The Simpsons 246-250

AAAAARRRRRRGGGGGG! I did two episodes and was starting on the third when I hit something on my keyboard and erased everything I had typed, EVERYTHING! I have no idea how I did it, but it was all gone. I'm going to have to start over and since I can't remember the details of what happened in the shows I'm going to have to rewatch them. I'm not going to do it tonight because it's 10 PM where I live. So tomorrow I'll start over with Last Tap Dance In Springfield. You never know, I may catch more stuff since I have to do it twice but I hope I can be a little objective. I guess we'll see. 

Last Tap Dance In Springfield

This episode premiered on May 7th 2000. The lead in show was King Of The Hill and was followed by Malcom In The Middle. It ran opposite The W.W.O. Disney (Geppetto), Touched By An Angel and Dateline NBC. 

The title of the episode is based on the 1972 movie Last Tango In Paris. Ewww...

The chalkboard gag is "I will not dance on anyone's grave" and the couch gag is the family swings into the living room on vines while wearing Tarzan loincloths but Homer misses the couch and crashes into the wall.

Homer is watching The Cyborganizer, a high tech Cyborg designed to do the paperwork for the NYPD. Marge complains that he is sitting too close to the tv and should get his eyes checked. He says he'll do it but he wants to see the show before the network "retools", however by the time he looks back the Cyborganizer is now working at a modeling agency and raising his cyborg child. Marge is going to the mall to buy Bart camping gear, he throws a temper tantrum so she goes to the store without him. When the doctor asks Homer to read the chart Bart has written I 8 PP and is in the middle of writing UR/, Homer starts strangling Bart so the optometrist tries different settings until he can see his hands around Bart's throat. When Homer rejects all the frame choices she suggests laser surgery. He won't pay for the drops to keep his eyes from crusting which results in temporary blindness and the bullies tricking him into buying them Jack Danials and cigarettes. Since they got their shopping done Marge and Lisa go to see Tango de la Muerte, the woman in the movie is just like Lisa and the guy she rejects is the Mexican version of Milhouse (now he has to sugar his own churro), after the movie Lisa wants to take up dancing. Bart and Milhouse are on their way to camp but they find out Nelson is also going and planning on beating them up the entire week, so they sneak off the bus and head to the mall. All the kids in the tap class pick up dancing fast, even Ralph, but Lisa keeps falling over or crashing into things. Bart and Milhouse spend the night in the mall and trash the place so the manager calls the police, Wiggum says there must be a giant rat. He wants to shut the place down but the manager says "On President's Day Weekend, are you crazy?" Lisa is cut out of the big recital and is assigned the job Curtain Puller. Professor Frink helps her out by giving her a pair of shoes that are rigged to react to rhythmic sound, it makes her a great dancer. Wiggum turns a cougar loose in the mall, when Milhouse sees it he freaks out but they escape by tossing it a ball of yarn. When Wiggum sees the yarn hanging out of the cougar's mouth he figures the rat is dead. At the recital the dance instructor, Lil' Vicki, takes over for Ralph when he tries to eat the plastic candy, they do a version of Good Ship Lollypop with a Mars theme. Lisa starts dancing but when Vicki starts showing off the shoes match her moves, when the audience start applauding they go out of control. Lisa is finally stopped when Homer trips her. Frink says that the shoes had been in the off position the whole time however Homer points out that the chip was clearly on. Lisa is upset because she'll never be a Broadway Baby, Homer points out she can always write a depressing play. Frink's Wiggle Weasel toy gets loose, when Homer goes to pick it up he's electrocuted. The closing credits are done in a classic 1930's Black And White style with Lil' Vicki music.

The couch gag of Homer crashing into the wall is based on the 1967 animated series George Of The Jungle.

The Cyborganizer is based on the 1987 movie Robocop. 

The mall glasses shop is called Eye Caramba. This was Bart's catchphrase but he doesn't say anymore.

Homer thinks he is playing with Maggie but it turns out to be Baby Gerald, her rival. 

Marge goes to Tommy Hillclimber, she buys Blair Witch Repellant (a spoof on the 1999 movie), antler saw and Deep Woods Scrabble. 

Tango de las Muerte (The Death Dance) is based on the 1990's movies The Forbidden Dance and Lambada. The sign outside the dance contest: Tonight: Contest de la Dance, Tomorrow: ¡Revolucion!

Lil' Vicki is based on Shirley Temple and pretty much any dance instructor in the modern world. 

