Grampa Simpson recap: Old Money

Grampa Simpson begins dating Bea, a fellow resident of the Springfield Retirement Castle, but she unexpectedly passes away, leaving him over $100,000.

The Simpsons drop Grampa Simpson off at the Springfield Retirement Castle following their monthly family outing (to the liquor store). Homer assures Grampa that their next day together will be more fun, which Grampa sarcastically dismisses. The kids say bye, but before Grampa can respond, Homer has already driven away. After some bickering in the car, the family decides that next weekend they will take Grampa to the Discount Lion Safari.

Back at the Retirement Castle, a nurse mixes up Grampa’s medication with that of Beatrice Simmons, another resident. The two clear up the confusion, but are immediately smitten with one another. After some initial conversation and flirting, Bea agrees to go on a date with Grampa. The two have a wonderful time together, and continue to date for the next month.

Grampa goes to Herman’s store to buy a present for Bea’s birthday, but Herman refers him to Grandma’s World after Grampa refuses to pay 400 dollars for a fez that Herman claims belonged to Napoleon. Grampa purchases a shawl for Bea. As he wraps the gift, Homer bursts into the room and informs him that, since it is the first Sunday of the month, it is time for their monthly family outing. Grampa refuses to go, saying that it is Bea’s birthday, but Homer refuses to believe that she exists, dragging Grampa to the car, despite his objections.

Once at the Discount Lion Safari, the family is disappointed by the lack of activity. After Homer takes the car off the main path, the car is besieged by lions, trapping the family overnight until they are finally rescued by an employee. When Grampa finally makes it back to the Retirement Castle, he is informed by Jasper that Bea has passed away due to a burst left ventricle. Grampa says that he believes Bea died of a broken heart.

After Bea’s funeral, Grampa is approached by Lionel Hutz, who informs him that Bea has left him $106,000 to do with as he sees fit. Grampa calls Homer to inform that he will not be giving him any of the money. A staff member at the Retirement Castle approaches Grampa, implying that the money could be used to receive favors from the staff at the facility, but Grampa rebuffs him, saying that old people are entitled to respect.

Grampa Simpson uses the money to buy the fez from Herman, then proceeds to attempt to have fun, including visiting a strip club, going parasailing, and riding a roller coaster, but he cannot overcome the grief that he feels over Bea’s passing. Bea appears to Grampa to question why he isn’t enjoying himself before encouraging him to spread the wealth so that he may make other people feel as happy as he made her feel. She also encourages Grampa to reconcile with Homer.

Grampa visits a distraught Homer and asks for his forgiveness, saying that family is more important than material possessions. He then announces to the family that he intends to give the money away, after deciding who truly needs it most. The residents of Springfield line up to plead their cases to him, but he is not impressed by any of them. Lisa tells him that the people who need the money most are not the Springfielders standing in line, but the less fortunate.

Grampa decides to go for a walk to clear his head, visiting some of the rougher parts of Springfield. When he returns to the Retirement Castle, he tells Jasper that he intends to help those in need, but $106,000 isn’t enough, so he decides to take a trip to a casino, in the hopes of winning more money. Homer rushes to the Retirement Castle to tell his father that he loves him and doesn’t care about the money, but the receptionist informs him that Grampa has gone to a casino. Homer rushes to stop his father from gambling the money away.

Much to Homer’s surprise, he finds that Grampa is doing quite well at the casino. Grampa attempts to wager all of his money at the roulette, but Homer keeps him from pushing his chips onto the board. Grampa is furious with Homer, but the roulette lands on 00, meaning that Grampa would have lost everything had Homer not stopped him. Grampa informs Homer that he has decided what he wants to do with the money. Six months later, we see that Grampa Simpson has paid to have the Retirement Castle renovated, including dedicated to a dining hall to Bea’s memory. Grampa tells his fellow residents to “come on in,” informing them that, “dignity’s on me.”