The Simpsons Episodes 66-70
Marge Gets A Job
This episode premiered on November 5th 1992. It ran in its usual time slot and opposite Matlock, Top Cops and A Different World (Just two days after the last Simpsons episode)
The chalkboard gag is "I will not teach others to fly" and the couch gag is the family runs onto the couch but they all have the wrong head for their bodies so they swap around. Homer ends up with the pacifier and Maggie grabs it from his mouth.
Homer is laying on the couch dreaming about retiring, where he can lay on the couch. Ned goes by the windows and the whole house is now on a slant. Homer tries to follow a do it yourself foundation repair video but it goes too fast and is too technical. He tries to hire a foundation repair guy but when the quote is too high Homer says "You're not the only foundation guy in town" but when he looks in the phone book there is only the one foundation repair guy. To come up with the money Marge offers to get a job, Homer fantasizes about living in the woods and keeping a journal of his thoughts, ala Thoreau at Walden Pond, his only thoughts are about how he wishes he brought a TV. The power plant is holding Jack Marley's retirement party at the Spruce Caboose, a train disaster turned into a restaurant. At the retirement party Mr. Smithers sings a song in honor of Mr Burns. Marley begs to keep his job but is thrown out of the restaurant, Burns announces a a job opening at the power plant and then tells them to get out because the party is over. Marge types out her resume but it's thin so Lisa adds to it. Lisa compares Homer and Marge working together to Marie and Pierre Curie and talks about how they died, Bart imagines them as a coupe of monsters attacking Tokyo. At school Bart fakes an illness to get out of a test, Mrs. Krabappal asks him if he ever read The Boy Who Cries Wolf and he says he's going to get to it. At the power plant Marge is doing a report but Homer shoves it into a vacuum tube where it shoots out into the river and the beavers use it to build a dam. Mr. Burns gives Marge flowers and bath oils. She suggests Funny Hat Day and Tom Jones music to cheer the workers up. Burns moves Marge to the office next to him while Smithers is demoted to scrubbing the restrooms. Marge holds Western day but Lenny dresses up like The Fonz. Smithers kidnaps Tom Jones for a date between Burns and Marge. At the Krustylu studios a wildlife expert is a guest on the show but her wolf escapes and attacks Bart in the hall. Krabappal won't help him as he cries wolf. Burns finds out that Marge is married and imagines that Homer is a rugged handsome man so he fires her. Willie shows up and wrestles the wolf to save Bart. Grandpa comes to pick up Bart and plans to rub him with garlic to make sure he doesn't turn into a werewolf, Willie and the wolf share a post fight drink. Marge goest to Lionel Hutz to see about suing Mr. Burns for firing her. When Hutz confronts Burns he reveals his 10 high priced lawyers and Hutz runs off in a panic. Burns arranges for Marge and Homer to have the special dinner he was planning complete with Tom Jones. Its Not Unusual plays instead of the regular closing credits song.
Homer's do it yourself VHS: The Half Assed Approach To Foundation Repair. Troy McClure hosts the tape "You might remember me from such instructional videos as Mothballing Your Battleship and Dig Your Own Grave And Save
Homer hires Surely Joe's Foundation Repair. The cost of the repairs is $8500 dollars. That would be $18,500 in modern money. After he fixes the foundation he offers to replace a leaky washer that caused the damage, for free. Homer chases him off.
On the news Kent Brockman says "...leaving the Vice President in charge" while there is a picture of the White House with fire and smoke coming out of it. At the time Dan Quayle was still the VP, but only for two more months.
The Spruce Caboose, a parody of the Spruce Goose, the Howard Huges plane turned into a tourist attraction.
Mr Smithers' song at the retirement party is a parody of the tribute to Charles Foster Cane scene from Citizen Cane.
Marge's Resume "Homemaker: 1980 to Present"
Mr. Smithers has the photo of Elvis and Mr. Burns on his wall, he was given it in the episode Burns Verkaufen Der Kraftwerk.
When Bart imagines the Curies attacking Tokyo there is even bad dubbing of the Japanese characters.
When Grandpa thinks Maggie is sick he refers to Guide to Infantile Disstress (typo on book cover) By Dr. Washburn's Asbestos Pills.
When Burns is watching the security tapes Darth Vader's theme plays in the background.
Mr Burns talks about a dream where Marge flies in through the window, Smithers remembers his own dream of Burns doing just that. (Just another hint about Smithers' sexuality)
Krustylu Studios, based on the Desilu Productions, the company run by Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.
