The Simpsons 116-120
And Maggie Makes Three
This episode premiered on January 22nd 1995. The lead in show was Get Smart (1995) and was followed by House of Buggin'. It ran opposite Lois and Clark, Murder, She Wrote and seaQuest DSV.
The title of the show comes from the 1949 movie And Baby Makes Three.
The chalkboard gag is "Bagman is not a legitimate career choice" and the couch gag is the James Bond gun barrel view with Homer shooting at the screen complete with the Bond theme.
The family is watching tv but Marge insists it's family time. She sets the timer for one hour but nobody has anything to say. When she catches Homer trying to turn the timer forward Lisa suggests that they look through the scrapbook, there are lots of photos of the tv. Lisa asks why there aren't any photos of Maggie so Homer tells a story. They flash back two years to when Homer remembers terrorists taking over the plant but he does a Die Hard and saves the day, however Marge makes him tell the true story. Homer gets his paycheck at work and is out of debt so he goes to Mr. Burns' office and doesn't use a coaster, dumps a single piece of paper out of the trash can and then plays Burns' head like a bongo and then sets the bridge at the exit on fire, quite symbolic. Homer's dream job is at the Bowl-O-Rama but to hire him the alley owner (Barney's uncle) has to get rid of one employee so he fires Barney. In order to make ends meet Homer has come up with the perfect budget for a family of four. Marge and Homer go out on a special date, Krusty Burger, dancing in their car to Barry Manilow's Copa Cabana and walking on the beach. They go home to "snuggle" and Homer tells the kids about sperm swimming towards an egg, complete with a demonstration. Despite all the signs Homer doesn't realize Marge is pregnant and is loving his job. When Dr. Hibbert tells Marge she's pregnant she doesn't sound excite so he tells her a healthy baby can bring upwards of $60,000. Patty and Selma promise to not tell Homer but instead they get on the phone and call A Aaronson and Mr. Zakowsik, considering they are flipping through the phone book you think they called everyone in Springfield but instead they just called the two biggest gossips in Springfield. Everyone congratulates Homer but he thinks they are talking about his job. Even when he walks in on the baby shower Homer still doesn't figure it out. When Maude Flanders congratulates Homer on his new job he suddenly figures it out and pulls out his hair. Lisa tells Homer to stop exaggerating so Marge tells them that's how he reacted to each kid and we see Homer getting balder and balder. Homer asks for a raise however the only way is to bring in more customers, so Homer goes outside, shoots a gun in the air and starts shouting "Bowling!" He has to quit the bowling alley so they give him a jacket with "Sorry you had to split" on the back, it's later dissolved by acid rain at the power plant. Homer has to return to the power plant and enter through the Supplicants doorway which has him literally crawling back for his job. Burns rehires him but puts a sign above his work station that says "Don't forget: you're here forever". Homer comes home and starts to complain about everything but Marge tells him she's going into labor. He angrily hangs out in the delivery room until Maggie reaches out and grabs his finger. Bart comments about the lack of photos but they are all at work and cover just enough of the sign so it reads "Do it for her"
The family watches Knight Boat, The Crime Solving Boat. In this episode they are out to catch a gang of starfish poachers who are escaping on land, but luckily Crime Boat finds a river leading inland. It is a spoof on the series Knight Rider.
Homer's flashback includes the clear beverage craze and the birth of the internet super highway where nerds could express their opinion on Star Trek (well at least one thing hasn't changed)
Homer's list on the calendar, 15th, Dick Clark on Leno 16th, Dick Clark's Birthday, 17th, Harass Dick Clark, 18th, Out Of Debt Here. (Dick Clark's actual birthday is November 30th)
At this point Homer had worked at the power plant for 8 years.
Sign at the bowling alley:
Game 1.75
3 Games 5.00
Per Hour 5.00
Shoes 1.25
League Members (obscured by the characters)
Springfield night clubs: Chez Nous, Amore
The Aztec theater is showing When Harry Met Sally which came out in 1989
Marge and Homer fool around on the beach in a take on the scene in From Here To Eternity.