Lil' Vicki Valentine's School Of Dance. Movie posters at Lil' Vicki's: Little Vicki For President / Little Vicki vs. Big Rhonda / Hell Hath No Little Vicki. To get inspiration Lisa watches a Little Vicki movie based on the 1935 Shirley Temple / Bill "Bojangle" Robinson movie The Little Colonel.

Bart and Milhouse are going to Camp Franks 'N' Pranks.

The mall manager not wanting to shut the mall down on President's Day is a spoof on the Jaws mayor not wanting to close the beaches on the 4th of July. Note, President's day is in February so why would Bart and Milhouse have gone to a camp? 

When the senior mall walkers show up it's a spoof on the 1978 film Dawn Of The Dead.

To catch the rat Wiggum sets an Acme trap with a piece of cheese and an anvil. This is based on the Warner Brothers cartoons. 

Line of the episode "Self tapping shoes? I'm ever so pissed!" When I'm mildly annoyed I like to say "I'm ever so pissed".

It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Marge

This episode premiered on May 14th 2000. It ran in its usual time slot and opposite The W.W.O. Disney (Mulan), Touched By An Angel and NBA Basketball (Lakers 98 - Suns 117)

The title is based on the 1963 movie It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

The chalkboard gag is "I cannot hire a substitute student" and the couch gag is a repeat of the paint by numbers.

Skinner gives the kids cameras in order to shoot a videos for a class project. To pay for the cameras he had to cancel geography class and puts a locked chain on the globe. Otto is on the way to ask his girlfriend to marry him, they met at Woodstock 99 when he was on fire and refused to pay $8 for a bottle of water, she put him out with her bottle. He asks her through the drive thru window while blasting Every Rose Has a Thorn by Poison. Marge is shocked to discover that Otto's wedding is scheduled for their back yard. Bart told them they could hold it there and points out that most of the stuff from Apu's wedding is still set up, including the elephant. Lisa complains about throwing rice at weddings, Bart plans on experimenting to see if birds really will explode. Marge starts talking to Becky but finds out she doesn't like heavy metal music. Marge tells her to change Otto, so when he wants Becky to walk down the aisle to the tune of Nothing But A Good Time by the band Cyanide (a Poison tribute band) she tells him it's either her or the music, he takes off leaving her behind. Bart tells her she can stay with them. Becky starts helping around the house and cooking, and everyone likes her, Marge becomes jealous and starts to suspect that Becky is trying to get rid of her. While on the way to the store Marge's "Breaks Cut" light comes on and she almost crashes. When she goes to the police they tell her they can't do anything until there is an actual murder. The family goes to the ice cream parlor, without Marge and Becky tells them that she's moving out, when the The Ark, a giant bowl of ice cream shows up Homer passes out and Becky gives him mouth to mouth, Marge shows up and attacks Becky with a giant fake cone,  the police show up and arrest her. In court they ask Marge about her obsession with Ringo Starr and talking to her invisible friend "God" so they decide to commit her, but she escapes. Marge tries to hide out in a marching band but they're from the mental asylum and she has to escape again. She goes to the library to find information on Becky but she turns out to be a wonderful person. Marge goes home and finds the family chained to the wall and Becky about to stab Homer, however it turns out to be for Bart's video project. Homer confesses that he accidentally drained Marge's break fluid when he changed her oil. Becky then confesses that she was going to kill Marge but she needed a shovel and there were too many choices at the hardware store. The doctors from the mental asylum show up and shoot Marge with darts but she says she has too much to do, she tells Homer that she wants to do some S&M with him, Scrubbing And Mopping so he shoots her with another dart and she passes out. The end.

Parker Posey does the voice of Becky.

Skinner says he doesn't want to see 30 Blair Witch knockoffs for the video projects, the kids all groan. The Blair Witch Project was a 1999 horror movie that claimed it was made up of real found footage. People still believed it actually happened even after the cast showed up at the MTV Movie Awards.

The plot of this episode is based on the 1992 movie The Hand That Rocks The Cradle. Patty and Selma mention the film when warning Marge about Becky's intentions.

Woodstock 99 turned into a full blown riot due to price gouging, lack of facilities, excessive heat, angry performers who stirred up the crowd and a heavy handed security force. In the end there was mass destruction, arson and violence, mostly playing live on MTV.

