The Simpsons 396-400

The Boys Of Bummer

This episode premiered on April 29th, 2007. The lead in show was King Of The Hill and it was followed by a Simpson repeat (Jazzy And The Pussycats). It ran opposite Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, The Amazing Race and Dateline NBC. 

The title comes from the 1972 book The Boys Of Summer.

The couch gag is a repeat of the game of musical chairs.

Bart is in a little league game. A player on the other team his a high fly and Bart shoves Milhouse out of the way to catch it. He lets the fame go to his head but Ned warns him about vanity. Homer gets tired of shopping with Marge but all the Husband Chairs are occupied so he lays down in the bedding department and falls asleep. When he gets caught he says the bed is the best he ever slept in and the YaaHoo Texan buys 5, the store manager hires Homer on the spot. Lisa complains about people loving baseball. The Shelbyville team hits an eazy pop fly but Bart drops the ball and then fumbles it, the team loses the game and Bart becomes the villain. Bart, Dolf and Kerney sing "Bart stinks Yeah Yeah" to the tune of Love Stinks by J. Geils Band, Bart's favorite song. Lisa takes Bart to meet George LaBoot, a former baseball player who dropped the winning ball of the 1943 World Series, and then threw it into the stands and hit Eleanore Roosevelt. However the player recognizes Bart, tells him off and the whole convention boos him. Homer sells the Lovejoy's a mattress but it fails to rekindle their love life. When Homer is writing them a check they start making out on the Simpson's mattress and trade it for their new one, that night Homer and Marge can't snuggle. Someone has covered the town with graffiti "I hate Bart Simpson" including a passed out Barney. It turns out Bart is the one doing it. Bart falls off the water tower and LaBoot fails to catch him, he winds up in the hospital. A crowd shows up at the hospital to heckle Bart, Marge tells them off. Moe says it's not like they can just play the game over, giving Lisa an idea. Homer and Marge break into the Lovejoy's to steal back their mattress however they start to fool around and get caught. Lovejoy brings up the story of King Solomon and they cut the mattress in half, diagonally. Homer and Marge "snuggle" on the mattress behind a billboard. During the replay of the game Milhouse almost tells Bart the truth, that they aren't replaying the game due to a non regulation home plate brush but to make him feel better about himself. They have to keep coming up with reasons why they keep rehitting the ball including Moe streaking. At one point Bart almost catches the ball but Homer comes rushing over and leans over the wall to catch it. After several hours Bart finally catches it and they all leave. 60 years later Bart and Milhouse are in the retirement home and Milhouse tells him the truth, however he then claims that he lied. A ghost Homer and Marge are watching. 

Springfield Little League Park. Warning: Your Child Is Not As Good As You Think He Is

The scoreboard Visitors 3 / The Isotots 5 / Inning 9 / Ball 1/ Strike 1 / Out 2

Springfield Shopper sports section headline: SHAME! (with a photo of Bart chasing the ball) / business section: Boy's Error Weakens Dollar (photo of Bart and graph of dollar going down)

Self Aware Joke: when Marge asks Homer doesn't he have to get to his job as a mattress salesman he says "Oh yeah, let's see where that goes".

Shelbyville Grand Wailea Hotel. Baseball Card Show Today- See How Your Childhood Heroes Have Aged. / Meet Your Favorite Greedy Agent / Wack -A- Mascot 

Joe LaBoot lost the 1943 World Series in game 7 however the real World Series that year only went 5 games with the Yankees beating the Cardinals 4-1.

Lenny has written a series of mystery novels "The Murderer Did It". His last name is Leonard, have they ever mentioned that before? If not, this is the episode where we learn Lenny's last name.

Springfield: The Meanest City in America!

During the replaying of the game Bart is hit by a line drive, spins around and his clothes come flying off. This is a spoof on Charlie Brown. 

Eh, not the best episode. 

Crooks And Ladder

This episode premiered on May 6th, 2007. The lead in show was King Of The Hill and it was followed by a Simpsons rerun (Moe'n'a Lisa). It ran opposite Extreme Makeover, The Amazing Race and Deal Or No Deal. 

The title comes from the name of fire departments Hook and Ladder

The chalkboard gag is "I Will Not Look Up What The Teacher Makes" and the couch gag is a repeat of the car wash.

Marge is reading an article about the dangers of letting your kid be addicted to a pacifier, Maggie spells out No FUTURE with the blocks. Marge throws out Maggie's pacifier, she starts to destroy the house with a nerf gun. Lisa complains about the magazine. Marge sends Homer to get a new pacifier but she hates them all and starts crying uncontrollably.  SLH gives her a chew toy but the squeaking drives Homer crazy. Homer sees a commercial for Nappien, a sleeping pill. The first night he sleep eats everything in the house. The second night he breaks into the Rock 'N' Roll Wax Museum and reorganizes the displays. Bart decides to use Homer so they pick up Milhouse. They get Homer into a street fight, ride him down a grassy slope, dress him up as a woman and send him into Moes. Homer wakes up while driving and crashes into the fire department, he skids in chili, goes through the pole and sets off the alarm. When the firemen slide down they all crash into the Dalmatian cage and wind up in the hospital. Homer, Apu, Moe and Skinner decide to volunteer. Lenny and Carl show up late and get turned away. The fire department saves Luigi's and he pays them in food. When they save Renier Wolfcastle he gives them film jackets. They save Burns but he doesn't give them anything, instead he insults them for being poor. Moe blows an ember into Burns' priceless treasure room and they all steal stuff. They start taking stuff from everywhere they save. Skinner starts having second thoughts so they threaten him. The family catches Homer in the act of stealing from fire victims and Marge tells him off. Moe gets trapped under a solid gold grandfather clock so Homer save hims and Apu. Homer becomes a hero. Homer sends his stolen segways to skid row. 

Marge reads Smothering Mother Magazine. The cover has a crazy woman with a gun holding a baby.  Are bees building hives in your diaper genie? / The Deadly Truth about Oxygen / Is Your Baby a Suckaholic? "Experts see new links between pacifier overuse and low achievement" (a photo of three homeless guys gathered around a burning trash can with pacifiers in their mouths)

Sheep in the Nappien commercial: Mortgage / Car Problems / Secret Other Family / Strange Lump. The commercial is a spoof on the Serta mattress commercial. 

Someone lined up all the family's video tapes as dominos. When Bart pushes them over they form the image of Homer with Matt Groening signed underneath (self aware joke). The first video tape is C.H.U.Ds which Homer references in the episode The City Of New York vs. Homer.

Secret dirty joke: Homer's domino's knee pad is Dominex. 

Nappien, may cause dry mouth, mood swings and nighttime kookiness. 

During the montage of Homer's nighttime activities Frankenstein by Edgar Winters Group plays. 

Reiner Wolfcastle movies: Total Explosion / Father Of The Presi-Bot / I Shoot Your Face / I Shoot Your Face Again / Frankenberry The Movie 2: The Frankenberry Wears Prada (A spoof on the Frankenberry cereal)

The Sharper Mark-Up. A spoof on Sharper Image

Sad Eyes by Robert John plays while the kids give Homer their disappointed look.

This was an odd episode, it went from Maggie's pacifier to Homer on drugs to thieving firemen, and then just ended. 

Stop! Or My Dog Will Shoot!

This episode premiered on May 13th, 2007. The lead in show was King Of The Hill and it was followed by a Simpsons rerun (Ice Cream Of Margie). It ran opposite Extreme Makeover, Survivor and the NBC Sunday Night Movie (Shrek)

The title is based on the 1992 film Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot!

The chalkboard gag is "Pearls are not oyster barf" and the couch gag is the family runs in and sits on the couch, then another Simpsons family runs in and so on until the house is overflowing. Homer says "Hey, don't shove!"

Homer is excited to go to Oktoberfest and even brought two beer steins, however it turns out to be Harvest Fest, an alcohol free event. Marge admires the winning Horn A Plenty but it turns out the guy used a styrofoam filler and is drug behind the barn. Bart points out the corn maze to Homer but he wants to leave, and accidentally leads the family into the maze. Marge suggests splitting up, Homer thinks she wants a divorce. Homer freaks out and runs off, getting even more lost. He tries to walk through the corn but discovers it is surrounded by an electric fence. Lisa uses Tremaux's algorithm to find their way out, but Homer is still lost inside. They send SLH to find Homer. When the police see how well SLH does they recruit him. SLH's first day on the job they have to go to Cletus's and gets shot. The second call is Snake selling steroids to the bullies. SLH catches him but the judge lets him go when SLH messes up the police report. Bart scares SLH and bites him so they tie him up in the backyard. They decide to send him home with Lou. Bart wants a snake to replace SLH. At Show And Tell Bart's snake eats Martin's rabbit and then escapes into the school. The police bring SLH to find the snake but instead he finds the frisbee in Bart's locker. The snake gets into the chemistry lab (in a grade school) and knocks over a beaker of Ethanol and Nitric Acid. When the building starts filling up with toxic gas the snake flees. SLH runs back inside to save Bart. Both the snake and SLH show up to save Bart but he goes with SLH, who quits the police force. Willie takes the snake.

Stephen Hawking and Rudy Giuliani do their own voices in this episode. Giuliani had announced he was running for President in 2007 so his part was cut out of the original broadcast and replaced in syndication after the 2008 election. He is currently awaiting trial in the Arizona Election Interference case.

The A-Maize-Ing Maize Maze. "Betcha Can't Solve Our Maze!"

What Lisa sees while being tossed into the air in the corn maze. Corn / More Corn / Another kid being thrown into the air looking for the way out / Witches Coven / Seattle Space Needle / Amateur production of You Can't Take It With You 

Freak On A Leash by Korn plays while SLH tries to find Homer. 

When SLH goes to the Police Canine Academy the theme from the 1984 film Police Academy plays. During the training they play the music from Patton and the 1975 TV series SWAT.

When Bart imagines SLH as a police dog he is attacked by Pinhead from Hellraiser, Jason from Halloween and a big math book. SLH shows up as RoboCop from the 1987 movie. 

The police hang out in a bar called The Mug Shot.

When they buy the snake the pet shop gives the family a pamphlet "Your Weird New Pet"

Martin trains his rabbit to hop to Mussorgsky's Pictures At An Exhibition. 

Alarms at the school: Fire / Bomb / Groundskeeper Drunk / Escaped Pet.

While trying to swallow the computer Clippy The Paper Clip pops up and says "You Look Like You're Trying To Eat Me. Need Some Help? Clippy was available on computers from 1997 to 2004.

At the end Willie says "That'll do snake, that'll do". This is a spoof on the 1983 film Babe.

24 Minutes

This episode premiered on May 20th 2007. The lead in show was King Of The Hill and it was followed by the next Simpsons episode. It ran opposite Extreme Makeover, The CBS Sunday Night Movie (Million Dollar Baby) and The NBC Sunday Night Movie (National Treasure). 

The title and plot are  references to the TV show 24, which was still airing at this time.

Since the show is themed on 24 there is no chalkboard or couch gag.

"Previously on The Simpsons" Skinner takes the smart kids to the school's new addition, the CTU (Counter Truancy Unit).  Security footage shows the bullies are missing from class. At the nuclear power plant the hazmat team is called in to deal with Homer's forgotten and overgrown yogurt.  Bart uses ketchup and mustard to create a graffiti image of Skinner saying "Put Me On Your Weiner!" Bart uses the mustard and ketchup to slide on in order to escape but crashes into the detention room. Marge finds a flier for the Springfield Elementary Bake Sale on Friday at 3 PM in Bart's shorts and it's 2:33.  At this point the Created By and Developed By titles pop up (normally these run after the couch gag) "The following takes place between 2:34 P.M. and 3:04 P.M." Homer tries to return his rancid yogurt to the Kwik-E-Mart, Apu lets Homer take any yogurt he wants as long as he gets rid of the rancid one, meanwhile the bullies take it to play a prank. Skinner sees the bullies on the store monitor and orders Milhouse to bring them in until Lisa spots them taking the yogurt, Milhouse is ordered to just monitor them. He is spying on the bullies when Homer rats him out and they throw him and Homer into the dumpster and then push it down a hill. Marge discovers she is all out of raisins and can't make her famous raisin sponge cake so she rushes to the store. Lisa needs to recruit Bart to find out what the bullies are up to, he doesn't want to do it but since the bake sale is coming up they have no choice. Bart steals Skinner's car to track down the bullies. A four way split screen shows the hamster the bullies used to test their stink bomb / Bart driving Skinner's car with his butt / Marge fighting Helen Lovejoy for the last box of raisins / Homer rolling down the street in the dumpster. The dumpster ends up in the middle of the railroad tracks but gets knocked out of the way by Otto, who is doing an air guitar and doesn't see the oncoming train. Marge gets her raisins while Lovejoy his hauled off on a stretcher, the bullies test the stink bomb on Ralph, he passes out. Bart finds out about the stink bomb. Martin turns out to be a double agent and tips off Jimbo. Bart sneaks into Jimbo's house but the bullies went out the basement door. Bart tries to call the school but gets Jack Bauer by mistake and does a phone prank (Ahmed Adoody). Marge puts her cake in at 1200 degrees and burns it, but coats it in pink frosting. The dumpster finally crashes into Moes so Homer goes in for a beer however Moe is drilling his own tooth so he and Milhouse hop back into the dumpster and head to the bake sale. Lisa wants to call off the bake sale but Chalmers shows up so Skinner decides to hold the sale, Martin searches the hall cameras and sees the bomb but covers it up. Maggie causes Marge to drop her cake but she just picks the bits out and takes it to the sale. The bullies plan to set off the bomb in the janitor's closet but Willie finds them and sets off the fire alarm. Bart catches Nelson not beating up Martin so he tortures him until he confesses. Bart is about to tip off Lisa but Martin knocks him out with a french horn. It turns out the the bullies were holding Martin's ant farm hostage, the bullies set the bomb for three minutes. In order to short out the ventilation fan Skinner releases the valve for the hotdog water retention valve and floods the room, even though Willie and Bart are still tied up. Martin thinks about what he has done, puts on his monitor sash, climbs on a chair and jumps off, left hanging. Cut to a wide shot and he's hanging by his underwear from the coat pegs. Bart manages to swim down and is seen through a window in the gym, Marge shatters the glass with her cake. Lisa gets hold of the bomb and shuts it off with one second left. Everyone is celebrating when Jack Bauer shows up, he congratulates Lisa and then arrests Bart for his prank phone call. A nuclear explosion goes off in the background but it's just Shelbyville, everyone breathes a sigh of relief. 

