The Simpsons 326-330

Smart and Smarter

This episode premiered on February 22nd 2004. The lead in show was Oliver Beene and it was followed by a Simpsons repeat (I D'ohbot). It ran opposite Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Cold Case and American Dreams.

The title comes from the 1994 movie Dumb And Dumber.

The couch gag is there is a dry cleaners moving rack around the living room, the clothes spin by until the family, in bags, line up on the couch.

Homer tries to pull a toilet practical joke on Bart but he pees standing up, when Homer tries to force him to sit he winds up on the seat himself and gets sprayed. They get into a fight and trash the bathroom, when Marge comes to see what is going on Homer takes them out to breakfast. When the get to the restaurant they discover it's application day at the pre nursery school so they take Maggie but she is rejected because she doesn't talk. Later while playing with Maggie, Lisa discovers that she can spell with the blocks. Maggy takes an IQ quiz and correctly answers the questions. Henry, the pre k teacher, declares her IQ is 167, Lisa is jealous since her IQ level is only 159. Marge suggests Lisa find a new identity, she tries stand up comedy  in the cafeteria but bombs. She tries to go Goth, she calls herself Ravencrow Never-Smiles. Next she tries to be a cheerleader, then Hip Hop, Soccer and Cowgirl. When playing with the flash cards Lisa tries to teach Maggie the wrong words but gets caught by Marge, she runs away crying and dreams about being an evil sister and decides to hide in the Springfield Natural History Museum. The police find Lisa's coat and backpack at the museum. The family looks in the human body display, Maggie turns on the control panel and they get swallowed. The only way to get out is for Maggie to push the red button, instead she hits the green digest button and then the churn button. Maggie doesn't know what to do until Lisa shows up and gives her instructions, the family gets flushed out through the bowels and they learn that Maggie is only copying Lisa. Later when they are alone Maggie plays Lisa's sax and Lisa takes it away from her. Simon Cowell gives a critic over the closing credits. 

Simon Cowell does the voice of Henry, the admissions officer at the pre nursery school. 

Homer puts an Squat and Squirt squirting toilet seat in the bathroom. The box was a picture of a man with a top hat and monocle being sprayed with water. "EE-Yow!"

The pancake place is called The Flapjack Stack and is a converted Italian restaurant, formerly The Leaning Tower of Pizza, They painted over the pizza tower and turned it into a stack of pancakes. 

Wickerbottom's Pre-Nursery School.

Best line of the night, when Maggie passes the IQ test Henry says "Your baby is brilliant, why she could teach at Florida State". And this joke was 15 years before Ron DeSantis became governor.

When Lisa is depressed about not being the smart one Marge writes her a note, "You are Lisa Simpson" however she already has one, framed with a photo of Mr. Bergstrom. This is from the episode Lisa's Substitute.

When Lisa is trying to be a comedian she says "why do they call them field trips, we never go to a field", Skinner replies that they went to a battlefield last Thursday. This is a reference to the episode The PTA Disbands.

Lisa dreams about being in the 1962 movie Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?

Lisa hiding in the museum is taken from the plot of the 1967 book From The Mixed-Up Files Of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.

The Springfield Natural History Museum: Families Welcome, The Neanderthal Man Now Has No Wang! The Auditorium is showing Bark: The suit your tree wears. 

Henry Mancini's Moon River plays while Lisa wanders around the museum after hours. 

Homer's lost Lisa sign: Free Beer! Now that I have your attention, Missing Eight-Year Old Girl. Lisa Simpson 555-5472. PS, no free beer.

Henry calls Maggie as common as an angry woman in an Ibsen play. Ibsen was known for his plays about average people and the rules of society such as A Doll's House or Ghost.

Moe is pretending to be the families butler and he has Barney dressed up as the maid. They never explain why.

The Ziff Who Came To Dinner

This episode premiered on March 14th 2004. The lead in show was Oliver Beene and it was followed by The Bernie Mac Show. It ran opposite the regular programs. 

The title comes from the 1939 play and 1942 film The Man Who Came To Dinner.

The chalkboard gag is "I will not speculate on how hot teacher used to be" and the couch gag is the family sits down and then the camera zooms outward until the entire universe is an atom inside another Homer, he says "Wow!" but the rest of the family doesn't know what he's referring to. 

Homer takes the kids plus Rod and Todd to the movies but all the kids movies are sold out so they go to see The Re-Deadening, a horror movie. That night the kids freak out when they hear something strange in the attic and go to see. Marge and Homer are getting snuggly when the kids break in and tell them there is a ghost in the house. They hear theremin music so Homer lights a torch and goes to the attic, they find Artie Ziff is living in their house. It turns out Artie went broke during the Dot Com bust. He had been stealing from the company and the SEC is looking for him. While playing poker Homer wins the controlling stock in Ziffcorp just as the SEC shows up so they arrest Homer instead of Artie. Homer is sentenced to 10 years in jail. Selma  drags Artie back to her apartment and they "snuggle". Artie decides he has to get Homer out of jail by turning over his secret corporate books. Selma arranges for conjugal visits. Artie goes around spraying the other prisoner's cigarettes to put them out so Marge tells the kids to take their last look at him.