Becky works at Der Krazy Kraut hot dog restaurant. This is a spoof on Der Weinerschnitzle

Otto proposing while holding a boom box over his head is a spoof on the 1989 movie Say Anything.

Instead of tissue paper Otto's wedding invitations include a Zig Zag rolling paper.

Apu's wedding at the Simpson's house was in the episode The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons.

Kent Brockman does his report on Marge's escape from Juggernauts, where it's Wet T-Shirt Month. This is a spoof on Hooters. 

Krusty does a bit on TV with Marge's photo and Sideshow Mel's lips on a monitor, this is based on a bit Conan O'Brien did on his show. They also do the Mad Marge Dancers which is based on The Dancing Ito's (the judges in the OJ murder trial) that were featured on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

Old Springfield Library "We have books about TV"

This episode just kind of came to an end with no real conclusion. Marge is still an escaped mental patient and Becky still lives with the family, and we never find out what happens to the video projects. They just kind of say "well, here's the end" and that's that. It was another reason I call these "The Dark Years". 

So this was as far as I got when the computer disaster struck and erased everything I had typed up until now. I may have reworded a few things, I may have left out an observation I caught the first time around. I know I saw something new with this viewing. Oh well, hopefully I can do the next episode without incident. 

Behind The Laughter

This episode premiered on May 21st, 2000. It ran in its usual time slot and opposite The W.W.O. Disney (The Mask), Touched By An Angel and The NBC Movie Of The Week (Beverly Hills Ninja)

The title and plot is based on the VH1 program Behind The Music.

The chalkboard gag is "I will not obey the voices in my head" and the couch gag is the family sits on the couch, on the edge is a Magic Fingers box and when Bart drops a quarter in it starts to vibrate and the couch shakes out of the living room.

The show opens with a repeat of The Simpsons logo and the narrator talks about the program. The family does an interview about being famous including Lisa hosting the Oscars and Meryl Streep spitting on her. The Simpsons wound up on TV because Homer made a show called My Funny Family. After multiple attempts to sell it to a network they went to Marge's hairdresser who was the President Of Fox and he bought the show. The family records an album that includes a song Simpson's Boogie, it's a spoof on the Brady Bunch music like Sunshine Day and Good Time Music. Ozzy Osborn gives the Simpsons the Grammy for best Hardcore Thrash Metal. They do a clip of Homer jumping the gorge from Bart The Daredevil as if it wasn't suppose to happen. Homer winds up in the hospital and becomes a drug addict and they do more clips of him crashing through stuff. Lisa buys a copy of Susan B Anthony Man with a bad check. Marge lost the family money on birth control products like a diaphragm with her picture on it. Apu turns the family into the IRS for tax evasion because Homer never leaves a penny in the "take a penny" tray. Bart gets arrested for causing a fight on a flight from Hawaii and his part is played by Richy Rich in the episode Disorder In The Court "Don't have a cow mother" At the Iowa State Fair the family gets into a real on stage fight over what kind of song they should sing. After the fight Fox replaces The Simpsons with Peepin' It Real, a live camera footage from the dressing room at Ann Taylor show. Homer goes on stage in Rent II: Condo Fever!, he plays a melodrama landlord. Bart replaces Lorenzo Lamas on Renegade, Marge does a Lofland Nevada casino show Just Marge (And Friends) She sings I Shot The Sheriff by Bob Marley. Lisa writes a book "Where Are My Residuals?" Willy Nelson asks the various members of the family to be presenters at the "New Awareness Awards", this is just a trick to get them back together. The Simpsons are asked to present the award for Most Violent Rap Group. Willy says he's also trying to patch things up between Van Halen and Sammy Hagar. (Sammy Hagar had left the band in 1996) In the editing booth the family is watching a clip where they win a trip to Delaware, Homer tells the editor that this will be their last season. Behind The Laughter does a preview of their next show. Huckleberry Hound. "I was so Gay, but I couldn't tell anyone". The show ends with clips of Homer being hurt while Simpson's Boogie plays. 

Willie Nelson and Jim Forbes (the narrator for Behind The Music) do their own voices for this episode.

Magazines featuring The Simpsons TV Guide / Rolling Stones / Coin Laundry News / Short Hair Ideas / Parade

There is an image of the Simpsons on a beach in a Woody, this is a take on The Beach Boys album cover for Surfin' Safari.