Kiefer Sutherland does the voice of his character Jack Bauer and Mary Lynn Rajskub does the voice of her character Chloe O'Brian from the show 24.

The members of the CTU, Skinner (Principal, Mama's Boy) / Lisa (Head Hall Monitor, Loves Ponies Hates Phonies) / Martin (Dink) / Database (Dingus) / Milhouse (Dork). Former agents Sherri / Terri / Wendell

On the CTU monitors: Willie and Ms Hoover making out / Nelson giving Mr. Largo a wedgie / Ralph picking his nose and getting hit with a dodgeball.

Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. Available For Weddings

Homer Simpson (ATM User, Devoted Father Of Two) 

Bart Simpson (Two Months Sober)

Marge Simpson (Unemployed)

Stuff Marge finds in Bart's shorts: Switchblade / Voodoo doll of Homer / House of Blues matchbook from Anaheim (a Downtown Disneyland reference)

Big Chief Rotting Cheeks chewing tobacco 

Springfield Shopper headlines: Mayor's Breath Still Problem (another Simpsons prediction about Trump) / Corn Less Popular / Bake Sale Today

Jimbo's ringtone is the theme from the 1970 tv show The Odd Couple.

Moe is reading Be Your Own Dentist. 

Stuff in the school ventilation pipe: 1950's History books (Too Racist) / 1990's History Books (Not racist enough) / Uter in a giant spider web / Miss Hover passed out with SLH (whiskey bottle nearby) 

You Kent Always Say What You Want

This episode premiered on May 20th 2007. The lead in show was the previous episode of the Simpsons, (above) and ran opposite the same shows.

The title is a reference to the Rolling Stones song You Can't Always Get What You Want.

Instead of a chalkboard and couch gag opening the show pays tribute to the 20th anniversary of The Simpsons (the characters premiered on the Tracy Ullman show on April 19th in 1987. 20 Years Ago... The Tracy Ullman short of Homer trying to get a photo of the family runs. 

Marge is playing Pictionary with Maggie against Patty and Selma, Marge keeps guessing what Maggie is scribbling on the paper. Maggie sees that it's a quarter to three and draws Bart and Lisa getting home from school but Marge's car won't start so she has to run home because they have dentist appointments. Homer lies to the technician about flossing and then starts screaming, scaring everyone in the lobby. Skinner is at the dentist and Bart sneaks in to mess with his teeth. Homer takes the family out for ice cream and buys the 1,000,000th cone at Butterfat's ice cream parlor. Homer is the guest on Smartline, he compares buying the cone to the first kill in war. When he knocks Kent's coffee cup over Brockman curses live on the air. Marge misses it and asks the kids which word it was so Bart draws it on his Etch-A-Sketch and then can't get it to shake out. Kent apologizes but then finds out nobody watches the show and he got away with it.  Lisa complains. Bart says only losers sit around watching shows to complain about them, cut to Ned monitoring the TV, the only two videos not in his naughty pile are The 700 Club and Test Pattern (Non Indian). He sees the Brockman swear and goes to Online Christian Soldiers (a spoof of the song Onward Christian Soldiers) and reports his finding. The FCC launches an investigation into Brockman and he's demoted to Weekend Weatherman (Anie Pye writes "Kent Stinks" with a picture on the weather map before taking over the news desk). The FCC fines Channel 6 $10 million. Krusty has to cut the voice actors from Itchy and Scratchy so Krusty narrates it himself. Scratchy gets blown up by a dynamite cat and then Itchy juggles his various parts. Lindsey Naegle fires Kent. He gets caught in the rain and Nelson rides by to laugh at him. Brockman moves on to the Simpson's couch. Lisa gets mad at Fox News so she sets up Kent on a webcam where he exposes the media for being in bed with the Republican party. Channel 6 offers Kent a huge pay raise if he'll come back and stop running his YouTube channel, he accepts. Homer tells Lisa he knows Fox's deepest secret however there is a voice over when he tells her. He turns to the camera to tell the audience and they cut to the Fox logo. Homer shows up on the white screen to whisper his secret and they cut to the Shush lady. 

Ludacris does his own voice.

Homer's AAA card: The American Applesauce Association 429 004 86153624 6 4 Member since 1978. 

When Marge is running home to meet Lisa and Bart Way Out There by Carter Burwell plays, the scene is a spoof on the chase scene from Raising Arizona. Marge runs past Mrs. Krabappal, Ned, she hits CBG knocking over his box of comic books (Zoidzilla / Zebra Girl / Zillionare), through the Kwik-E-Mart where she has to dodge all of Apu's children, he hands her a Squishee, she runs into Snake who is trying to get away from Wiggum, she almost gets hit by a truck driven by Moleman but manages to duck underneath, through Quimby's yard (he's playing pool volleyball with a group of women, she falls down a manhole (the sewer is full of rats, alligators and a drunk Barney), through a Chinese parade (a lot of stereotypical characters in this one), and then head on into the St. Patrick's Day parade (the Leprechaun from Treehouse Of Horror XII is in the parade),  the Springfield dog park (Laddie from The Canine Mutiny is in the park along with Marmaduke). Helen Lovejoy tries to tell Marge some gossip but she doesn't have time and jumps through the front window just before the kids get home. 

St. Patrick's Day parade banner "How's My Marching? Call 1800 KL5 9595. 

Springfield Dental Complex "No Matter How You Brush, You're Doing It Wrong"

The U.S. Dental Association Presents: Menace Tooth Society, a rap video about proper dental hygiene. Luda-Crest shows up to save the teeth from street gangsters.

Self aware joke, Bart makes a comment about the losers that spend the whole day watching TV just to complain about the shows. Hey, I'm doing that.

While Kent is packing up his office the Theme Song from Midnight Cowboy plays. Pictures of Kent with the Ayatollah, dancing on the Berlin Wall, Interviewing R4-D4 from Star Wars

Homer has been watching Fox News and calls Kent part of the "Liberal Media", he then claims Mexican Gays sneak into the country to unplug brain dead ladies. I guess some things haven't changed over the years. 

The Simpsons Wall Of Casual Acquaintances Who Came. To Stay for A While: Artie Ziff (The Ziff Who Came to Dinner) / Apu (Homer And Apu) / Krusty (The Last Temptation Of Krust) / Willie (My Fair Laddy) / Nelson (Sleeping With The Enemy) / Sideshow Bob (The Great Louse Detective) / Otto (The Otto Show) / Kang / Gil (Kill Gil, Volumes I and II) / Stampy (Bart Gets An Elephant. Missing from the wall are Larry Burns (Burns, Baby Burns) and Chester J. Lampwick (The Day The Violence Died)

Fox's new reality show Landing Strip, about a group of strippers trying to run an airline. Lisa changes the channel where Birch Barlow is on Fox News. He's complaining about NASA aborting launches. Barlow first appeared in the episode Sideshow Bob Roberts.

Self Aware Joke, Lisa points out that Fox Entertainment runs trash shows while Fox News runs outrageously sexy shows. Kent Brockam claims Fox is funneling money through the FCC via fines that then end up in the Republican party. When Homer is about to expose Fox's biggest secret to Lisa there is a voiceover that says "programming shows that the whole family can enjoy". 

The Simpsons predicted the political channels on YouTube. 

This episode was originally titled The Kent State Massacre but was changed after the Virginia Tech shooting in April of 2007.

To quote Homer Simpson "Woo Hoo!" I've made it through 400 episode and 20 years. (although I have 17, so far, years to go) Up next, The Simpson Movie, I'm actually looking forward to it. So my next post will just be about that. Then we'll return to the regular episode. Wish me luck. 

The Simpsons 391-395

Springfield Up

This episode premiered on February 18th 2007. The lead in show was a Simpsons rerun (The Haw Hawed Couple) and was followed by King Of The Hill. It ran opposite Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, 60 Minutes and Grease, You're The One That I Want.

The title comes from the 1964 documentary series Up. When this show aired the series was on it's 7th film, 49 Up.

The couch gag is a repeat of the cockroach family.

Declan Desmond has returned to Springfield. 32 years earlier he had interviews a group of schoolchildren and now he is doing a follow up in his documentary Growing Up Springfield. There are a series of photos of Moe, ugly child, teen mugshot, hip bartender, middle aged bartender, ugly bartender. 

32 Year Ago. The first kid Declan interviews is Lenny, the only thing he's looking forward to his dinosaur cake, Declan decides to leave him out for the rest of the series. Homer drops a coin in a well and wishes to be richer than everybody else and they all laugh at him.

The second kid is Clancy, at 8 he plays cops and robbers, as the cop. At 16 he's the hall monitor. Snake is known as "Detention Bird" instead of "Prison Bird". At 24 Wiggum's goes to the police academy, while giving the commandant a back rub with his gun he shoots the documentary cameraman. At 32 Wiggum is on the Springfield police, as the masseuse, he offers a guaranteed 8:30 AM massage to the mayor if he's chief of police. In the modern world Lou makes fun of Wiggums pants but Clancy doesn't have a comeback.

Homer at 8, he imagines he'll be rich with a huge mansion and a pinball machine with unlimited quarters. At 24 Homer is selling manure out of his broken down car and is an actor paid to ask questions in infomercials. He says he'll never let a couple of rugrats tie him down, cut to 8 years later with Bart and Lisa. At 40 Homer is living in a mansion. Rewind 8 years and Homer is working as part of a mariachi band in a Mexican restaurant. He gets rich off a pen that dispenses condiments. Declan says he can't embarrass Homer any further then the screen says "Barley Literate, Smells Like Feet"

The next kid is John (Frink). At age 8 he says he wants to grow up to be a rocket scientist. He is bullied by Fat Tony. Forward to the modern world and he's cured Frink's Disease, discovered Frinkconium and invented the 8 Month After Pill, he has now invented the Chrono-Trike to time travel back and convince himself to go into a different line of work so he can talk to a girl. He goes back to when he was 8 but gets hit by two cars and Carl takes off in his time machine. 

The next kid is Elanor, at age 8 she wants to be a doctor and a lawyer. At age 24 she had graduated from both Yale Law and Medical school.  Jump another 8 years and she's a chain smoking alcoholic with a cat. In the modern world she's the cat lady. 

Marge at age 8, she's a shutterbug and gets a picture of Moe accidentally kissing CBG. At 16 she's the school newspaper photographer. At 24 Marge is working at the mall photographer stand and supporting Homer while he gets his band together. A normal looking guy is getting a photo for his boating license, Psych, you thought it was the Captain but it's really Disco Stu and when Marge turns on disco music it changes his life.

In the middle of the modern day interview with Marge, Mr. Burns returns to his summer home to discover the Simpsons are pretending to be rich. Homer offers to give Burns Bart to do with what he wants. Mr. Smithers has been tied up and stuffed into a grandfather clock. Mr Burns wants release the hounds but they are at the winter house so Smithers has to go pick them up. Cut to 90 minutes later and Burns is telling stores of his life, Smithers shows up and the hounds are released. Declan chases Homer all over town to try to get him to talk. As he's about to confront Homer at home Lenny shows up to do his modern segment but Declan isn't interested in watching Lenny fill out check with the butterflies on them. Homer confesses that he didn't want to look like a loser, Declan plans to cut but Marge chews him out. Declan goes to Moe's to say he has developed an affection for the Simpsons and Moe points out that Homer has a great life. Declan gets an idea. Declan shows footage of the various people saying how much they like Homer. Marge asks Homer to not kill Declan, he says he wasn't planning on it when a variety of knives fall out of his clothes. Homer decides to use Declan's sound board to create a song. An 8 year old, black and white, Carl pops up in the background on the time machine but then disappears again. Declan and Homer sing Pitch Fork Lady. The end. 

Eric Idle returns as the voice of Declan Desmond.

Frink's Chrono-Trike is based on the time machine from the 1960 movie.

The Sentinel headline (Springfield High newspaper): Cheerleader Flung Into Next County / Boy Brings Enough For Everyone / Typing Class Tragedy (photo of the gym filled with coffins)

Marge plays Disco Inferno while working as a mall photographer.

Mr. Burns has Bull Moose Elbow Salve with a picture of Teddy Roosevelt on the label. 

When Mr. Burns tears off the portrait of the Simpsons in his summer house underneath is a painting of him in Andrew Wyeth's Christina's World. 

Homer is reading Pat Summerall's Smut Yuks.

Declan is working on a documentary Ain't No Mountain: A Blind Man Climbs Everest.

Yokel Chords

This episode premiered on March 4th 2007. The lead in show was The War At Home and it was followed by The Winner (A short lived sitcom about a man remembering his life in 1994). It ran opposite Extreme Makeover, The Amazing Race and Grease, You're The One That I Want.

The title comes from the term Yokels meaning rural people and Vocal Cords.

The couch gag is a repeat of the vending machine.

