The Simpsons episodes 16 through 20

Treehouse of Horror (I), called The Simpsons Halloween Special in the opening credits.

This episode ran on October 25th 1990. It was in it's regular time slot and opposite Father Dowling Mysteries, Top Cop and The Cosby Show.

The show starts with an introduction from Marge warning parents that the episode has creepy elements and instead of complaining about it they shouldn't let their kids watch in the first place.

The storyline starts with the kids telling spooky stories in the treehouse while Homer listens from outside.

Bart tells the story about the Bad Dream House, the plot is taking from The Amityville Horror. The Simpsons buy a haunted house that wants them to leave however Homer wants to stay because of how much he spent. That night the family becomes possessed and try to kill each other until Marge stops them. They find an Indian burial ground in the basement and when Homer calls the realtor the agent says he mentioned it 5 or 6 times. Bart starts to tell the house to do tricks, when it refuses and tells him all the horrible things it is going to do Marge gets mad and yells at it and says they are going to have to learn to live together. The house asks them to step outside while it thinks about it and then sucks itself into a Poltergeist type of vortex.

The second story, Hungry Are The Damned is a version of the Twilight Zone episode To Serve Man. The Simpsons are abducted by alines from Rigel IV.  They are fed constantly and there are a lot of innuendos about eating the Simpsons. Nosy Lisa finds a cook book, How To Cook Humans, however the cover is dusty and it says How To Cook For Humans. then another dusting reveals How To Cook Forty Humans, a final dusting reveals How To Cook For Forty Humans. The aliens are upset that the family thinks they are going to be eaten and return them to Earth. 

The third story is a reading of Edgar Allen Poe's The Raven with Homer as the main character and Bart as the raven. Marge is seen as Lenore, the dead woman from the story.

At the end the kids aren't scared but Homer has trouble sleeping and even sees the Bart raven outside of his window.

Instead of the classic opening with a chalkboard and couch gag this episode opens with a stormy night that pans through the Springfield Cemetery featuring a series of comical headstones. Edgar Allen Poe, the author of The Raven is given a writing credit at the first of the show.

Pop culture references, The graveyard headstones, Garfield, Casper the friendly boy, The Grateful Dead, Your name here, Paul McCartney and Disco. The Paul McCartney one is a reference to the death hoax in 1966 when it was claimed the Beatle had died and was replaced by a look alike. The Disco one refers to the night in 1979 when the Chicago White Sox held Disco Is Dead night that turned into a full scale riot. There are also headstones in Indian burial ground. Crazy Horse, Not So Crazy Horse, Tonto, Pocahontas, Geronimo, Sacagawea and Mahatma Gandhi. The aliens are from Rigel IV, which will later show up in Picard.

The show features the too much lighter fluid gag. And Homer is wearing an apron that says Mafia Staff Apron, I can't find what this is suppose to be a reference to, perhaps a writers inside joke. 

James Earl Jones does several voice overs and the dramatic reading of The Raven. This episode also including the first appearance of Kang and Kodos, the aliens from Rigel IV.

For dated references the alines get 4000 channels including Itchy and Scratchy, however they don't get HBO because it costs extra, a common complaint about cable TV of the day. Also the Aliens have Pong which the Simpsons mock because it was an old school video game in the 90's. Bart refers to Friday The 13 Part One as pretty tame compared to modern horror movies. It was released 10 years earlier and launched the modern genre of slasher films.

The book Homer is reading in the library is Forgotten Lore Part II as in there is a volume I somewhere.

The show might have been meant as a one time Halloween special but was so popular that they started doing it every year. It was one of the few that takes place in the actual treehouse.

Two Cars In Every Garage And Three Eyes On Every Fish

This episode premiered on November 1st 1990. It ran in it's usual time slot and was opposite the regular lineup.

The chalkboard gag is I will not Xerox my butt the couch gag is when the family jumps on it, it turns into a sleeper bed.

