(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!”)

(originally November 21, 1991)
A great Simpsons episode isn’t content with having just an A-story, or even a B-story, it’s also peppered with so many other elements, be them blink-and-miss-it signs or quick parodies or even lengthy sequences unrelated to the plot. The series would later notoriously have very disjointed first acts that have little to do with the main story, sometimes to a ridiculous level, but here we see that trend was being utilized here as well. The difference is the material: later “set-ups” would be so silly and over-the-top, but here we get a very funny opening scene featuring Lisa’s slumber party, which quickly turns into a nightmare for Bart. It’s filled with so many great small moments, like the age-old candle wax game and Bart’s attempts to un-jinx himself. And it naturally flows into our main story, with Homer getting fed up with the hijinks that he leaves six young children in the house alone to go to a seedy bar.

Homer and Moe’s relationship is wallowed in co-dependence: Homer needs Moe to get him drunk, and Moe is happy to accept his business. For this system to continue, Moe needs customers who are sullen, depressed losers, and he’s picked Homer as his favorite amongst them all. But even through all this, and his unwavering thievery of Homer’s alcoholic invention, we still feel sympathy for Moe; beneath his angry, bitter exterior is a man who craves acceptance, and will do just about anything for it, even sell out his best friend without even a second thought. Homer first reacts to this betrayal with simple anger, but it slowly puts him into a bizarre psychotic stupor, in a wonderful sequence where he hears and sees Moe wherever he goes. All he can think about is Moe’s success off of his back.

Meanwhile, Moe’s has turned into a happening joint, a regular Studio 54-type establishment, but also blended with a Cheers element where Moe falls into a love-hate relationship with a sassy waitress. Now, here’s what’s great about this parody. I didn’t grow up with Cheers, nor have I even seen an episode, but the parody still works as it is engrained in the story, and works as a stand-alone. The hooting and hollering of the crowd subbing in for a studio audience applause and she and Moe’s sitcom-esque banter in bed (eeesh…) still works even without knowing the reference. Also what works is Aerosmith, the show’s first musical guest stars, who work in the story, and are entertaining in their own right. This episode is also filled with some gorgeous animation, from the effects of the Flaming Moe drinks setting aflame to the enormous bevy of crowd shots to some of the individual character animation, particularly Steven Tyler’s “are you ready to rock?!” and of course Homer’s classic fairy dance. So many wonderful components in this show, it’s an absolute classic.

Tidbits and Quotes
– “Eye on Springfield” is a great segment, sending up those horrible fluff “news” shows. Particularly great is the brief preview clip of Drederick Tatum’s thoughts of growing up Springfield (“That town is a dump. If you ever see me back there, you’ll know I really [bleep]ed up bad.”) I’m surprised they could get away with using the bleep like that.
– I think we have our first “in-the-floorboards” joke where we see the middle layer between the two floors of the house, with a lead pipe and asbestos.
– Moe has a lot of great lines right out of the box (“Increased job satisfaction and family togetherness are poison for a purveyor of mind-numbing intoxicants like myself.”) I especially love his complete perplexed reaction to reading his dusty old cocktail chart (“Gin.. and tonic?”)
– The origin of the Flaming Homer is absolutely perfect, from the impetus of suffering through another of Patty and Selma’s slide shows (“As I stared up at that hairy yellow drumstick, Ia knew I needed a drink.”) to his intense analysis of the drink (“I don’t know the scientific explanation, but fire made it good.”)
– There’s lots of great bits in the second act: Homer’s initial obliviousness to Moe’s new-found success, Moe’s inability to understand that Tipsy McStagger is not actually a real person, Mrs. Krabappel demanding Bart bring the liquor he brought to class to the teacher’s lounge, and Lisa, of all people, asking for a Virgin Moe for dinner, which infuriates Homer. Oh, and Pimp Krusty. Again, what other children’s show host appears at local bars in lavish outfits with two girls in tow?
– The crank phone calls are getting a little bit tired at this point, so the show shakes things up by having Moe’s be so packed with people, there actually is a man present with Bart’s seemingly phony name “Hugh Jass.” Hugh turns out to be a good sport about it, and allows Bart to get off the hook.
– The second act break may be one of my favorites, it’s such a fantastic sequence, with Castellaneta and Azaria riffing off each other not being able to hear each other and the amazing animation and direction by Rich Moore.
– A great brief appearance by Lionel Hutz, who cites a case for Homer on how he can’t copyright a drink, and is very pleased by the fact that he actually did research for once (“How about that! I looked something up! These books behind me don’t just make the office look good, they’re filled with useful legal tidbits just like that!”)
– The depletion of Homer’s sanity ends with him taking on a half-assed Phantom of the Opera persona, appearing in the rafters of Moe’s to expose the secret ingredient. Castellaneta gives a great, maddening performance as Homer here, and again, it looks great, with dramatic shadows and the flaming drinks going off. And a great finale, and mild screw-you to their gracious guest stars by having him fall down and crush Aerosmith.
– I also like the very end too, with the secret out and imitation chains opening up all down the block, sort of like all the different Famous Original Ray’s Pizzas in New York.