Marge dreams about reading a James Patterson book "Kiss The Girls" while sitting on a tropical beach. Patterson shows up and asks her to run away with him. Homer tells Marge that he took care of the morning routine, but he gave Lisa a drawing of a sandwich and gave Bart Grandpa's pills. Cut to the senior bus with Abe behind the wheel and driving crazy. To get a lunch Bart comes up with the story of Dark Stanley DeGroot. Bart says Stanley was a cook at the school and the kids make fun of him for flunking out of MIT. He goes nuts and kills the children to make soup. The story spreads around school and grows. Bart is telling the story in the cafeteria, the lights go out and when the come back on he's taken spaghetti and make it looks like his brains. All the kids run out so he eats their lunches. Skinner is helping Chalmers carry his collection of antique perfume bottles and the kids smash them. Willie rounds up the kids and hauls them back to school. Chalmers discovers that the Spuckler children don't go to school, Skinner points out that if the hillbilly kids will lower the overall testing scores. Lisa catches them and complains. Skinner offers to let Lisa be the Spuckler's tutor. After spreading the story Bart has to go to a psychiatrist, he tells her that he's been through the whole racket and she's wasting her time, she offers him the opportunity to play Death Kill City II: Death Kill Stories, rated Bad For Everyone. She plays Mad Libs with Bart as a word association, Bart starts talking about Homer. Lisa takes the kids downtown to learn and they do a version of Some Of My Favorite Things. Krusty sees the kids singing and wants to recruit them. Just as Bart is making progress however the school only paid for 5 sessions so he's done. Krusty offers to hire the kids and signs a contract with Cletus but he becomes a cruel taskmaster. The Spuckler kids do a version of 16 Going On 17. Lisa complains about them being exploited. Bart is depressed to see the psychiatrist with Milhouse. Cletus is blowing the kids money pimping himself out. Bart starts talking to an empty chair so Marge goes to see Dr. Swanson and pays for her to see Bart. Bart thinks he acts out for attention and decides he doesn't need to go back to the doctor. The psychiatrist goes to another psychiatrist after Bart leave her,  he tells her that perhaps she is using Bart to replace the son who was killed by Dark Stanley. Krusty is going to take the kids on a bus tour but Brandeen shows up in a military helicopter, she's serving in Iraq. It turns out that Cletus isn't the father to most of the children. 

Talk about an all star guest lineup, Meg Ryan does the voice of Dr. Swanson, Peter Bogdanovic does a second psychiatrist. Andy Dick, James Patterson and Stephen Sondheim do their own voices.

The animation of Dark Stanley is based on the works of Edward Gorey, the song is Suite Punta del Este and best known from the movie The 12 Monkeys. 

When Wilie rounds up the kids the theme from the 1965 movie The Hallelujah Trail plays.

When Skinner and Chalmers are trying to figure out a way to stop Lisa from spreading the story about the Spuckler children they sing a version of How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria from Sound Of Music.

The Daily Fourth Grader headline: Skinner To Hicks: "Drop Dead"

Lisa does a spoof on the opening scene from Sound Of Music while singing a version of The Hills Are Alive.

Lisa takes the kids to see the 1929 film Un Chein Andalou. 

Self Aware Joke, Bart says he has a dream that the whole family is just cartoon characters and their success lead to the creation of some crazy propaganda network called Fox News.

Psychiatric Quarterly: Effectiveness of Clozapine versus Olanzapine and Risperdone in Patients with Chronic Schizophrenia. 

Krusty's No Collar Comedy Tour. This is a spoof on the Blue Collar Comedy Tour. The comedians on the tour are Butt-Crack Barry / Merle Values / Reverend Racist / Andy Dick. 

Easter Egg Background, the studio is across from the Box Factory. This is a call back to the episode Bart Gets Famous. 

When Brandeen accepts Cletus's apology he says "Baby, you're the greatest". This was a line from the TV show The Honeymooners. The scene cuts to the moon rising with Cletus's face on it and he says "How sweet it is" which was Jackie Gleason's catch phrase.

Rome-Old and Juli-Eh

This episode premiered on March 11th, 2007. The lead in show was NASCAR racing and it was followed by The Winner. It ran opposite the regular programs.

The title comes from the Shakespeare play Romeo and Juliet

The couch gag is a repeat of the Bonanza map.

Homer has a surprise for the family so he blindfolds them, however the surprise is in the basement and they fall down the stairs. Homer has remodeled the basement into a family game room, his plan to pay for it all is to declare bankruptcy, however they changed the law and now he has a financial officer to oversee his debts. In order to save money Homer removes Abe from the nursing home, he moves into the basement. Ned gets an order of free shipping boxes and gives Bart the number for ordering. Grandpa has filled the fridge with his pills. Homer and Marge go out so they call Selma to watch Grandpa while he watches the kids. They drink wine and end up making out but get caught by Homer and Marge. Bart and Lisa build a box fort in the back yard. Patty comes up with a plan to break up Able and Selma. The A.S.S. driver shows up to demand the boxes back but the kids refuse to leave their fort. Patty pretends to be Selma and Homer pretends to be a bullfighter. Selma shows up and catches them, Abe and Selma get mad at them so he proposes and she accepts. Lisa complains about throwing rice at weddings, cut to several birds exploding, Homer tries to get Selma to eat some. Selma has to take a promotion and work longer hours to pay for a house for her and Able. Lisa and Bart get attacked by the A.S.S. drivers. Nelson shows up to join in the fight, after they win the battle they destroy the fort with a hose. Abe destroys the house so Selma decides that they need to split up. Homer and Marge role-play with his "Senior Sexy" costume but Homer runs out of the room and then comes back demanding to know where the other man is.

Homer's remodeled basement, shag carpet. Triangle Wars, Duff Beer Sign, Air Hockey, Glass top gas pump, Juke Box, Model train that runs around the top of the wall, ping pong table, football poster, dart board, Chevy Chase Foul Play pinball machine, Football helmet light. Beanbag chairs. 

The 1978 movie Foul Play was Chevy Chase's first post SNL starring role.

Marge spends $500 a month on a gambling website. In the episode $pringfield we learn she's a gambling addict.

Granpa's posters for his basement room: Keep Cool With Coolidge / Lillian Gish in "Broken Blossoms" This was a real 1919 movie btw.

A.S.S. American Shipping Service. Not Affiliated With The Human Ass. The shipping company number is 1-800-Ass-Ship. This is a real phone number for a car shipping company.

Is She Really Going Out With Him by Joe Jackson plays over the montage of Abe and Selma dating.

Selma and Abe look at a poster of Woody Allen's 1979 movie Manhattan.

Mall Stores: Eye Carumba / Shoelaces Plus / Unwanted Candles / Affordable Sportables / Springfield Book Worm (the O looks like ringworm) / 1 Photo

When Patty and Homer are mentally preparing to make out he pictures Marge and she pictures Mrs. Krabappal in the photo from the episode Bart The Lover.

Church banner: Congratulations Selma and Bob Lionel Troy Stu Bob Abe

Abe worked at Pan Am and plans to go back there. They went out of business in 1991.

The cardboard fight is a spoof on Lord Of The Rings, Ode To Joy plays during the attack. There is also a dragon that ends up stabbed with a cardboard tube. 

Abe has a VHS of the 1949 film The Sands Of Iwo Jima

In the episode Gump Roast they had future episodes including Grandpa marrying both Patty and Selma.

Homerazzi

This episode premiered on March 25th 2007. The lead in show was The War At Home and was followed by King Of The Hill. It ran opposite Extreme Makeover, 60 Minutes and Grease You're The One That I Want.

The title comes from the term paparazzi which is used to describe celebrity photographers. 

The chalkboard gag is "Global Warming Did Not Eat My Homework" and the couch gag is Homer starts out as a single cell and then goes through division. He turns into a jellyfish Homer, then a regular fish, an octopus Burns tries to catch him, he ends up on the land where he adapts and turns into a lizard, he eats a Lenny dragonfly. There is an Agnes pterodactyl. He evolves into a rat like figure and gets attacked by a Bart dinosaur, however T Rex Bart and Stegosaurus Lisa get into a fight (a spoof of the dinosaur scene from Fantasia). A meteor destroys the planet and Homer survives. He evolves into a monkey and then a human. Meanwhile Moe is devolving from human back into an animal. Time goes by from the Ice Age,  Dark Ages, Renaissance, Victorian era, to the modern world. When he finally gets home and sits on the couch Marge asks "What took you so long?"

It's Homer's birthday but he can't blow out the candles. He thinks they are trick but they are regular candles but he still can't do it. Lisa complains that Homer is out of shape. He spends the next three hours trying to blow out the candles and ends up setting the house on fire. To protect their stuff they buy a fireproof safe. Marge puts the photo album in, Lisa puts her Malibu Stacy car. Homer puts in the cologne from their first date. Bart puts in his Catch A Rising Star Krusty. Bart's Krusty doll sets the toy car headlights which overheats the cologne which explodes destroying Marge's photo album. Lisa says they can't restage the photos, so that's what Marge does. After recreating everything Marge comes home from the photo developer but trips on a Happy Little Elf doll and tosses them under the lawn mower, however she got duplicates so the day isn't ruined. In one of the duplicated photos Duffman can be seen on a date with Booberella. Marge decides to sell the photo to the local tabloid to get money to pay for their fire damage. Homer takes a job as a celebrity photographer. He gets blown off at the Krusty movie premier so he decides to have Bart annoy Paris Texan so she attacks him with a bottle. Betty White shows up and is nice to Homer and knows everything about the family. Homer insults Derrick's Tatum's hip hop album, he smashes all of Homer's cameras. Marge wants Homer to quit but she is addicted to the gossip. Homer flies over Rainer Wolfcastle's marriage, Rainer vows revenge and invites all the celebrities to his house. The celebrities hire Enrico Irratazio to get photos of Homer at his most embarrassing moments. When Homer quits and the celebrities celebrate. Lenny and Carl complain about celebrities so Homer decides to take photos of their party. He busts into the party and starts taking photos (a spoof of a McBain movie). Homer offers to not reveal the photos if the celebrities will be kinder to normal people. Woflcastle invites the Simpsons to his offshore platform for a BBQ. Marge asks if he'll look at her screenplay but he says he can't look at unsolicited manuscripts and then steals the idea for his own movie Mrs. Mom (A spoof on Mrs. Doubtfire).

J.K. Simmons does the voice of the tabloid editor (a spoof on JJ. Jameson from Spiderman) John Lovitz does the voice of Enrico Irratazio and Betty White does her own voice.

E*Z Blo Brand Easy Blow Candles, Now Easier To Blow! (there is a picture of a ladybug blowing out a candle)

Homer's cologne is Scent of a Wookiee from the Star Wars Collection. 

Freezeframe by the J. Giles Band plays during the photo montage. 

When they take a "Happy 1987" photo the family looks like they did in the Tracy Ullmann shorts. 

The series regulars who come over to restage the Star Trek Voyager show finale party: Lenny (dressed as 7 of 9) Barney, Homer Dr. Hibbert (dressed as Tuvok), Carl and Ned. "Bon Voyage Voyager"

Lisa reads Man and Superman by G. B. Shaw. Bart reads Aquaman and Superman by D.C. Comics.

Dated reference, Marge uses a film camera and gets prints at the photo developer, along with duplicates.

The Springfield Inquisitor headline: Friends Pray For Luigi's Death / Mr. Teene's Cocaine Orgy.

The Krusty Movie Premiering Tonight.

Gabbo shows up at the Krusty movie premier. They were once on rival programs on two different networks.

Fancy Farms grocery store. Health A Bitz 100% Natural cereal.

The Yee Haw Texan's daughter is named Paris Texan (a spoof on the city Paris Texas and Paris Hilton)

Homer's photos, Paris Texan, Paul McCartney, Gary Coleman, Yao Ming, Mr T, Elton John, Jimmy Durante (who died in 1980 btw), Jose Canseco, Drederic Tatum.

Homer has a photo of Arthur Crandall beating up Gabbo and Krusty flashing Betty White.

Embarrassing photos of Homer, Maggie hanging off the rear view mirror / Showering in a fire hydrant / drunk at Build A Bear / Fighting with a deer / burning a jury duty notice / Fighting with SLH for pizza / eating pizza out of the trash / sitting in the kid's wading pool with a cigar / flexing for the mirror

The celebrities celebrate at the Snub Club

Marge Gamer

This episode premiered on April 22nd, 2007. The lead in show was King Of The Hill and it was followed by a Simpsons rerun (Please Homer, Don't Hammer 'Em). It ran opposite Extreme Makeover, The Amazing Race and Dateline NBC.

The couch gag is The Springfield Shopper spins into frame with the headline "Couch Gag Thrills Nation" The photo is of the family on the couch. 

The PTA is getting everyone's emails but Marge doesn't have one. Lisa shows Marge the internet so she googles herself and finds a satellite image of the house, showing Homer naked in the backyard, he runs away from her and winds up in Ned's house where his parents are visiting. Marge becomes addicted to an online role-playing game Earthland Realms. The Shadow Knight shows up and kills Skinner's character. Marge finds out that Bart is the Shadow Knight and shows up at his castle, Bart is angry. Lisa started playing soccer after seeing the 2003 movie Bend It Like Beckham. The game has been cancelled because they don't have a ref but Homer volunteers, he makes a mess of the game, which makes Lisa. The bullies are about to attack Marge in the game when Bart shows up. Homer watches hours of soccer and becomes good at the game. When Helen Lovejoy gets mad at Homer he kicks her and the reverend out. Lisa starts faking being fouled in order to win the games. Ronaldo shows up to expose Lisa so Homer gives her a yellow card, she protests so he gives her a red card and kicks her out of the game. Marge redecorates Bart's on line trophy room with Hello Kitty and he accidentally kills her. Homer and Bart head to Moe's, he gives them advice on how to win the women back. Homer buys Lisa a DVD on fights that broke out due to soccer cheating. Lisa tells Homer that he was correct and she decides to play the game just for fun. Bart uses his life force to save Marge and everyone attacks and kills him. Marge vows revenge but Bart would rather go play outside. 

