Krusty Gets Kancelled (S04, E22-081)

"Old gray mare, she ain't what she used to be,
ain't what she used to be, ain't what she used to be..."

Plot Summary
Season 4 goes out with a bang with an episode full of guest appearances and good ol' fashioned hilarity.  As Bart and Homer are watching TV, an odd commercial that simply flashes "GABBO" airs.  Soon, the entire town catches on to the viral marketing sensation despite having zero knowledge on it.  Eventually, though, Gabbo is revealed: its a ventriloquist variety hour that airs at the same time as Krusty the Klown.

Lisa is worried that Gabbo, as much attention as its gotten, will take ratings away from Krusty, and once Gabbo utters his catchphrase ("I'm a bad wittle boy"), Bart gets worried too.  Sure enough, Gabbo becomes a big hit while Krusty's show finds itself unable to outdraw Mexican TV.  Krusty attempts to get viewers back in, including a poor attempt at ventriloquism himself, giving out $40 checks (which wouldn't be honored) and, after the Itchy & Scratchy cartoons leave to be aired on Gabbo's show instead, an Eastern European cat & mouse team named Worker & Parasite.  Despite the gold that cartoon is made of, its too little too late: nobody cares about Krusty anymore and his show is cancelled.

As Krusty struggles to find work again, Bart is angered by these turn of events and attempts to get Gabbo off the air.  He is able to catch Gabbo calling the kids in Springfield "little S.O.Bs" off air, and quickly is able to turn a camera on to catch Gabbo in the act.  However, it does little to slow Gabbo's momentum.  Soon, Bart and Lisa find Krusty on the street, willing to drop his pants for food.  Taking him back to his apartment, the kids see pictures of Krusty with a variety of stars such as Bette Midler, Johnny Carson and Luke Perry who is apparently Krusty's half-brother.  Lisa comes up with a plan to do a comeback special with Krusty and these guest stars to get Krusty back into business.  Krusty agrees with the plan, and has the kids go recruit the stars while he gets in shape.

Together, Bart and Lisa are able to recruit Midler, Hugh Hefner and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.  Carson and Perry also agree (though neither is shown).  Elizabeth Taylor's agent refuses the offer before the kids could talk to her.  Mostly successful in their efforts, the two return to Krusty only to see that he's become really out of shape, apparently having mistaken regular milkshakes for the diet kind.  They invite him over to the Simpsons place where he quickly gets back in shape.  Krusty tries to get Sideshow Mel to come back, but having remembered the tortures he endured while with the Klown, Mel refuses, having found some dignity working at a taco place.

Soon, the special occurs.  Krusty opens up singing "Send in the clowns", and Mel suddenly appears to the delight of everyone.  Luke Perry is shot out of a cannon, but Krusty aims it poorly, sending Luke out a few windows, through some sandpaper and acid, and ultimately into a pillow factory that was about to get imploded.  Several other great acts by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Carson and Midler follow (which after some point Elizabeth Taylor, watching on TV, realizes she needs a new agent).  The comeback ends up being a great success, and Krusty's back on the air.

Quick Review
This episode is a strong finisher to an excellent season.  The Worker & Parasite cartoon was a classic moment, and many other portions of the episode were great as well.  I will admit, though, that with the eight guest characters (when counting the Chili Peppers separately, and counting a Barry White cameo at the beginning), it seemed somewhat difficult to keep them in hilarious situations like was the case with Homer at the Bat.  So, often times scenes featuring them (most notably the Chili Peppers) weren't as great as the rest of the episode but it doesn't detract that much from it.  It's still a superb episode.

Final Score: 9.2

Marge in Chains (S04, E21-080)

"History's greatest monster", now with a new do!

Plot Summary
As the episode begins, Homer and some others purchase an orange juice maker, one shown on TV by Dr. Nick, and is high in demand despite being obviously inefficient.  In an Osaka shipping plant for the juicer, a worker has the flu, which carries into the juicer packages, later infecting the people who ordered them.  Soon, Springfield is plagued by the "Osaka Flu", including some of the Simpson family.  Marge finds herself stressed out and overworked trying to cater to her sick family, and Grampa as well.  At the Kwik-E-Mart, she had put a bottle of bourbon (for Grampa) into her coat pocket and forget to have it paid for; upon leaving the store she is found out and is arrested for shoplifting.

With Apu unwilling to drop the charges as per store policy, Homer and Marge get Lionel Hutz to defend them in court.  Unfortunately for them, the odds are stacked against them as Hutz has had trouble with Judge Snyder in the past (kinda running over his dog, except replace "kinda" with "repeatedly" and "dog" with "son").  What's more, as news about Marge's arrest spreads, so do rumors about her, giving off the notion that she's crooked.  At the trial, the gossipy Helen Lovejoy conveys as much, and though Hutz actually does a good job at discrediting Apu, he later blows it by giving his closing statement while wearing no pants.  Marge is sentenced to 30 days in jail.

Almost instantly the family struggles without Marge.  With neither the kids nor Homer able to wash dishes or clean clothes, the house begins to fall apart, becoming a huge mess.  Marge's impact isn't truly felt, though, until the bake sale when several customers learn that they can't purchase any delicious marshmallow squares because it was Marge that baked them.  The loss of those squares, $15, was exactly the amount needed for the bake sale to have enough money to purchase an Abraham Lincoln statue.  Instead, with the smaller amount of money, the town buys a Jimmy Carter statue instead, which causes an angry riot of course.  Soon, though, Marge's 30 days are up and she returns home with a crowd happy she's back and sorry she left.  They make it up to her by giving her a statue, though its just the Carter statue modified to have Marge's hair.

