A great episode- not only did it feel like an old-fashioned episode, I would say it was the best of the season so far. I love the fact that Homer is so determined in his attempts to help his children that he doesn’t realize how dumb he’s acting- looking at this episode, I realize now that I think it’s funnier when Homer’s stupidity comes naturally rather than the so-called “Jerkass Homer” where he’s just stupid for the sake of being stupid. I loved the Popeye bit- they’ve done a joke like it before, but I think here it’s funny because it’s unexpected and Homer’s reaction is natural. And for a guy who didn’t know who Issac Newton was when his conscience posed as him and thinks that Cesar Chavez is Cesar Romero, I’m suprised Homer knows who is buried in Westminster Abbey and can identify them by sight- I assume it’s a combination of the work he put in on it and the glue fumes.
I also thought it was a very good episode. The only real dud was Homer shouting “Black Hawk Down! Black Hawk Down!” I might have to try the Toledo Takeback one of these days.
Same here and when he crashed and did the “Blackhawk down” bit I was cracking up. I had to pause the tv so I could finish laughing and not miss any of the show.
The ending credits were great. I rewound and watched it a second time.
I liked this one a lot better on my second viewing. Homer breathing fire (while funny) was very ‘new Simpsons,’ most of the rest of the episode felt more ‘old Simpsons.’ There was a steady stream of good small gags, like Marge’s hair in the sauna, the mayo, the cell phones. And I liked the story: we’ve seen Homer as a scary overinvolved parent before, but this time he was actually trying to help the kids- and not just over their protests. This was kind of a return to Homer as everybody’s dad.
After Wilde’s three aphorisms, was I the only one thinking
“I was I’d said that.”
“You will, Oscar, you will.”
Hated that too. It conjured up some evil hybrid of Ralph Wiggum and Peter Griffin for me. There was one other moment like that that’s escaping me right now, but otherwise decent episode.
It did motivate Homer’s helicoptering in the first place, but other than that it didn’t do much. Her “Noah” thing was also pretty similar to Lisa’s “urgent” thing in the jacuzzi last month.
Marge’s utter relaxation threw Homer’s neurotic obsession into higher relief (and was something of a role reversal) through most of the episode and proved the antidote for it at the end. Plus it enabled Homer to say, “It’s like I’ve died and gone to hell.”
I didn’t really like this episode much, but did anyone else catch one of the models on the store shelf?
It was a plastic model kit for some dune buggy thing with a German army helmet and an iron cross. I remember those from when I was a kid back in the 70’s. The “Red Baron Dragster” or something like that?
Was anybody else a little surprised to hear Lunchlady Doris speak? From my link, I guess this isn’t quite the first time we’ve heard from her since Doris Grau’s death, but it’s the first time I noticed.