Ronaldo does his own voice

PTA Meeting Tonight, Let's Fail Your Children Together.

During the soccer game Homer tears off his shirt and is wearing a sports bra in a spoof of the 1999 Brandi Chastain incident.

When the Virgin Mary statue comes alive to break up a soccer riot in Brazil Adagio For Strings plays, in a spoof on the 1986 movie Platoon.

This one was kind of awkward. They didn't go into the video game realm enough to make the story interesting and the soccer one felt like a rehash of previous episodes where the kids get involved sports, especially the episode Bart Star. There also wasn't a lot of references and lets be honest, Ronaldo was clearly reading from a script and they just went with it. Oh well.

Well, another five episode done. Five more and I'm at the end of the 18th season and then on to the movie, it will have it's own blog naturally. Also I should note, I have seen the movie.

 The Simpsons 386-390

The Haw-Hawed Couple

This episode premiered on December 10th 2006. The lead in show was a repeat of The Simpsons (Simpsons Christmas Stories) and was followed by American Dad. It ran opposite Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, 60 Minutes and Football Night In America.

The title comes from the 1968 movie The Odd Couple and Nelson's laugh.

The couch gag is Homer cuts the family's silhouettes holding hands out of a single piece of paper and says "Woo Hoo!"

Lisa goes to rat out Bart for drinking coffee but it's really hot Pepsi. When they get outside the bedroom they hear Homer and Marge having a big fight but it is just a recording so the parents can snuggle. However when they throw their clothes a shoe hits the boom box and changes to A Horse With No Name by America so the kids enter the room and are scarred by their naked parents rolling around on the bed. Milhouse says it's better to walk in on both of your parents rather than just one of them. Nelson steals the kids lunch money and then invites them to his birthday party. The parties are horrible so Bart gets all the kids to agree to not go. When Bart gets home he starts bragging but Marge catches him, smacks him with a wooden spoon and makes him go to the party. The party turns out to be really nice with a bounce house and pizza, even a Spider-Man and Dr. Octopus show up. Bart tells Nelson that nobody is coming so they decide to have fun with just the two of them. Bart figures it was a one time thing but now Nelson thinks Bart is his best friend, Bart tries to break up with him and accidentally backs into Jimbo. When Jimbo goes to beat him up Nelson steps in so Bart starts to enjoy his friendship. Marge wants to snuggle but Lisa wants a bedtime story. While reading to her Homer becomes hooked on the book but Lisa doesn't want Homer to read it without her. Nelson gives Bart a Nelson vest and he becomes a bully. Lisa is spending the night at a friends house so Homer reads ahead without her. Milhouse tries to talk to Bart but he is shunned, Milhouse points out that Bart has become a sidekick and challenges him to fly kites in front of everyone. Nelson sees him and gets angry and confronts Bart for hanging out with Milhouse. Nelson is just about to beat up Bart when his mother tells him to come give the cat its eye drops. Nelson catches Bart but apologizes to him and asks Bart to be best friends forever however Nelson threatens him. Lisa wants to finish the book however Homer doesn't want to read the part about the death of Greystash so he changes the ending to where the bad guy gets eaten by a dragon. However Lisa reads the real ending. Skinner takes the kids on a field trip to the tidal pool, Nelson insists on being Bart's field trip buddy, Bart is sure he's about to die but Nelson tells him off for being a bad friend. The tide comes in and Nelson and Bart get trapped, Nelson gives Bart the oxygen tank and swims for safety, Bart passes out. Skinner give Bart mouth to mouth and everyone laughs at him. Nelson tells Bart that it's all over, Bart actually misses him. Nelson laughs at Bart and says "Ha Ha, I touched your heart". Homer is crying about Greystash at the bar. 

Bart is eating Milk Duds, although half the box is covered up. Hershey's currently owns the company.

Nelson lives at 19 Fish Smell Drive.

Martin tells the kids that as individuals they don't stand a chance against Nelson but if they all join together they form a mighty faggot. There is a definition for the word: fag•got (fag'• et) n. a bundle of sticks for fuel. (Fr. fagot, a bundle of sticks]

Lisa's book: Angelica Button and The Dragon King's Trundle Bed by T.R. Francis. The story is based on the Harry Potter series.

When Nelson gives Bart a vest He's A Rebel by The Crystals plays and they do a spoof on the entering the restaurant scene from Goodfellas. Willie performs a ventriloquist act in the cafeteria. 

Greystash, the wizard in Lisa's book dies and Homer shouts "He killed Greystash!" A nearby worker on a power poll says "Thanks for the spoiler there, big mouth". This was based on Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince when Gandalf is killed, people intentionally tried to spoil the story for others by revealing the plot twist. (I went on a trip and took a copy of Deathly Hallows with me. I put the dust jacket from another book over it just so people wouldn't give away any details about the story)

Kill Gil, Volumes I & II

This episode premiered on December 17th, 2006. The lead in show was the NFL Post Game show and it was followed by American Dad. It ran opposite The Wonderful World Of Disney (The Santa Clause II), Survivor and Football Night In America. 

The title is based on the 2003 and 2004 films Kill Bill Vol. I and II

The opening credits start with a Christmas theme. The town is covered in snow and there are decorations up everywhere. The chalkboard gag is "Frankincense is not a monster". Bart rides a snowboard home instead of a skateboard. Mr. Burns is dressed as Scrooge and Smithers is Jacob Marley. Mr. Largo is directing the band with a candy cane. Jasper dressed as Santa has replaced Bleeding Gums Murphy (since he's dead). The family sits on the couch but they are a reflection in a tree ornament. 

The family is at the Krusty Christmas skating special however when the stadium workers start setting up for a basketball game a fight breaks out between them and the skating characters. Smithers is jealous when Mr. Burns has a new friend. The kids go to see Santa but it turns out to be Gil. For Christmas Lisa wants the Malibu Stacy Pony Beach Party Set with Sparkle Sand but it's sold out everywhere. Gil tells her there is one in the back room and goes to get it for her, however the owner of the store is mad because he had put it aside for his daughter. Gil refuses to get it back and is fired. Marge invites Gil to dinner and then lets him spend the night. On Christmas morning they discover that Gil has moved into their living room. Marge goes to kick Gil out but he tries to play on her sympathy so she lets him stay, cut to New Years Day and he's still there. By MLK day Gil is still there, Homer tells Marge off for not saying no She remembers when her sisters stuffed her into her dollhouse when she refuses to hide their cigarettes. Homer goes to the bar to complain, he gets attacked by the Grumple. A montage of calendar pages turn while Bing Crosby sings "Happy Holidays". Marge and Homer want to snuggle but Gil busts into the bedroom eating the chocolate Homer had bought for Marge. The foot doctor calls for Gil and tells Lisa some bad news. Gil throws a St. Patricks day party, his guests are Kirk, the Cat Lady, some random homeless guy and the Leprechaun (who gets into a fight with SLH). After a year but Gil is still living in the house, he even sent out Christmas Cards with his image pasted over the family's photo. When Marge finally builds up her courage it's too late, Gil has gone to Scottsdale, she needs to tell him off so the family heads to Scottsdale. The town is covered with posters of Gil as the most successful real estate agent in town. Marge tells Gil off and tells him No about the house he has for sale, the staff starts laughing at him and he gets fired. They end up in the house for sale and the Grumple family comes over to sing Holly Jolly Christmas with altered lyrics. 

Elvis Stojko does his own voice.

Krusty's Kristmas On Ice. Adults $40 / Children $39

The skaters at Krusty's Christmas show sing a version of Deck The Halls.

Characters at Krusty's Christmas show. Ribwich Ribbit (I'm Spelling As Fast As I Can), Matrix Poochie (Even though Krusty promised that Poochie was gone forever), Elvis Stojko. The first appearance of The Grumple (a spoof on The Grinch and Oscar The Grouch)

Costington's Christmas Presents - At Hanukkah Prices. 

Sign at Costington: Santa's Making Presents, He'll Be Right Back (with an image of Santa on the toilet) 

The family sings The 12 Days Of Christmas and Rockin' Round The Christmas Tree.

Gil makes a joke about Harold Stassen. He was known as the perpetual candidate because he was always running for office, and generally losing.

Marge says she let Gil stay because of Christian Charity, Homer wants to know what a porn star has to do with this. (There really is an adult star by that name but she was 7 when this episode came out)

At the Rose Parade the marching band from Altoona PA is playing Rachel's Theme from Batman Begins. 

Springfield Shopper headline: Today We Remember Martin Luther King - Tomorrow We Don't. The shopper is back to 35¢

As the camera pans up from Gils St. Patrick's Day party to the parent's bedroom we see dancing mice between the floors. 

James L. Brooks' birthday May 9th.

July 27th, Jerry Van Dyke's Birthday (Australia)

Welcome To Scottsdale, Water $10 a Sip

Ooo, bad joke, they leave SLH in the car when it's 102° and Homer runs over to tell him there's water under the seat.

I hate to say this was a bad episode, but it was a bad episode. The plot was mostly Gil living on the couch with a lot of filler and the ending felt tacked on. I miss the classic Simpsons. 

This was the last Simpsons episode for 2006. 18 (or 19) years to go.

The good news is I'm only 13 episodes away from the movie.

The Wife Aquatic

This episode premiered on January 7th, 2007. The lead in show was The NFC Wildcard game (Eagles 23 / Giants 20) and it was followed by American Dad. It ran opposite Extreme Makeover, Cold Case and Grease, You're The One That I Want.

The title comes from the 2004 film The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

The couch gag is there is a cork board, someone uses a tack to put the couch on it followed by the different members of the family.

Springfield is holding an outdoor movie in the park however there is no place for the family. They end up racing against the Van Houtens. Homer throws Maggie who parachutes into the empty spot. The bullies start throwing radishes at Rod and Todd so the movie gets destroyed. Patty and Selma show up with their home movies. Marge remembers back to when they would go to Barnacle Bay, he decides to take them for a surprise vacation. It turns out the town is now a spot for homeless people. When Marge asks what happened to the island Homer blames Bill Clinton. It turns out that the Yum Yum Fish had disappeared. Homer gets the locals to restore the carousel, Bart and Lisa have to turn it. Homer ends the day with a fireworks show however a spark sets the dock on fire and burns everything up. The locals are mad at him and hang him up like a fish. They decide to earn his way out of the damage by going fishing. The nets pull up nothing but garbage and a fish used to polish stripper poles. Homer accidentally beer batters the hooks however they catch a load of Yum Yum Fish. A guy at the ocean institute tells Marge that a perfect storm is coming, Homer is still out on the boat. The boat is in trouble so the captain orders them to get out the emergency rafts however Bart his hiding in the cabinet instead of the rafts. Moe gets a shiver sensing that Homer is in terrible trouble, the bar patrons decide to head out to rescue him but it's raining so they change their minds. A giant wave hits the boat and they start to sink. Homer prays to the sea as the camera pulls away. The next day the sun comes out and the town holds a memorial to the victims. However the crew show up, Homer sees an underwater Atlantis inhabited by mermaids, however he was suffering from oxygen deprivation. They got rescued by a Japanese trawler. Lisa lectures them about overfishing. The island decide to cut down all the trees instead, they are going to Larry Flynt to print Hustler. 

The plot of this episode is based on the 2000 film The Perfect Storm

Ned puts religious pamphlets on people's cars, You Will Die In Sin.

The outdoor movie is Dunderhead Deputies in Farmyard Follies. This is a spoof on the Keystone Cops. It's a silent movie and Mrs. Glick plays the piano along with the film.

Lisa says Barnacle Bay is the most disgusting place they've ever been, Bart reminds her they went to Brazil. (Blame It On Lisa)

Barnacle Bay Theater: Meet Me In Some Floozy.

Boats at the dock: The Wasted Bait / The Empty Net / The Rotting Pelican

Lisa and a fisherman get into a fight about the disappearance of the fish. He ends with "Well maybe you should marry Milhouse. That's right, I know about Milhouse"

When Homer is clubbing fish At Last by Etta James plays. 

Barnacle Bay Oceanographic Institute: Yes we make change for parking. Exhibits: The Science of SpongeBob / Tides: Natures Least Accurate Clocks / Water Acidity / Global Warming (the exhibit demonstrates what global warming will do in the next three years. A model of NYC gets flooded and everyone drowns. I guess all of the Simpsons predictions don't come true)

One of the crew wants to go back because their TiVo's will be full of great shows. Streaming competition and licensing agreements have slowly been putting TiVo out of business. 

Revenge Is A Dish Best Served Three Times

This episode premiered on January 28th 2007. The lead in show was The War At Home and it was followed by King Of The Hill. It ran opposite Extreme Makeover, Cold Case and Grease, You're The One That I want

The title comes from the Star Trek: Wrath Of Khan quote "Revenge is a dish best served cold"

The couch gag is The family is all babies and then go through rapid growth to their current age.

The family has a satellite radio in their car, all easy listening. The Yee Haw Texan cuts them off, Homer tries to hit his car with a baseball bat but Marge tells three stories about revenge gone bad.

The Count Of Monty Fatso

The Simpsons are a happy rich family but Moe (Meaux) is jealous. Wiggum shows up and arrests Homer for treason. Moe reads a love letter Homer wrote to England so he's sentenced to life in prison. Homer turns out to share a cell with Burns who shows him the tunnel he's been digging. Burns has a map to his buried treasure. Homer falls off a cliff and into a sunken boat with a cage. It leads to another tunnel that leads back to the cell. It takes him two more times to escape. Five years later Homer sets out to get his revenge by inviting Moe and Marge to his castle. Homer has Moe sit in a torture chair and then reveals himself. Moe is burned up in a crepes. Marge is upset that Homer killed Moe, she's angry that it took him 5 years to get her back and walks out.

