The Simpsons 176-180

Homer's Enemy

This episode premiered on May 4th 1997. The lead in show was World's Greatest Animal Outtakes and it was followed by King Of The Hill. The show ran opposite The ABC Sunday Night Movie (Forrest Gump), Touched By An Angel and Third Rock From The Sun. 

The chalkboard and couch gag are both repeats.

Mr. Burns is watching Kent Brockman's "Kent's People" which features a man named Frank Grimes. Burns wants to hire Grimes as his Executive Vice President but changes his mind when he sees a show about a dog that rescues a child from getting hit by a car and then shoves a criminal into the oncoming car. Marge is trying to pick out a personalize license plate but all the versions of her name are taken, Bart gets bored and goes to a tax auction, he ends up buying an abandon warehouse for a dollar. Homer calls Grimes "Grimy" which Frank hates, eats his special lunch and chews up his personalized pencils. Homer has a 5-13 emergency but just pours water on the control panel until it shorts out. Grimes gets mad at Homer's laziness and recklessness. He saves Homer from drinking acid but gets in trouble with Burns when the acid destroys a wall, he declares Homer his enemy. Homer goes to Moe who suggests inviting Frank over for dinner and then stabbing him with a fork, Homer decides to just do the dinner. Homer tricks Grimes to come to dinner to become friends but he gets mad because Homer has such a nice house and his collection of photos featuring President Ford (Two Bad Neighbors), Smashing Pumpkins (Homerpalooza), the Be Sharps getting a Grammy from David Crosby (Homer's Barbershop Quartet) and in space (Deep Space Homer). Grimes says Homer is everything that is wrong with America, the next day Homer doesn't want to go to work, Marge suggests that he be more professional so he eats donuts with a fork and knife. Grimes decides to trick Homer into entering a contest for kids to build a model power plant, as he is laughing at his scheme Homer back into his car and drives off. Bart hires Milhouse to be his night watchman, later the whole building collapses. Milhouse watched it collapse and all the rats head to Moe's. At Mr. Burns's nuclear plant contest Ralph shows up with a Malibu Stacy Dream House with the word Nuclear written across the top. Martin shows up with an actual working power plant but Burns says it's too cold and sterile. Homer shows up with a model of the existing plant but adds racing strip and fins and wins the contest. After his plan fails Grimes freaks out and runs around acting like Homer, scarfing donuts, peeing on the toilet seat and then grabs some exposed power lines which kill him. At his funeral Lovejoy calls him "Grimey" while Homer sleeps through the ceremony. "That's our Homer"

Frank Grime's story, abandon at 4, worked as a toy deliverer to "more deserving children", on his 18th birthday he was blown up in a silo explosion, studied science by mail and got a diploma in nuclear physics. His diploma is almost stolen by a crow. 

Bart's warehouse is at 35 Industry Way. 

Continuity error, Marge makes 5 lobsters even though Lisa is a vegan and won't eat one. 

This episode didn't have a lot of pop culture references but became one itself.

According to an unscientific online poll I ran Frank Grimes is the second best One And Done characters on the show. I hope they leave him dead and don't ruin this episode with some future nonsense. "Wink!"

The Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase

This episode premiered on May 11th, 1997. The lead in show was World's Funniest Kids Outtakes and it was followed by King Of The Hill. It ran opposite the movie Angels In The Outfield, Touched By An Angel and Third Rock From The Sun.

The show starts off with Troy McClure walking down a hall with posters of spinoff shows. He says that Fox has a lot of empty spaces to fill in the nightly lineup so they created three Simpsons spinoffs.

chief wiggum p.i.

Wiggum leaves Springfield and become a private investigator in New Orleans, he brings along Ralph and Skinner since Seymour he grew up in the city (continuity error). Someone throws a skull through Wiggum's window as a warning, he uses it to hold pencils. Skinner deduces "Big Daddy" threw the skull based on an article he read in Parade Magazine. (Parade Magazine was a Sunday paper supplement until 2022, now it's strictly on line). Big Daddy puts an alligator into Wiggum's bedroom but it's just a warning since the teeth are corked, meanwhile they kidnap Ralph. When Big Daddy calls Wiggum there is a party going on in the background, he and Skinner are shocked to discover it's Mardi Gras. The Simpsons are there to promote the show. Wiggum spot Big Daddy in the crowd and they go on a chase through the Lafayette cemetery and then on fan boats through the swamp. Big Daddy is hiding in the middle of the swamp in the stolen Governor's mansion (13 years before Despicable Me). Big Daddy throws Ralph at Wiggum and slowly escapes, Wiggum says they'll probably cross paths every week for more exciting adventures. 