Quick Review
Marge in Chains, like pretty much all of Season 4, is an excellent episode.  The bits with the flu at the episode's start were done well, everything involving Lionel Hutz was comedic excellence, and the town rioting over the Jimmy Carter statue - and the events leading up to it - were well done as well.

Final Score: 9.5

Whacking Day (S04, E20-079)

That tractor sure tricked Bart good.

Plot Summary
The episode begins with Principal Skinner sorta in a panic.  This episode features the first appearance of Superintendent Chalmers whose appearances at the school always give Skinner the worst anxiety.  In an attempt to keep things from going haywire, he tricks the school's problem kids (Bart, Nelson, Jimbo, Kearney and Dolph) in a mountain bike scam, locking them in a supply closet.  While trapped, Bart notices an air duct that only he can fit through, and with the others cheering and bullying him on, he escapes.  He gets outside when he finds a tractor that Groundskeeper Willie has left both on and alone.  Bart decides to ride it, but is unable to control the tractor and it ultimately rams right into Chalmers' ass.  As punishment, Skinner finally decides to expel Bart from the school.

Meanwhile, May 10th is approaching, which is when "Whacking Day" takes place.  A local holiday supposedly dating back to the town's founding, the day is spent just beating up snakes with clubs or similar blunt objects.  While the whole town seems to love the day, Lisa absolutely hates it.  As that day approaches, Marge decides to teach Bart herself, given other alternates did not work out.  While the process starts off slow, Marge is able to convince Bart to read Johnny Tremain once he learns it features disfigurement.  Bart finishes it by the next day, and Marge decides to capitalize on the opportunity by taking Bart to a Colonial town.  There, Bart finds a historical inaccuracy where there's no way town founder Jebediah Springfield could've started the first Whacking Day when he did, at which point he and Marge are escorted out of the town.

Much to Lisa's dismay, Whacking Day arrives, and the town is ready to whack some snakes.  Barry White is there to greet the crowd but upon learning what the day is actually about, disgustedly chides them instead.  Meanwhile, Bart reads more about Whacking Day in a tell-all book, which tells him that snakes are attracted to deep noises, such as bass.  When Lisa can find no such music, Barry White fortunately walks about.  He gladly helps the two lure all the snakes to the Simpsons house.  When the snake-whacking mob follows the snakes to the house, Bart lets them know the true origin of Whacking Day: it was created in the 1920s as an excuse to beat up the Irish.  With the truth known and Mayor Quimby calling the town out on its fickleness, the snakes are let free.  Skinner is impressed with Bart's independent learning and decides to let him come back to school, when he remembers Nelson, Jimbo and the others are still trapped in the supply closet.  Rushing back to school with mountain bikes in tow, Skinner and Willie try to avoid getting sued or its off to Mexico they go!  Good times.

Quick Review
Whacking Day ends up being another superb episode.  The introduction of Chalmers and Skinner's overall demeanor around him is an excellent dynamic that will continue for years to come, with this episode as a strong base for it.  Barry White provides a strong guest appearance as well.  Other things from the episode, like the true origin of Whacking Day and the Colonial town's conspiracy to keep it quiet, to Quimby calling everyone one on their nonsense, to Grampa's story about him having to disguise himself as a cabaret in Nazi Germany who garnered the affection of Hitler ("Ach du lieber!  Das ist nicht eine booby!!") , there's a lot of fun going on with this episode and its a classic.

Final Score: 9.8

The Front (S04, E19-078)

Grampa: "They pay me $800 a week to tell a cat and mouse what to do!"

Plot Summary
The main plot of this episode features two kids who, upon seeing their favorite cartoon fallen into uninspired, preachy writing, take matters into their own hands and write several good episodes that redeem the program.  File it under "things that can't happen in real life".

Bart and Lisa witness such an episode of Itchy & Scratchy (basically a "don't do drugs" promo), and immediately decide that they could write an episode better than that.  Quickly devising a good episode and putting it on script, they submit their creation to the studio, but is quickly rejected.  Lisa believes that it was rejected because they were dismissed for being children, and decides to put an adult name on there.  Bart decides to use Grampa's name because, hey, he probably wouldn't realize it for awhile.  After getting his name on the script and turning it back in, Roger Meyers Jr. finds the script hilarious and decides to hire Grampa to write more episodes.  Grampa agrees to do so, despite having no idea what Itchy & Scratchy is, only because of the money.

Meanwhile, Marge is invited to a high school reunion.  Upon figuring out that Homer didn't receive an invitation, Homer reveals that he never passed Remedial Science 1A and as such never graduated from high school.  Regardless, the two go to the reunion and have fun.  Homer receives a lot of fun awards (gained the most weight, most improved odor, lowest paying job), however old Principal Dondelinger reveals Homer never graduated, and takes his trophies away, making him the laughing stock of the reunion.  Upset, Homer decides to re-take that science course and graduate high school.  He succeeds, and earns his diploma.