The Behind The Laughter intro features clips from The Springfield Connection / Homer's Phobia / Lard Of The Dance / Bart's Friend Falls In Love / Radio Bart / A Streetcar Named Marge 

Shows the Simpsons watched before Homer writes his own script: Hollywood Hogwash / The Dreck Squad / The Malarkey's / Dumbin' It Down / Sheriff Lowbrow / Home Improvement

Homer is seen signing a Perpetual Service Agreement with Rupert Murdock.

Bart Simpsons t shirts: Good Grief, Man (Charly Brown) / You Bet Your Sweep Bippy Man (Rowan and Martin's Laugh In) / Life Begins At Conception Man (the "pro lifers")

Newspaper headlines: Variety "Yellow Fever" / The Hollywood Reporter "Bumptious Brood Boffo" 

Simpsons merchandise: Homer strangling Bart dolls / Simpson Gin in Homer shaped bottle 

The Simpsons buy M.C. Hammer's house. In 1997 MC Hammer had a string of financial problems including back taxes and had to sell his Hollywood mansion. Homer uses a sledge and pounds the letters into the word Homer.

Program Regulars interviewed by the show: Krusty the Klown: "Embittered Comedy Legend" (He has an album Krustophenia) / Moe Szyslak: Local Hothead / Comic Book Guy: Comic Book Guy / Clancy Wiggum: Interim Police Chief / Anonymous Tipster: Apu / Abe Simpson: Coot / Gloria Allred: Shrill Feminist Attorney / Dr. Julius Hibbert: Meddler

Simpsons albums: Simpson Boogie / Lovely to Love Your Lovin' / Simpsons Christmas Boogie

When the Simpson win the Grammy for Best Hardcore Thrash Metal Album this is a spoof on when Jethro Tull won for Best Metal Album in 1989.

Ozzy bites the top off the Grammy. This is a spoof on when he bit the head off a live dove. 

Homer getting addicted to pain killers after falling down Springfield Gorge is based on Chevy Chase who became a prescription drug addict after his many falls in the first season of Saturday Night Live. 

Encyclopedia Self Destructica

Hollywood Walk of Fame stars: Milton Berle (TV) / Joan Jett (Typewriter) / Nelson Mandela (Race Car) / The Simpsons (TV, Grammy, Olympics) / Cheerios Honey Bee

Springfield Shopper headline: Feds to Simps: Pay Up! / That's All, Folks!

Couch gag II, the family runs in wearing cowboy costumes but Bart is on the phone negotiating to do Teen Wolf III. 

Self aware joke: The narrator says when the show was in trouble they resorted to nonsensical plots, and show clips from the episode The Principal And The Pauper.

Iowa State Fair Presents The Simpsons Live, Opening Act Jimmy Carter's Habitat For Hilarity. This is a spoof on the cast of the Beverly Hillbillies having to do live shows because they got screwed over in their contracts. 

At the fake award show Taco does a tribute to Falco

Woody Allen is upset when he finds out The New Awareness awards are a sham to get The Simpsons back together, he has a lap full of awards. 

This was the last episode of Season 11. It was the third time the family was seen as TV characters. Even though the overall show had declined in quality this was actually a really good episode, perhaps the only highlight of the season. Sadly it wouldn't last. Now on to Season 12.

Treehouse of Horror XI

This episode premiered on November 1st 2000 (A rare Wednesday scheduling) It was the lead in show for the night and was followed by Normal Ohio. It ran opposite Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, Bette and Titans.

The show opens with a spoof on The Munsters, Homer is Herman, Marge is Lily (carrying a 6 pack of Duff), Bart is Eddie (with an oversized slingshot), Lisa is Marylin (carrying a book that says Copyright Law), Grandpa Abe is Grandpa. They all run back to the house because a mob of locals show up, Homer is set on fire, Marge and Grandpa are staked through the heart and Bart is killed with a wolf trap, only Lisa walks away. 

