(originally aired February 6, 1992)
The sad state of being that is Marge Simpson is something the show has shown telling glimpses of over its first few years, and here it becomes front and center. Marge-centric episodes, like Lisa ones, have been said to be a pain to write, and it’s understandable why. While Homer and Bart are exaggerated and over-the-top, Marge and Lisa are more level-headed; their featured episodes tend to feel more realistic. Here, we see Marge’s life of marital servitude unravel, and it’s a very, very powerful first act. When you take a typical dynamic of the show and want to drive it to an emotional climax, you have to ramp things up. So while hearing Homer and the kids whine to Marge is normally just funny, here we see how they can be building irritants, pecking away at Marge’s sanity. Tedious task after tedious, thankless task wears at Marge more and more. When it gets to where everyday annoyances start picking away at here, Marge does something we’d have figured she’d have done a long time ago: she fucking loses it, parking her car in the middle of a busy cross-town bridge.

Marge is eventually brought down and everything is okay. So says Homer, at least. It almost seems like this would be the start and end of a crappy show, like a last ditch effort of appreciation is enough to sweep this psychological problem under the rug. But here, it’s just the beginning. Marge concludes she needs a break: a weekend at a spa and resort Rancho Relaxo. A character of intrinsic restraint, Marge’s wild no-bars vacation consists of having a staff pamper her and watching R-rated movies while drinking Tequila. The other Simpsons are left to fend for themselves in Marge’s absence. Bart and Lisa stay with their aunts Patty and Selma, a nightmarish domain of disgusting foot rubs and tongue sandwiches. Homer, meanwhile, must tend toward Maggie, who drives himself ragged, even more so when the baby crawls off and about town, desperately in search of her mommy.

Seeing how calm and mellow Marge is towards the end only makes the seemingly happy ending of her return seem sad, since we know she’s going to be unappreciated by next week’s show. It’s a testament to how great this show is that we can have episodes that very seriously explore huge fractures and dire issues with this family, but we still love each one of them, and as a whole family unit. Whether they remain optimistic, or they’re in the biggest permanent rut, but the Simpsons are overall content with their station in life.

Tidbits and Quotes
– The scene of Bart, Lisa and Homer talking over each other is mixed so well, and really gets across the building annoyance. One line that sticks out amongst the rabble is Homer’s “Double baloney! Double baloney! Don’t forget to make it double baloney!” But alas, they’re all out of baloney. I also like his later whining about potentially having to use the bowling balls at the lane (“Ohh, alley balls!”)
– We get some crazy Marge reactions here, from the lower pitched “GET OUT” to when she literally makes animal noises, something we haven’t seen since “Some Enchanted Evening,” and I don’t think again since.
– The final straw for Marge is an insane crank call bit on the Billy & Marty show involving them telling a man his wife has died after walking into a plate glass window. The poor sap is understandably devastated while the two jocks laugh hysterically. It’s such an over-the-top parody of dumb shit these types of radio shows do, and the perfect example of insensitivity and craziness that would set Marge off.
– Little details are important. I love how the bus behind a broken Marge after she snaps is carrying the Shelbyville players, all in Shakespearean garb.
– I think this is the first appearance of Arnie Pye in the Sky, a character I’ve always loved. Just as importantly, we get the intro to his rivalry with Kent Brockman, as he takes offense to Kent claiming that this news story “is no mere morning traffic report.”
– Episodes like these tend to not have big laughs, just a lot of great small moments, like the cops smirking upon Homer’s arrival, completely understanding his wife’s turmoil, and the female officer’s empathetic encouragement while taking Marge’s mug shot (but not enough to loosen her cuffs).
– We also get the first appearance of the rivalry between Mayor Quimby and Chief Wiggum, back when the latter had a bit more gumption. We saw this a bit more in the next few seasons, but I don’t think it was brought up much past season 7 or so. It’s a understandable and cool dynamic, I wish they’d kept it up.
– I love the ad for Rancho Relaxo, prompting all of its perks (“Swim, play tennis, or just sit and stare at the walls”), complete with a Spanish conquistador relaxing in a hot tub in full uniform. Phil Hartman is back (seems like he’s in every one of these old episodes) as Troy McClure, hosting the in-room guide to the resort, who is absolutely great, as always.
– Homer doing a puppet show for Maggie only to have the dog attack him is such a great sequence of animation, and hilarious, of course, with Maggie clapping at the end.
– Maggie’s quest to find Marge is so sweet. Don’t have much to add on that, but it’s just really adorable.
– I love the random element of Barney being an omelet gourmand. He makes them with three kinds of cheese. Three!
– Third and final instance of inappropriate hold music. It’s reused animation from “Saturdays of Thunder,” but it’s definitely my favorite. When Homer calls the department of missing babies, he’s treated to “Baby Come Back” by Player.
– I like Homer, once it seems all hope is lost, attempting to soften the blow to Marge about Maggie’s absence. He tests the waters asking her how she’d feel if the dog ran away, but after Marge reacts aghast at this hypothetical, he back pedals. Later, he tries to think of the best way to break the news to her, including, “Isn’t life funny? One day they’re babies, the next thing you know they’re off on their own!”