Meanwhile, Bart and Lisa reveal to Grampa why he's getting money, and agree they'll write more episodes in Grampa's name and split the check up three ways.  The cartoons are so good, Meyers fires the other writers and Grampa is nominated for an award for his "writing".  At the awards show, he finally gets a chance to see the cartoon he's credited for, but is appalled by the violent content.  He wins the award, but uses his time at the podium to attack the cartoon and the people who enjoy it so.  He leaves the stage as stuff flies his way and gives the award to the kids, and the three take their leave.

In a bonus segment, The Adventures of Ned Flanders, in the episode entitled Love That God, Flanders has a conversation with his two sons.

[Ned enters room, Rod and Todd are praying]
Ned: Knock that off you two, its time for church!
Todd: We're not going to church today.
Ned [shocked]: What!?  You give me one good reason!
Todd: It's Saturday!
Ned: Hah-hokalidokily doo!

Truly the best segment of our time.

Quick Review
The episode was great just like pretty much all of Season 4.  Homer's side-story turns out to be excellent, and Grampa was used well even if it was just "feeble" Grampa most of the time.  The Flanders segment at the end, regardless for why its even there in the first place, brings another good laugh as well.  The Itchy & Scratchy cartoons written by Bart and Lisa, of which there were two, were very good though I'm fairly sure they were the longest running I&S cartoons to this point (not that its a problem by itself).  An excellent episode overall.

Final Score: 9.2

So It's Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show (S04, E18-077)

Insert some kind of "Bartbeat" in place of "heartbeat" joke here.

Plot Summary
In what is generously called an episode, Homer keeps messing around with Bart on April Fools Day.  Determined to get back at Homer, Bart investigates to determine Homer's weakness.  Learning quite easily that beer is that weakness, and that a shaken can of beer can make one look quite the fool, an April Fool as it were, Bart takes a can of beer and shakes it up hardcore at a paint store.  Homer eventually goes to open the can up, but before Bart can declare the joke, the can blows up, and Homer is knocked out.

At the hospital, while the clips start coming in, its learned that Homer may never walk again.  Attempts to help him do so seemingly fail, however Homer sees a candy machine and, after reminiscing about that land of chocolate, is able to walk to it.  However, the machine gives him difficulty and after Homer shakes it around, it falls on him, ironically choking him with bars of chocolate.

Now in a coma, the family has a moment with Homer.  Bart, in grief, admits to his unconscious father that he set up the can, that it was all an April Fools joke.  Having heard it in his coma, Homer is able to wake up, and choke the boy in rage.  With his miraculous recovery, Homer tries to pull one last joke on the family, except its May 16th and Homer had to lose 5% of his brain.  Good times.

Quick Review
As the title implies, this is the first of a few clip shows featured in the series, finally happening after 76 episodes.  As such, I find it a bit difficult to score such an episode as most of its content is comprised of clips from older episodes.  Should I grade solely the new material, knowing full well the episode will be scored low from there not being much new material?  Instead, I still give credit to the types of clips that are used and, hey, they're still funny even if the context for them are much more flimsy than previously.  As a result, we end up with what is perhaps the best clip show of all time. ...okay, not really.

I also find it funny that the show aired on April Fools Day, which is also the episode's theme.  It's like: "hey this was a pretty cool start to the show huh?  I wonder what's gonna happen to Homer and- APRIL FOOLS IT'S A CLIP SHOW, TAKE THAT SUCKERS".  As I've said, though, what little new content there is turns out to be most excellent and connects the many clips very well for the most part.

The original content by itself (the April Fools Day plot, the appearances by Barney, Grampa, Mr. Burns and Dr. Nick), is very strong and if it had been laid out as a full episode I'm sure it would've been one of the classics.  Even though it actually just serves as a reason to insert old material into a new context, its still funny stuff.  Some of the clips work well in this episode, others are brought up somewhat weakly, not that it derives from the clips any.  This score may seem high, but for a clip show episode, this ends up being superb.  I don't expect any of the other clip show episodes from the series to get this high a score.  Well, maybe the 138th episode spectacular, but that'll be for later.

Final Score: 8.7

Last Exit to Springfield (S04, E17-076)

Homer enjoying his total victory.

Plot Summary
This episode tackles the hard, serious issue of contract negotiation.  Mr. Burns, who remembers his time as a child when there were no unions and workers who tried to steal atoms were shoved into coke ovens as punishment, refuses to accept the latest offer from the plant's union (the union head having "mysteriously disappeared" after trying to clean up the union).  Deciding to take things back into his own hands, Burns decides to eliminate the dental plan.

Coincidentally enough, its learned that Lisa requires braces, else her teeth seemingly mutate and grow large enough to pierce her head.  Homer doesn't mind paying, as he recalls the plant earning a dental plan in previous negotiations (receiving a 'battle scar' when a flap of a catering truck fell on him).  At the next union meeting, Carl notes that Mr. Burns has offered them a new contract: basically the same deal as before, but now they get a free keg of beer for union meetings.  In exchange, they lose their dental plan.  Everyone is just happy to get some free beer but, after some "extensive thinking", Homer realizes that if he loses the dental plan, he'll have to pay for Lisa's braces.  Quickly, he sways the union, helping them realize just how helpful the dental plan has been, and tears up the proposal.  Mr. Burns, again forgetting who Homer was before this point, believes Homer to be a challenging adversary in upcoming negotiations.