(originally aired November 14, 1991)
This episode features Homer realizing he’s been a poor father to one of his children and tries to set things straight. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? This show is no stranger to retreading over covered ground, but the great thing about the classic seasons is their ability to take worn material and make it feel new again. I would have gone right through these two episodes without thinking twice about the similar elements if I hadn’t listened to the commentary. Anyway, while Homer is completely out of his element with handling Lisa, he’s got a better shot with bonding with Bart, who is at about the same maturity level as him (maybe a bit lower in some regards). Where last episode Homer failed a task for Lisa, here he barely even acknowledges his son’s existence until he fails a magazine quiz on fatherhood. At that point, he leaps into action, helping his son with his latest hobby: building a soapbox racer.

When Homer gives it his all, he gives it his all. The end result may be pretty shoddy, but he’s still all in. When Bart tells his father he’s going to ride Martin’s car in the final race, Homer is understandably hurt. Never mind a mere eight minutes ago, we saw him leaving his son alone to use a blowtorch (and chastise him for using such a low flame); we still feel for him all the same. When Lisa tries to present a distraction to him, all Homer can see is another chance for him to screw up as a father. Small-minded in his behavior, one bump in the road will leave Homer moping in a corner, or rather lounging on the couch the day of the big race, stewing in his own juices of failure. But in the end, he shows up to cheer his son on, of course, and Bart wins the big race. Father and son childishly taunt the loser Nelson, united in their infantile nature.

This episode also showcases a lot of TV and movie parodies, a real staple of the Al Jean/Mike Reiss years, who would later do as many parodies as they pleased in their series The Critic. We open with an installment of the infomercial series “I Can’t Believe They Invented That!” with Troy McClure and Dr. Nick. Phil Hartman and Hank Azaria play off each other so well, both selling their own unique brands of smarm and scammery. Everything about the segment is perfect, from the lame product name “Spiffy,” the inane banter, and the inexplicable fact that they seemingly ripped Edgar Allen Poe’s tombstone out of the ground and hauled it into a studio to film this stupid advertisement. Later at the video store, we get an equally fantastic McBain clip, in which our hero’s veteran partner is talking about how he’s finally leaving the force for a new cushy retirement, only to be killed mercilessly, shown from a number of gratuitous angles. The prelude to this is absolutely perfect, with every note hit to show this guy has a great life ahead of him, capped by a photo of his wife christening his boat, the “Live 4-Ever.” And of course, we get the immortal line, “MENDOZZZAAAAAAAAA!!!” ‘Nuff said.

