, from which he takes one which concludes he has only three years left to live. Terrified of his supposedly impending death, he develops insomnia and has a mental breakdown. On advice of the power plant's psychiatrist, the family head for a restful vacation in Florida. Upon arriving they are greeted by wild college students in the middle of a raucous spring break. Wanting Homer to get the rest and recuperation he needs, Marge tries to confine him to his hotel room, but he escapes to party and attends a concert featuring Joe C. and Kid Rock.
The debauchery makes Homer feel better, but he is disappointed to learn spring break is over and the students are returning to their studies. Still wanting to party, Homer rents an airboat and makes his family join him on a joyride through the local swamp. There he accidentally kills the town's most famous resident and reptile – an alligator named Captain Jack. The local sheriff, lenient during spring break and cruel the rest of the year, subsequently arrests the entire family. The family flees in their car but the sheriff gives chase until the family are pushed down the rails by an oncoming train.
Lost in the wilderness and on the run, the family come across a diner, where they are given employment. They are eventually tracked down by the sheriff, who kidnaps them while they are asleep. For their crimes (and Homer's foolish attempt at defending himself in court – calling the jury "drunken hicks"), the family is put into forced labor. While assigned to work at a party held by a judge in front of the capitol, the family once again try and fail to escape. When it is then revealed that Captain Jack was never dead, simply knocked out, the family are released but are banned from the state of Florida - leaving them only able to travel to Arizona or North Dakota. (Though Homer rejects the former state because he dislikes its odor.)
Production
"Kill the Alligator and Run" was written by John Swartzwelder and directed by Jen Kamerman as part of the eleventh season of The Simpsons (1999–2000). When the animation department finished its work on the episode, it had ended up being about four minutes too long and the staff of the show was forced to make some difficult cuts. One scene that was cut saw Captain Jack lying in state at the capitol in Florida, with Kid Rock being one of the people present to pay their respects to the alligator. The Simpsons showrunner Mike Scully has expressed regret for cutting this scene because it "hurts the logic" later in the episode when Captain Jack crawls out of the capitol and reveals himself to everyone, thus creating a plot hole due to a lack of any explanation as to how he got there.