Homer sticks his head in the Shine-O Ball-O but lies to the owner despite the reflection on his forehead.
Jacques, the bowling expert who tried to seduce Marge in the episode Life On The Fast Lane, makes an appearance.
When Homer is celebrating his job at the bowling alley he sings "I'm gonna make it after all" and tosses a ball up, which crashes into the alley. This is a take on the opening scene in the Mary Tyler Moore Show.
Dr Hibbert has a wedge haircut that was popular with rappers in the day.
A. Aaronson was mentioned in the episode Sideshow Bob Robertson when Lisa was checking the voting logs.
Continuity error, when Marge tells Homer about Bart and Lisa they are living in their current house, however they bought it after they found out that Marge was pregnant for the second time in the episode Lisa's First Words. Also in the episode I Married Marge Homer was in Dr. Hibbert's office when he told them Marge was pregnant.
Self aware joke, halfway through the story Bart and Lisa take a break to go to the bathroom and get snacks while Marge sits in the living room and thinks about products she would like to purchase as the show cuts to a commercial.
Bart's Comet
This episode premiered on February 5th, 1995. The lead in show was Get Smart (1995) and was followed by Married With Children. It ran opposite the NFL Pro Bowl, Murder, She Wrote and the movie The Prince Of Tides (a movie The Simpsons had spoofed in several episodes)
The chalkboard gag is "Cursive writing does not mean what I think it does" and the couch gag is a 1920's black and white version of The Simpsons with spaghetti arms, huge eyes and the white gloves like a Flescher cartoon.
It's science week at Springfield Elementary and for the finale Skinner is launching a weather balloon. However when it takes off panels tear away to look like Skinner with a sign that says "Hi! I'm Big Butt Skinner". Skinner tells the kids that whoever brings down the balloon doesn't have to learn fractions and they start throwing rocks at it, which rain down on the cars in the parking lot. Willie tries to shoot the balloon but almost hits passing military jets. Their computer identifies Willie as an Iraqi jet fighter so they launch missiles and shoot themselves down. Skinner searches Bart and finds blueprints, photos and an alternate sign "Buttzilla". Skinner decides Bart's punishment should be aiding him in his astronomy, he has to go to school at 4 AM. As Skinner scans the sky he has Bart write down the telescope settings, however they don't find anything. When Skinner spots something it turns out to be his weather ballon, when he goes to catch it Bart starts playing with the telescope and finds a comet. Skinner catches the balloon but just then the observatory confirms Bart's comet, Skinner lets go of the ballon and the Springfield Shopper shows up with the headline Prez sez: "School Is For Losers". Bart is invited to join the nerds table at lunch, when they ask about his comet he points it out, they realize it's heading right towards them. At the observatory the scientists confirm the comet is headed towards the Earth and everyone panics. When Mayor Qimby shows what the impact of the comet will look like the drawing specifically points out Moe's Bar. Professor Frink creates a plan to hit the comet with a rocket however it crashes and the flaming debris lands on the model of Moe's Bar and sets it on fire. Marge worries that the rocket will miss so Homer tells her that he has a back up plan to drive across the only bridge out of town. The rocket misses the comet and destroys the only bridge out of town, which people keep trying to jump across. Congress votes to evacuate Springfield but another member of the Senate tacks on a rider to spend $30 million supporting the perverted arts, the bill is defeated. Since it's his last broadcast Kent Brockman puts up his list of people who are Gay, Marge wants to turn it off but Homer is busy copying down the names. Homer points out that the comet will burn up in the atmosphere and all that will be left will be a piece the size of a chihuahua's head. When the family continues to worry Homer takes them to the bomb shelter, which Ned had built in his back yard. While they are waiting more people show up. There are too many people and they can't close the door so they kick Ned out. When Homer can't stand all the fighting over Moe's barnyard animal sound game, and Ned's singing he goes to join him along with everyone else. As they prepare to die the comet comes burning through the pollution over Springfield, getting ever smaller and crashes into the bomb shelter causing it to collapse. It turn out Homer was right and it burned up to the size of a chihuahua's head. The mob goes to burn down the observatory so it will never happen again. The show ends with Que Sere Sere instead of the usual theme song.