As Lisa gets fill-in braces with no plan (huge metal jaws that make her look rather awful), Homer and Burns begin negotiating.  In the first attempt, Homer mistakes Burns' initial kindness as Burns coming on to him, and quickly leaves.  The second attempt, where Homer is guided to Burns' home by hired goons, Homer is unable to listen to Burns because he needs to use the bathroom.  Upon Homer's return ("Did you find the bathroom okay?"  "Uh... yeah!"), Burns sends Homer away again.  Tired of these meetings, Homer (somewhat unintentionally) gets the union to go on strike.

While Burns and Smithers run the plant happily by themselves, it doesn't seem to be affecting the union any.  Deciding to try and deal a deciding blow, Burns decides to cut off all power to the town.  Though the looting and rioting in town is immediate, the union remains strong and the move does not affect them at all.  Witnessing this, Burns decides to negotiate with Homer again.  Burns this time is willing to give the union the dental plan, but under the condition that Homer resigns.  Homer more than happily accepts, and Lisa finally gets a good set of braces.

Quick Review
Last Exit to Springfield is yet another example of Season 4's glory.  So many classic bits are in this episode, from "Dental Plan!", "Lisa needs braces!", to Grampa's union busters who can really only tell long-winding stories these days, to that guy who says that opposing "me" in the union meetings, to the montage of Burns and Smithers running the plant, to each and every negotiation between Homer and Burns, this episode is packed with great moments and superb comedy.  Its one of the best episodes of the series, and it really showcases a lot of characters at their best.

Final Score: 10

Duffless (S04, E16-075)

Remember when episodes ended like this all the time?

Plot Summary
Its time for another school science fair!  As Bart doesn't have a project ready to go (or at least a good one - seeing the effects of smoking on a dog doesn't count), Lisa shows off a giant tomato, enhanced with anabolic steroids (and judging from the size of it, a ton of steroids).  At school, in a regrettable act, Lisa has Bart take care of the tomato as she retrieves something she forgot.  Seeing Principal Skinner bent over to tie his shoe, though, leaves Bart with no other recourse.  He accurately throws the tomato right into Skinner's butt, leaving Skinner devastated, Bart thoroughly pleased and Lisa mad as all hell.

Angry with Bart, Lisa decides to begin a new project: "Is my brother dumber than a hamster?"  In two different instances Lisa finds the hamster to be far more intelligent than Bart, however Bart finds the project journal and learns of the ploy.  When the science fair arrives, Bart has the last laugh by having the hamster plopped into a toy plane, with little pilot gear fitted onto the hamster.  Despite having no scientific merit, the cute display woos everyone, including Principal Skinner who gives Bart first prize.

Meanwhile, Homer and Barney plan to go to the Duff Brewery, with Homer leaving work early to do so, though he practically blows his plan to Marge.  After escaping work, Homer and Barney have a grand time at the Brewery.  After, given how drunk Barney is, Homer decides to drive them home, but the police are camped right outside ready to pull over people just leaving the Brewery.  Homer is unable the pass the breathalyzer, and is arrested for DWI.  His license is revoked, leaving him to ride a bike to work and elsewhere and is forced to attend AA meetings as a result.  Later on, Marge is able to convince Homer to not have any beer for a month.  Homer reluctantly agrees.

Homer's month without beer becomes rather tortuous, as he's forced to deal with things alcohol was able to otherwise help him through.  His desperation came to such a low that at one point he went to a football game just so he could eat the dirt under the bleachers.  The constant (and sometimes literal) bombardment of  Duff advertising nearly drives Homer over the edge, as well.  Yet, Homer is able to last the entire month.  Quickly rushing to Moe's, Homer's beer enthusiasm is soured as he notices the other boozehounds: depressed, out of it, wasting away.  Opting to get back into beer a later time, Homer heads back home, so he can take Marge on a bike ride at sunset.

Quick Review
Duffless ends up being a fantastic episode.  The scenes with the Duff Brewery near the beginning, Bart and his adventures with the rigged cupcake as well as the science fair sideplot, Homer's month without beer (and the origin of how he first started drinking), these were all excellent moments throughout this episode.  It ended on such a nice moment as well.  Duffless is one of Season 4's best episodes, and maybe a bit underrated as well.

Final Score: 10

I Love Lisa (S04, E15-074)

This is the exact moment Ralph's heart breaks.

Plot Summary
It's Valentine's Day in Springfield, and Springfield Elementary is celebrating the holiday like most other schools do: making cards and passing them around!  In the 2nd grade class, Lisa notices that Ralph Wiggum has not received even a single card.  Feeling pity for him, Lisa gives Ralph a card (one that reads "I choo-choo-choose you!" with a train on it), but Ralph takes it to mean the Lisa really likes him.

Upon realizing Ralph's feelings, Lisa takes her mother's advice and lets him know that she doesn't feel that way about him.  Undeterred, Ralph talks to his dad, police Chief Wiggum, and gets the advice to never give up, and never lose your cool.  Meanwhile school is going to have a President's Day showcase, and the 2nd grade class is going to do a play about George Washington.  Lisa earns the part of Martha Washington, but Ralph gets the part of George Washington thanks to Chief Wiggum forcing Ms. Hoover to give Ralph the part.  Ralph earning the part only bugs Lisa more as she continues to stave Ralph off.