G-G-Ghost D-D-Dad

The episode starts with Marge cutting Beetle Bailey out of the newspaper because Homer ogles Miss Buxley. She suggests he reads Cathy but instead he reads his horoscope "Today you will die, and you may get a compliment from an attractive coworker". When Marge checks her's it says "Today your husband will die". Homer gets a paper cut from the newspaper, lightning strikes a tree and it just misses him, the globe from a defunct Planet Hollywood crushes the passenger side of his car, a pick hits him in the head, a rattlesnake bites him, and the testicle thing. In the end he's poisoned by broccoli. Homer's spirit goes to heaven however St. Peter sends him back because he never did a good deed. His spirit eats the broccoli and he ends up back in heaven. He appears to Marge, she suggest he do some of the chores he promised. He carries Agnes across the street but accidentally drops her. At the Kwik-E-Mart he gets a Squishy but it falls through him causing everyone to slip. He tries to help Bart but Nelson gets him in a headlock and gives him nuggies. A woman lets go of her stroller and the crying child is headed towards the street when Homer grabs the baby, the stroller is hit by a car, a bus and bursts into flame. When Homer gets back to heaven St. Peter wasn't watching so Homer is sent to Hell, the Devil starts giving him nuggies and they wake up John Wayne. 

The title of this episode came from the 1990 movie Ghost Dad but nobody talks about that since it stared Bill Cosby. 

Beatle Bailey has been running in newspapers since 1950. A little side trivia, Beatle is Blondie Bumstead's brother. Cathy ran from 1976 to 2010. "AACK!"

The crying child rolling down the stairs is based on a scene from the 1925 movie Battleship Potemkin. 

Scary Tales Can Come True

The Simpsons are living in a slowly rotting pumpkin. Homer is the local oaf but lost his job. In order to keep the children from starving he tosses them into the Deep Dark Woods. They almost get grabbed by Moe the troll under the bridge but Lisa is reading Grimm's Fairy Tales and is warned of potential dangers. They come across the Three Bears house and manage to escape just as the bears come home, but the bears attack Goldie Locks because Bart barred the door. Marge is upset that Homer dumped the kids in the woods instead of selling them, they are offering Maggie for two chickens or best offer. Homer wants to make more kids, Marge sends him out to the woods. He comes across Rapunzle but is so heavy that he rips her hair out. When the kids come across the witch in the candy house Bart decides to trust his gut and go inside. Lisa ends up chained to the stove while Bart is fattened up. When the witch goes to throw Lisa into the fireplace Homer shows up and starts eating her house, she zaps him to having broom arms, fish head, donkey ears and chicken body. She tries to stuff him in the fireplace but the doorbell rings and he tosses her into the fire instead, and is turned back, mostly. The family is reunited and will never go hungry because Homer retained his chicken body and lays eggs for them. 

The title of this episode is based on the lyrics of the 1954 song Young At Heart from the movie of the same name.

Moe looks like a Troll Doll.

The Three Bears are humming Teddy Bear Picnic when they come home. 

When the witch claims she has a boyfriend the kids challenge her to come up with a name so she says George Cauldron after looking at the fire. This is based on the Brady Bunch episode where Jan claimed she had a boyfriend named George Glass. However George Cauldron actually shows up with concert tickets.

Night Of The Dolphin

The Simpsons go to Marine World where they watch the dolphin show. When the trainer asks for a volunteer the dolphin is mobbed and Lisa feels sorry for him. The dolphin, Snorky leads Lisa to the gate and she sets it free. It turns out Snorky is the king of the dolphins and plans to get revenge on the humans. First they kill Lenny, Wiggum thinks it's the result of rowdy teens and cancels the prom. The dolphins head to shore where they attack the humans. Kent Brockman is reporting on the killings but the dolphins take control of the studio. Snorky shows up at the town hall and tells everyone that dolphins once lived on the land and now they are taking it back and forcing humans into the sea. Homer reminds the people of everything they invented, the people fight back but they end up in the ocean. 

The title of the episode is based on the movie The Day Of The Dolphin. The plot is based on the 1972 film The Conquest Of The Planet Of The Apes.

Marine World: No Longer Educational. 

The dolphin escape scene is based on the 1993 film Free Willy. 

Lenny being killed during a night swim, Wiggum's conclusion about how he died and Grandpa getting eaten by a dolphin are all based on scenes from Jaws. 

The scene where the people walk out of the town hall and are surrounded by the dolphins is based on the 1963 movie The Birds

Kang and Kodos show up at the end to complain that they were left out of the Halloween special. They get a call offering them a commercial for Old Navy. "Work is Work".

The closing credits have a Munsters version of the Simpsons theme song.

A Tale Of Two Springfields

This episode premiered on November 5th 2000. The lead in show was King Of The Hill and it was followed by Malcolm In The Middle. It ran opposite The Growing Pains Movie, 60 Minutes and Ed

The title comes from the Charles Dickens novel A Tale Of Two Cities

The chalkboard gag is "I will not plant subliminAL messaGOREs" (the capitalized letters are in green) and the couch gag is Bart puts a whoopee cushion under Homer's seat, he looks embarrassed, Marge, Lisa and Maggie are shocked and Bart laughs out loud. 