The title of this segment is based on the novel The Count Of Monty Cristo.

Chateau d'If Times headline Prisoner's Wife Remarries. A image of Moe and Marge. The paper is seen spinning however Lenny is holding it while Homer is spun on a torture wheel.

When Homer discovers the treasure cave he dives in like Scrooge McDuck in the opening of the 1982 TV series Duck Tales. 

Revenge Of The Geeks

Lisa tells the next story. The bullies have the nerds tied up and are using them to play shuffleboard. Martin builds a Get-Back-Anator, a revenge glove. Milhouse offers to wear it. Martin tricks the bullies into chasing him in to the library, they've never been there before. Milhouse uses the glove to torture the bullies with various punishments from wedgies to purple nurples. Once the bullies are contained Milhouse goes crazy with power, he gets revenge on Martin and then goes on a rampage. Milhouse want Lisa to be his queen but she says she just wants to be friends. When he tries to zap her he can't and throws the glove away. Nelson shows up and grabs it, he uses all the settings on Milhouse. 

The title of this episode is based on the 1984 movie Revenge Of The Nerds

Homer says he's going to get his revenge on the Yee Haw Texan and if he gets caught he's pinning it on the baby just like the time he shot Mr. Burns (Who Shot Burns part I and II)

There is a cardboard cutout of Hitler "Before I was a Nazi leader I was a Nazi Reader" and is holding up a copy of Mein Kampf. 

Glove settings: Wedgie / Purple Nurples / Pink Belly / Indian Burn / Wet Willie / Dry Willie / Kidney Stoning / Nasty Jackson / Genital Hospital / Stop Hitting Yourself / Freshman Facial / Ultimate Noogie (it beheads Willie)

Milhouse's revenge list: Skinner / Jimbo / Kearny / Nana / Wendell / Dolph / Sherri / Cosign / Terry / Chuck / Becky / Martin / Richard / Database / Rod / Todd / Nelson / Willie / Uter / Ralph / Louis / Taney 

Homer catches up with the Yee Haw Texan and is about to get his revenge when Bart tells a story:

Bartman Begins

The story starts in the 1940's, based on the music. The family is coming out of the opera house and go down a dangerous alley, they get robbed by Snake who shoot the two of them. Abe shows up to teach Bart how to be a costumed crime fighter, he was once the Crimson Cockatoo. Grandpa wants to call Bart the Crimson Cockaboy. At the museum Indian music starts to play, the Serpent shows up and hypnotizes everyone. Bartman shows up and shoves Snake into a giant set of fangs. When a Lisa reporter shows up to say Bart didn't bring his parents back he says it's OK because he stinkin' rich and nobody to tell him what to do. 

The title of this segment is based on the 2005 movie Batman Begins.

Movies at the theater: Zorro Joins The Navy / Abbott and Costello Meet Polio 

King Kong is at the top of the Empire State Building and wearing a Yankees hat.

Gotham Herald headline: Crimson Cockatoo Beaten Senseless (a photo of a costumed Abe at the bottom of a set of stairs) / Muscular Child Terrorizes Underworld. 

Criminals of Gotham City: The Toker (Otto in a joint costume) / The Diddler (Ned with Rod and Todd dressed up as angels) / Mr. Mole (Moleman) / Sugar And Spice (Patty and Selma) / Poison Lenny (Lenny) / The Serpent (Snake)

Gotham Natural History Museum "Tonight: The Stealable Jewels Of The Orient"

When Marge tells Homer that revenge never solved anything he asks "Why are we still in Iraq"? The US was in Iraq from Bush's invasion in 2003 until 2011.

While Bart is telling his story Homer and the Yee Haw Texan make up. They claim they are both from Connecticut.

This Episode Is Dedicated To All Who Died In The "Star Wars" Films. Darth Vader / Darth Maul / Greedo / Uncle Owen / Stormtrooper #5 / Jango Fett / General Grievous (Droid) / Storm Trooper #22 / Dak / Obi Wan (Ben) Kenobi / Whoever Jimmy Smitts Played / Hutt, Jabba The / Sy Snoodles / Unfortunately Not Jar-Jar Binks / Everyone On Both Death Stars When They Blew Up. (When this episode came out there were 6 Star Wars movie and The Clone Wars TV series)

Little Big Girl

This episode premiered on February 11th 2007. The lead in show was a repeat of The Simpsons (Ice Cream Of Marge) and was followed by King Of The Hill. It ran opposite Extreme Makeover, The 49th Annual Grammy Awards and Grease, You're The One That I Want

The title comes from the 1970 film Little Big Man

The couch gag is the family is cut out dolls. A set of hands puts the paper clothes on them and then they sit down on the couch. Homer says "Hmmmm"

Lisa has to write a family history for Multicultural Day however the Simpsons are boring. Grandpa says "In a world of 31 flavors the Simpsons are the cup of water they use to rinse the scoops in. Bart does the boobs trick with the Land O Lakes Indian. (you can't do that anymore because they took her off the label) Lisa is inspired to cheat on her essay, meanwhile Bart plays with the Rice Krispie box and makes Snap do things to Krackle while Pop watches. Lisa claims her a member of the Hitachee tribe, getting the name from the Hitachi microwave. She makes a dress out of Marge's corn cob curtains. After giving the top speech she has to give a presentation at the Springfield Multicultural Center. Cletus pulls his cow's tail that sets off an entire chain of events leading to a wild fire burning its way to Burn's Mansion. When the fire hits the school all the extinguishers are gone. Bart stole them to make a rocket car, which shoots towards the burning town. Bart's fire extinguisher cart saves the town and they declare him a hero and grand him one wish. Bart asks for a driver's license. Homer has Bart drive home, someone cuts him off so Homer has Bart speed up and starts throwing Marshall Tucker CD's at them, but it turns out to be Marge. John Squawking Bear shows up to interview Lisa, he says he thought he knew all the lost tribes. Lisa tries to make up answers to the tough questions. Homer makes Bart carry a cell phone so when he's out with the car Homer can call him to do stuff. The first thing is to toss volleyballs over the wall of the prison to create confusion, next he calls Bart from the bar for a ride home. Lisa complains about how Bart is driving, he threatens to investigate her heritage, Homer calls form the trunk. Bart gets mad at Homer for calling him so he takes off on a road trip. Bart goes to North Haverbrook and picks up Darcy. He keeps going back. Darcy kisses Bart during a horror movie. Darcy wants to get married and makes Bart go to the courthouse. He finally confesses that he's only 10, she tells him she's pregnant. When he tries to run away the car breaks down. Bart thinks he's the father because they held hands and kissed at the same time. The court house tells them they can get married in Utah, Bart imagines skateboarding in Monument Valley. Lisa has to give a speech at a tribal council but she finally confesses the truth, someone shoots a flaming arrow at her. Several people confess to not being Native. Homer reveals his great great grandmother was a Native American, Lisa gets mad at him. Bart and Darcy drive off to Utah. The two families show up in Utah and stop the marriage. Bart drives Homer around while they sing public domain songs (Twinkle Twinkle Little Star)

Natalie Portman does the voice of Darcy

Marge reads Nagging Your Way To Ecstasy. 

Lisa looks through: Photo Memories / Springfield Family Heritage / Genealogy Research / Tracing Family History

The kids all show up in cultural costumes, Ralph shows up dressed like a dog. 

When Smithers catches on fire he shouts "I'm Flaming!" Burns says "Hmmm..." 

Shops in the line of the fire: Kevin's Kindling / Mike's Methane Mart / Just Match-Head.

Bart's wishes: Face on the $5 bill / intravenous Squishee / Kiss Bart's Butt ( in line are Nelson / Skinner / Mrs. Krabappal / Todd / Rod / Homer / Harry Potter) / Driving a sports car.

During Bart's license montage Jessica by The Allman Brothers Band plays. 

Bart writes "So Long Suckers" on the chalkboard after getting his license. This is an in-episode chalkboard gag. Instead of jumping on his skateboard he drives Homer's car through the school's front doors. He runs over everyone in front of Moe's, Jasper replaces Bleeding Gums Murphy (since he's dead). He jumps the fence and lands on top of Homer. 

After her speech Lisa wants to leave right away and says some of her report wasn't fact checked. Homer says "Just like CBS News".  This is a reference to the story about Bush and the Air National Guard.

Headline for the Chippewa Bugle: Feds To Keep Interest Rates Steady.

When asked where the tribe was centered Lisa says "South...west of...North Dakota-lahoma". This is a spoof on the old question, "Where is Springfield"

Bart's ringtone is Fur Else by Beethoven. 

Now Leaving Springfield-Birthplace of Nelson. 

When Bart goes on his road trip Low Rider by War plays. He goes through Shelbyville, Ogdenville and North Haverbrook

North Haverbrook has the world's larges bounce castle / Ultimate Fighting Zoo / Mylar Baggins Comic Book Shop (a spoof on mylar bags and Bilbo Baggins) 

When Bart is out with Darcy they do a spoof on the Italian scene from Lady and the Tramp, Darcy kisses a stray dog. 

Capitol City Convention Center. National Tribal Conference, 10 AM: Lisa Simpson. 11AM. Teepee Vs. Wigwam: The Debate Continues

Bart and Darcy go to Wives R Us in Utah.

This was a very strange episode. Just saying.

We've reach the end of another 5 episodes. I can honestly say I never saw any of these before, either in first run (which I had given up on years before) or in reruns. So they are all new to me. And, well, they aren't that good. 

ps, sorry I didn't post anything last week but I had the flu.

The Simpsons 381-385

Please Homer, Don't Hammer 'Em

This episode premiered on September 24th, 2006. The lead in show was the NFL Post Game Show and it was followed by American Dad. It ran opposite Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, The Amazing Race and Football Night In America.

The title of the episode comes from the 1990 album Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em by MC Hammer

The couch gag is Ralph runs into the living room where a vending machine is set up, he puts in his change and gets a Homer figure, and bites its head off. 

The family heads to the Springfield Mall but it's pretty run down, the L at the end of the name is barley hanging on. Homer buys a set of do it yourself books. Meanwhile someone at school has a peanut allergy so they are banned from school, when Marge checks Bart's lunchbox she finds a peanut butter sandwich, trail mix with peanuts and a copy of Good Grief, More Peanuts by Charles Shultz (a real book btw). Marge gets mad at Homer for not actually using the fix it book however when she steps on a loose floorboard and breaks the nightstand she gets out the books and figures out how to fix them herself and becomes hooked on fixing and building things. Lisa suggests that Marge go into business as a carpenter, all the guys reject her so she gets Homer to show up at the jobs and then she takes over. Groundskeeper Willie is doing a search of all the kids for peanuts and accidentally lets Bart know that it's Skinner and so Bart starts acting up. The women at the home center mock Marge so she gets pissed, even more so when Lenny and Carl mock women and then crash the tool cabinet she's hiding in down the hill. The mayor wants Homer to repair the old roller coaster and Marge has had enough so she quits. Homer tries to do the job by hiring a crew but he doesn't know anything about carpentry and they all quit when they find out they won't be paid. Skinner has a nightmare about peanuts, he breaks into Dr Hibbert's office and finds out what Bart is allergic to. Homer builds a model of the roller coaster but it catches on fire when he tries it out, Lisa tells Homer to be honest.  Bart and Skinner have a battle with their allergies on the ends of sticks, Bart with a peanut and Skinner with shellfish. Bart and Skinner fall into a vat of peanut shrimp and both have massive reactions. When Homer unveils his roller coaster he pops open a bottle of champaign and it causes a break in the ride, Homer decides to prove the ride is safe by going on it however there are massive problems with it, Marge rushes in and fixes things before he goes by, he finally confesses the truth. After Homer gets to the end the whole ride collapses on him and he winds up in the hospital, Marge forgives him. Bart and Skinner as also in the hospital and they end up throwing peanuts and shrimp at each other. 

Regulars in the couch gag vending machine: Homer / Marge / Maggie / Lisa / Bart / Moe / Lenny / Carl / Patty / Apu / Mr. Burns / Mr. Smithers / Nelson / Mrs. Krabappal / Krusty

Mall Stores: 1987 Calendars!!! / Yesterday's Puppies (a bunch of dogs in cages too small) / Dukakis Campaign H.Q. / JC Pennys (was here but now it's a store selling Pakistani CDs / Captain Blip's Zapateria (arcade) / Rock Bottom book store.

Games at the Mall arcade: Click-Clack / Unipede / Remington Steele The Game / Rocky III vs Clara Peller "Where's the beef?" / Monkey Kong / Space-Tac-Toe / Polybius / Triangle Wars 

Books as the discount book store: Wisconsin From Above / Veteran's Day Parades / Smiles Of Ireland / The Kansas City Royals Forever Champions / Drink Your Own Blood And Save. Oprah recommends: "Buy Three Copies!" / I Scoundrel by Esme Delacroix (the romance author from the episode Diatribe Of A Mad Housewife) / The Time Life Carpenter's Library / Shakespeare / The How Why and Huh? Book of Weather

Marge makes a wooden sign for the front yard: The Simpsons © 20th Century Fox and a Westminster Abbey dog house for SLH.

 Marge's flier: Simpson Carpentry - Yes, We're Unlicensed! KL5-0123

Builders' Barn "Tell Mom You Love Her- Copy Her Keys". A spoof on Home Depot.

When Bart is using the school trophies as bowling pins he uses the ball Homer bought Marge for her birthday in the episode Life On The Fast Lane. One of the trophies is "High Jump Honorable Mention"

When Bart is forcing Skinner to do things in order to avoid peanuts he has to write on the chalkboard "A Baby Beat Me Up" This is a spoof on the chalkboard gag (the last one was in May), this is also a repeat of the joke when Bart made Skinner write on the board in the episode Skinner's Sense Of Snow.