Bart thinks Ivanhoe is the story of a Russian farmer and his tool.
Mall stores: Origami Designs, Yogurt Nook, Gum For Less and Lionel Hutz's office I Can't Believe it's a Law Firm!
Tom Jones does his own voice and sings his own songs on the episode.
New Kid On The Block
This episode premiered on November 12th 1992. It ran in its usual time slot and opposite Delta, Top Cops and A Different World.
The chalkboard gag is "I will not bring sheep to class" and the couch gag is a repeat of the family crashing through the floor.
Homer is watching Hunks, a take on the 90's dating game shows. When a Hank says he likes "making bacon on the beach" Homer imagines actually cooking bacon. Mrs. Winfield comes over to talk to Homer, they are selling their house and want him to clean up his yard so the neighborhood doesn't look so bad. Homer hauls in stuff the neighbors are throwing out. He sees a commercial for the Frying Dutchman, an all you can eat seafood restaurant. Bart and Lisa sneak into the neighbors house, Bart says they kept their mutated son in the basement to scare Lisa when someone comes out of the shadow, he passed out. He meets Laura, the new neighbor and falls in love. The welcome wagon basket includes a coupon for Moe's and a VHS copy of Das Butt XXX. Laura, the new neighbor, scares off the bullies and spits on Barts hand as a joke, he says he'll never wash the hand again and after a few days it's pretty gross. To go out to The Frying Dutchman Homer hires Laura to babysit. At the restaurant Homer takes the entire steam tray of fish, he's eventually kicked out of the restaurant. Homer says he's going to fight the restaurant "like that Spanish guy". When Marge tells him it's Don Quixote he argues with her, he eventually goes and looks it up and then tells her to never mind (reminds me of arguing with my brother who always thought he was right about everything). Homer hires Lionel Hutz to sue the all you can eat restaurant, he calls it the greatest lawsuit since his case against The Neverending Story. Bart goes to Abe for advice on women, he's no help. Bart goes to Homer who tells him women are like beer and proceeds to get drunk while demonstrating his point. Bart learns nothing about women. Laura wants to talk to Bart alone at his treehouse but she tells him she is dating Jimbo. When the captain thinks he's going to lose the lawsuit he makes a deal with Homer, he can eat all he wants in the front window of the restaurant, the captain calls him Bottomless Pete, natures cruelest joke. The neighbor goes to Moe's Tavern for her free beer, Moe claims the place is Bo's Cavern but ends up giving her a free beer. Bart calls the bar and says he's Jimbo and gives the address of the Simpson's house. Moe threatens to cup up Jimbo and he ends up crying. Back at the bar Barney is drinking beer straight out of the tap and his heart stops, but then starts up again. The episode ends with everyone having a good laugh at Moe who falls for another phone prank.
Girls on Hunks, Ouda, Candy and Shasta
The episode took its name from the Boy Band group New Kids on the Block
Dated reference: When the neighbor asks Homer to get rid of his old Halloween pumpkins because they are attracting wildlife we see the moose and hear the song from the opening credits of Northern Exposure, a popular show about a small town in Alaska that ran from 1990 to 1995. The porn is on VHS and uses the outdated XXX rating system. The guy on the dating show says "Making bacon", 90's slang for sex.
Time cover story "America's worst city" Marge says you can see her house in the cover photo.
Self aware joke, Bart says he wants his skin to look its yellowist.
Laura orders take out from Two Guys From Kabul. Kabul is in Afghanistan btw and at the time was under the Taliban control and al Qaeda was building its terrorist network, although everyone ignored the warnings.
At the Kwik-E-Mart Bart and Laura play Escape From Death Row. When confronted by the conservative judge they hit the Change of Venue button but wind up in Texas where the guy gets the chair.
Grandpa Simpson says he dated the oldest woman and has a photo of her delivering Eubie Blake, who was born in 1887. They broke up when she started running around with the Guinness people.
Homer learned about sex while watching the monkeys at the zoo having sex.
When Bart finds out Laura is dating Jimbo he fantasies about her ripping his heart out and tossing it in the trash. We've all been there.
At the trial the lawyer tries to show court how much shrimp Homer ate and the bailiffs bring in bags of letters to dump on the judge's stand. The lawyer tells them they want Springfield vs. Kris Kringle next door.
Phone gag Amanda Hugginkiss. Bart tells Moe he's Jimbo Jones at 1094 Evergreen Terrace. Laura calls Moe and asks for Miss Tinkle, first name Ivana.