(originally aired January 23, 1992)
As I mentioned with “Lisa’s Pony,” Homer/Lisa episodes are always emotional and entertaining, not in a laugh uncontrollably sort of way, but with subtler character behaviors and actions. Here we once again have Homer disregarding one of his child’s existences, but unlike Bart’s ambivalence in “Saturdays of Thunder,” Lisa is a girl who craves positive reinforcement. Marge recommends Lisa take an interest in something Homer likes, in an incredibly telling, somewhat sad but still funny line (“I pretend I’m interested in looking at power tools, going to those silly car-chase movies, and… some things I’ll tell you about when you’re older.”) So, Lisa decides to join her father in watching football. In episodes like these, you need to push the bonds between characters far at the start so their reconciliation later on can be that much more effective, but seeing Homer force her daughter to the other end of the couch is not so much thoughtless and selfish as much as it is cruel. Homer’s assholery is best when it’s accidental, not overt, especially toward his daughter.

Needless to say, Homer and Lisa form a bond while watching the game, especially when Homer realizes that his daughter has a knack for picking the winning team, resulting in numerous winning bar bets with Moe. The scenes of the two together have a real bittersweet feel to them: we love to see them getting along, and Lisa finding passion towards the sport and her logical analyses towards her bets, but Homer’s actions are still completely self-centered. Lisa has happened to enter her father’s field of vision and Homer has figured how to make her an asset for his own doings. Even lavish dinners and gifts for his family, sweet as those moments may be, are peppered with a self-congratulatory aurora thrown by Homer. These suspicions are validated when Homer confirms he’s planning on blowing off their “Daddy-Daughter Day” once football season ends, crushing Lisa, leaving him with a bottomless pit he must figure out how to scramble out of.

The third act sets up a very bizarre climax, with Lisa racked with guilt over her actions and seething with a quiet anger toward her father. She gives a very somber, yet serious proclamation to Homer: her love for him all hinges on who wins the Super Bowl. Homer remains desperate for a more concrete answer, leaving him a twisted emotional wreck through the game. It’s almost like a weird psychological mind game Lisa is playing on her father, like she’s the puppet master behind professional football and she can change the outcomes based on her whims. Whether she’s trying to teach Homer a lesson, or just being melancholy in her musings, Lisa makes Homer realize her value to him, and the two finally reunite in the end. This is a pretty solid episode, but I think it suffers having followed the much superior “Lisa’s Pony,” which put Homer in a bit more caring light.