Beat On The Brat by The Ramones plays during Bart's torturing of Skinner.

When Bart and Skinner are fighting with sticks Duel Of The Fates from Phantom Menace plays.

When Bart and Skinner fall into the vat of peanut shrimp Bart confesses that he's El Barto and Skinner shouts "noooo!" as a spoof on Darth Vader NOOOOO! in Revenge Of The Sith.

Homer Simpson Presents The Zoominator

When Homer rides the roller coaster he flashes the souvenir camera.

An interesting note, one of the old arcade games is Remington Steele and the plot of that show was a woman is a detective but she can't get any business without a fake male partner, then a con man shows up pretending to be Remington Steele. This is the Marge/Homer plot of this episode. 

Treehouse of Horror XVII

This episode premiered on November 5th, 2006. The lead in show was a Simpsons repeat (Treehouse of Horror XVI) and was followed by American Dad. It ran opposite Extreme Makeover, 60 Minutes and Football Night In America.

The episode opens on a creepy Burns mansion, a skeleton his hanging in the living room holding a March Of Dimes cup. The cameraman falls down a flight of stair. A coffin opens up and various animals run out from rats and spiders to rabbits. Mr. Burns comes out as the Crypt Keeper, a ghoulish Mr. Smithers closes up Moe in an Iron Maiden. His blood spells out Treehouse Of Horror XVII

Married To The Blob

Marge and Homer are making out in the back yard when a meteor crashes. Homer finds a glowing goo and eats it. Later that night he eats everything in the house, he tries to eat Bart but gets caught by Marge. He comes across a beach party, the teens are having a bbq fight and one falls in the fire so he eats the guy. He develops a craving for fat people so he eats the participants at an Octoberfest, baseball referees and the Facts Of Life reunion, customers at a Hawaiian shirt store. He bites Ned's head off and tosses away the rest of the body. Dr. Phil shows up to talk Homer out of his eating problem. To solve the problem the town sets up a Homeless Shelter but Homer is on the other side eating everyone. 

The title of this episode comes from the 1988 movie Married To The Mob

At Octoberfest Homer eats Uter. He was also eaten in Treehouse Of Horror V.

The segment also features a 50' Lenny and invisible Carl. 

You Gotta Know When to Golem

Krusty announces his show will be broadcast in HGTV, the image is horrible. Bart has brought his Krusty alarm clock to complain about it spraying acid. While looking around back stage he finds a Golem in the prop storage. Krusty tells the story about a Prague Rabbi who created the monster to defend the Jewish congregation, to get it to do your bidding you put a scroll with the task in its mouth, he uses it to kill hecklers. Bart puts a note saying "come to my house at midnight". Bart hears footsteps and groaning but it's just a drunk Homer, the the Golem shows up. Bart makes it kick Homer in the family jewels. At school he has it beat up the bullies. Lisa puts a note that says "speak" in the Golem's mouth and he does a series of Jewish jokes. He pukes up all the scrolls. Bart has the Golem kill Skinner, he starts to have a conscience about his actions. they make him a bride out of Play-Doh. They get married but the cops show up to arrest the Golem. Instead the police go to the Latkes bar in the basement of the Temple. 

The title of this episode came from the Kenny Rogers song The Gambler "know when to hold 'em"

Krusty's Prop Museum. Admission $50 No Refunds

Krusty is doing a Desperate Housefly sketch. Desperate Housewives ran from 2004 to 2012.

Springfield Shopper headline: Bullies Hospitalized. Nerds, dorks cautiously rejoice.

The Day The Earth Looked Stupid

The episode opens with a sepia tone version of Springfield, to let you know it's the 1930's. The Simpsons hear about an alien invasion from Mars on the Orson Welles Halloween broadcast. The entire town panics. Marge suggests that everyone pretend to be animals to avoid the aliens so they strip down and roll in the mud. Lisa shows up and tells them the whole thing was just a radio program. Kodos and Kang realize this is the perfect time to attack the planet since everyone will think it's another fake broadcast. After three years the fighting continues.

The title of this episode came from the 1951 movie The Day The Earth Stood Still.

Kwickee & Sons General Store. Today's Super-Lotto Jackpot: $18. This is a spoof on the Kwik-E-Mart.

Gloomy Sunday plays during the opening of the episode.

The sepia tone is based on the prequel parts of Godfather II

Abe Simpsons keeps referring to the First World War even though it's before the Second World War. "You'll find out"

Springfield Shopper, October 31st 1938, Two Cents. Broadcast Fools Nation, Springfield 

Wiggum mentions The Great Gildersleeve, this was a popular radio program back in the day.

The invasion of the Earth had been ongoing for three years (Bush's invasion of Iraq had reached the three year mark) Kang tells Kodos "You said we'd be greeted as Liberators". This was a comment made by Dick Cheney during the buildup to the invasion of Iraq in 2003. The alien attack is labeled Operation: Enduring Occupation. The Iraq invasion was called Operation Enduring Freedom. Kodos claims Earth was working on weapon of Mass Disintegration, Bush claimed the Iraqis were working on weapons of Mass Destruction. (They really went after the Bush war in Iraq with this segment). The occupation of Iraq lasted until 2011.

The segment ends with the song I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire by The Ink Spots. 

Richard Lewis voices the Male Golem, Fran Drescher voices the Female Golem. Dr. Phil does his own voice. Sir Mix-A-Lot sings Baby Likes Fat, a spoof on his song Baby Got Back. Maurice LaMarche does the voice of Orson Welles

In the closing credits is the name Al "July 27th 2007" Jean. This is the future release date for The Simpsons Movie.

G.I. (Annoyed Grunt) aka G.I D'oh

This episode premiered on November 12th 2006. The lead in show was the NFL Post Game Show and it was followed by American Dad. It ran opposite Extreme Makeover, The Amazing Race and Football Night In America.

The title comes from the action figure G.I. Joe.

The chalkboard gag is "We are not all naked under our clothes"(although we are) and the couch gag is the family sits on the couch, a conveyor belt then starts to roll forward, they go through a carwash with a water sprayer, soap foam, roller brushes and an air dryer. A group of guys come out and polish them. 

Bart and Milhouse both fall in love with a store mannequin then they see that the bullies are working at the shoe store, The Sole Provider, Bart and Milhouse decide to go harass them. The manager quits so the bullies tie up Bart and Milhouse in a spiderweb of shoe laces and then close the store. On their way out they are approached by military recruiters who talk to them about the latest "rap cd". The bullies won't sign up so the recruiters go to Springfield Elementary to show a movie, a knight pulls a sword from a stone and then turns into an attack helicopter. At the end of the film everyone signs up for pre enlistment. Marge makes Homer go talk to the recruiters and they agree to tear up Bart's contract but Homer signs up instead. After going through basic Homer is assigned to be a target for training. Homer remembers that it's Chinese New Year and fires off flairs, blinding the soldiers wearing night vision gear. The military tracks Homer to Springfield and invade the town. Homer hides out at Moe's, however he sells out Homer. Homer escapes down sewer drain leaving the rest of the squad behind. Homer sneaks into the house but the Army sends a drone after him. Cartoon music plays while it chases him, he uses several Loony Tunes tricks to escape including dressing up like a female drone. He locks it into a closet full of explosives and when it explodes the Warner Bros closing "That's All Folks" image pops up. The Army arrests all fat and bald people. Lisa complains about the military occupation of Springfield. Marge calls the phone tree to organize against the military. She has everyone bring their alcohol to the reservoir and the Army gets drunk on the local water. The next day the town has taken the Army prisoner, Lisa complains. The Colonel is forced to surrender but the military makes Homer their new recruiter at the mall. The Colonel announces all the names in the closing credit are being sent to the infantry.  

Kiefer Sutherland does the voice of The Colonel

Springfield Mall store Tatters-Clothes For Orphans (the sign is hand written)

Two episodes the mall was a complete disaster and now it's back to normal.

The zit faced teen's last name is Freedman

The military recruiters say that due to current world events the Army needs new recruits, this is a reference Bush's wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. 

The army recruitment movie has an attack helicopter shooting Nazis, a Middle Eastern Terrorist, Jason, it also fires a rocket into a hurricane. Did the Simpsons do another Trump prediction? After shooting the bad guys the crew jumps on stage and plays Paranoid by Black Sabbath, they are joined by Abe Lincoln and George Washington. 

Marge is carrying a bust of Homer but drops and breaks it when she finds out Bart signed up for the army. She has another one of Bart and it has The Cowabunga Kid across the bottom.

Lisa is a member of PETA and throws red paint on Krusty. Again, not my favorite character. She also asks when the Krusty movie is coming out, this is in reference to the announced date of the release of The Simpsons Movie. Krusty has to take off his fur coat and puts on a Panda one instead, with panda slippers and monkey head gloves. 

Army Recruitment Center "Suicidal Teens Welcome"

When Homer signs up for the Army he demands a parade, so they give him a Parade Magazine. It's The Who Makes What In America issue. There is an ad for Laramie cigarettes on the back. Parade stopped printing physical copies of the magazine in 2022 and ceased e publication in 2023.

Marge says with all the things Homer has done, go into space (Deep Space Homer), attend clown college (Homie The Clown), join the Navy (Simpson Tide) she never thought he'd join the Army. 

Fort Clinton (Not That Clinton)

During the training montage Toy Soldiers by Martika plays. 

Homer eating donuts while the rest of the unit does push-ups is a spoof on the scene from the 1987 movie Full Metal Jacket. 

Rainer Wolfcastle joined the Army to make recruitment films but is sent to the front lines. 

A soldier is painting "Death To Homer" with a bullseye on an image of Homer on a laser guided missile. 

Bart is making a list for new dads, Carl Or Lenny?

When Homer tries to think of a great military leader he pictures Cap'n Crunch

Moe plays Sudoku. It had gained popularity in the U.S. in 2004. 

Cletus is one of the soldiers in Homer's target outfit. His Christmas Card is a spoof on the controversial photo of Iraqi prisoners stacked naked while female soldiers point at them.

Barney, Skinner, Sanjay, CBG and Chalmers are detained by the military for being fat, bald or amused by Homer Simpson.

Homer hides out at the retirement home but grows tired of the boring stories.

Homer signing the surrender agreement with the Army is a spoof on the Japanese signing the surrender documents at the end of WWII. 

Let's hope this episode isn't a Trump prediction and the military ends up occupying cities in America.

Moe'N'a Lisa

This episode premiered on November 19th 2006. The lead in was a rerun of The Simpsons (The Italian Bob) and was followed by American Dad. It ran opposite Extreme Makeover, 60 Minutes and Football Night In America

The title comes from the da Vinci painting Mona Lisa

The couch gag is the family is placed on a computer couch image by a cursor however the whole thing is then transferred to the trash icon and "empty" is clicked. 

Homer has a string on his finger and "Don't forget" written backwards on his stomach. It's also written on the dog and in Maggie's cereal. The family drags Homer off to the Senior Olympics but he was suppose to remember going fishing with Moe for his birthday. Grandpa remembers going to the 1936 Olympics and accidentally throws a javelin into an assassin trying to kill Hitler.  Grandpa drops his dentures and Willie, wearing a rain poncho and carrying a scythe, picks them up and starts chasing him, Grandpa wins the hurdle race, Willie comes in third. When they get home they find Moe sitting on their front law so they duck down and drive into the back yard to avoid him. Moe throws a brick through the window with an angry note, Lisa decides to interview him as her interesting person in Springfield. Lisa finds fragments of Moe's writing and declares it poetry, Homer mocks him but falls out a window and down the fire escape. Lisa has Moe read his poem at school but the kids don't get it. Lisa sends Moe's poem to American Poetry Perspectives magazine but Homer is mad at them for not publishing his poem. Moe gets invited to the Wordloaf Festival in Vermont. Bart tells the famous writers that The Da Vinci Code made one million dollars and they groan and hit themselves with their books. Moe wipes chocolate on Tom Wolfe's white suit. Moe is about to tell the famous people that Lisa came up with the title but everyone is upset that he had help, so he says he made it up himself, Lisa is upset. During the panel Moe is asked who his influences are but he doesn't have any names. Lisa asks him about his influences and Moe says "none". Lisa whines. Moe shows up and asks Lisa to organize his scribbles into a poem but she runs off. While trying to put the notes together the papers blow into the lake and are ruined. Bart and Homer get mad at Moe when Lisa runs away crying. Moe has to read a new poem, he just reads what he wrote off the elevator wall and the TV guide. He then makes up a poem about Lisa on the spot. Just then Homer and Bart try to pour some maple syrup on Moe but it takes so long that he just steps out of the way. Michael Chabon and Jonathan Franzen get into a fight. Lisa and Moe become friends again and go to duckpin bowling. At the end Jameson demands poems about Spider-Man. Homer does a maple syrup tasting like someone would do a wine testing, the woman at the stand wants to know if he's "touched in the head" and Bart says "yes". 

J. K. Simmons does the voice of J. Jonah Jameson. Thomas Wolfe, Gore Vidal, Michael Chabon and Jonathan Franzen do their own voices.

Senior Olympics "Who will break the 4-hour mile?"

Lisa's list of Fascinating Sprinfielders she's tried to interview: Milhouse's Dad / Comptroller Atkins / Gil / Very Tall Man / Squeaky Voiced Teen. 

The Old Jewish Guy does the high dive but his arm skin makes him fly like Rocky Squirrel from Bullwinkle. Even the music from the cartoon plays. 

Regent Hotel "The Buzziest Neon In Town"

J. Jonah Jameson, from the Spider-Man movies, is the editor of American Poetry Perspectives.

Wordloaf Literary Conference "Warning: Philip Roth May Be Moody"

The cop from Rhode Island is a little person on a Big Wheel with a flashing light. 