Wiggum shoots up Tipitina's (this is a real N.O. location)

The opening titles are a spoof on Magnum P.I., Skinner is seen scruffy faced and in fancy clothes, a take on Miami Vice, A Huggy Bear character is seen talking to Skinner (a character from the series Starsky and Hutch)

Wiggum's house boat is named The Big Queasy. 

 Boxes being carried into Wiggum's new office, Magnifying Glasses, Trench Coats.

A Paul Prudhomme character makes an appearance. 

Big Daddy's trademark calling card: Big Daddy ™ "As seen in Parade Magazine"

Big Daddy is based on musician Dr. John and is voiced by Gailard Sartain. (best known for his appearances in the Ernest movies)

During the break Troy McClure gets caught peeping down the shirt of a Charlie's Angels mannequin. 

The Love-Matic Grandpa

Moe is feeling alone but discovers that the spirit of Abe Simpson, who was killed in a grocery store accident, is in the love tester in the bar. Homer shows up and when he finds Abe is in the machine he pulls the plug, for the second time. A woman walks in to the bar after being in a car accident, Moe has her try the love tester and Grandpa tells her to go out with Moe, he tells Moe to take her somewhere nice. Moe brings the machine to the restaurant but has to stash him in the restroom. The date is going bad so Moe runs back to the restroom for advice but the bullies are beating up the machine for calling them Gay. A delirious Grandpa tells Moe to say her rump's as big as the queen's and twice as fragrant. When Moe returns to the restroom he's covered in snails, but gets caught by the woman and confesses the truth. It turns she liked what Moe did. 

The show is a spin on My Mother The Car and Love American Style.

The Love Tester was first introduced in the episode Flaming Moe's.

Troy introduces the curator of the Museum Of TV and Television, John Winslow, and then walks away. 

The Simpson Family Smile-Time Variety Hour

The show opens with the family doing a musical number. This is followed by a skit of the family as beavers, Tim Conway shows up as Homer's boss but he's a skunk. The family then does a music medley in a 50's soda shop,  I Want Candy (The Strangeloves), The Peppermint Twist (Joey Dee and the Starlighers), Jasper sings Lollipop (Ronald and Ruby) and when he does the pop sound he knocks out his dentures, Smithers does Whip It (Devo) while wearing a cowboy outfit and an oversized licorice whip. They finish with a repeat of I Want Candy while the cast appears on stage in candy costumes, they are panting hard after singing and dancing. Cut to Moleman doing a poem about his cataracts. The episode ends with the family and Tim Conway in an oversized bed. 

Featuring the Waylon Smithers Dancers. The Springfield Baggy Pants Players. (Lenny, Willie, Dr Hibbert, Selma, Jasper and The Sea Captain)

The show is a spoof on The Brady Bunch Variety Hour complete with Lisa being replaced by a new actress. On the Brady Bunch Hour Eve Plum didn't want to do the show so they replaced the character of Jan with Geri Reischl.

There is a drawing of Homer and Marge on the stage, it's a take on the logo from the Sunny and Cher show. The Captain pops out of a port hole, Kent Brockman introduces the show like Gary Owens and Moleman does a poem like Henry Gibson from Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In. The Baggy Pants Players are a take on the Not Ready For Prime Time Players (the original SNL cast)

This is the second time The Simpsons have been seen as a TV sitcom family, the first was in the episode The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular.