Bart goes to feed SLH but there is a badger living in his dog house. Homer doesn't believe there is a badger but it attack him. He calls animal control but can't get through because of a new area code, the rich side of town keeps the 636 area code and the poor side of town is switched over to 939. KBBL radio station is giving away tickets to see The Who, they call Homer's number but with the new area code they call Burns instead. Homer gets mad so Bart encourages him to call and complain but he doesn't use the area code and tries to strangle Bart with the phone cord, who knocks him out with the receiver. Homer shows up at the town hall meeting wearing dynamite. When the meeting breaks down Homer tries to set off the dynamite but it doesn't work so he decides to start their own city, New Springfield. Homer says all they have to do is sit back and wait for an NFL franchise to show up, a representative of the Cardinals shows up but Homer tells him to keep walking. (In 2000 the Cardinals ended their season 3-13), they make Homer the mayor. Meanwhile Quimby unveils their new name Olde Springfield. Lisa complains about splitting up the town. Apu charges Marge a 50% out of towners tax. Kent Brockman insults New Springfield so Homer goes to the power plant and shuts off their electricity. Frink tries to transport Sir Issac Newton into the present day but because the power is shut off only the legs show up and start kicking him. To strike back Old Springfield intercepts a beer truck and dumps the contents in the river. New Springfield shuts off the water but the riverbed is covered in gold and Old Springfield buys the Evian water factory. Homer decides that they have to build a wall so he tries to call East Berlin but can't get through thanks to the area code, instead he hires Fat Tony. When the people find out that they can't get food in New Springfield they flee. Homer says the people will be back when The Who show up to play but finds out the arena is in Old Springfield so he decides to kidnap them. Homer tells the bodyguard the family want to see The Who so he throws them in the room. They say they fired the bodyguard but he claims they didn't. Homer tells The Who that the promoters are going to make them wear frilly shirts like Keith Partridge so they decide to play New Springfield. Homer wants The Who to play songs from Grand Funk Railroad and Pac Man Fever. Old Springfield launches flaming garbage at Homer via their Rent-A-Pult. The fireball lands on the tire fire. Roger Daltrey suggests everyone in town get phones with speed dial to solve the problem of the area code. Then they play Won't Get Fooled Again extra loud to cause the wall to collapse. The badgers then launch an attack upon the city. The misdial signal plays at the end of the credits.

In reference to the chalkboard gag this episode ran on Sunday November 5th and Election Day was on Tuesday November 7th. (Al Gore was robbed of the Presidency by the corruption of Florida governor Jeb Bush and the conservative Supreme Court, however there was no attempt to overthrow the government.)

Bart tries to feed Todd's woodpecker to the badger but it pecks Bart on the head and flies off doing the Woody Woodpecker laugh. 

The name of the Springfield arena is changed to Yahoo Search Engine Arena. This is a spoof on corporations buying stadiums and putting their names on them. 

Homer says he was a fan of The Who when they were the Hillbilly Bugger Boys. 

The phone company's mascot is Phony McRingRing.

When the people of New Springfield suggest Homer could be the Mayor he imagines himself in the opening of the 1958 tv series The Rifleman

Apu and Marge do a commercial for Henderson's Toilet Paper. 

The New Springfield dumping the beer in the river is a spoof on the Boston Tea Party.

Fat Tony's company Lowball Construction builds the wall out of garbage including the fake angel skeleton from the episode Lisa The Skeptic and the Olmec head from Blood Feud.

The Who are staying at Hotel Pillowmint

Line of the episode: When Moe finds out Homer stole The Who he says "that fat, dumb and bald guy sure plays some real hardball", this is a spoof on the lyrics of Pinball Wizard. 

Roger Daltry suggest the town go to Radio Shack to get speed dial phones. By 2017 Radio Shack had shut down most of its retail stores and went into bankruptcy. 

And so we've reached episode 250. I like even numbers. This time around it was a mixed bag, one episode was a miss, one was pretty good, one was the Halloween special which gets a free pass, one was classic Simpsons but had a strange ending (the badgers attack) and one ventured outside the classic format and was actually pretty good, (Behind The Laughter). But, we're very near my least favorite episode, that I know of, and I'm not looking forward to it.