G.I. (D'oh) (S18, E05-383)

Another weird thing is this episode's entire premise.

This episode's title is really G.I. (Annoyed Grunt), which isn't that bad to pronounce (unlike past episodes), but G.I. (D'oh) sounds way better anyway.

Plot Summary
The army is having trouble recruiting people, and teenagers aren't as willing to sign up as they used to.  So, instead, they pander to the elementary school children, who are super impressed with the recruiter's presentation they nearly all agree to join the army when they become 18.  Among these kids is Bart, whose agreement to join the army shocks Marge.  She forces Homer to go down to the recruitment office and have the recruiters tear up Bart's contract.  They do, but they notice Homer's reluctance and quickly convince Homer to join the army himself.

Homer quickly arrives at boot camp, where after an accelerated program, he and several others await to be assigned.  With most trainees sent off to the front line, Homer and a couple of slack-jawed yokels are left unassigned.  A colonel, voiced by Keifer Sutherland, arrives to tell Homer and the yokels that they're going to be assigned as 'the enemy' for some war games, and the colonel makes no effort to hide the fact that they're going to use live ammo and weaponry against them.  Late at night, Homer's troop is able to evade the colonel's group, and Homer's troop runs off to Springfield to hide.  With a new law passed that allows it, the colonel and his army invade Springfield to capture Homer's troop.

Homer gets help from Moe to find a hiding spot, but the colonel quickly buys that secret from Moe, and Homer is forced to run off alone while his troop is captured.  The colonel increases the military presence in town as Homer continues to evade him, but the rest of the town grows weary of this.  Marge decides to start up a 'phone tree' to organize a meet.  They meet at the town's reservoir where they spike it with various kinds of alcohol.  The colonel's group becomes too drunk to continue, and are forced to surrender once the town surrounds them.  During the surrender proceedings, Marge insists Homer not be used in combat, but the colonel assures her Homer will be used in a way best fitted for him: as an army recruiter.

Quick Review
This episode wasn't all that funny, the Looney Tunes-esque chase scene where Homer is evade a drone copter even less so.  There really wasn't all that much to laugh at.

Final Score: 5.6