Troy McClure does a preview of what is coming up in season 9 of The Simpsons, Homer gets magic powers / Selma marries Lenny, Bumblebee Man and Itchy / Bart meets his long lost triplets: a Rastafarian and a cowboy / Ozmodiar shows up but only Homer can see him (This is a spoof on The Great Gazoo from The Flintstones)

The posters of real spinoff show in the opening, The Ropers (Three's Company), Laverne And Shirley (Happy Days), Fish (Barney Miller), Rhoda (The Mary Tyler Moore Show) and The Jeffersons (All In The Family). 

Troy McClure "You may remember me from such TV spinoffs as Son of Sanford and Son and After Mannix." 

Self Aware Joke: Troy McClure "I'm here with a real treat for Simpsons fans, if any".

Fox Programming Chart. Simpsons 8:00 PM Sunday, The X Files 9:00 PM Sunday. Melrose Place 8:00 PM Monday. The rest of the chart is just question marks.

The Secret War Of Lisa Simpson

This episode premiered on May 18, 1997. The lead in show was Busted On The Job: Caught On Tape and it was followed by a repeat of The Simpsons. It ran opposite AFV, Touched By An Angel and Third Rock From The Sun.

The title of this episode comes from the 1968 movie The Secret War Of Harry Frigg. 

There is no chalkboard gag and the couch gag is a repeat of the upside down room

Krabappal shows up at the police station for a field trip, Wiggum is late. There are 75 messages on the answering machine but he deletes them all. He shows the kids the Museum Of Crime featuring a stoned hippie and his "old lady" eating a baby sandwich (Wiggum calls it a California Cheeseburger). At school Miss Hoover is showing an educational film about sand. She then puts on a 1952 movie about how one day people will reach the Moon. When the movie is over the class discovers that she snuck out. Lisa complains to Skinner over the lack of learning. Wiggum takes everyone to his office to see his chair, meanwhile Bart finds the bullhorns and lines them all up, when he says "testing" it causes a shock wave all over town and mass destruction. Everyone has ringing in their ears but it all stops at the same time. Wiggum suggests drugs but Marge says no, after Bart takes off on a riding mower they decide to send him to military school, they trick him by saying they're going to Disneyland, Skinner and Krabappal celebrate with champaign. Bart begs to go home, and Lisa insists on staying. Bart attempts to escape but is brought back by the MP's. Because Lisa has joined the school, as the only girl cadet, an entire company has to move out of their dorms and in with Company L (who smell). The school hazes Bart and Lisa by making them do pushups in the mud, scrubbing the school statue and strapping them to the propeller of a plane. At the firing rage they give Bart a grenade launcher (since he went to public school). He hits four out of five targets but the last shot blows up Skinner's car, Nelson laughs "Haw-Haw". Meanwhile Lisa loses control of an M-16 so the field officer gives her a whistle to blow in case a war breaks out. Lisa tries to call home but Homer doesn't want to get up to answer the phone. She calls Grandpa who rambles on for hours, he actually gets tired of talking to her. Lisa gets a cassette from the parents but Bart ditches her for the company. Bart convinces Lisa to stick it out and tells her he'll stand by her, in secret. The final exam is The Eliminator, a 60 gauge hemp-jute rope with a blister factor of 12 suspended 40 feet over a British acre of Connecticut Vally thorn bushes. Bart leaves Lisa a note to meet him at the Eliminator so he can help her get over the rope obstacle. The commanding officer tells the cadets that crossing the Eliminator has been barred by the State Supreme Court so they'll be the last class to do it. Everyone heckles Lisa as she tries to cross the rope, she almost falls but Bart starts cheering her on. Lisa makes it but can't put her arms down afterwords. The cadets swear to make Bart's life a living hell for the rest of the semester, which ends in three hours. Bart tells Homer that he's now trained in six more forms of unarmed combat. The commanding officer gives Lisa a medal "The satisfactory completion of the Second Grade". Homer tells them they are going to Disneyland for real this time, but they go to the dentist. 

At the hippie museum the posters: Off The Fuzz / Down With Haircuts / Foment Rebellion. 

Monotone Pictures Presents The Moon Of Earth 1952, Adlai Stevenson makes an appearance. (governor of Illinois, Presidential hopeful in 1952, 1956 and 1960, Ambassador to the UN during the Kennedy administration, died in 1965) The film predicts 12 colonies on the Moon by 1964.