This is the first chalkboard gag since the episode Today, I Am A Clown in 2003.

The couch gag is based on the 1977 short film Powers Of Ten. Kodos and Kang are seen as the image zooms out. Also Sprach Zarathustra by Richard Strauss plays during the couch gag, it is best known from the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Moves at the Springfield Googolplex Theaters: Return To Ape Valley / The Fashion Of The Christ / Ghost Frat / Eating Nemo / From Justin To Kelly 4 / The Unwatchable Hulk / The Pianist Goes Hawaiian / Freddy Vs. Jason Vs. Board Of Education / The Wide Dingleberries Movie / A Matrix Christmas / Diet Coke: The Movie / President Air Bud: Tail To The Chief / My Big Fat Greek Salad (not a movie according to the guy in the ticket booth) / The Re-Deadening / Teenage Sex Wager / You're In The Matrix Charlie Brown

Self Aware Joke: Homer makes a comment about a tv cartoon (The Wide Dingleberries Movie) stretched out into a movie. This was 3 years before The Simpsons Movie was released although the producers had been working on the idea since 2001.

Rod and Todd have a pamphlet about movies, What Would Jesus View? by Michael Medved. He is a real movie reviewer with a heavy conservative leaning opinion.

The doll in the movie The Re-Deadining is based on the doll Annabelle which is suppose to be possessed. Annabelle came out in 2014. The song in the movie is Krzysztof Koeda's Lullaby from the movie Rosemary's Baby. 

Lisa's attic video is based on the 1999 movie The Blair Witch Project. Her film is a Pink Pony Production and her website is Lisathemove.com. Fox owns the web site but nothing is there.

Marge and Homer watch the 1973 police show Kojak, Marge also mentions Cannon and Barnaby Jones, two other 70's detective shows. 

A 1986 Newsweek "Why America Loves Saddam Hussein". The US was in the second year of Bush's war in Iraq. Hussein would be executed two years later. 

Mambo Number 5 plays while Artie is explaining on how he went broke. The logo on his corporate headquarters is based on the Enron one. Artie is in a hot tub with Newt Gingrich, Janeane Garofalo and Scottie Pippin.

Artie reads Lisa Jonathan Franzen's The Corrections. This is a real book that came out in 2001.

Homer takes Artie to Moe's, at the bar are Jay Sherman (A Star Is Burns), Aristotle Amadopolis (Homer Defined), Professor Lombardo (Brush With Greatness and Llewellyn Sinclair (A Streetcar Named Marge), all characters that had been voiced by Jon Lovitz.

Krusty is part of the congressional investigation into Ziffcorp. He was elected in the episode Mr. Spritz Goes To Washington

Springfield Shopper headline: Simpson Found Guilty, Sentenced To 10 years / Local bully to Homer: "Haw Haw" (with a photo of Nelson)

Springfield Penitentiary: If you committed murder, you'd be home by now.

Book at the prison waiting room: When Daddy Does Hard Time. It's a pop up book with "daddy" stabbing the jail house stoolie with a shiv. On the next page the prisoners set "daddy" on fire. 

While in prison Homer sings Charlie Louvin's Turn Around, adding his own lyrics.

Co-Dependents' Day

This episode premiered on March 21st 2004. The lead in show was King Of The Hill and it was followed by a Simpsons rerun (The Fat And The Furriest). It ran opposite Extreme Makeover: Homer Edition, 60 Minutes and American Dreams

The couch gag is a repeat of the family turning to dust.

The family goes to see Cosmic Wars: The Gathering Shadow, however the movie is really dull. Marge convinces the kids to write a complaint letter however they get a form letter back so they decide to go see the producer in person. Bart and Lisa sneak away from the tour and confront Curtis about how his stories are boring. Homer and Marge start getting wine drunk and head to Moe's, the next day Krusty is on the couch and gives them money for what he did in the fireplace. After an extended binge Marge wakes up with a horrible hangover and wants to swear off alcohol, so Homer takes her to Octoberfest, she decides to have just one beer and gets really drunk. Homer drives drunk and crashes, when the cops show up he puts Marge in the drivers seat and sneaks off, she gets arrested. The church crowd mocks Marge for being an alcoholic. She commits herself to a 28 day rehab center. Lisa tells Homer that she's suspicious of the circumstances of the drunk driving crash. Homer plans on breaking Marge out and he confesses to putting her in the drivers seat, Marge decides to get drunk and all the patients has hidden alcohol. In the end Marge decides that she likes spending time with Homer but wants him to give up drinking. A polka band plays the closing theme. 