Skinner says the weather ballon won't come down for a month and curses Pierre Jules Cesar Janssen, the discoverer of helium.
When Skinner is coming up with a punishment for Bart he says it won't be a simple caning this time. This is a reference to Michael Fay, and American who was sentenced to six lashes with a cane in Singapore after he was arrested for stealing signs. The situation caused international tensions. In the end he was caned 4 times instead of six and the matter was considered solved. However don't steal signs in Singapore.
Skinner says he almost discovered something but was beaten to a phone by Principal Kohoutek, there is a real person Lubos Kohoutek who discovered the Comet Kohoutek
This episode is the first time Professor Frink was referred to by name.
Professor Frink's comet model catching on fire is a reference to Doc Brown's demonstration model of the lightning strike that sets the toy car on fire in Back To The Future. The same thing happened to the burglar proof house model in the episode Homer The Vigilante.
Springfield Shopper headline: Rocket To Kick Comet's Tail. Mayor Visits City.
Sign on Comet Missile: Aim Away From Face.
Three years after this episode aired the movie Dante's Peak premiered and one of the scenes was the destruction of the only bridge out of town. The Simpsons had made another prediction.
The member of congress tacking on a rider to support the "perverted arts" is a reference to the Maplethorp controversy when the Republicans tried to use a showing of his work as an excuse to eliminate funding for the arts.
Ned sings Que Sera Sera, from the movie The Man Who Knew Too Much and the Doris Day's signature song.
Continuity error, in the Tracey Ullman shorts the Simpsons had a bomb shelter in their basement.
When Kent Brockman is sure everyone is going to die he puts up his list of the people who are Gay:
- Matt Groening Executive Producer and creator of The Simpsons
- Ken Tsumura Animation Co-Producer for Gracie Films
- George Meyer Co-Executive Producer
- Joel Kuwahara Assistant to the Producers
- Bill Oakley Supervising Producer
- Elizabeth Jacobs Assistant to Mr. Mirkin
- Josh Weinstein Supervising Producer
- Jane O'Brien Assistant to the Producers
- Annette Andersen Assistant to Mr. Groening
- Jennifer Crittenden Staff Writer
- Mike Scully Producer
- Dominique Braud-Stiger Post Production Assistant
- Greg Daniels Producer
- Joseph Boucher Producer
- Al Jean Consulting Producer
- Ping Warner Post Production Assistant
- Mike Reiss Consulting Producer
- Craig Feeney Assistant to the Producers
- Richard Raynis Producer
- Don Gilbert Assistant to the Producers
- David Mirken Executive Producer
- Jacqueline Atkins Assistant to the Producers
- Chris Ledesma Music Editor
- Mark McJimsey Dialogue Sound Editor
- Alf Clausen Music
- Allison Elliott Post-Production Supervisor
- David Silverman Producer
- David Cohen Story Editor
- N. Vyolet Diaz Assistant to Mr. Groening
When Homer builds a circus tent with his mashed potatoes it's a take on the scene from Close Encounters Of The Third Kind.
Lisa says it was bad enough when Homer was pretending to be Tom Bosley, (the actor who played Howard Cunningham on Happy Days). Homer says nobody was complaining when he got them this close to Chachi, the kid Scott Baio played on the show (before he became a hated internet personality)
Krusty's Clown College. Formerly Willie Nelson's House (this is a joke about Willie Nelson's tax problems of the 90's)
The YeeHaw Texan is at the clown college.
