A sad Mother’s Day for Homer…or is it? Though Mona may be gone, a simple request to scatter her ashes from a mountain peak leads to him unwittingly help her do what she loves the most one last time.
A rather silly episode on the surface, but The Simpsons has always managed to balance the silly and the touching. It’s nice how Mona’s gifts allowed the family to help Homer out, and it’s just plain funny to see Homer as James Bond. Watching Homer go insane at a Build-A-Bear Workshop-type place is enjoyable, too.
“You keep disappearing and reappearing and it’s not funny! You’re just like that show Scrubs!”
Well, the episode could have taken place at any time of the year, but it is rather strange that it aired on Mother’s Day. Or maybe not- since the episode told a story of how even though this mother has died, she’ll always live on in Homer’s heart. Mother’s Day is a day to celebrate all mothers- even those who are no longer with us.
It never occurred to me that this could be viewed in poor taste. It was clearly intended as a Mothers’ Day episode and it’s one of the most emotionally complex episodes they’ve done. It’s not on par with Mother Simpson (the character can’t have as much impact the third time and the missile plot was a little too silly), but I thought it was surprisingly moving: Homer’s anger at his mother for disappearing and reappearing (like Scrubs!) and then his grief and determination seemed very real.
I thought it was the second best of the three episodes featuring Mother Simpson. The first one was a classic with one of the best closing sequences with Homer staring out in to the night sky wondering if he would ever see his mother again. The second episode with Mother Simpson was awful.
This one was pretty good. And as someone whose mother has passed on, I didn’t find the timing poor at all.
A classic couch gag, but it was the third time around for that particular one. The first time was for the season 18 episode “Homerazzi”. It was used again this season for “The Homer of Seville,” only that time Marge’s line was “Did you bring the milk?” I also loved Moe devolving in the other direction into a rat.
I thought it was sad but sweet and a great episode. The fact that Mona’s friends/lovers from the commune were there at the funeral home was a nice touch, as was Homer’s line to Burns “on a different note, I have to leave work early Thursday. I assume that’s okay?”
Yes, I was very disappointed that it wasn’t Hank Scorpio.
The scene where they’re interrogating Homer would have been so different.
Scorpio: (Sadly) ‘Why’d you do it, Homer?’
Homer: (Shamed) ‘Well, Mr Scorpion, it was my mother’s dying wish…’
Scorpio: (Sadder still) ‘I’m sorry to hear about your mother. Take a day off.’
Homer: ‘But I don’t work for you any more…’
Scorpio: ‘Oh, right. You’re one of the “good guys” now. Kill him, and send Marge a nice flower arrangement and letter of apology.’
Homer: ‘D’oh!’
But it’s true, now that we’re talking about it - a scene between Homer, Burns and Scorpio would have been cool and it would have fit very well with the whole Bond thing.
I thought this was quite an entertaining episode, despite the lack of Scorpio. In addition to some of the already-mentioned lines, I loved Homer’s chain-and-cinderblock weapon. (The defender?)