The scene with Bart testing the bullhorns is a take on the movie Son Of Flubber where Professor Brainard's weather machine breaks windows all over Medfield.

Rommelwood A Tradition Of Heritage. The school has been operating for 135 years. The school motto "I'll die before I surrender, Tim", The general who's statue is out front said it just before he was shot in the head. 

Chalkboard: English Literature- John Keats (civilian) Ode On A Grecian Urn. 

Targets for the grenade launcher, Tank, Soldiers, Jeep, Rocket Launcher, ammo dump. 

Marge sends a tape where she sings You Are My Sunshine. 

The commanding officer tells the cadets that future wars will be fought by small robots. Considering the U.S. drones he wasn't wrong.

This is the third time Bart has passed the Fourth Grade, he also passed in Kamp Krusty and Summer of 4'2". 

This was the last episode of Season 8. 27 more seasons to go, considering they are starting a new one this year.

The City Of New York vs. Homer Simpson

This episode premiered on September 21st, 1997. The lead in show was The Worlds Funniest and it was followed by King Of The Hill. It ran opposite The Barbara Walters Special, Touched By An Angel and Dateline NBC.

There is no chalkboard gag and the couch gag is the family as the Harlem Globetrotters, complete with uniforms and Maggie making a slam dunk just before the buzzer.

At 5 PM everybody shows up at Moe's, most of the guys come through the front door but Barney comes out of the bathroom in a robe and slippers. Since the bar's regulars cause 91% of drunk driving accidents the police require Moe to make one of the people a designated driver, they pull eggs out of the pickled jar and Barney ends up with the black one so he has to stay sober. Just then the Duff Partymobie shows up because Barney sent in 10,000 labels and won a party with Duffman. Because he's the designated driver everyone else gets drunk while he sits there. Barney has to drive a drunk Carl, Lenny and Homer home, he takes Homer's car but disappears. Two months later a limo shows up at Moe's with Barney in the trunk, he can't remember what happened or where the car is. Homer tries to build a new car out of an old mattress but he gets a letter from NYC that tells him his car is illegally parked, he has to move it in 72 hours or they'll toss it into the East River. Homer has a NYC flashback to when he was going to the Harrisburg Outlet store to buy an irregular coat. First a guy steals his camera and then a cop steals his suitcase. A pickpocket steals his wallet then a seagull steals his hotdog. A guy dumps trash on Homer and then he hits a pimp with a banana peel, while running away he tries to climb a fire escape but the ladder drops down an open manhole, that's where he runs into the C.H.U.D.s. Although Homer doesn't want to go the bus company is having a special family deal, $9, Bart pays the way. In order to make sure NYC won't get his wallet Homer tosses it into the fireplace. He wants the family to wait for him at the bus station but Marge tells him they'll meet him in Central Park at 5 PM. Homer's car is parked at One World Trade Plaza, it's covered in tickets and booted. He calls the number on the boot and pleads not guilty via the pin pad on the pay phone, he's found guilty, assessed a fine and is order to wait by his car from 9 AM to 5 PM for officer Grabowsky. Bart tries begging on the subway but claims he was born without taste buds and then licks one of the hand bars, it doesn't go well. While waiting by the car people start tossing Homer coins, he sees a pizza place across the street but can't leave. A guy selling Khlav Kalash shows up, Homer wants him to run across the street to the pizza place and get him a slice but the guy refuse so Homer buys from him. To wash down the awful taste the guy has Mt. Dew or crab juice, Homer is grossed out and goes with the crab juice. After drinking multiple cans Homer has to go to the restroom but the only one available is on the observation deck of the WTC tower. He considers going in the mailbox but gets caught by the mailman. While visiting Chinatown Marge tells Bart to put a firework back so he does, however he already lit it and sets off the rest. The shop owner comes out and yells "Chinese Fire Drill, serious this time!" (That joke didn't age well). Homer sees a bus that says Flushing Meadows and has a fantasy about a field covered in toilets, he can't wait anymore so he pushes his way to the front of the elevator but when he gets to the observation deck he finds that it's out of order, he rushes over to the other tower. While in the restroom he spots the parking cop and gets another ticket. He loses his temper and drives off with the boot still attached, doing damage to the front of his car. While Marge and Lisa are shoe shopping Bart wanders off and finds the office of Mad Magazine, the secretary says it's just a normal office but Alfred E. Newman opens the door and a lot of zany things are happening. Homer goes to a guy running a jackhammer and uses it on the boot, doing even more damage to the car but busts it off. The family takes a carriage ride through the park, Homer shows up and forces them into the car. As they drive away Homer gets stuck behind a sanitation truck with trash, including a biohazard bag, blowing out. The episode ends with the song New York New York as sung by Michale Dees.