The show opens with Bart and Lisa at The Old Fishing Hole, they are using homemade poles like you'd find in a Mark Twain story. A reporter shows up and asks them a few questions, just then they catch a three eyed fish. The local paper, The Springfield Shopper, runs a front page story asking if the nuclear plant is responsible for the mutation, Bart adds it to his collection next to when he got caught beheading the statue of Jebeddiah (The Telltale Head). Government inspectors show up at the nuclear plant and find the place is a mess. Burns tries to bribe the inspector but it doesn't work and he finds out it will cost $56 Million to bring the place up to code. Meanwhile Homer oversleeps at work and as he's heading out he finds Mr. Burns sitting in his car. As they talk Homer mentions that if Mr. Burns was the governor he could make up whatever laws he wanted, the next day Burns announces his run for govern with the slogan "A Three eyed fish in every pot". Despite his best effort he remains behind the current governor Mary Bailey so his election manager decides he has to have dinner with a common employee, they choose Homer.  When he arrives Santa's Little Helper and Snowball II both jump on Burns, because he doesn't freak out it helps him in the polls. The family has to ask softball questions for the camera, like a Fox News interview. Lisa complains but Marge says she's about to learn a valuable lesson, and then serves three eyed fish for dinner, Burns takes a piece of the fish but ends up spitting it out and loses the election. Burns start trashing the house but decides to go home and destroy something tasteful. As he's leaving Burns vows to make Homer's dreams go unfulfilled, however Marge points out his dreams are seconds on dessert, sleeping till noon on weekends and "snuggling" so they end on a happy note. 

In this episode when the reporter asks his name Bart replies "I'm Bart Simpsons, who the hell are you?" Early in the series schools announced that Bart Simpson t shirt would be banned so when this quote appeared they were super banned. The three eyed fish first appeared in the the episode Homer's Odyssey. We see the state's flag and the motto is Not Just Another State. When Homer is putting a campaign sign in the yard it says I'm a fool for Burns.

The dated reference The chalkboard gag uses the word Xerox for copies, way back in the 90's it was common to call copes Xeroxes after the brand name for the copier. The people at the nursing home the seniors are watching Movie For A Dreary Afternoon, before cable was everywhere local channels would show movies in the afternoon after the game shows and soap operas. Burns accidentally talks about how he hates the people while the camera is rolling and then spits out the fish on camera, similar to the movie A Face In The Crowd. $56 million would be $126 million in modern money. The title of the show comes from the Hoover campaign of 1928 when he promised A Car In Every Garage and a Chicken In Every Pot. 

In the pop cultures references Burns does the Nixon Checkers speech when trying to explain aways the fish. In the montage of Burns's campaign it shows him on the back of a train like Teddy Roosevelt and riding in a tank like Michael Dukakis. When Burns gives his big speech they take a scene from Citizen Cane with a giant image of Burns as the backdrop.

Dancin' Homer

This episode first aired on November 8th 1990 in it's usual time slot. It ran against regular line up.

The episodes chalkboard gag is I will not trade pants and the couch gag is when the family plops down on the couch Maggie is hiding in Marge's hair. 

This is a flashback episode and starts with Homer telling the story of how he ended up back in Springfield after going to Capitol City. The Simpsons go to the nuclear power plant family night at the ballpark. When Bart can't get an autograph from a player Marge goes and asks, he hits on her via the ball, and asks her to meet him at the Cosy Court Motel. Bleeding Gums Murphy does an extra long version of the National Anthem, a common complaint in the day about "artistic" interpretations of the National Anthem. Homer is upset when he ends up sitting next to Burns and can't act up at the game. However Burns wants to be "one of the people" so he treats Homer to beer and hot dogs. When the team is losing Homer gets up on the dugout and starts dancing to Baby Elephant Walk. Burns is embarrassed by Homer's antics and wants him banned from all company outtings but the team owner offers Homer a job as the mascot, Dancin' Homer. After a mostly winning season Homer gets called up to Capitol City to fill in for the Capitol City Goofball when he needs a break during the 5th inning. Homer does his bit and nobody cheers. "these cornball antics may play in the sticks but this is Capitol City." The Simpsons head back to Springfield and Homer is depressed until he realizes that everyone at the bar loves his story.

This episode introduces The Springfield Isotopes, the local baseball team, The Capitol City Goofball and Capitol City. Laramie Cigarettes and Buzz Cola are first mentioned on billboards in Capitol City.

Ned shows up at the Simpson's yard sale but doesn't really do anything, Milhouse and Bart become spit brothers.

At the War Memorial Stadium in Springfield we see several signs in the outfield, Springfield Savings Safe from 1890-1986 1988- (reference to the S&L crash), Royal Majesty Clothing for the obese or gangly Gentleman, Moe's tavern, "hit this sign and win a free well drink" (reference to Bull Durham and the bull sign) 

Other pop culture reference are when Homer starts dancing and a player hits a home run the song from The Natural play in the background. Marge says "A Simpson on a t shirt, I never thought I'd see the day". By this time there were hundreds of Simpson t shirts on the market and they were banned in numerous grade schools around the country. Mr Burns mentions Connie Mac and Satchel Paige, classic baseball stars. When leaving for Capitol City Homer gives the Lou Gehrig speech, Tonight I consider myself the Luckies Mascot on the face of the earth. While driving to Capitol City the Simpsons have a bear in a chair tied to the roof of the car similar to Granny in the chair in The Beverly Hillbillies.