The Da Vinci Code was published in 2003. 

Writer's festival sign. Today's Panel: Writers On Writing. Tomorrow's Panel: Janitors On Janiting 

The only book Moe ever read was Super Hounds: the Ultimate Greyhound Betting System.

The family goes to the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory. This is a real place. 

Tonight Wordloaf Honors Moe Szyslak- Best New Poet "Warning: First Ten Rows May Get Wit"

Thomas Pynchon is as the dinner with a bag over his head. He was first seen in the episode Diatribe Of A Mad Housewife.

During their fight Franzen hits Chabon with a framed print of Snoopy using a typewriter on top of his doghouse. 

J. Jonah Jameson wants to know what his assistant is waiting for, "Chinese New Year?" In the previous episode Homer celebrated Chinese New Year by shooting off flares.

Ice Cream Of Margie (with the light blue hair)

This episode premiered on November 26th, 2006. The lead in show was the NFL Post Game Show and it was followed by American Dad. It ran opposite Extreme Makeover, The Amazing Race and Football Night In America.

The title is based on the song Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair

The couch gag is a set of eyeballs are seen in the dark, however when the light clicks on we see the family with human heads but cockroach bodies. They all scamper, Maggie hides behind the couch but is still looking out. 

Bart is digging the marshmallow bits out of the cereal and feeds the rest to SLH. The guys are playing Rolo-Polo at the plant, a rubber ball and they are on rolling chairs trying to shoot it into a sideways trash can.  Burns catches them and starts chewing out Homer except an ice cream truck shows up and Homer can't think of anything else, Burns fires him. The ice cream man drops dead while giving Homer his change. Homer buys the truck from the widow and has it pimped out. Marge is depressed after seeing a talk show about successful women. She's mad that Homer loves being an ice cream man. She starts playing with Homer's thrown away popsicle sticks and makes a model of Maggie, Homer loves it. Marge starts making multiple statues and then spells out "Two Weeks Later" across the bottom of the screen. The Channel 6 helicopter is following a high speed chase until Snake escapes in a helicopter, he spots Marge's sculptures and wants to put her on the air. The YeeHaw Texan wants to fund an art show of Marge's sculptures. Marge wants Homer to be at her show for emotional support but he still has to run his route, he promises to be back at 3:00 (if you've ever seen the show you know where this is going). Homer comes across a gathering of single dads on visitation day, Rainer Wolfcastle is one of the fathers. Homer finds out  that it's 38 seconds until 3 and takes off at high speed. While taking a shortcut an owl, Boy Scout and bear wind up on Homer's windshield, he hits the wipers but when the view is clear he is at the house and crashes through all the sculptures and Marge is mad at him. Naturally Marge and Homer's marriage is in trouble. Marge takes off so Homer and the kids go to find her, she's on top of City Hall. Homer thinks she's going to jump but instead she made a giant statue of Homer standing in his underwear eating a donut.  200 years later Marge's statue is being studied in a museum. It turns out iPods became self aware and took over the world and Marge's statue is the last one ever made.

Krusty Charms, a clown version of Lucky Charms.

Ice Cream guy funeral. They play Taps on the loudspeaker, a 21 bell jingle and then use an oversized ice cream scoop to fill in the grave. 

Get Ur Freak On by Missy Elliott plays when Homer reveals his pimped out ice cream truck. The whole reveal is a reference to the show Pimp My Ride that ran from 2004 to 2007. Homer putting on his ice cream suit is a reference to Da Ali G Show.

Marge watches Opal. This is a spoof on Oprah. Opal is promoting the book Life Beyond Wife by Professor Stein (a book about successful women who never got married or had kids)

When Homer's truck arrives in the neighborhood Dire Straights Money For Nothing plays. 

Chuck Mangione's Feels So Good plays while Marge is making popsicle stick figures. 

Marge's sculptures: Maggie, Bart and Lisa, Fat Tony strangling a guy, Dredrick Tatum, Grandpa, Patty and Selma, The Flanders complete with Maude, Reverend Lovejoy, Apu, Professor Frink, Sea Captain, Disco Stu, The Central City Goofball, CBG, Moe (behind the bar), Skinner, Bumblebee Man, Krusty, Lenny and Carl. 

Kent Brockman's award submitted segment, Kent Brockman's "Kent-resting People"

Sneaky dirty joke: When Homer brings Marge more popsicle sticks he says "This is the most fun I ever had giving your wood"

When Marge and Homer "snuggle" he plays Pop Goes The Weasel. 

Divorced Dad Visitation Jamboree.

Dated Reference, Homer uses a Polaroid camera to slip photos to Marge under the door.

iPods overthrow the world. There's a Simpsons prediction that didn't come true. (iPod 5th Generation by the way)

This was another episode where Marge and Homer's marriage was in trouble but somehow he managed to talk his way back into her heart. These are among my least favorite episodes. It's also a guarantee that Homer won't be an ice cream man in the next episode and the whole thing will just be forgotten, including his getting fired. 

So I've come to the end of another 5 episode. I think I saw the Treehouse of Horror episode before now but the rest are all new to me. 

 The Simpsons 376-380

Regarding Margie 

This episode premiered on May 7th 2006. The lead in show was King Of The Hill and it was followed by Family Guy. It ran opposite Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Cold Case and The West Wing

The title of this episode is based on the 1991 movie Regarding Henry (so is the plot)

The chalkboard gag is "I will not leak the plot of the movie"and the couch gag is a repeat of the Transformers.

Nelson, Bart and Milhouse are painting street addresses on the curb and changing $5. Ned offers them a $100 if they'll paint his garage however it's not a scam but honest work so they run away. They do Homer's address but he refuses to pay so they leave him one number short, 74, he messes up the rest of the job. Lisa complains. After the Oakland A's drive by he wipes off what he added (see below), the postal delivery woman shows up with a package for 74 Evergreen Terrace, it turns out to be Omaha Steaks so Homer keeps it. Homer and Marge go to a Jewish wedding. The people who's address is 74 Evergreen Terrace win the Clean For A Day contest but Marge keeps the prize, she imagines the cleaning service judging her for her messy house so she does a massive cleaning however she finds a spot and mixes all her cleaning chemicals together and passes out on the three leg stool. At the hospital Dr. Hibbert holds up two fingers and when Marge gives him the right number he puts them back in the jar. Marge has amnesia and doesn't recognize the family. The insurance company kicks Marge out and she has to go home with the family, the first thing Homer does is strangle Bart and she gets mad. Marge recognizes Maggie, when Lisa tells her about sound triggering memory Marge remembers her, then she remembers Milhouse, followed by Bart. However she still doesn't remember Homer. Homer tries using his scrapbook but it's just photos of him in fights. Home wants to "snuggle" but Marge won't go for it. Patty and Selma tell Marge that her brain is trying to save her from Homer. Homer takes Marge out on a date to the mini golf castle where they first "snuggled", but she gets mad at him for how they first got together. Homer has to move out, Bart blames the moving out for his lousy report card. Homer moves in with Abe at the retirement home. Patty and Selma take Marge to a Singles Mixer in Shelbyville, she ends up going to get coffee with someone. Lenny and Carl call Homer to warn him about Marge's date so he rushes to the pier however when she tells her date about the kids he walks out on her. Marge overhears Homer telling the guy off for leaving such a wonderful woman so he drives her home. When Homer mentions drinking beer Marge suddenly remembers him. The End. Marge and Homer talk about remembering the names in the credits. 

Sal Bando and Gene Tenace of the Oakland A's do their own voices.

The chalkboard gag is a reference to The Simpsons Movie. After 5 years they had started production on it but it wouldn't be released until the summer of 2007.

Homer's address paint job 74 Oakland A's-Best Team Ever! Just as he finishes the 1974 Oakland A's drive by and give him a thank you honk. 

The steak package is addressed to Scott & Brenda Weingarten. 

Marge falling on the stool is a spoof on Million Dollar Baby (spoiler alert)

Marge reads Amnesia Monthly "Tips On Finding Your Way Home"

During a tour of the town Sideshow Bob and Bumblebee Man vs Sea Captain and Duffman are having a horsey fight over which kind of cherries are the best. A horsey fight is holding a person on your shoulder while they try to push someone off another person's shoulders, usually in a pool.

Homer's photo album: Him fighting with Bush sr. (Two Bad Neighbors) / Fighting with Bush jr. (Bush jr was President at the time) / punching a bag of apples.

Mrs. Krabappal gives Seymore a birthday tumble in the putt putt castle. 

Welcome to Shelbyville: We'll Put Syrup On Anything. 

The Monkey Suit

This episode premiered on May 14th, 2006. The lead in show was King Of The Hill and it was followed by Malcolm In The Middle. It ran opposite Extreme Makeover, Survivor and The West Wing.

The chalkboard gag is "Je Ne Parle Pas Francais" (I don't speak French)" and the couch gag is a repeat of the photographic flash forward.

Booberella is holding a Labor Day marathon "of blood" and reminds her viewers that soon they have to go back to school, Bart is unhappy, he runs around town doing his summer list in one day. Lisa shows up and says that the family promised to go to the museum and they all groan. Marge is happy the museum has an exhibition on weaving however they just replaced it with The History Of Weapons. Homer is upset that there is a long line so buts in front of Ned Flanders, soon everyone is and Ned gets pushed to the back of the line. At the children's touch wall Maggie finds a switchblade and forces Marge to turn over the candy. Homer tries out the bullet proof vest however his ricochets destroy the rest of the museum. Bart straps Milhouse to the medieval stretcher. By the time Ned gets to the exhibit it's closing, he takes the boys to the Hall Of Man and freaks out that it features evolution and a unisex bathroom. Ned goes to Reverend Lovejoy with his crisis, he sees it as a chance to regain the members he lost to the Episcopalians who had installed vibrating pews. They go to Skinner and insist on Creationism being taught in schools, they threaten to void his car lease with the Christian Brothers Automotive so the school is forced to teach the religious version, Lisa complains. The school makes the kids take a test and all the answers are "God Did It'. Lisa insists Marge choose between Science or Belief, she goes out to join Homer on a trampoline. Lisa goes to the city council to complain about Creationism being taught in schools. The school has to make a choice to only teach one subject, they choose Creationism. Lisa leaves a note on the smart kid's lockers inviting them to a secret meeting in the school's Single Purpose room at lunch. Nelson shows up at Lisa's secret class and is disappointed because he thought they were going to light spiders on fire, it turns out he's in the wrong classroom and the bullies are next door. Lisa's class is raided by the police and she's arrested for teaching evolution, meanwhile Snake is firing a gun from the roof of the Kwik-E-Mart but they don't have the time to stop him. In the trial of God vs. Lisa Simpson her lawyer is ACLU appointed Clarisse Drummond and the religious crowd has Southern lawyer Wallace Brady. The defenses calls Frink who says God is a powerless figurehead. The Creationist says he has a PhD in Truthology from Christian Tech. When Lisa is about to give up Marge reads The Origin Of The Species and comes up with an idea, Bart tries to get Milhouse to take Lisa's place but it's really Nelson in disguise. When Ned is testifying about the Bible Marge gives Homer a bottle without a twist top, Homer acts up and Ned calls him a big ape, and loses the case. Ned and Lisa make up but Rod turns out to be Nelson in disguise. 

Melanie Griffith does her own voice and Larry Hagman does Wallace Brady. 

The plot of this episode was based on the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial

Grandpas Bucket List: Sleep With Esther Williams / First White Man In The Negro Leagues. He thinks he can do both if it wasn't for his trick knee

Bart's Summer Activity List: Win A Baseball Game / Appear In A Summer Stock Play / See A Summer Blockbuster / Have a Summer Romance (the girl's summer list is Kiss A 100 Boys)

Homer's Summer List: Check Out That New Store / Find, Destroy Atlantis / Fake Interest In Son

When Bart plays baseball the coach is based on Boilermaker, the character Walther Matthau played in the 1976 movie The Bad News Bears. When Bart hits a home run the theme from The Natural plays. 

Springfield Community Theater: Grease 2, The musical based on the sequel to the movie based on the musical.

Bart goes to see a version of the 1997 movie Men In Black. The Will Smith character says "Get outta my face your raggedy maggots!" and Bart realizes why people have been saying it all summer. 

The Natural History Museum has an exhibition Looms, Labor and Liberation - A History Of Women Weaving. Marge had showed off her weaving skills in the episode Lisa's Wedding. The exhibit changes to The History Of Weapons sponsored by Kellog's (The show's spelling), there is an image of "Tony the Tiger" being stabbed, shot and with a stick of dynamite in his mouth. 

IMAX: Coming soon, Up Your Nostril. The movie for the exhibit is Nunchuks: Cool But Useless. 

During the museum's Bible creationism display "What A Fool Believes" by the Doobie Brothers with Kenny Loggins plays. 

First Church Of Springfield message board. Today: Church Council Meeting, Topic: Religion.

When Ned insists Skinner teach alternative forms of evolution he asks if they means Lamarckian, a theory that beings pass on traits to their offspring that they developed throughout their lives such as physical or language adaption. 

Skinner plays a video for Lisa, So You're Calling God A Liar! An Unbiased Comparison Of Evolution and Creationism. The video shows Darwin as a drunkard who makes out with Satan. 

Homer is playing on a trampoline in the back yard. The family had one in the episode Bart's Inner Child

Town Meeting Today: Finding A Husband For Our Sister City.

Springfield Elementary text book: Life In These 38 States. This book would have had to be written between 1876 and 1889 when Colorado was a state but the Dakotas weren't. There is a historical error on the cover, Oklahoma is shown as a state but wasn't admitted to the Union until 1907, at the time it was known as Indian Territory prior to the Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889. 