Tidbits and Quotes
– There’s some absolutely fantastic bits of animation in the beginning: the opening to Inside Football Today does a great job mimicking early 90s-style computer animation, but with traditional means. And the sequence of Homer rapidly eating four different kinds of salty snack treats around him on the couch is spectacular.
– Smooth Jimmy Apollo may be my favorite one-off Phil Hartman character. Despite his indecisive nature (being right only 52% of the time will do that to a guy, I guess), he still exudes all the confidence and vigor you expect from Hartman. I love after his recommendation of Denver, and after Homer’s bet, thirteen seconds into the game, they’re down a touchdown.
– I always found it sweet that Marge is giving Maggie a bath in the sink, and very funny that Bart walks in and drops his dishes in it.
– The giant lock and giant shoe are great props for the sports forecasters. My favorite bit in the whole show though is the Coach’s hotline, a fast-talking man on the commercial, but sloooow to enunciation on the phone. A bone-headed Homer complains, “Come on, don’t you realize this is costing me money?”
– There’s a sweet minor plot in the first act with Marge taking Bart out to buy new clothes, from the discount rack. When Bart claims he’ll get beat up wearing outfits such as those, Marge responds, “Well, anyone who beats you up for wearing a shirt isn’t your friend.” Missing the point entirely, but a nice bit of motherly advice.
– I love the security guards catching a little girl wearing unpaid socks out of the store, rushing out of the control room with high-powered rifles.
– There’s some great bits in a montage of Sundays, with Lisa batting 100% (“I like the 49ers because they’re pure of heart, Seattle because they’ve got something to prove, and the Raiders because they always cheat.”) This is followed by an announcer calling another game (“And on an extreeeeeemely suspicious play, the Raiders win!”)
– The scene at the fancy restaurant is so sweet, where the family earnestly laugh at Homer and Bart’s hackneyed jokes.
– I love the talk box Homer gives Bart. I remember seeing commercials for those types of things, and it’s brought back excellently at the end of the second act, giving a minor break in the tension.
– Great dream sequence of an old drunken Lisa hawking jewelry for gambling chips. It’s horrifyingly wonderful.
– I thought we never saw Caesar and Uglion in any other episode, but here they are, passing over the big game for a Jerry Lewis comedy, of course.
– A brief appearance by Troy McClure plugging his new sitcom that will play after the game. When asked why he chose to do the project, he replies, “I fell in love with the script, Brent. And my recent trouble with the IRS sealed the deal!”
– Great bit with the “never tedious Super Bowl half-time show,” a bizarre display of men in giant alien heads dancing to “Rock Around the Clock.” Bart bemoans, “This sucks. Come on, snipers, where are you!” I also love the Duff Bowl. Upon hearing Duff Dry has won, Moe comments, “They wanted it more.”

(originally aired January 9, 1992)
This is a show that’s never content with doing one type of story. Sometimes they’ll focus on one topic or relationship, like “Lisa’s Pony,” but other times it’s all over the map, covering a range of different subjects. “Radio Bart” is one of the latter, ranging from down-to-earth and sentimental to exaggerated ridiculousness, with a bunch of different elements peppered in along the way. We open on Bart’s birthday, where he will be turning 10 for the first of many, many times. At one point, he was younger, however, as indicated by his spiky hair chart. The first act is a great exploration about the excitement of birthdays as a kid, and how much it sucks to have them be let-downs.

Homer is suckered by a TV commercial into getting Bart a radio-style microphone, but of course has trouble realizing that what happens on TV doesn’t always reflect reality. Over time, Bart realizes the microphone does have good pranking potential, leading to a bunch of scenes of Bart wreaking havoc with his new instrument of mischief. His final prank creates a town-wide panic, fooling citizens into believing a young boy named Timmy O’Toole has fallen down a well. This creates a media frenzy, which ultimately leads to a bizarre carnival-type festival set up around the well, treating the scenario with more sensationalism than an actual desire to rescue. The episode also satirizes the sainthood of the victim, that the simple act of one befalling a tragedy, even by accident or on reckless purpose, they become a hero worthy of praise. This is best exemplified by Homer’s defense of calling Timmy a hero (“Well, he fell down a well and… he can’t get out.”) Even celebrities try to capitalize on the situation, with their “We Are the World” style relief song “We’re Sending Our Love Down the Well,” complete with Krusty hamming it up like Bruce Springsteen.

Realizing the possibility that he might be exposed due to all the attention, Bart attempts to cover his ass, but ends up victim of his own prank when he gets stuck down the well himself. The absurdity of the second act makes way for the real ironic punishment and pathos for Bart’s actions, as the town abandons their cause after realizing they’ve been had. A scene where Bart muses over the things he’ll never get to do in life is quite touching, even, of course, it involves getting a fake ID and shaving a swear word into his hair. Sting makes a guest appearance as a participant in the relief song, mocking the idea of a celebrity activist (“This isn’t about show business, this is about some kid down a hole… or something, and we’ve all got to do what we can,”) and getting kind of screwed in the end himself as he’s ungraciously pushed out of the way after digging his way to rescue Bart. This is an episode that covers a lot of ground, but has a seamless flow and nails every one of its targets completely.