Krusty's funny place names, Walla Walla, Keokuk, Cucamonga, Seattle
Homer tells Lenny that he has to open a new Jiffy Lube and cohost the Ace Awards, Lenny is impressed by the Jiffy Lube. The Ace Awards were given to cable programs from 1978 to 1997. When the Emmys began to recognize cable programming the Ace Awards became pointless. Dick Cavett hosts The Ace Awards on The Simpsons and does his own voice over.
When the mob runs out of bullets they go to Big 5, a sporting goods store.
Krusty has plastic surgery in a spin on the Joker scene from Batman 1989. Instead of changing his face the doctor made him look younger and gave him breasts.
When Homer is trying to get out of being killed by the mob he tells them he's Homer, the same Homer who crashed through their "social" club, so he says that he is Barney, the same Barney who keeps taking pictures of the thug's sister, so he says he is Joe Valachi, the infamous mob informant from The Valachi Papers. He says he's Benedict Arnold and he runs out of names.
This episode introduces Don Vittorio DiMaggio, the head of the mob.
This episode was a continuation of an idea from the Tracey Ullman Shorts. Originally the show was going to be revealed that Homer's secret life was that he was Krusty the Clown, Bart's hero. However they dropped that idea when they created the series.
Bart vs. Australia
This episode premiered on February 19th, 1995. The lead in show was Get Smart (1995) and was followed by House of Buggin'. It ran opposite Lois and Clark, Murder, She Wrote and seaQuest DVS.
The chalkboard gag is "I will not hang donuts on my person" and the couch gag is a repeat of the family swimming across the living room.
Bart and Lisa are having a race to see what will go down the drain faster, toothpaste or shampoo. Bart says he would have won if the water was spinning the other way, Lisa tells him about the Coriolis Effect, which makes water in the Northern Hemisphere spin counterclockwise. Bart doesn't believe her so he tries to get the toilet to spin the other way, thus both freezing and burning Homer who is taking a shower. Bart starts calling numbers in the southern hemisphere. First he calls an Antarctic station but their toilet is frozen, next he calls a South American dictator who thinks it means the rebels have seized the capitol. The third person is an old German living in Argentina with a license plate Adolf 1. When Lisa points out the cost of international calls Bart calls Australia collect. He tells a kid that the drains are sucking people in and he needs to know which way the water goes. Since Lisa is right he asks the kid to check with the neighbor, who lives far away. Meanwhile Milhouse shows up to tell Bart that bakery is on fire and he forgets about the call. Six hours later the kid answers the phone and Bart hangs up on him. Homer gets the bill but can't remember if he made the calls so he just pays it. Meanwhile the Australian gets a phone bill for 900 dollars. When the guy calls back Bart screws around with him. Bart gets angry letters from various Australian government agencies and is even indicted. Evan Conover from the State Department shows up, The Undersecretary for International Protocol, Brat and Punk Division. With the fading of the 80's Australian fad combined with Bart's phone call diplomatic relations between the US and Australia were strained. In order to make it up the state department wants to imprison Bart for 5 years, Homer thinks it's tough but fair. Since Marge refuses to imprison Bart, Conover tells them the other option is to go to Australia and make a public apology, the family sees it as an opportunity to get a free trip. Bart sees a sign about no foreign creatures so he sets his frog free in the airport. Homer thinks the embassy guard is like the British guards and starts mocking him, the guard punches him and says "No Sir! US Marine Corps Sir!". The toilets at the embassy have a machine to make them swirl counterclockwise. Bart sees a sign at the embassy exit that says "Now entering Australia, Observe local laws", the guard tells him the embassy is considered American territory. Homer starts jumping back and forth saying "America, Australia", the guard punches him and says "In America we don't tolerate that kind of crap!" At a pub Homer orders a giant beer and a guy puts a keg size can of Fosters on the bar. Marge wants a cup of coffee but the bartender keeps hearing beer. Bart gives his apology but then they bring out the big boot to kick him in the butt. Homer steals the boot and holds the Prime Minster hostage. Homer and Bart make a break for it, they attempt to escape in kangaroos but find their pouches are full of mucus. As Marge and Lisa are visiting a gift shop Homer and Bart run by, they all run back to the embassy. The ambassador tries to close the gate on the Simpsons however the sign says Gate Control, Made With Pride In The U.S.A. and of course it doesn't work. The ambassador makes a deal to boot Bart, through the gate with a regular shoe, Bart agrees. When the Prime Minister goes to kick Bart he jumps forward and moons the crowd, he has Don't Tread On Me written on his butt cheeks. The Australians storm the the embassy and the staff have to flee, looking back they see the frogs spread out of control on the continent, however a koala is hanging on to the helicopter.