However, Ralph's efforts to court Lisa continue.  With Wiggum's pull as police chief, Ralph is able to acquire two tickets to Krusty the Klown's 29th anniversary show, with the intention of taking Lisa along with him.  Lisa is unsure about taking advantage, but Homer convinces her to go after advising her to ignore her conscience.  The event goes poorly for Lisa though, as she can barely stomach Ralph's attempts to get closer to her.  Finally, during a "talk to the audience" segment, Krusty talks to Ralph, who boldly claims he loves Lisa and wants to marry her in the future.  Lisa has enough, and lets him know that she only gave him that card out of pity.

Though Lisa regrets what she did later on, Ralph is still heartbroken.  President's Day arrives, though, and the two have to play their parts in the school play.  Still upset over what Lisa did, Ralph gives an amazingly strong, emotional performance as George Washington, and earns the praise of the crowd.  Afterward, Lisa makes up with Ralph by giving him a new card: "Let's Bee Friends" with a picture of a bee on the card.  Ralph likes the card, and the two are friends again.

Quick Review
This was another great episode.  Ralph's character is finally set although it degrades as the series moves along, and the finer points of Ralph's character displayed here are lost.  Chief Wiggum really shines in this episode, as he provides the funniest moments of the episode alongside Krusty and his 29th anniversary highlights.  Its an endearing episode, and one of the best Valentine's Day slash President's Day mishmash holiday episodes out there.

Final Score: 9.4

Brother from the Same Planet (S04, E14-073)

"This is even more painful than it looks."

Plot Summary
After soccer practice, Bart is forced to wait around as he promised Homer he'd wait for Homer to pick him up.  Homer, of course, forgets all about it.  Forgets it for awhile too, its not until some time later, while sleeping in the tub, when Homer finally remembers in a dream to pick Bart up.  After sitting through a rather windy rainstorm, Bart is pretty mad at Homer when Homer finally picks him up.  That night, Bart sees a commercial for a "Big Brother" program where kids with no father can have a big brother to spend time with.  Still angry at Homer, Bart decides to take advantage of the program using a fake backstory centered around having a scumbag cardshark of a father who abandoned Bart years ago.  The ploy works, and soon "Tom", a successful, life-enriching man arrives to spend time with Bart.

Homer, however, catches wind of this plot.  Confronting Bart about it, only to be met with "what are you gonna do about it?", Homer decides to take advantage of the non-profit organization as well.  He signs up as a big brother, and quickly finds a disadvantaged kid to spend time with: a poor inner-city youth named Pepi (though Homer mispronounces it as "Pepsi" once).  Homer and Bart confront each other once more after Homer gives Bart's skateboard to Pepi, after which Bart starts to feel slightly remorseful.

In a sidestory, Marge finds the phone bill to be exceedingly high, and learns its because Lisa has been calling the "Corey hotline" for $5 a minute.  Though Lisa pledges she won't have that charge on the phone bill anymore, she can't get over her addiction to the hotline, and calls it from other locales.  She tries it at the school, but when Principal Skinner catches her in the act, Marge decides to take action.  She has Lisa not call the hotline for a full day in hopes that Lisa's addiction will be cured if she takes it one day at a time.  Though Lisa struggles mightily to get through that day, she ultimately does and the story is resolved apparently.

Meanwhile, Homer & Pepi go to an aquarium that's having a "big brother" day.  Tom & Bart go to it as well, though neither pair is aware of the other initially.  After Homer has his hot dog stolen by a dolphin, he sees Bart.  As Tom, who presumes Homer to be stranger at first, takes Bart away, Homer tells him that he's Bart's father.  Believing Homer to be the drunk gambler Bart told him he was, Tom gets into a fist fight with Homer, one that goes all over the place.  Ultimately, the fight ends when Tom knocks Homer, back-first, into a fire hydrant.  Afterward, the truth is learned, and though Tom and Pepi are saddened over no longer having a companion, Bart is able to have to two become a pair themselves.  Back home, Homer's back has healed somehow and Bart decides to spend time with his father by learning how to fight dirty just like dad.

Quick Review
Season 4 just keeps rolling along with these quality episodes.  While the Lisa sidestory was mostly forgettable aside from Hibbert's and Skinner's appearances, the main storyline was excellently done.  At one point, Tom and Bart watch a Ren & Stimpy cartoon, which was alright by its own standards.  The fight at end - and its conclusion - was the best part of the episode, though, and its always great to see a happy ending in a way only the Simpsons could provide.

Final Score: 9.5

Selma's Choice (S04, E13-072)

I love the little mushrooms sticking out of the sandwich at this point.

Plot Summary
In the latest episode featuring the "Selma is lonely" theme, a trip to Duff Gardens, a beer themed "will never exist in real life" park, planned by Homer and the kids is cancelled after Marge's Aunt Gladys passes away.  Along with Patty & Selma, the family attends the funeral service.  In a video will, Gladys urges Patty & Selma not to live and die alone like she did, but rather start a family and do it as soon as possible.  Selma, at that point, decides to have a baby.

Selma attempts to bag any man she can for the purpose of makin' babies, but her efforts are unsuccessful or the men she tries out are too low a standard even for her (see: Hans Moleman).  Lisa suggests that Selma try artificial insemination, but a trip to a fertilization clinic reveals that most of the donated sperm belong to Barney who is also too low a standard for Selma.  Soon, Selma opts to mail in supposed frozen sperm from a celebrity.