This is the first appearance of Duffman.

In the couch gag the Simpson's jersey numbers match their position in the family, Homer is #1, Marge is 2, Bart is 3 Lisa is 4 and Maggie is 5.

When Duffman arrives at Moe's the Partymobile plays Oh Yeah by Yello

On their way home Lenny, Carl and Homer drunkly sing (with the wrong lyrics) Macarena by Los Del Rio

The Entertainer by Scott Joplin plays during Homer's flashback to his trip to New York.

Porn movies showing in NYC: The Godfather's Parts, II / Jeremiah's Johnson / Five Sleazy Pieces.

The NYC police officer who steals Homer's suitcase is modeled after Officer Murray Greshler from the 70's sitcom The Odd Couple. The guy dumping his trash on Homer looks like Woody Allen. The pimp is a classic image from the Blaxploitation films of the 70's

The ticker news: Crime Up 8 Million Percent.

C.H.U.D is a reference to the 1984 horror movie. The acronym is for Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers.

The $9 bus fare deal was based on Greyhound's $68 Or Less fair campaign of the 1990's.

Sit-N-Stare Bus Lines.

The really tall guy from the episode 22 Stories About Springfield is on the bus in the seat behind Homer. Homer thinks his legs have gone numb.

NYC sign: Welcome To Manhattan, Home Of The World-Weary Poseur.

Sites Marge is impressed by: The Williamsburg Bridge / 4th Avenue / Governor's Island.

Bart confuses a group of Hasidic Jewish guys with ZZ Top. (A didn't age well joke is all the shops are diamond stores)

Subway advertisements: Have you been Injured in a subway accident? Call NY Metro 555-5680 / Trade Food Stamps for Lottery Tickets / Laser Wart Removal, Marge says "the future is here now"

Original Famous Ray's Not Affiliated With Famous Original Ray's We Deliver 555-PIZA This is a joke about the number of restaurants in NYC claiming to be The Original.

Next to Ray's is a tobacco shop that offers same day photos. Remember when you had to get your photos developed?

Chinatown shops: 99¢ Furniture / The Emperor's Used Clothes / Yee's Olde Tavern.

While trying to drive on the boot Homer turns on the radio and Ray Stevens sings Everything Is Beautiful, he smashes the radio in. 

Plays on Broadway: Neil Simon's More About Brooklyn / Tommy Tune in Gotta Mince! / David Copperfield's Astonishing Girlfriend (in 1998 the magician was dating Claudia Schiffer) / Ernest Goest To Broadway "Winner of 4 Tony awards" / Hoofin' -N- Mouthin' / Midtown Urine Disposal / Kickin It "A Musical Journey Through The Betty Ford Center. "Shhhh, they're strapping down Liza Minnelli."

The main character in the song Checking In is based on Robert Downey Jr. In the 1990's he was arrested for numerous drug violations. People became upset with his lenient rehab punishment while other "not famous" people got harsher sentences. He even got work release for a movie he was starring in. 10 sober years later he became the star of Iron Man. The musical Kickin' It takes place in The Betty Ford Clinic, this is a real drug treatment center created by the former First Lady after she had to overcome her drug and alcohol problem. The song Checkin' In is one of my favorite Simpsons originals. I'd place it in my top five. 

Homer chasing the horse carriage is a take on the chariot race from Ben Hur.

The carriage horse's name is Secretariat. the real Secretariat is perhaps the most famous race horse in the world. 

The World Trade Center appeared in the background of Homer's commercial in the episode Mr. Plow.