Places Bart called: Santiago Chile, Antarctica Naval Research Station, New Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, Unnamed Settlement, Disputed Zone and Squatters Crag in Australia.
The State Department slides of the Australian trend in America: Crocodile Dundee, Koala Blue (Olivia Newton John's short lived stores), Mark Jackson (aka The Energizer OI! guy), Subway's foot long Vegemite Sub, Yahoo Serious.
The family flies to Australia on Transhemispherica Airlines.
While the family is flying to Australia the camera pans down through the Earth. We see someone who was buried alive and tried to dig their way out but went down instead of up, Dinosaurs in coffins, Shiva at the Earth's core pushing various buttons, bits of Skylab (which parts crashed into Australia in 1979)
Sign at Australian airport Advisory: Foreign Florae and Faunae Prohibited!
US Embassy: Restrooms for Citizens Only.
Australian Cultural Center "Cart your arse on in"
The statue for the first Prime Minister of Australia is an image of Snake wearing broken chains. (Since the country was originally a penal colony)
At a pub Bart is playing with his pocket knife. A guy comes up and says "you call that a knife?" and pulls out a spoon. When Bart points out what it is the guy says "I see you've played Knifey-Spoony before". This a spoof on the knife scene from Crocodile Dundee.
Parliament-Haus der Austria, with the "al" written in with an arrow pointing to where it should go to spell Australia.
Lisa is excited to see the Woolumbaloo Dirt Monument.
Marge and Lisa go to the South O' The Equator Gift Shoppe. Pedro sez: It's High Koala-t! (considering the amount of Mexican imagery and music you would never get away with this in the modern world)
At the gift shop Lisa wants to buy a Didgeridoo, however tradition holds that it's an instrument for men only and playing it will make women infertile.
Bart getting kicked by a big boot first happened in the episode Burns' Heir.
Homer and Bart are chased by various Australian characters including Crocodile Dundee and a biker from Mad Max.
The Simpsons fleeing the embassy is a take on the fleeing of the US Embassy during the invasion of Saigon at the end of the Vietnam war.
The Simpsons land on the USS Walter Mondale, a laundry ship. Walter Mondale was Vice President under Jimmy Carter and lost the 1980 election to Ronald Reagan. (I use to say that if he had won he would have been the first President forgotten while in office)
This is the second episode with a reference to the Michael Fay caning incident, the first was Bart's Comet just two episodes ago. In this case the booting replaced the caning and there was the diplomatic negotiations that still resulted in a booting.
Homer vs. Patty and Selma
This episode premiered on February 26th, 1995. Its lead in show was a Simpsons repeat and was followed by House Of Buggin'. It ran opposite the regular programs.
The chalkboard gag is "I will remember to take my medication" and the couch gag is a repeat of the Star Trek "beam in".