While running back to the bar Moe hits the Wishing Well, from the episode Radio Bart.
Mr. Plow
This episode premiered on November 19th 1992. It ran in its usual times slot and opposite Matlock, Top Cops and Out All Night (A sitcom on NBC staring Patty LaBelle. It ran for 19 episodes)
The chalkboard gag is "A burp is not an answer" and the couch gag is the couch is gone and only a tiny chair remains, but they all manage to sit on it.
The Simpsons is watching The Carnival Of The Stars from Molokai island in Hawaii, hosted by Troy McClure. When Krusty is attacked by tigers Bart changes the channel to Bumblebee man being chased by a police officer with a giant flyswatter. On the drive home from Moe's Homer gets caught in a snowstorm and crashed his car into Marge's car in the driveway. The family goes to a car show to find an new one. Homer enters a contest to win a new car and asks the model if she comes with it, as does the next guy. Bart plays in the Bonnie And Clyde Death Car, he finds a wad of cash in the glove box. While watching a video at the German booth Lisa realizes one of the test dummies is a real persons, the salesman quickly closes the exhibit. Homer meets Adam West, Bart and Lisa have no idea who he or Robin are, they get creeped out by him. Homer considers buying a truck with a plow on the front, the salesman tells him he makes money on the side by plowing driveways. Homer volunteers to do a church reading but instead does a commercial for his plow service. Lisa suggests running a real commercial on channel 92. He sees the Sea Captain pitching his album and decides to try it out. Homer's commercial runs art 3:17 AM. Grandpa plays Old Man Winter, Marge and the kids play a family stuck in their house. Homer shows up as Mr. Plow and saves them with his reasonable prices. Homer plows the Kwik-E-Mart, that gets robbed and then the retirement home where the old folks don't want to go out. When he plows the way to school all the kids pelt Bart with snowballs. The mayor give Homer the key to the city. When Moe gives Homer a free beer Barney decides he is going to get a plow truck. Homer discovers all the drive ways have been plowed by Barney, the Plow King, who then shoots out Homer's tires. Barney makes a commercial beating up a cardboard of Homer and Linda Ronstadt shows up to sing the Plow King jingle. Homer talks about all the things he did for Barney and remembers back to when he turned Barney into an alcoholic. Homer pays for a new commercial but it makes no sense. The city forces Homer to turn over the key to Barney. Homer calls Barney and asks him to plow his drive on top of Widows Peak, he claims he can pay with a $10,000 bill. When Barney asks which President is on it Homer claims they all are and are having a party, Jimmy Carter is passed out on the couch (the joke is that Jimmy Carter isn't a drinker). Homer sets out to rescue Barney from Widow's Peak, he drives across a rickety old rope bridge only to see the modern one off to his left. When Homer almost goes over the cliff he changes the radio station to the left which balances out the truck. After Homer rescues Barney they decide to team up and Homer says even God himself can't stop us. God says "Oh no?" and starts an unexpected warm season. The Repo Depo shows up and repossess Homer's plow. In the end Homer and Marge "snuggle" while he wears his Mr. Plow jacket.
Molokai island is best known for its leprosy colony.
Troy McClure "You know me from such films as The Erotic Adventures of Hercules and Dial M for Murderousness."
Carnival Of Stars guests: Angela Lansbury walk on hot coals, Krusty the Klown is doing a tiger taming act where he's attacked, 20 years before the Siegfried and Roy incident. Alan Thicke throws knives at Ricardo Montalban
Homer goes to Crazy Vaclav's Place of Automobiles to look for a new car.
Springfield Auto Show "We salute the American Worker, now 61% Drug Free! 1991 Aristocrat, Runs On Tap Water. In the background is the Wienermobile (now known as the Frankmobie.)
Signs at Homer's fantasy White House protest: Pay me not to work, Forget the Alamo, I dislike Ike, Stop Everything Now, Stop This Crazy Thing (Jetsons reference) Disgruntled Office Seeker, Bring Back Seahunt (a 1950's TV show). Homer is helping Senior Bush smuggle art out of the White House. (Bush had just lost the election to Clinton)
The plow truck costs $20,000, that's $42,700 in todays money still a heck of a deal.
Springfield store: Lullaby$. Barney works dressed up as a baby and loses his diaper in the wind.