Meanwhile, a second attempt for Homer and the kids to go to Duff Gardens is seemingly foiled when Homer becomes too sick to do anything.  Flashbacks reveal that Homer had acquired the better part of a ten-foot Hoagie and spent over a week eating away at it, even after its mayo started to turn and the bread become moldy and sprouted fungus.  Not wanting to let the kids down again, though, Marge has Selma come by and take Bart & Lisa to Duff Gardens instead.

At Duff Gardens, Selma finds herself taxed keeping up with the two kids.  As the three are in some kind of weird boat ride with automated dolls singing "Duff Beer for me, Duff Beer for you, I'll have a Duff, you have one too" over and over in a creepy manner.  Bart dares Lisa over and over to drink the odd-colored water the boat is on, however Selma mishandles the situation by having Lisa drink the water to shut Bart up.  After drinking it, Lisa instantly becomes delirious and hallucinates this and that.  At the boat ride's conclusion both Bart and high Lisa wander their separate ways, leaving Selma to track them down.  Bart tries to ride a rollercoaster he's too big for, which leads to disaster, leaving Bart to be rescued.  Lisa ends up swimming naked in the "Fermentarium", and after being found and returned to Selma some guy posing as a doctor advises Selma to give Lisa boatloads of pills.

After coming back with Bart and Lisa in shreds, Selma decides that she's not ready to have kids, yet she still wants to have a little version of herself.  She ends up taking in "Jub-Jub", Gladys' pet lizard initially given to her mother but instead taken in by Selma, who finds contentment with her new friend.

Quick Review
Another enjoyable episode from Season 4, this was.  The Duff Garden segments were great, and the little bit involving Homer and his continually decaying Hoagie was superb as well.  Selma's attempts to get pregnant were full of good jokes as well.

Final Score: 8.7

Marge vs. the Monorail (S04, E12-071)

"Mono- d'oh!"

Plot Summary
After a long day of work, Homer goes home Flintstones-style, crashing into a chestnut tree in the process.  Meanwhile, Mr. Burns and Smithers take the opportunity to dump some toxic waste in the park (opting not to do the playground as all those bald children are raising suspicion), however they get caught in the act.  As a punishment for total disregard for human life, Burns is ordered to pay $3 million.  Soon, the town has a meeting on how to use that money.  After some discussion, Marge brings up the idea of using the money to fix Main Street, which has been torn apart and is full of potholes.  After Grampa unintentionally rallies support for the idea, it seems like that was going to be the plan.  However, one Lyle Lanley interrupts, and informs the crowd that they could use the $3 million instead toward building a monorail across town.  With some smooth talking and a nifty song, he quickly convinces the town to go for the monorail.

As the monorail is being built, Lanley holds a conductor course to determine who would get to operate the train.  Homer decides to sign up for this course, and after three weeks, Lanley half-assedly gives Homer the job.  A short time later, the family checks the train out, but Marge finds a family of possums in a compartment (Homer calls the big one "Bitey").  Looking to address the issue with Lanley, Marge stumbles upon a notebook with drawings that imply Lanley is gonna flee with tons of money while the train crashes and burns.  Later, Marge investigates the matter by going to a town Lanley had previously said the monorail had put on the map: North Haverbrook.  However, this town is decrepit, run down and its inhabitants scared or crazy.  Suddenly, a man by the name of Sebastian Cobb appears, having overheard Marge.  He informs her that he worked on the North Haverbook monorail, but Lanley cut corners everywhere and made off with the excess money.  As a result, the train was a literal wreck and left the town in ruins.  With the Springfield monorail due to go the next day, Marge and Cobb try to hurry back.

However, they come back too late (Cobb shouldn't of gotten that haircut).  The monorail, with Leonard Nimoy as the special guest, has taken off.  Lanley ran off with the money just before the train started up, but on the flight, it makes a stop at North Haverbrook and he gets his.  Meanwhile, the monorail quickly falls apart from the inside, leaving it speeding up with no immediate way of stopping it.  As the mayor and police chief argue over who has power in an emergency (and later how many "lasses of virtue true" they get in their positions), Marge and Cobb are able to contact Homer, with Cobb advising Homer to use an anchor to slow the train down.  Using the "M" in the train's name from outside, Homer is able to create a makeshift anchor which eventually finds a firm grasp within a giant donut at a donut shop.  Everyone is safe, and Marge narrates on how that was the last time the town wasted money, except for those other instances they did.

Quick Review
Marge vs. the Monorail is the best episode in Season 4, and is one of the best episodes in the entire series.  There is just so many bits, so many jokes, and nearly all of them are excellent.  Both Phil Hartman (as Lanley) and Leonard Nimoy provide superb guest spots as well.  I don't want to call this episode perfect, as that's just a silly word to use for anything, but damn if it isn't close.

Final Score: 10

Homer's Triple Bypass (S04, E11-070)

Damn, I wish I had pizza when I was born, don't you?

Plot Summary
How can this episode, one with such a serious life-or-death theme, still find a way to be so funny?  Even with all the tense, emotional moments this episode provides throughout, there are still enough jokes and such where, from a strictly humorous standpoint, it's as funny as most other Season 4 episodes?  Its just another example of the magic this season has provided thus far.

In the episode, years of eating poorly finally catch up to Homer, and his heart is beginning to give out, though Homer pays it no mind (even mistaking it for a bad transmission at first).  At the plant, though, Mr. Burns finally has enough of Homer's lazy antics and fires him in person, the act of which gives Homer a heart attack.  Ultimately pulling through, later tests reveal that Homer requires open heart surgery to clear a blockage near his heart.