This episode is bittersweet since the story takes place at the World Trade Center. Almost four years later it would be the site of the most vicious terrorist attack on U.S. soil and alter the course of the 21st century. One can't help but think of the characters in the towers shouting at each other out the windows and wonder if they died on that fateful day. (yes I realize they are just animated but none the less)

This was the first episode of the 9th season. Most people felt that this was the year where there was a shift in the program and things started to go downhill. Which brings us to the next episode. 

The Principal And The Pauper

This episode premiered on September 28th 1997. The lead in show was The World's Funniest and it was followed by King Of The Hill. It ran opposite The Wonderful World Of Disney (Toy Story), Touched By An Angel and Jenny (a short lived sitcom starring Jenny McCarthy)

The title of this episode comes from the novel The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain

There is no chalkboard gag and the couch gag is the family runs into the living room wearing space suits and the couch blasts off.

Chalmers sneaks into the school to announce they are having a special tribute to Skinner for his 20th anniversary as principal. Lisa volunteers to do a report on Skinner while Bart is moulding dog food into balls and placing flags on them, Homer scarfs down several "America Balls" while Marge bakes a real cake. In the middle of his tribute the real Seymour Skinner shows up the principal admits his real name is Armin Tamzarian. The real Skinner was captured in Vietnam and then sold into slavery in China where he spent two decades making sneakers. It turns out Armin was a criminal who was sentenced to join the army. The real Skinner told him about his dreams and when he disappeared Armin came to tell Skinner's mother that he's dead but took his place instead. Since nobody trusts him anymore Armin retires from being principal and they hire the real Skinner to take his place. Krabappal wants Armin to stay but he decides to leave town, he goes to his storage shed where his leather jacket and motorcycle are waiting. Skinner discovers that the kids don't know the Pledge Of Allegiance. Armin gets a job promoting a nude bar. The real Skinner doesn't act like Armin which ticks off Agnes. The town starts to hate the real Skinner and they get Homer to drive a group to Capitol City to talk Armin into coming back. Armin doesn't want to come back to Springfield until Agnes insists that he gets into the car and come home. The real Skinner demands that the town treat him with dignity, instead they tie him to a chair and stick him on a train heading out of town. The judge officially changes Armin's name to Skinner and threatens to sentence anyone who talks about it to torture.

This episode was based on the Tichborne Case where Roger Tichborne from England disappeared in 1854 after the ship he was on sank, but then he showed up in 1866. However it turns out that he was Arthur Orton, aka Thomas Castro, an Australian, was pretending to be the missing man and had come to claim the Tichborne family fortune. There were also several popular movies based on the same subject, 1982 French movie The Return Of Martin Guerre (also based on a true story) and 1993's Sommersby (a remake of the French movie).

Martin Sheen does the voice of the real Skinner. 

Springfield Elementary sign: Tonight: Surprise Tribute to Seymour Skinner. (which almost spoils the surprise)

Skinner went to Vietnam in 1966.

The kid's tribute to Skinner is the Flipper theme song with his name swapped out. 

Armin has a Radio Shack battery club card. Radio Shack use to give out battery cards and after the 10th purchase you got two free batteries. 

Armin is staying at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel for Transients.

Armin is reading Swank, a rather sleazy porn magazine, Homer asks to borrow it.

Continuity Error: First there are a number of references to Skinner's history as an Army Sergeant including his photos and when he reenlisted in the episode Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song. We also see his father, who looks and talks exactly like him, as a member of the Flying Hellfish in the episode Raging Abe. 

Internet personality Jon Hein coined the term "Jump the Shark" to describe the Happy Days episode where the Fonz does a waterski jump over a shark in a netting cage, it has become the term for the point where a series had gone past its peak and was now on a downhill slide. Many fans of The Simpsons have labeled The Principal and the Pauper as the Simpson's Shark Jump and it's also considered the worst episode both for the story and going against the overall continuity of the series. Personally I feel there is a worse episode but that is coming up so I won't talk about it.

Anyhow, we've reached episode 180, we are on the cusp of the dark years, for a while the show will be hit and miss and I'm not looking forward to it. Why did I decide to do this again?