Tidbits and Quotes
– The scene with the microphone commercial is perfect: it’s the ultimate shameless advertisement, and Homer gobbles up the whole thing.
– Wall-E-Weasel’s is a wonderful Chuck E. Cheese send-up, complete with the horrible animatronic singers. For some reason, Señor Beaverotti always gets me (“I’m-ah ready!”), and of course, his tail breaks off and bursts into flames after barely getting through the first verse of the birthday song.
– I really like Bart putting his label-maker name on everything in the house; it just feels like a real kid thing to do out of boredom. Homer bemoans that the lone Duff can in the fridge is branded (“Aww, there’s only one can of beer left, and it’s Bart’s.”)
– I love that Homer actually buys Bart’s prank that there’s an alien invasion, and runs through the house with a loaded gun. I also love Bart’s guttural “Uh-huh” when Homer realizes Bart actually liked his gift mid-choke.
– All of Bart’s early pranks are good, but my favorite is probably the first with making Maggie talk (I love Bart’s baby voice, “Sorry lady, show’s over!”) Runner-up, of course, is “God” speaking to Rod and Todd (“Walk through the wall. I will remove it for you… [thud] …later.”)
– This kind of feels like Groundskeeper Willie’s first “big” appearance, being first on the scene to get help for Timmy, taking a “nip of courage” from a flask and blocking traffic with his big tractor (“Look out, yah horse’s arse!”) I also love Bart trying to develop Timmy’s character by screwing other characters, claiming that Timmy wasn’t allowed into Springfield Elementary by Skinner because of his shabby clothes.
– The charity song is great of course, featuring all the celebrities, and quasi-celebrities, we’ve seen on the show. We also get the first speaking part of Sideshow Mel. I love Krusty’s explaining of where the proceeds of the song go (“We gotta pay for promotion, shipping, distribution… y’know, those limos out back, they aren’t free. Whatever’s left we throw down the well.”)
– I love the tastefully done Itchy & Scratchy tribute to Timmy O’Toole, and the “We’ll Be Right Back” title card with Scratchy with an axe in the back.
– Great sequence of Bart repelling himself down the well, great use of shadows and lighting, and Axel Foley music.
– Eddie and Lou are none too pleased to learn the truth that they’ve been punked. For some reason, “I’ve got an idea, let’s go home and go to sleep” has stuck with me, and was a big quotable line amongst my friends.
– The quick scenes depicting public reaction to Bart is great: Mayor Quimby openly admitting to flip-flopping, news of the Abraham Lincoln squirrel, and the hit single replacing the well song on the charts, “I Do Believe We’re Naked,” by Funky-See Funky-Do.
– The ending is perfect, of course, with the situation being resolved by a tiny sign, “Caution: Well.” Nothing has been learned, but Willie is satisfied (“That should dew it!”)

(originally aired December 26, 1991)
Flashback episodes offer the series a valuable opportunity. Not only is it entertaining to see our characters in their younger days, but it gives us a look at what happened along the road of life that got them to where we know them now, not just in their jobs or their families, but how they grew and changed as people. “The Way We Was” ended with Homer and Marge finally getting together, but this episode focuses on how their love grew into a somewhat stable family. We see what sacrifices had to be made, monetarily and personally, in order to make the Simpson family what it is. And we see just why a smart, capable woman like Marge would love and stay with a big dumb oaf like Homer. It’s my favorite flashback show, and one of my favorite episodes, as it’s one of the best, if not the best, shows that perfectly balances its sweet moments with snarky humor.

The episode opens with Marge heading to Dr. Hibbert’s after failing a pregnancy test. Right off the bat, the show treads new ground: in other sitcoms, the notion of a character being pregnant is only met by euphoria by the husband and canned cheering and applause, but here, Homer and Marge seem very hesitant and tense about the prospect of having a fourth child. This all leads to Homer waxing nostalgic about the events that led up to Bart’s birth. At 24, Homer was still very much a man-child, working at the miniature golf course, taking Marge to see The Empire Strikes Back, and lounging about in his shitty apartment with Barney eating a tube of cookie dough. But when the news breaks that Marge is pregnant, everything changes. A man with no responsibilities is now responsible for a new life. This leads to my first of two examples of absolutely perfect scenes, where Homer proposes to Marge. He’s nervous about it, for sure (“Marge, there’s something I want to ask you. But I’m afraid, because if you say no, it’ll destroy me and make me a criminal.”) and he paws around the backseat looking for the card he wrote down what to say on. Marge ends up finding it and reads it aloud, a simple, but honestly written proposal, complete with a swell of music and Kavner’s slightly choked-up read. Homer flatly replies, “That’s the card, give it here,” while Marge basks in the moment, even though Homer’s asscrack is directly in her face. It’s unbelievable how the show manages to be so damn touching, but make me laugh at the same time. We love to hear Marge say yes, and we love even more Homer’s ecstatic reaction (“She’s gonna marry me! In your face, everybody!!”)