The cost of the procedure - $40,000 - is far too high, though, and Homer is left looking for alternate options.  Homer has no work insurance - the plant workers having given it up for a pinball machine - and attempts to get some elsewhere fall through.  After failing to get money from a few religious denominations, Homer sees a commercial from Dr. Nick Riviera, who offers to do any surgery for under $130.  With no other options in sight, Homer decides to take this route.

As Homer stays in the hospital to prep for surgery, Dr. Nick tries to do a crash course on open heart surgery only to find the tape he was watching on it has been taped over.  As friends and family show great concern over Homer's condition, the day of the operation finally arrives.  Ill-prepared, Dr. Nick struggles at a certain point of the operation.  Lisa, attending the operation and having studied up on the surgery since learning of Homer's condition, is able to guide Dr. Nick along, and the operation ends up being a complete success.  Homer's heart has been helped and its even able to beat to the tune of the Simpsons' theme (or a part of it, anyway).

Quick Review
As I've said, this episode turns out to be very funny despite the serious nature of the episode.  The whole "Cops: In Springfield" bit was excellent, and Homer's various friends and associates provide laughs throughout their appearances.

Final Score: 9.2

Lisa's First Word (S04, E10-069)

"If you should die before you wake~"

Plot Summary
In this flashback episode, in what seems like the third in a series, we learn what the first words of Bart, Lisa and Maggie all were.  As the family tries to get Maggie to say her first word, its asked what Bart's first word was: "Ay caramba!" after sneaking in to see his parents "snuggling".  Opting not to actually tell that story, Marge instead tells them about Lisa's first word.

The year starts off at 1983, two years following Bart's birth as seen in I Married Marge.  Homer and Marge, now living in an apartment by themselves along with Bart who refuses to call Homer anything but "Homer", have their share of adventures.  One day, though, Marge reveals she's pregnant, and because the apartment just can't handle two kids, they decide to go house shopping.  After several bad houses are tossed aside, they come across a good house (the current Simpson house), but find they can't afford it.  Homer asks his father for money, and his agrees to sell his old place so Homer can have the money to buy the house.  Homer, grateful for his father's gift, agrees to let him stay at the house - something that only lasts three weeks, much to the amusement of the family today.

Baby Bart, though, just can't seem to settle into the new place.  After annoying Marge, Homer is able to settle him for a bit by watching Krusty the Klown, who is offering a free burger if the US wins certain 1984 Olympic events (most of which were rigged in favor of the Soviets - who then boycotted those Olympics, which costs Krusty millions).  At a later point Bart refuses to give up his crib for the new baby, so Homer builds Bart a bed.  Remembering Bart liked Krusty, but also with Homer's rather limited ability, the bed becomes a twisted clown abomination that scares Bart immensely.

Soon, though, Marge goes into labor, and Bart is forced to stay at the Flanders' house, where even more unfun times are had.  With all these bad things happening at once, when Bart finally gets a chance to see baby Lisa, he just hates her.  With more unfortunate occurrences that happen to Bart afterward, he tries to get rid of Lisa one way or another, but fails.  Eventually he decides to run away, but before he can he hears Lisa mutter her first word: "Bart".  Happy, he takes Lisa to Homer and Marge and she repeats the word there, among other things (including calling her daddy "Homer") much to everyone jubilation.  Bart and Lisa share a bonding moment there, not so much in the present day.  From that, Homer takes Maggie to bed and hopes she doesn't start speaking for awhile yet.  Just then, Maggie speaks her first word: "Daddy" (as voiced by the late Elizabeth Taylor).  Its so heartwarming its heart-melting.

Quick Review
Compared to the other flashback episodes, its an improvement over I Married Marge though still not as great as The Way We Was.  The whole Olympic sidestory and the clown bed were the best parts of the episode.  Standalone, its another solid entry in what has been a superb season thus far.

Final Score: 8.5

Mr. Plow (S04, E09-068)

"Oh, I guess you're only familiar with the new Batman movies?  Michelle Pfeiffer?
Ha!  The only true Catwoman is Julie Newmar, Lee Meriwether, or Eartha Kitt.
And I didn't need molded plastic to improve my physique.  Pure.  West."

Plot Summary
Oh hey look, its a Simpsons episode without a holiday theme that features snow!  There's a lot of it this time around, and unfortunately for the Simpsons, Homer accidentally crashes his car into Marge's car trying to drive through the mess.  Now without a car, Homer attempts to get another car for cheap, but those attempts do not pan out.  Instead, the family attends a car show in hopes of winning or otherwise acquiring a car there.  After a rather odd encounter with Adam West, Homer stumbles upon a large plow truck.  A salesman is easily able to pressure Homer into buying the truck, with the premise that Homer plows snow-covered driveways to help pay for the cost of the truck.  While Marge is upset Homer went and did this, Homer - or should I say Mr. Plow - is officially in business.

Homer attempts to get his name and his new plow business known, but multiple advertising attempts come up flat.  Lisa suggests he try to put on a cheap commercial, and Homer does so.  Even though the commercial airs late at night on a throwaway network, it apparently does its job, and soon Homer's plow business takes off.  He does such a great job plowing streets and everything that soon he even gets a key to the city.  At the bar, Homer advises a downtrodden Barney to get out there and be the best Barney he could be.  Then the next day, after another snowfall, Homer sees that all the driveways have already been plowed for.  Turns out, Barney took Homer's advice and started up a competing plow business - The Plow King - with a bigger plow than Homer's.