As a flashback to Homer's Night Out in the player locker room you can see the photo of Homer dancing with the Princess Kashmir.

Tony Bennett does a guest voice and sings the Capitol City song. 

Pop Culture references, In Capitol City they drive across The Crosstown Bridge which resembles the Queensboro Bridge in New York City, The Penny Loafer which is a spin on The Brown Derby that was in Los Angeles. Fourth Street and D which is a take on every major cities famous intersection like Hollywood and Vine in LA or Broadway and 42nd Street in NYC. And they drive through a Times Square area complete with large billboards. 

Other sites in Capitol City are Street crime, the Memorial to the Army Reserve, The Original Frenchies, and the Duff Brewery. 

Signs in the Capitol City Times Square area include the first mention of Laramie's Cigarettes, a sign for Bancrofts English Muffins but the end is cut off so it just says English Muff (dirty joke slipped in), Buzz Cola, Neon signs for The Curvy Nail, Bootleg T Shirt Emporium, The Dew Drop Bar (instead of Inn) the Cha Cha Cha, St. Dominics Cathedral, Health For Less, The Apple Saucery and The Casbah Cafe

Simpsons stay at the Come Back Motel featuring color tv, cable and air conditioning.

Dead Putting Society

This episode first aired on November 15th 1990. It ran in it's usual time slot and opposite the regular line up.

The name of the episode came from the Robin Williams 1989 movie Dead Poets Society.

The chalkboard gag is "I am not a 32 year old woman (the joke being that Nancy Cartwright who does the voice of Bart was 32 at the time) and the couch gag is everyone hops on including the dog and the cat.

The show opens with Homer mowing the lawn, using the manual push mower first seen in The Call Of The Simpsons. Ned invites Homer over for a beer and Homer  gets both jealous and angry when he sees how nice Ned's house is. After insults are exchanged Ned kicks Homer out but later that night he can't sleep, so he calls Lovejoy on speed dial who in turn gives him a piece of Biblical advice, Ned decides to writes an apology to Homer and the Simpsons laughs at it. Homer wants to take the family to play mini golf but only Bart and Maggie go along. Homer can't make the gorilla hole so Todd Flanders, who just happens to be there at the same time, offers some advice and makes a hole in one. When the kids see the mini golf course is having a tournament Homer insists Bart sign up and pressures him to win. As part of his training Homer makes Bart name his putter, when Bart calls it Mr. Putter and then Mom Homer insists he call it Charline. Lisa offers to help Bart, they head to the library for some golfing information. She teaches him about golf and finding inner peace and then uses geometry to teach Bart where to hit the ball. Meanwhile Homer mocks Ned and convinces him to make a bet, the loser's father has to mow the lawn in a dress. Homer insists they write up a contract and Ned insists they say "the father of the boy who doesn't win", this will come back. Homer tries to get Bart to eat steak and eggs for breakfast even though Lisa thinks he should eat oatmeal. At the end of the tournament boys are tied with one putt left, they decide to quit and call it a draw. Homer insists Flanders keeps the terms of the bet, since neither boy won both men have to mow the lawn in their wives dress. A crowd turns out and Homer gets mad because Ned starts enjoying it.

Ned says the lord certainly given us this beautiful day. And then calls the Reverend for advice, This is the first episode where we see Ned as the overly religious guy. 

First appearance of Maude Flanders and Rod although the son isn't mentioned by name. First time Homer accuse Marge of taking Ned's side. 

In the show you can see Ye Old Off Ramp Inn sign in the background at the putt putt golf course, a call back to the Some Enchanted Evening episode. At the course there is a sign that says do not destroy or bang putters against obstacles or figures. Thank you the management. The course has a hole based on the nuclear power plant complete with cracked cooling tower. Sir Putt's-A-Lot's miniature golf tournament prizes 1st, $50 2nd $15, 3rd $5 4th 1/2 price sno-cone, there are Free Balloons for all participants.

There is a continuity error in the show Bart's room is on the second floor but Tod walks by the window.

Dated Reference, Lisa uses the card catalog to find the books at the library.

Pop culture references, Homer insisting Bart name his putter is in reference to BB King naming his guitar Nadine. Bart does Karate Kid pose on trash can. Homer says Jack Nicholson himself couldn't make that shot, mixing up the actor and the golfer Jack Nicklaus. The Radio announcer covering the game says the draw is the greatest example of sportsmanship ship since Mountbatten gave India back to the Punjab.