Homer gets a Missed Payment Third Notice from Kumatsu Motors, the company that took over Powell motors after the Homer car disaster in the episode Oh Brother Where Are Thou? When they call for payment Homer says he didn't say Mr. Plow but Tony Dow, the actor from Leave It To Beaver. When he says "Yeah, they're Gay" the producers considered cutting it from the show for potential liable reasons but they left the line in.
The Sea Captain's songs: Blow The Man Down: What Do You Do With A Drunken Sailor, Dead Man's Chest, Asleep In The Deep, Row Row Row Your Boat, The Flogging Song, Love Theme From Das Boat, In The Navy, Sink The Bismarck, Columbia Gem Of The Ocean. It comes with a bonus CD, Horn Pipe Fever
The Batmobile license plate: 2F-3567
Homer goes to McMahon and Tate Advertising Agency, the company from Bewitched. Homer's new commercial is a parody of a Russian ad.
The World Trade Center is seen in the background of Homer's commercial
Kent Brockman reading the news of Barney trapped on Widow's Peak parodies Walter Cronkite reading the news that JFK was shot.
Widow's Peak elevation 13, 613 feet.
Dated reference, Homer changes the dial on the radio by turning the knob which moves the needle across the face, not digital
Adam West and Linda Ronstadt do their own voices in this episode.
Self Aware Joke "It may be on a lousy channel but The Simpsons are on TV"
Lisa's First Words
This episode premiered on December 3rd, 1992. It ran in its usual time slot and opposite Delta, Top Cops and Out All Night.
The chalkboard gag is "Teacher is not a leper" (this came one week after they did an episode that featured Molokai island) and the couch gag is The kick line that turns into a full on show with acrobats, jugglers and even elephants,
The family is trying to get Maggie to say her first word. Instead she belches. They flash back on Bart's first word(s), he walks in on Homer and Marge "snuggling" and says "Aye Caramba!" Since Marge is embarrassed by the story she tells them about Lisa's first words. Flashback to 1983. The family lives on the lower east side of Springfield in a Brooklyn style multicultural neighborhood. Homer tries to get Bart to call him daddy but he keeps calling him Homer. Marge tells Homer and Bart that she's pregnant, Bart sees it as an opportunity to blame the baby for everything. Homer and Marge goes house shopping. First house just had a shooting with an outline on the floor, "I'll be back" is written on the wall in blood. The second house is next door to a hog fat rendering plant. The sea captain is selling his houseboat. There is a house owned by cats. Homer goes to Abe for help with buying the house. Abe sells his house which he got as a result of being on a crooked game show. The Simpsons buy their house for $15,000. Homer promises Able he'll always have a place to live and three weeks later send him to the retirement home. When they are moving in Ned and Todd come by to welcome them to the neighborhood, Homer borrows Ned's new TV tray and never gives it back. Krusty the clown is doing a Krustyburger giveaway, scratch off the name of an event and if the U.S. wins people get a free hamburger, however the contest is rigged, they only have events the Russians are good at, however in 1984 the Russia boycotted the Olympics (the US won 174 medals, 83 gold). Krusty stands to lose $44 million dollars. (That would be $89 million today) Homer builds Bart a creepy clown bed, he can't fall asleep in it. Homer is getting fat off free Krustyburgers. Krusty threatens to spit in every 50th burger. As an act of jealousy Bart cuts off all of Lisa's hair, tries to mail her and drops her off at the Flanders. Bart plans to run away but then Lisa says "Bart". Lisa also says Mommy, David Hasslehoff but instead of saying Daddy she says Homer. Homer puts Maggie to bed and after he leaves she says Daddy.
1983 stuff, Ms. Pac-man, Joe Piscopo on SNL, Street Kids play video games, Mumbly Peg, Stickball and Kick The Can. The last episode of MASH. Homer sings Girls Wanna Have Fun. Johnny Carson makes a Boy George joke. Homer watches Mama's Family. Newspaper headline from the day Lisa was born, Mondale to Hart: Where's The Beef? (This was Homer's bumper sticker in The Itchy And Scratchy Movie episode) Also, this means Lisa's birthday is March 12th, the day after the debates. Dr. Hibbert is wearing beaded dreads and mentions Mary Lou Retton, the star of the Olympic gymnastic team. David Hasslehoff and KITT are on the cover of TV guide.
Fretful Mother Magazine Inside: Why baby can't read. In the flashback the magazine cover story is Is your baby too cute?
Homer and Marge go house hunting at Stinking Fish Reality "With a name this bad we've got to be good!
