"In Marge We Trust" is the twenty-second episode of the eighth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons.
[2] The episode guest stars Sab Shimono as Mr. Sparkle, Gedde Watanabe as the factory worker, Denice Kumagai and Karen Maruyama as dancers,[1] and Frank Welker as the baboons.
[3] In the episode, Marge replaces Reverend Lovejoy as the town's moral adviser, while Homer investigates why his face appears on a Japanese detergent box.
In its original broadcast, the episode was watched by approximately 9.8 million households, with a Nielsen rating of 10.1, and was the third-highest-rated show on Fox that week.
The episode received critical acclaim for both story arcs, and was noted for its subtle humor contrasting with the surreal Mr. Sparkle ad.
After Reverend Lovejoy's sermon bores his congregation, Marge voices her concern over his lack of enthusiasm about helping people.
Lovejoy explains that his passion faded as he dealt with Ned Flanders's constant trivial problems since the first day he served as Springfield's reverend.
Lovejoy realizes his inadequacy and feels depressed; visions of the saints depicted in the church's stained-glass windows chastise him for doing little to inspire his congregation.
[6] The solution for how Mr. Sparkle resembles Homer was written by George Meyer, after hours of time had been spent trying to come up with a realistic ending.