Bart Vs. Thanksgiving

This episode first aired on November 22nd, 1990. It ran in it's usual time slot and opposite Father Dowling Mysteries, Prime Time Pets (a reality show about pets that stole the idea from Late Night With David Letterman's Stupid Pet Tricks segment) and The Cosby Show.

In this episode the chalkboard gag is I will not do that thing with my tongue and the couch gag is Grandpa Simpson is asleep on the couch and they wake him up while he makes incoherent sounds. 

It's Thanksgiving a the family is gathering at the Simpsons. Homer is watching the game Lisa is making a special centerpiece and Bart tries to help by opening the cranberry sauce, Marge does all the work except pouring it out of the can. Patty and Selma show up with food and insult Marge's turkey. Homer picks up Grandpa at the nursing home but wants to leave quickly complaining that it is a depressing place. At dinner Lisa presents her centerpiece however Bart tries to shove it off the table to make room for the turkey. A fight breaks out and it gets tossed into the fire. Bart gets sent to his room as punishment but gets mad and sneaks out of the house. Santa's Little Helper tries to steal some turkey and gets kicked out so he goes with Bart. Bart tries to stead some pumpkin pie from Burn's house but sets off the invisible grid and has the dogs set on him. He heads to the wrong side of the tracks to donate blood but passes out in the street SLH eats his cookie. A couple of homeless guys take him to the mission for free food. Kent Brockman shows up and pretty much insults everyone in the room. Bart gets interviewed on the news where the family sees him and he comments that he didn't apologize. As they are leaving the mission Bart feels sorry for the homeless guys and gives them the $12. Homer calls the police but Bart already left the mission. The two cops show up to do the interview, they still don't have regular names. Bart comes home and fantasizes that everyone is glad to see him however it then turns to him being humiliated. He decides to not apologize and when he tries to climb up the tree into the house he ends up on the roof with all his lost toys. He overhears Lisa crying and they talk. Bart finally sincerely apologizes. Homer overhears them, the family gets together to eat turkey sandwiches.

Dated references, Bullwinkle J Moose and Underdog are features as balloons in the Thanksgiving Day parade (people of the day were complaining that they didn't have more contemporary figures in the parade) a Bart balloon also shows up both on the show and in real life. The Super Bowl halftime show features the Hooray For Everything singers, this was based on the Up With People who had performed at 5 halftime shows. Eventually, thanks to lots of complaints the entertainment changed to contemporary artists. The Super Bowl is played at the Silverdome, the stadium permanently closed in 2013 and was imploded on Dec. 3rd and 4th 2017.

Pop Culture references. Lisa's centerpiece features Georgia O'Keiff, Susan B. Anthony and Marjory Stoneman Douglass, famous female figures. At Mr. Burns mansion one of he guards is reading Les Miserables. Lisa has End Apartheid Now poster on her wall, the election on April 27th, 1994 is considered the date of the official end of Apartheid. 

Firsts on the show, it's the appearance of Marge's mother. Burns says "Release the hounds" for the first time. We see Mr. Burns address at the corner of Croesus and Mammon. Homer tells Grandpa that Kent Brockman's girlfriend is the weather girl.

When Bart goes to the wrong side of the tracks there are signs that read, "Massage" Parlor, Billiards, Liquor "Yes! We have rot gut"

Bart gets paid $12 to donate blood, that would be $27 in modern money, Bart uses Homer's ID since he's too young.

There is a joke about it being Bart's fault that Maggie can't talk.

The Simpsons Sing The Blues

On December 4th the producers of The Simpsons released their first album. It was made up of a collection of both cover and original songs and were sung by the characters on the show. Although it was panned by the critics for it's lack of original content and not being a Christmas album (despite being released in December) it still climbed to the #3 position on the Billboard Top 500 Album chart. It inspired other popular programs to release their own albums. The producers put out other Simpsons albums but none would have the success of the first one.

The album featured an original hip hop song Do The Bartman. The song was never released as a single in the United States and therefor was never tracked on any of the charts but was very popular. The producers even created a music video that played on MTV, the story was Bart was in a school pagent but Mrs. Krabappel shoves him off to the side so he won't cause any trouble. He plugs his cassettes player into the speaker system and busts out onto stage doing the song. It then turns into an elaborate song and dance number through the streets of Springfield and features many of the characters from the show. When the song reaches it's conclusion we find out that it was all just a fantasy and Bart is still off stage during the school performance. 

The dated references are Bart is using a cassette player and MTV still showed videos at the time.

The album and song will come up in future episodes.

This brings us up to episode 20, and a little beyond. Next we will get into 21 though 25.