The Itchy And Scratchy Show "100 Yard Gash" At the Olympics Itchy nails Scratchy's tail to the track, when the gun goes off his skeleton shoots out and wins the race, he ends up on a box of Wheaties. "Good Luck to our athletes from Itchy and Scratchy, official animated cat and mouse team of the 1984 Olympics."
Sideshow Bob is on the Krusty show, it's 8 years before he would try to frame the clown and go to jail.
Drederick Tatum wins the Olympic boxing match.
Although this was touted as the first episode in which Maggie speaks she once said "check this out" in the Tracy Ullman short Making Faces
Elizabeth Taylor did the guest voice for Maggie in this episode.
Homer's Triple Bypass
This episode premiered on December 17th 1992. It ran in it's usual time slot, followed by Martin and ran opposite Delta, Top Cops and Out All Night.
The chalkboard gag is "Coffee is not for kids" (it is written in real jittery handwriting and becomes more illegible as it goes down the board) and the couch gag is the Simpsons are miniature and have to crawl up on the couch.
On Cops: In Springfield they use a battering ram to smash through a door, but it's Reverent Lovejoy instead of the cattle rustler who lives next door. It turns out to be Snake who gets away. Homer has several near heart attacks, Marge makes him oatmeal so he'll eat healthy, instead he scarfs down bacon and eggs. Homer gets stuck behind a house moving truck being driven by Moleman, he starts ramming the house until he forces it off the road into a firey crash. Mr. Burns sees Homer sleeping on the job and chews him out and almost kills him, Homer has a heart attack and leaves his body until Burns says "send a ham to his widow" so he returns. The ambulance gets stuck at a deer crossing. Marge gets the call, Patty and Selma are more interested in coupons. Dr. Hibbert does several tests on Homer, he's radioactive and fat. He needs a bypass surgery. Homer tries to get insurance but has a heart attack before he can sign the policy. Homer tries to borrow $40,000 from Reverend Lovejoy, Rabbi Krustofsky, and Sadruddin Mabaradid (first seen in the Kamp Krusty episode), all he gets is a dreidel. The family see Dr. Nick on the TV, he'll do any operation for $129.95, plus a free Chinese Finger Trap. Flanders is at the hospital in the same room as Homer, he's donating a kidney and a lung. Homer preys that Marge and the kids will be taking care of if he dies. Krusty shows up as part of his community service. Lisa reads up on cardiology. Dr. Nick goes to the library to watch a film on how to do heart surgery however someone taped over it with an episode of People Who Look Like Things. Patty and Selma try to introduce Marge to Andre in the waiting room. Dr. Nick remembers med school when he was telling woman he can get any kind of drugs he wants. In the end Lisa tells Dr. Nick how to do the operation, it's a success.
Cops: In Springfield. Wiggums tries to talk to a suicidal guy, who jumps off the ledge, A cop is chasing down a suspect on a rooftop pursuit but it's just a show the Springfield officers are watching. They search Jasper and find hidden weapons in his beard. They try to shoot a mummy. They watch Itchy and Scratchy (it's the episode from Itchy And Scratchy And Marge). They use the police helicopter to watch Space Mutants at the drive in theater.
People waiting at the hospital. Jacque the bowler with his thumb stuck in a ball. Willie with two bandaged arms, Jasper with his beard stuck in a bike (this joke will be repeated later) Karate instructor with his hand stuck in board, Apu with a bullet wound. Sideshow Mel stuck in cannon. Wiggums with lockjaw when he tried to take too big of a bite out of a large sandwich.
Homer's life flashing before his eyes: eating pizza in the newborn nursery, singing in the choir until his voice changes mid song.
House being moved "Birthplace of Edgar Allen Poe"
Gasso station, Full Service $1.59 9/10, $1.99 9/10
We see the standard ambulance rushing to the hospital clip that was first used in the One Fish, Two Fish episode.
When Homer says they gave up their health care plan at work for a pinball machine in the lounge Marge says D'oh!
Homer goes to The Merry Widow Insurance Company.
Dr. Nick commercial "You tried the best, now try the rest" 1-600-DOCTORB "The B is for Bargain"
The backside of Homer's get well card from the power plant is the Emergency Procedure poster "Do Not Remove". The rest of the copy is greeked gibberish.
Mr. McCraig with a leg for an arm and an arm for a leg.
People Who Look Like Things guests: Cash Register, Palm tree, broom, Jack-O-Lantern, coffee pot.
Homer's heart problem was first mentioned in the Lisa The Greek episode.
This was the last episode of 1993. At this point there are only 30 years of The Simpsons to go.
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