Lisa's secret class is called Viva La Evolution. (a reference to the chalkboard gag perhaps?)

Members of the jury, Kent Brockman / Bernice Hibbert / Barney / Bumble Bee Man / YEEEESSS man from Costingtons / Sea Captain / Sanjay / Kerney / Cookie Quan / Lenny / Carl / Luanne Van Houten

Marge has a picture with Snoopy "Happiness is...Met Life Casualty Insurance" This is a spoof on the 1962 Peanut's book Happiness Is A Warm Puppy and the insurance commercials. 

The Nelson in the Milhouse disguise and puzzle piece fade out is a spoof on the 1966 Mission Impossible TV series. 

 This episode ran in 2006 but is more relevant now with MAGA trying to force religion into schools and ban books. 

Marge And Homer Turn A Couple Play

This episode premiered on May 21st 2006. The lead in show was a Simpsons repeat (Homer Simpson, This Is Your Wife) and followed by Family Guy. It ran opposite Extreme Makeover, Cold Case and Dateline NBC

The chalkboard gag is "Have a great summer everyone" and the couch gag is a repeat of the furniture attacking the town. 

The title is based on the baseball saying "turning a double play" meaning getting two outs at one time. it's a pretty awkward title.

Homer sees the Isotopes are having a winning season and rushes to see a game. Tabitha Vixx does a sexy version of the National Anthem and her husband Buck Mitchelle has a lousy game. Buck sees Homer and Marge kissing and gets an idea, he comes by the Simpsons house and ask them to help him with his marriage in exchange for season tickets. Marge is worried but Homer talks her into it. Buck says he thought his wife would settle down and support his baseball career. She's tired of being trapped in a pointless marriage. Homer asks Buck to sign a bag full of baseballs. Marge suggests the couple do something together, Tabitha is going to be a presenter at the EPSYs and Buck is up for an award, Marge suggests they go in the same limo. The Simpsons advice is working and Buck is back playing great. The family gets invited to Tabitha's concert, Homer goes back stage and she asks him for a neck rub. Buck overhears them and busts in, he punches Homer in the face. Buck starts playing bad again and everyone is mad at the Simpsons, but Marge doesn't want to help since she's jealous of Tabitha. Tabitha shows up to tell Marge that she's leaving Buck however she tries to help save their marriage. The Duff blimp flies over the stadium with a message from Tabitha saying she loves Buck however it's a trick by Homer. Buck hits a ball into the blimp and it crashes into the stadium. Buck panics because he can't find Tabitha. Buck is about to beat up Homer for lying but Marge comes on the Jumbotron and saves him, Tabitha comes on and says she'll take Buck if he can guess the nights attendance, they decide to stick together. 

Mandy Moore does the voice of Tabitha Vixx and Stacy Keach returns as the voice of Howard K. Duff.

The plot of this episode was based on the 1985 film The Slugger's Wife.

The chalkboard gag is a reference to this being the last episode of the 17th season and the next episode would be on September 10th. 

The Simpsons watch Hunch, a detective show about a guy who "feels" like someone committed a crime. 

Self aware joke, Lisa says it's amazing they got 512 shows out of the premise of Hunch. This is episode 378 of The Simpsons. Right now they are working on episode 776. (Holy crap, I'm almost half way, plus the movie)

The Isotopes are having a winning season so their fair weather fans come out. This was the plot of Hungry Hungry Homer. 

Grandpa said he played baseball in 1942 for the Springfield Floozies. He was exposes when he lost his wig and got drafted. Jasper is also hiding out on the team despite having a full beard and mustache. This is a spoof on the 1992 film A League Of Their Own

The Inquisitor: Krusty's Sad Last Days. The image is of Krusty from the episode Lisa's Wedding. 

Marge reads Married Alive! A Wife-Saving Guide 

Homer has stolen Lisa's 2nd Grade Spelling Champion award, crossed out here name and what she got it for and wrote in Homer and Counselor. It is signed by Skinner and Krabbappal. 

Springfield Coliseum. Tonight--Tabitha Vixx! Warning: First Ten Rows May Get Horney. 

When the Duff Blimp flies over the stadium with a message to Buck from Tabitha the announcer says "Said Zeppelin has a whole lotta love" This is a reference to the 1969 Led Zeppelin song.

The blimp crashing into the stadium is a spoof on the 1977 movie Black Sunday. Buck says "This is the worst blimp crash ever" Grandpa shouts "Too Soon!"

Take Me Out To The Ballgame plays when Homer and Marge drive off.

This was the last episode of the 17th season. Holy crap that's a lot of episodes. Most shows are lucky if they run for 3 seasons. Why did I decide to do this again? Oh well, on to Season 18, and then the movie. 

The Mook, The Chef, The Wife and her Homer.

This episode premiered on September 6th 2006. The lead in show was The NFL Postgame Show and it was followed by American Dad. It ran opposite the movie The Path To 9/11, 60 Minutes and Football Night In America

The title of this episode is based on the 1989 movie The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover.

The couch gag is a game of musical chairs. Pop Goes The Weasel plays while the family runs around them, when the music stops everyone sits down except Homer who gives a sad mmmmm.

Bart grabs the last seats on the school bus and puts his skateboard on the the other empty one. When Lisa complains to Otto she breaks his Walkman and he freaks out. The kids help him out by singing Old McDonald Had A Fart. On the way to school he sees Metallica broke down on the side of the road, while he's trying to convince them to hop on the school bus Bart steals the bus and Moleman gives the band a ride. He's left alone on the side of the road. Bart actually drives to school but Otto catches up with him and spanks Bart, Skinner catches him and suspends him. Marge has to drive the carpool, they pick up Michael, the weird shy kid. He forgot his math book so Marge drives him up to the house and that's when they discover that Fat Tony is his father. Suddenly everyone is afraid of Michael. Lisa feels sorry for Michael so she sits with him at lunch. Michael makes Lisa a salad from stuff growing around the playground, Lisa suggests he become a chef even though Fat Tony wants him to go into the family business "waste management". When the Calibrese family tries to run him off the road he uses Milhouse's three ring binder to flatten their tires, they crash into a truckload of baking soda and breath a sigh of relief until a tanker full of vinegar crashes into them, they say the foaming is not that bad and then a truckload of TNT crashes into that and blows them all up. Michael invites the Simpsons over for dinner. It turns out Fat Tony had a meeting with the Calibrese family on the same night. Michael makes soufflés for dinner, Lisa insists he show them to his father, who just made a deal with the Calibrese telling them that Michael would take over and he's relentless, however once they find out he wants to be a chef they disrespect him and plan on killing Fat Tony. The Calibrese show up in an attack helicopter and shoot Fat Tony, he winds up in the hospital for three months. Homer offers to run The Family until Fat Tony recovers. Homer's first job is to collect $50 from Moe, he threatens Homer and makes him pay his bar tab of $50 and then only gives Homer $25 back. Bart goes to Krusty to collect for keeping McDonalds and Burger King out of Springfield. Ned comes buy with Homer's phone bill but offers to pay it himself. Michael sees Homer and Bart at their worst and decides to get out of the business so he holds a sit down, he offers to surrender the family territory in exchange for protection of his family and The Simpsons. At dinner the other mob bosses all drop dead from poisoned meatballs, Michael had used his father's recipe for dinner with his enemies. Lisa asks Michael if the dinner was an accident and he tells her to not ask about his business, then he and the bullies do The Godfather ending, however the door swings open and they are playing Hot Wheels. 

Joe Mantegna return as the voice of Fat Tony, Joe Pantoliano does the voice of Dante, Michael Imperioli does Dante Jr. and Metallica play themselves.

Otto listens to An American Band by Grand Funk Railroad.

Springfield Shopper headline: Local Man Thinks Wrestling Is Real (Picture of Homer cheering)

Michael is based on Michael Corleone from The Godfather.

When Lunch Lady Doris opens up a can of WWII Surplus beans Raiders Of The Lost Ark ghosts come out. 

When Fat Tony tells the carpool kids they'll sleep with the fishes he's referring to a Finding Nemo bedspread. The movie came out in 2003.

When Fat Tony is driving the carpool he's listening to Woke Up This Morning by Coldharbour Lane, the theme from The Sopranos. 

Milhouse has two binders, Garfield and Love Is

Fat Tony uses a Palm Pilot to keep notes. In the modern world they are TouchPads.

Homer says he learned all about the mob from the 2004 film Shark Tale. 

Fat Tony's meatball recipe: Meat / Spices / Poison (Serves 6-10 Enemies)

The Godfather Theme plays over the closing credits.

Jazzy And The Pussycats.

This episode premiered on September 17th 2006. The lead in show was 'Til Death and it was followed by American Dad. It ran opposite Extreme Makeover, 60 Minutes and Football Night In America.

The title is based on the 1970 animated series and 2001 film Josie and the Pussycats. 

The couch gag is most of the family runs into the living room however a King Kong Homer shows up, grabs Marge and climbs to the top of the Empire State Building where he's attacked by biplanes. 

Homer's former wife Amber has died and they hold a funeral for her but Bart keeps acting up. A mishap with a paddle ball causes everyone to yell at Marge. They take Bart to a child psychologist, Homer wants to put Bart on drugs but the doctor suggests the drums, it turns out he's a natural, by imagining the drums are Homer. Bart is playing the drums and seen going down the street with every beat, however at the corner he literally runs into the White Stripes and they plan to kick his butt. They chase him down the street but there is a pause in the beat just as they are jumping across an open span on a bridge and they fall down onto a garbage barge. Bart starts drumming all night so Homer turns on the white noise machine, Bart plays louder so Homer changes the machine over to traffic noise combined with a circus fire. Lisa offers to take Bart to the children's bebop brunch at Jazzy Goodtimes. Lisa invites Bart on stage and several guys in the audience see them, and come over to invite Bart to join them, Lisa is upset. Homer and Marge come by to see him and are very proud. The musicians want Bart to join their combo and Homer wonders if it will lead to a contract with Groove-Tone Records, Lisa is very jealous. She decides to try Bart's skateboard and winds up crashing into spicy salsa in the gift shop. The band calls Bart "Tic-Tock" and Lisa complains that she always wanted a Jazz nickname, so they call her "Downbeat" since she's bring everyone down. Gil tries to convince Bart to let him be his manager but the family just walks away. To cheer Lisa up Marge takes her to the pound to get a puppy. Lisa picks a puppy but the one she left behind haunts her. The next day she goes to get the scruffy one and ends up taking another dog and a bird. Soon she's being followed by various animals including the ones from a closed circus, she hides them in the attic. The animals make a lot of noise so Lisa goes to see what is happening, she finds Bart and the jazz musicians hanging out with the animals. The tiger attacks Bart and damages his arm, ending his drumming career. Homer announces he's now a Mexican Wrestler, Taco Belly. The family gives away the animals until Wiggum shows up to tell them they have until Midnight to get rid of all the animals, then rides off on an ostrich. The jazz musicians ask Bart to get surgery but it's too expensive so they plan on holding a benefit concert for him. Bart feels bad for Lisa so he uses the money to build The Lisa Simpson Home For Abandon Animals. A jazz version of the closing song plays over the credits. 

Meg and Jack White do their own voices. 

The couch gag is a spoof on the 1933 movie King Kong. Homer also played King Kong in the feature King Homer in the episode Treehouse Of Horror III. (Note, I thought Homer tossed Marge off the building but he caught her with his foot)

Funeral Today: Homer Simpson's Vegas Wife. Amber Pia Gow first appeared in the episode Viva Ned Flanders, however (continuity error) she "divorced" Homer in her wedding vows when she married Abe in the episode Brawl In The Family.

The Blue Man Group appear at the funeral. When one of them is choking on the paddle ball ball someone gives him the Heimlich he coughs up several balls and turns yellow.

Child Psychiatrist "Where Imaginary Friends Come To Die"

The psychiatrist is Dr. Brentano, he first appeared as Marge and Homer's marriage councilor in the episode Break My Wife, Please.

When Bart is playing the drums The Hardest Button To Button by the White Stripes plays. The scene is a spoof on their video for the song.

Jazzy Goodtime's is based on The House Of Blues. The Joint Is... Jumpin' / Disappointing / Closed For Inventory. 8-Hour Benefit, 2 songs will be played. 

Lisa's band is her, Datalore, Uter, Martin and now Bart. They play Take Five by Dave Brubaker. Ralph shows up with a Fisher Price toy mower. 

Professional jazz players: Defonzo "Skinny" Palmer / Marcus "Marbles" Le Marquez 

The Skinny Palmer Trio featuring Tic Tock Simpsons.

Jazz magazines featuring Bart: Blowin' / The Sugar Sheet "We ask Bart the questions Blowin' wouldn't or couldn't". Lisa is on the cover of Dream Denied Magazine "Downbeat Simpson"

Springfield Animal Shelter "Were a pet store for poor people"

When Lisa is walking down the street with her new pets Little Green Bag by Jan Visser and George Baker plays, this is a spoof on a scene from the 1992 film Reservoir Dogs.

Richard Sakai appears at the Jazz benefit. He first appeared in the episode One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish (He is a real person and a producers for the show)

This episode was all over the road. Bart acts up in church, becomes a star, Lisa adopts animals, instead of getting the surgery to fix his nerve damage Bart builds an animal habitat. It's also another example of why I don't like Lisa, Bart finds something he's good at and she selfishly destroys it. 

This is also the end of another 5 episodes. They have become rather strange with more and more outlandish plot lines making the overall show more and more cartoonish. I almost dread seeing what is coming in the future. Seriously, why am I still doing this?

Also, I'm back from my vacation, miss me? I went to Universal Studios and rode the Simpsons ride. No spoilers for those who have never been on it but all the original voice actors appear.