Tidbits and Quotes
– Everything in the infomercial is quotable, but the last bit is especially great. Dr. Nick demonstrates the product (“With one application of Spiffy, you’ll think the body’s still warm!”) and McClure comments (“Quoth the Raven, what a shine!”) Also great is when the audience violently turns on Nick for his original, too steep offer, and Nick sweetening the deal with a Kansas Jell-O mold… which is just a rectangle.
– Homer fumbling through the fatherhood quiz is a great back-and-forth between him and Marge. I especially love his attempts to name Bart’s friends: the fat kid with the thing, and the little wiener who always has his hands in his pockets.
– Second of three (I think) instances of inappropriate hold music: “Cat’s in the Cradle” plays when Homer calls the Fatherhood Institute. Also, I love when the Institute heads haul Homer off, Bart, believing his father is being committed, quietly musing, “Maybe it’s for the best.” Like he’s been anticipating this day for a long time.
– The underwater fatherhood tank is so pointless and ridiculous to begin with, so I don’t know how much good wondering how the hell a shark could get in with the father and son will do. It’s funny, let’s leave it at that.
– Great overt references to Bill Cosby, the show’s rival at the time, but a relative high road is taken. His book “Fatherhood” is even cited, and helps Homer out (“Thank you, Bill Cosby, you saved the Simpsons!”) Also, we get the first time Homer is outwitted by his own brain, which seems not so much stupid as a sign of severe schizophrenia.
– This show is all about cramming as many jokes into a scene as possible. Martin smashes his soapbox racer into a wall, then the parachute deploys. Then the car sets on fire, and Martin as well, who runs out of the car screaming. That’s not funny enough though, as a fire engine arrives to put out the fire… of the car. Brilliant. Also I love Martin’s anger toward Dr. Hibbert (“Save your palliative clichés for the next poor sap, doc!”)
– Homer passionately calling Martin a homewrecker may be one of my favorite moments of the whole series.
– Homer getting increasingly excited for finishing the fatherhood quiz ends with a great moment of throwing a random question at Ned (needing to fulfill the “Name another Dad you talk to about parenting” question), then he immediately bolts before Ned can get two words out of his mouth.
– I love how the Fatherhood Institute is apparently filming the soapbox race. I guess they have cameras everywhere. They’re an insanely well-funded organization, doing incredibly dubious work: they fit right in with the Simpsons universe alright.

(originally aired November 7, 1991)
The relationship between Homer and Lisa is the most complex and emotional in the whole show. Lisa is an eight-year-old wise beyond her years, with the ability to feel great sorrow and melancholy amongst her mostly fluff-headed classmates (and teachers). She is openly loved and encouraged by her mother, though their relationship isn’t perfect (we’ll save that analysis for later). Her feelings towards Homer are a different story. At this point, Lisa holds no real resentment toward her father’s inattentiveness, just a level amount of expected disappointment. Homer, meanwhile, remains oblivious to Lisa’s deep emotions, but when they finally manage to cross his radar, he works into overdrive to try and make things right. In most cases, Homer is actually a pretty good father to Lisa, but he is plagued by his poor thinking and judgement. This is a perfect Homer/Lisa episode, and the favorite episode of my friends (Nick, who did commentary earlier), and may be one of my favorites too.

Before we can begin with all this, we get a great 2001: A Space Odyssey parody, where a Homer ape invents loafing on the job, mirroring present-day Homer. I only wish it were put in front of a more Homer-centric episode where it would make more sense as a lead-in. Anyway, Homer is awakened for an important task: to get Lisa a new reed for her saxophone for the school talent show. A lesser show (and maybe even later Simpsons) would make this first act have Homer forget the show completely and go to Moe’s, but that would be too easy and expected. Homer does go to Moe’s, conveniently located next door from King Toot’s Music Store, but only due to his Homer-logic that he can knock off a beer five minutes before the store closes. He gets the shop owner to reopen the store, and even remembers what instrument her daughter plays, which for Homer is a massive achievement. But despite his efforts, he still shows up too little, too late, adding one more paternal disappointment to the pile for Lisa.

Homer attempts to slowly warm up to Lisa, but his growing impatience leaves him yearning for a quick fix, which leads to him buying Lisa her long-wished-for pony. It’s a large burden, financially and logistically, for the Simpsons to harbor a large animal in their suburban home, but it’s one that Homer plans to stick through, no matter what it takes. Eventually, he must take another job working the night shift at the Kwik-E-Mart, leaving him a sleep-deprived zombie toward the latter part of the episode. Due to his thick-headedness, Homer has foolishly put his eggs in the pony basket, believing the one way is the only way (“Lisa loves me, the pony stays,”) willing to sacrifice everything to keep his daughter happy. His methods are insane and his logic beyond faulty, but Homer is proven to be a great father. It isn’t long before Lisa takes note of her father’s struggle, and gives up the pony, acknowledging the lengths Homer went through for her. It’s a really sweet story, peppered with enough funny elements (the priggish riding instructor, Apu training Homer) to keep it consistently humorous throughout the emotional premise.

