"Frinkcoin" is the 13th episode of the thirty-first season of the American animated television series ''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, ...

'', and the 675th episode overall. It aired in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

on February 23, 2020. The episode was written by

Rob LaZebnik Rob or ROB may refer to: Places * Rob, Velike Lašče, a settlement in Slovenia * Roberts International Airport (IATA code ROB), in Monrovia, Liberia People * Rob (given name), a given name or nickname, e.g., for Robert(o), Robin/Robyn * Ro ...

and was directed by

Steven Dean Moore Steven Dean Moore is an American animation director. His credits include 65 episodes of the animated television series ''The Simpsons'' and several episodes of the Nickelodeon series ''Rugrats'' (1991–2004). Moore was also one of four sequence ...

Plot

The Simpson family The Simpson family are the fictional characters featured in the animated television series ''The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satir ...

are eating at The Lentil Institution, a vegan restaurant, vying for

Lisa Lisa or LISA may refer to: People People with the mononym * Lisa Lisa (born 1967), American actress and lead singer of the Cult Jam * Lisa (Japanese musician, born 1974), stylized "LISA", Japanese singer and producer * Lisa Komine (born 1978), J ...

to choose them for her "Most interesting person I know" paper, but she chooses

Professor Frink Professor John I.Q. Nerdelbaum Frink Jr., is a new recurring character in the Animated cartoon, animated television series ''The Simpsons''. He is voiced by Hank Azaria, and first appeared in the 1991 episode "Old Money (The Simpsons episode), Ol ...

, devoted to helping the world through science. At Springfield University, Lisa visits and interviews him. After explaining the story of his life, Frink says he is developing a new

cryptocurrency A cryptocurrency, crypto-currency, or crypto is a digital currency designed to work as a medium of exchange through a computer network that is not reliant on any central authority, such as a government or bank, to uphold or maintain it. It i ...

, Frinkcoin. Frinkcoin becomes famous and Frink becomes the richest man in town, enraging

Mr. Burns Charles Montgomery Plantagenet Schicklgruber "Monty" Burns, usually referred to as Mr. Burns, Monty, or C. Montgomery Burns, is a recurring character and the main antagonist of the animated television series ''The Simpsons'', voiced initially by ...

. Satoshi Nakamoto makes guest appearance behind Bear Wall. Frink however feels empty inside, so Lisa tries to help him. He moves from his university office to

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, but still feels sad.

Marge Marge is a feminine given name, a shortened form of Marjorie, Margot or Margaret (name), Margaret. Notable Marges include: People *Marge (cartoonist) (1904–1993), pen name of Marjorie Henderson Buell, American cartoonist *Marge Anderson (1932� ...

suggests

Homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...

takes him to Moe's Tavern. Frink aces

Moe Moe, MOE, MoE or m.o.e. may refer to: In arts and entertainment Characters * Moe Szyslak, from the animated television show ''The Simpsons'' * Moe, leader of The Three Stooges, played by Moe Howard * Moe Higurashi, supporting character in ''Yash ...

's trivia questions and earns the respect and friendship of the barflies. He begins taking them to Springfield's finest establishments.

Smithers Smithers is a surname of English origin. It derives from the Middle English term "smyther", referring to a metalsmith, and is thus related to the common occupational surname Smith. The name Smither is related. People *Alan Smithers (born 1938), ...

assembles a team to create Burns Coin and develop a formula to devaluate Frinkcoin, but the calculations would take thousands of years. Burns decides to break Frink's spirit instead, showing Frink that his new friends only like him for his money. Burns brings the equation in the center of town for an instant

crowdsourcing Crowdsourcing involves a large group of dispersed participants contributing or producing goods or services—including ideas, votes, micro-tasks, and finances—for payment or as volunteers. Contemporary crowdsourcing often involves digita ...

solution. Meanwhile, Frink tests the sincerity of his friends; all of them fail. A solution to the equation gets posted on the whiteboard; Lisa realizes that it was posted by Frink himself, losing all his money in the process, and they become best friends. In the end, he returns to the university and kisses the professor whose office he shares.

Reception

Dennis Perkins of ''

The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...

'' gave this episode a B, stating that the episode "uses the cryptocurrency concept as an excuse for a largely successful exercise in side-character development." ''

Den of Geek ''Den of Geek'' is a US and UK-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gan ...

'' gave this episode 4 out of 5 stars. On July 28, 2020, this episode was nominated for an Emmy for outstanding voiceover performance by Hank Azaria.

References

External links

* {{The Simpsons episodes, 31 The Simpsons (season 31) episodes 2020 American television episodes Cryptocurrencies in fiction Fictional currencies