Getting married and preparing for a child ain’t easy on a shoe string budget. Homer’s attempts to provide for his future family go into a downward spiral, resulting in him leaving Marge. It takes a lot to still care about a guy who abandons his pregnant wife, but his goodbye note is written so sincerely, noting that he will send every cent he earns to her and their baby. The second perfect scene occurs when Marge finds Homer is working at a fast food joint and they have a heartfelt reunion. Homer laments that he couldn’t give Marge a decent wedding ring. Marge replies that any ring is special as long as it’s from him. So, Homer gives Marge an onion ring (repeating a line from “The Way We Was,” “Marge, pour vous.”) There’s a beat to appreciate the sweetness of it, for the characters and the audience, before Marge asks if she can take it off, as the oil is burning her finger. Homer does… and then eats it. Perfect.

This episode really illustrates why Homer is the man he is: with enormous responsibilities thrust upon him, he had no real time to grow and mature into a responsible adult. He went from man-child right to childish father. Impassioned by Marge’s visit, Homer takes charge and brute-forces his way into a position at the power plant, but hilariously, adamantly claiming he’ll be the most sycophantic kiss-ass Burns has ever seen. Going from a job he loved to one he’ll come to be miserable by, it’s all worth it for Marge and his future child. This episode presents such an honest, human depiction of two young fools in love and about to become parents; it has a minor tragic sting to it, but we have such faith and love for the characters that we know they’re going to turn out alright (relatively speaking). And it makes perfect sense that Marge’s announcement at the end that she’s actually not pregnant would trigger a great joy out of the two. Parenthood’s a bitch.

Tidbits and Quote
– How much do I love Barnacle Bill’s Home Pregnancy Test? The answer is a lot (“If the water turns blue, a baby for you. If purple ye see, no baby thar be. If ye test should fail, to a doctor set sail.”)
– I love Homer’s tenseness, in his animation and his voice, when Lisa asks if Marge is going to have another baby. It astounds me how much truly talented people can make mere drawings into believable human characters, even more so than flesh-and-blood actors.
– I do like young Homer’s attempts to sweet talk Marge (“You’re as beautiful as Princess Leia and as smart as Yoda.”)
– It’s odd that Marge calls “You Light Up My Life” as their song, not “Close To You.” I do like when Marge tells Homer she’s singing about God, and Homer replies, “Oh, well, He’s always happy. No, wait, He’s always mad.”
– Homer and Marge copulating inside the castle at the mini golf course seems so sweet apart from its seediness. I absolutely love Homer’s claim of the castle being “impregnable.” I doubt he’s ever used that word ever, ever again, but the one time he does, he’s dead wrong.
– I like the continuity that Dr. Hibbert’s dialogue telling Marge she’s pregnant is identical to the brief flashback we saw in “The Way We Was.”
– Shotgun Pete’s is great, from the raspy clerk (the great Doris Grau) laughing at Homer’s face for believing their marriage will last forever, to the “minister” not even bothering to remember people’s names. “Byoo-tee-ful.”
– Can you think of a more perfect name than Repo Depot? And the employee’s got a great line, sadly observing, “Repossessing stuff is the hardest part of my job.”
– I love the almost magical donut truck driver off to deliver happiness to the employees of the power plant (“All the colors of the rainbow!”)
– I like how Homer’s bravado nature continues through the day, from Burns’s office to the delivery room, as he stands up for himself in front of Patty and Selma, and the great bit where he fights with Hibbert over who will deliver the baby.