Tidbits and Quotes
– I love Bart’s talent show act, “The Boy of a Thousand Voices.” He turns his back to the audience for his Skinner impression to “prepare” himself, but then proceeds to talk in a stereotypical dumb voice, finger firmly planted in nose. Skinner is less than amusing (“That young man just became the boy of a thousand days detention.”)
– Much appreciation for the “My Ding-a-ling” kid. It’s such a little kid thing to do, but he’s really putting his heart into that song before Skinner yanks him off stage. I laugh every time.
– I like that Lisa’s poor performance is met with such strong boos and scorn from the crowd. The people of Springfield are easy to rile up, even at a children’s talent show. Although Sherri and Terri’s knife-throwing act and the one Asian kid’s chair balancing stunt were pretty impressive. I love Skinner’s incredibly pandering playing off of Lisa (“Let’s hear it for Lisa Simpson and her wacky sax!”)
– I want to go to Phineas Q. Butterfat’s ice cream parlor and get the Mount Bellyache. It’s the perfect way to start the second act, as Homer’s go-to would be to smooth things over the easiest way possible, and also involve food. The timing is great with Lisa barely eating a bite before flatly stating, “I’m done.” Homer is devastated (“That cost eighty-eight dollars!”)
– The home movies are cute, with the brief look at Homer watching Fantasy Island (“De plane! De plane!” “No, my freakish little friend. That’s a seagull.”)
– I love Homer’s dodging of Marge’s urges to not buy the pony with his signature non-committal noises (“Was that a yes or no?” “Buh.” “Those aren’t even words!” “Snuh.”)
– Homer at the pet shop is great, with the Charles Bronson-voiced owner trying to pass off a Scottish deer hound to Homer as a pony. Homer very slowly reads the breed name and realizes he’s been had. The owner responds incredulously (“Oh, my friend, you’re smarter than I gave you credit for!”)
– Burns approving Homer’s loan is a small great scene in itself, but I also love how it’s a bait-and-switch. Burns’s diabolical laughter on accepting the loan makes you think he’ll appear later on in a plot point, but it’s a ruse; it’s just Burns being Burns.
– Homer is full of insane plans this episode. When asked where the pony will live, he’s got it all planned out (“By day, it’ll roam free around the neighborhood, and at night, it’ll nestle snugly between the cars in our garage.”)
– Bart and Abe playing video games at the start of act three has nothing to do with the episode, but I love it all the same. “Where’s the hyperspace?!” is something my friends and I would randomly quote, usually when playing video games.
– There’s plenty of great Apu lines in here, from his elation that one of “them” (Homer) would be working for him to telling his new trainee to change the expiration dates on the dairy products. This is the first episode that expanded his character a bit more; we even see his swinging bachelordom, and hear the moans of his almost orgasm in an establishing shot of his apartment complex. My favorite line is probably his being frank with Homer on the dangers of the job (“I won’t lie to you. On this job, you will be shot at. Each of these bullet wounds is a badge of honor. Here’s a pointer. Try to take it in the shoulder.”)
– Even as Homer is fast deteriorating from exhaustion, he still insists he’s got everything going according to plan (“I’ll work from midnight to eight, come home, sleep for five minutes, eat breakfast, sleep six more minutes, shower, then I have ten minutes to bask in Lisa’s love, then I’m off to the power plant, fresh as a daisy.”) Mere seconds after speaking, the kids find Homer collapsed on the floor, passed out in front of Marge.
– Homer driving through Slumberland is perhaps the greatest dream sequence in the entire series. It’s so well-done, beautifully realized, within the context of the story, its nods to Little Nemo… it’s just all-and-all wonderful.
– I do like Lisa being a kid for once and not being openly aware how much keeping a pony costs and the toll it has caused her father. When told that the pony situation is up to her, she muses, “All the years I’ve lobbied to be treated like an adult have blown up in my face.”
– I lied, the final line of the episode is the best Apu line, and along with Homer giving Lisa a piggyback ride out of the store, perfectly encapsulates the snarky/sweet tone of the show (“He slept, he stole, he was rude to the customers. Still, there goes the best damned employee a convenience store ever had.”)