Movies at the Googolplex: Teenage Sex Wager Vs. Boner Academy / Cosmic Wars: The Gathering Shadow / The Momentum Of Things staring Ellen Burstyn and Jim Broadbent

Cosmic Wars is a spoof on Star Wars and Randall Curtis is a spoof on George Lucas. 

Fox, A Division Of Orange Julius. Today they are a division of Disney. 

Cosmic Wars Ranch: Formerly Fresno California. Marge and Homer go to the Lush Valley Winery.

Lisa and Bart plan to go complain to Fox Broadcasting at 10201 West Pico, Building 203. This is the actual address for the studio.

Moe has a bottle of Chateau Latour 1886 and serves it to Marge and Homer. (considering how it was stored it probably went bad decades ago.

Lets Misbehave by Cole Porter plays over the montage of Homer and Marge on their binge.

Marge and Homer go to see The Lost Weekend / Days Of Wine And Roses / Barfly / The Lizzie McGuire Movie (they come out shaking and scared from the last one)

The band at Octoberfest is Brave Combo. They are a real band and played the polka songs in the episode.

Duffmensch shows up at Octoberfest.

First Church Of Springfield: We Welcome Other Faiths (Just Kidding)

A-1 Chimney Sweeps Formerly Z-99 Chimney Sweeps. Not found in Yellow Pages.

Quitters. A Place For Rehab. Andy Dick Is In

While on hold Homer sings Wichita Lineman and MacArthur Park both written by Jimmy Webb.

Series regulars at rehab: Otto, Sea Captain, Mrs. Krabappal, Agnes

This was another episode that started off with one plot line and morphed into a "Marge and Homer's marriage is in trouble" story. it also just said, "well, this is the end". They seem to be happening more and more.

The Wandering Juvie

This episode premiered on March 28th 2004. It ran in its usual time slot (the Simpson's rerun was The Regina Monologues) and opposite the regular shows.

The name comes from the plant the Wandering Jew, also the name for Judas (or other Biblical characters) who in some stories was cursed with immortality and forced to forever wander the earth alone.

The couch gag is a repeat of the Polaroid 

The family goes to Costington's department store, Homer confused the changing room with the restroom. Skinner and Krabappal are setting up their wedding registry. Bart finds out about the bar code reader for bridal registries, he pus his and a fake girls names on the computer and goes nuts. He then sends out wedding invitations to the people of Springfield and puts a gift table sign at a jobs fair. Bart gets caught by Wiggum who only accepts cash bribes and arrests Bart. Judge Harm sentences Bart to 6 months in juvenile hall. The family turns on each other with blame. The slide on the playground of juvie has a bully punching kids as they come down, complete with a souvenir photo stand of them getting hit. Bart gets too near the fence, the girls on the other side tie his hands with a scrunchy and threaten him. Homer sees a sign for a guard position at juvie. He shows up and announces he's Bart's father, but then it's quitting time and he won't be back for three days. At a dance the boys and girls are handcuffed together as dance partners. As soon as Bart's dance partner, Gina, gets the opportunity she escapes and Bart gets dragged along. The kids go to a blacksmith and are released from the handcuffs, Gina punches Bart and runs off. Bart follows her and finds out that that she doesn't have a family, she attacks him and get caught by Wiggum. Gina confesses that she escaped and drug Bart along, Wiggum lets Bart go. The Simpsons show up at jail to have taco night with Gina. 

Sarah Michelle Gellar does the voice of Gina Vendetti, Charles Napier returns as the warden and Jane Kaczmarek returns as Constance Harm.

The escape plot is based on the 1958 movie The Defiant Ones.

Costington's: Downtown's Last Gasp Of Class. A wino walks by and knocks off letters turning it into Last Gas Of Ass.

Bart puts his name and Lotta Cooties on the bridal registry. Billy Idol's White Wedding plays.

Springfield Juvenile Correctional Facility: Now accepting criminal midgets. 

Career Day at Juvie: Burger Flipper / French Fry Salter / Late Night Clean Up / Drive-Thru Specialist / Bathroom Mopper / Bun Package Opener, these are all sponsored by Krusty Burger. 

Juvie movie night: The Itchy And Scratchy Show: The Battle Of Slaughter-Loo. "The following cartoon has been edited for prison viewing" The armies of Itchys and Scratchys are on opposing hills, they charge towards each other pulling out bigger weapons, then it cuts to the end with Itchy declaring victory. 

Guards Wanted: If you can read this, you're overqualified. 

The sampler in the Warden's office: His Judgment Cometh And That Right Soon. This is from the 1994 movie Shawshank Redemption. (I added this to the wikipedia page for this episode)

Color My World by Chicago plays at the juvie dance. 