Homer buys everyone at the bar a round of cigars after investing in pumpkin futures. However he fails to sell before Halloween and loses his investment. When her gets home he finds Patty and Selma there celebrating their promotion at the DMV, when they insult him he kicks them out. Homer calls Vegas and bets a $100 on red, and loses, he promises to send them a check. He dreams about the perfect invention but never gets a chance to see it. Homer pictures Marge as his queen, Lisa as his princess and Bart as a ratboy. Bart and Milhouse start screwing around on the way to school but they don't remember that it's the day to pick your sport for gym class. All the classes are full so Bart has to sign up for ballet. Homer goes to Moe for a loan however Moe says he has to break Homer's legs in advance. The bank tells Homer if he doesn't come up with the money by tomorrow they'll foreclose on the house so Homer goes to his last resort, Selma and Patty. Homer is happy that his problems have been solved until Patty and Selma show up for dinner, he is about to toss them out until they hint around about telling Marge, so he lets them stay. Bart discovers that he actually like ballet. Patty and Selma make Homer act like a dog and when Marge walks in she finds out that he borrowed money, however it gives him an excuse to toss them out. Homer takes a job as a part time limo driver at Classy Joe's. Bart wears a ski mask to the ballet recital since most of the crowd is students who are being punished. Homer's first passenger is Mel Brooks (he does his own voice over), they do the 2000 Year Old Man routine. Wiggums pulls over Homer for his tail light blinking when he made a turn. Homer doesn't have a chauffeur's license so Wiggums sends him to the DMV. Bart reveals himself to the crowd and gets chased by the bullies, he tries to jump over a ravine and falls in. Patty and Selma give Homer the driving test and check off random points so he'll fail, to celebrate they light up their cigarettes but their supervisor shows up to chastise them. Homer pretends it is his cigarettes, they offer to do anything for him so he asked them to call off the debt and then takes off before they can say anything. The supervisor calls Homer "worse than Hitler".
This is the second episode in a row with vs. in the title.
A-1 Discount Broker "our Commisions Offset Your Losses" (the typo is in the door sign)
Bart does a Senior Wences routine. He was a comedian who would paint a face on his hand and do a ventriloquist act.
Marge was going to make her most International Coffee, Montreal Morn. General Foods International Coffee was a brand of flavored instant coffee, they changed their name to Maxwell House International Coffee in 2010. When Marge comes back all she had was Nescafe.
Lenny and Carl plan to stop at Moe's for a Zima. It was a flavored malt beverage, the precursor to what are known as Coolers. Although it was on the market until 2008 it's been mostly forgotten in the modern world except in Japan.
When Bart gets into ballet he drinks a Tab. It was Coke's first diet soda and was marketed towards women complete with a pink can, hey it was the 60's and people were on the sexist side when it came to weight, it was discontinued in 2020 when Coke Zero started to grow in popularity, it was less sexist.
The ballet teacher appears to Bart in a thought bubble, this is a take on Obi Wan telling Luke to use the Force in the first Star Wars movie. Susan Sarandon does the voice of the ballet teacher.
Hans Moleman is once again at the DMV.
Sign at the DMV All Forms Must Be Filled Out Before Registering.
Help Wanted ads (gag paper)
Warden at clean Moe Sac Pen
Get rich on window extensions
Wanted: Eve Toad Milkers Free Wart Removal
Clean Tar spots off truck
Learn Trepanning (drilling holes in people's heads)
Hog Sticker
Cook Needed Pete's Eats
Broom Pusher Credentials Necessary (marked by Homer)
Team Secy 210 WPM
Earn $ bartering soup for birthrights
Wanted: Do you give good phone? We need you. Make up to $10,000 a week (marked)
Must know ? industry and like to lie a lot, Cellular phone a must
Read this! Turn base elements into GOLD!
Earn! Earn! Earn At Home! Be a Salmon Gutter (marked)
Dirigible Mechanich Wanted Instant Cash
Henway Or Beg Sal IBK
Broke no more! Make $$$ Fast & Easy Play banjo for fun profits.
We've reached episode 120. Only 630 to go. Almost there....... But at least I'm still in the good years, I'm dreading the bad years
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