(originally aired December 5, 1991)
For almost all TV series, status quo is God. However outlandish and mixed up the universe may get over the course of twenty-odd minutes, things always end up right back where they started, or at least they will for sure in time for next week’s episode. But a show like this one uses its tried-and-true format to explore a deeper meaning behind these mechanics and how they’re not too far off from our own feelings, about being comfortable of where you’re at and how fragile one’s existence can be. Both Homer and Mr. Burns in their own different ways realize how valuable their roles are in this ballet of life and how much they both need their lives at the nuclear power plant.

We open with a melancholy Burns musing about the missed opportunities of his bygone years, ultimately deciding to sell the power plant to a group of efficient Germans. As he puts it, the world is his oyster, and he sets off into the world to conquer it. However, Burns quickly realizes that without a position of power, he’s nothing more than a withered old goat, puttering about without a purpose. Seeing him tend to beehives and attempt to box just seems wrong; Burns is a man who needs others to cower before him, but now, even a young whippersnapper like Bart can take full advantage of him. As he succinctly puts it himself, “What good is money if it can’t inspire terror in your fellow man?” Without the power plant, he has nothing.

Homer, meanwhile, is terrified about the regime change at work. He’s well aware of his limited intelligence regarding his job (he can barely even remember what position he holds to begin with) and knows those crafty Germans will be able to see right through him, kindly and welcoming as they may be. Every one of us gets that nagging feeling from time to time that we’re getting by a bit too easily, but Homer’s been living that for his whole life. Naturally, he is the plant’s only lay-off, and the Germans slowly learn that the plant is more unkempt and disastrous than they thought. A woefully unemployed Homer and a woefully purposeless Burns are simply no good, so the episode ends as it should: Burns takes the plant back and rehires Homer, under the adage of keeping one’s enemies close, biding his time before it’s time to strike, which as status quo dictates, will never, ever happen. Ever.

Tidbits and Quotes
– We’ve been seeing more developments in the Smithers-Burns relationship. Smithers is the ultimate sycophant: he loves his boss more than anything, because he’s the hyper-charged caricature of the spineless yesman. An affection exists between the two, but there’s nothing truly overt about Smithers’s sexuality. It’s secondary, if anything.
– A very brief, but wonderful appearance by Homer’s stock broker (voiced by Phil Hartman), a pale, broken husk of a man hunched over a desk in a dank office. Since he hasn’t called up his client in years, they have a brief catching up, and I really mean brief. Homer foolishly cashes in his stock too early, blowing twenty-five bucks on a fancy bottle of Duff, when he could have had a cool six thousand.
– Those Germans have some wonderful penmenship, writing “$100,000,000” in distinctly European font. Even a man as wealthy as Burns has his price, apparently. I also love how a German flag immediately ascends a flagpole upon the announcement, complete with a dramatic sting. This doesn’t bode well…
– Great reference to Alexander Graham Bell in Burns’s call to Smithers, as well as his very funny mocking Elvis impression.
– The running joke of one of the Germans repeatedly rephrasing asking Homer to have a meeting, thinking he’s not properly articulating himself in English, and Homer getting increasingly more freaked out is fantastic.
– The Land of Chocolate! One of the show’s most famous and beloved sequences. It feels out of place from the rest of the episode, something I’d normally call out, but for some reason it still works. It makes perfect sense to me that hearing “Land of Chocolate” would send Homer into a feverish daydream, delirious from excitement over the prospect. The giddy music, the glorious animation, and the great final joke that Homer’s most excited when he passes a chocolate shop with a half-price sign.
– The announcement of lay-offs is hilarious. I just love the brief pause before “that is all.” It reminds me of a similar joke later in “Cape Feare” when Bob lists off the people that he will not kill.
– I feel a later Simpsons episode would have loved to shock Homer repeatedly with the malfunctioning toaster, but here, the gag is left by itself, since Homer has enough problems on his plate without getting surges of electricity through him.
– Another spin on the crank calls is Bart having to set foot in Moe’s moments after he’s sent him into a rage over the phone. Moe, of course, is completely clueless, amused at Bart’s admission to harassing people with his shenanigans. It’s a great bit, which also leads into the final scene with Burns entering the bar and Homer confronting him. With Burns out of power, Homer has the ire to stand up for himself, and that’s a world that’s just no fun.
– What better way to end an episode than with Mr. Burns screaming at young children? (“This is a place of business, not a pee-wee flophouse!”)