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| Homer Sexuals don't like women, you see. |
Upset that a co-worker she might've had a chance with is instead marrying a different woman, Selma asks Marge to find her a man. Marge later relays the request to Homer, who reluctantly agrees to do so. The next day, Homer looks around work trying to find suitable candidates, Terminator-style, but whether that person is too handsome, a jerk, not a man or just a sign, Homer is unable to find anyone.
Meanwhile, Bart gets his hands on some sodium tetrasulfate, which he learns kills grass, and uses it to print a large "BART" on the grass. After getting in trouble from Principal Skinner, Bart is forced to call Homer. While not looking forward to hearing what Bart did now, Homer takes a moment to 'analyze' Skinner and determines he'll work out and invites him to dinner.
That night, Selma gets butterflies and finds herself unable to approach Skinner. Ultimately, its Patty that Skinner sets his eyes on first, and immediately falls in love with her. He takes no time to invite her to a date, which Selma forces her to agree to on the grounds that at least one of them has a chance to not be lonely. The night turns out terribly, though Skinner's stern demeanor towards former students who've washed up impresses Patty. She invites Skinner to further meetups. Meanwhile, high on love, Skinner lets the school fall into anarchy, particularly letting Bart roam free and unpunished as he goes to the boy for help with Patty.
It comes to a head when Selma learns that Skinner is going to propose to Patty. Feeling desperate, Selma agrees to go on a date with Homer's next candidate for a date: the ever-lovable Barney Gumble. Seeing this, Patty is troubled, even more so when Skinner proposes to her (using the same trick Bart did with the sodium tetrasulfate) in the school's bell tower which magically appears for this episodes and magically disappears thereafter. Patty rejects, however, as because she and Selma are twins, they share a close bond that no marriage could ever be able to break (never mind that Selma marries several times in later episodes). Skinner understands, and the two agree to break up.
While Patty and Selma reconcile (allowing Selma to hastily end her "date" with Barney), Skinner realizes what has become of the school during the time he was distracted. He vows to get the school back under his control, and does so the next day by finally punishing Bart by having him re-sow the entire field.
Quick Review
Principal Charming is the first of what turns out to be many episodes chronicling Selma Bouvier's attempts to avoid loneliness. Unlike other episodes later on, this episodes does not have Selma hooking up with whoever will have her, instead its her sister Patty that gets into a relationship. Even still, it establishes a character trait of Selma's that will be revisited time and time... and time again.
The episode introduces Groundskeeper Willy, the irritable Scotsman who is the school's custodian and, well, groundskeeper. It also introduces, briefly, the ever blind and feeble Hans Moleman. That little bit of history out of the way, the episode itself was solid, a few unenjoyable moments here and there but there were some good parts as well. The entire sequence where Homer searches for a man Terminator-style was the best part of the episode, but the laughs slow down a bit as the focus shifts to the twins again. Its a good episode though not one of Season 2's best.
Final Score: 7.7
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