Bart's mug shot number is 158734. Gina's is 139812

Snake has written a book "Ten Habits Of Highly Successful Criminals.

Cletus whittles statues of  what he sees, including the Pillsbury Doughboy caught in a bear trap and fugitive Bart, he also whittles the future, the image of Wiggum being mauled by a bear.

The line at the blacksmith to get handcuffs off: Laurel and Hardy in striped prison uniforms / a Native American and a Cowboy / a hippie and a solider / A nun and a hooker / Sea Captain and a squid

The warden plans on going home to watch Will And Grace. The show ran from 1996 to 2006. I didn't realize it was on the air that long. 

This was the third episode in a row to feature a prison theme.

My Big Fat Geek Wedding

This episode premiered on April 18th, 2004. It ran in its usual time slot (The President Wore Pearls was the Simpsons rerun). It ran opposite Extreme Makeover, Cold Case and Dateline NBC

The title comes from the 2002 movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

The couch gag is a repeat of the Play-Doh factory. (according to Wikipedia the slot machine was seen in syndication)

Homer is whittling down D batteries to fit in the AAA slot in the remote, they spark in the dark and are keeping Marge awake so she heads to the couch. Over the school PA Skinner announces he and Mrs. Krabappal will be getting married on Saturday, he also includes the exact room of the hotel they'll be staying at and tells the kids they don't want to be disturbed. Marge throws a bachelorette party, she sends the kids to Grandpa to protect their fragile little minds, he shows them pictures of the horrors of WWII. Homer throws the bachelor party at Moe's, it's just a typical night at the bar. Chalmers forces Skinner to drink a beer and he gets instantly drunk. Duffman shows up at the bachelorette party and does a strip show, Ned calls the cops but the girls think Wiggum is another stripper, he goes ahead and dances for the money. Skinner confesses that he's having second thoughts. At the wedding Skinner tries to walk out backwards but Homer forces him to go back to the alter. Edna imagines the future of their marriage complete with Skinner's mother as a spider cyborg. She decides that if Skinner doesn't want to get married she is going to leave and runs off. Marge goes to talk to Krabappal and tells her she's happy with Homer although she remembers nothing but the bad times. Homer takes Skinner over to Krabappal's to tell him what to say, however Marge is telling her what to reply. Krabappal returns CBG's Incredible Hulk melon baller and invites him out to dinner. Skinner tries to get Edna back but finds out she's sleeping with CBG. The Simpsons go to the comic book convention to try to find CBG and Edna. CBG wants to have a Klingon wedding at the comic book convention, Skinner shows up dressed as Catwoman to object. Edna decides to not marry either of them. Homer offers to marry Marge again, the Klingon priest from the convention shows up. 

Matt Groening does his own voice. He is at the convention and talks about how he's happy to give autographs and drawings. I have an autographed copy of Life In Hell with a drawing of Binky.

Marge reads Recipes To Think About In Bed. Reading cookbooks was trendy in the early 2000's. 

When Nelson gets a home run during a kick ball game the theme from the 1984 movie The Natural plays.

At the bachelorette party they play Libido, The Naughty Word Scramble Game. 

U-Save Strippers "If we send your daughter....it's Free!

Banner at Springfield elementary: Skinner-Krabappel Wedding In Gym "No Dark-Soled Shoes" / Go Grrroom! / Bride Pride

The Larry Davis Wedding Experience plays at the reception. Their last appearance seems to be the episode Homer To The Max, 5 years earlier. They perform Just The Two Of Us.

Barney is an alcoholic again. 

Comic Book Guy show Edna a copy of I Do Comics "Oh No! 'Sob' I Married the High School Principal!"

Skinner tries to serenade Edna with a versions of The Lion Sleeps Tonight. 

Weird stuff: CBG slept with Skinner's mother and fiancee. 

Bi-Monthly Science Fiction Convention "Warning You could be photographed and used in ads....Looking Like That.

Skinner's Catwoman costume is based on the one Michelle Pfeiffer wore in the 1992 film Batman Returns.

This is the second time Homer and Marge get remarried. The first time was in the episode A Milhouse Divided. 

Some people were sad about the breakup of Edna and Skinner. Personally there were long stretches where I forgot they were a couple. Overall the storyline won't have much of an impact on my viewing of the series.

This one almost turned into another Marge And Homer's Marriage Is In Trouble but they wrapped it up in the last few minutes. Thank goodness.

And so we come to episode 330. I'm pretty sure I hadn't seen two of these before, possibly a third one (I might only know it from previews). We are getting closer to The Simpsons Movie but are still 20 years worth of episodes away from completing this whole goofy odyssey thing. I should have gone with Green Acres, that show only ran for 6 years. I'd be long since done by now.