Soon, its Barney that becomes Springfield's new plow kingpin (thanks in part to an ad campaign featuring Linda Ronstadt whom Barney previously knew somehow), and Homer's key is given to Barney instead.  As another huge snowfall hits and a collection agency eager to reclaim his plow, Homer desperately tricks Barney into plowing a dangerous mountain-side road.  After a day's worth of plowing, Homer learns on the news that Barney has been caught in an avalanche.  Feeling responsible, Homer works his way to the mountain and is able to plow his way to Barney, rescuing him.  The two agree to work together in the plow business and that, together, not even God himself could stop them.  God then, of course, brings in a record heat wave, melting all the snow and ruining both of their plow businesses, and Homer's plow is taken away by repo men.  Good times.

Quick Review
Another fun episode, and another excellent entry in Season 4, Mr. Plow continues a strong streak of great episodes.  The Adam West appearance, the two Mr. Plow commercials, and Homer's experiences plowing all made for great, hilarious situations, and the episode is strong throughout.

Final Score: 8.9

New Kid on the Block (S04, E08-067)

Its no wonder I don't see as many all you can eats these days...

Plot Summary
As I've said in another episode review (specifically Bart the Lover), these earlier episode rarely have Bart in a position where he's even infatuated with another girl.  In the Season 3 episode Bart's Friend Falls in Love, he even says to Milhouse that such things are not a concern to him at the episode's end.  It may or may not explain a lot that these later seasons have several episodes where Bart has a girlfriend.  In any case, New Kid on the Block is the first episode in which Bart actually finds himself in love with another girl.

It happens after the elderly couple the Winfields decide to move out.  Despite struggles to sell the house due to potential buyers seeing and being disgusted by Homer's antics, the house eventually does sell.  Shortly thereafter, Bart and Lisa sneak into the basement of that house from outside, and after Bart scares Lisa away with a horror tale, he is snuck up on by another person, scaring him so hard he passes out.  Upon coming to, he sees a girl somewhat older than her - Laura Powers - and instantly becomes infatuated with her.

Meanwhile, Homer sees a commercial for an "all you can eat" seafood restaurant and decides to go there with Marge (despite Marge having an allergy to fish).  Bart suggests Laura be their babysitter for the night, and with Homer eager to eat non-stop he agrees.  As Laura continues to unintentionally steal Bart's heart, Homer indeed eats non-stop at the restaurant, going late into the night.  Finally, the restaurant's owner, then named Captain McCallister, kicks Homer out after Homer practically ate everything.  Still, upset that he did not eat all he could eat, Homer decides to sue the restaurant (Lionel Hutz later calls Homer the greatest hero in American history).

The next day or so, Bart begins asking around for tips to get Laura to notice him.  Talks with Grampa and Homer are mostly fruitless.  Frustrated, Bart is surprised to see Laura call him to the treehouse.  There, Laura tells him shocking news: she has a boyfriend and, worse yet, its Jimbo Jones.  Devastated (and not too happy when he overhears Laura saying "he's just a kid" after leaving with Jimbo), Bart is determined to prove himself to her.

The day Homer's lawsuit goes to court arrives, and again Laura is babysitting.  This night, Laura has Jimbo come over for a "study session".  Needing to act quickly, Bart decides to prank call Moe, but afterwards tell Moe that he's Jimbo Jones, providing an address as well, knowing full well Moe would come rushing over to enact some kind of vengeance after all those prank calls.

Meanwhile, Homer's court case is moving along nicely.  It turns out Captain McCallister is not actually a sea captain, and Marge retells the story of that night, where after being kicked out they tried to find another all you can eat seafood restaurant and, upon failing to find one, going fishing instead.  Losing the favor of a rather overweight jury, the Captain decides to make a plea deal with Homer: Homer can indeed eat all he can eat at the restaurant, while the Captain advertises him as some kind of bottomless stomach monster to attract customers into that kind of horrific thing.

Finally, Moe comes rushing in, with a rusty, dull blade in hand, and goes right for Jimbo.  Jimbo quickly breaks down crying, killing Moe's blood lust and Laura's regular lust.  As Moe quickly leaves to limit Barney's beer-stealing opportunities, Laura sees Jimbo for what he really is and tells him they're through.  She tells Bart he was right about Jimbo, and notes that if Bart were older, she'd go out with him anytime.  They prank call Moe, who falls for it yet again.

Quick Review
This was a great episode.  The main story had a lot going for it as we see a new side to Bart we've barely seen in the past, and the whole thing with Moe was great to.  Like usual, though, its Homer's sidestory which steals the show in terms of pure hilarity.  The notion of him eating non stop for hours, then suing the restaurant for not letting him eat all he could eat afterwards is just so ridiculous, but then for him to actually get some justice for it... somehow it ends up being very hilarious.

Final Score: 9.4

Marge Gets a Job (S04, E07-066)

"Hahahaha... the senile old fool!"

Plot Summary
The Simpsons find themselves in a heap of trouble when the foundation to their house gives way, leaving the house all slanty and unsteady.  After Homer's inability to figure out how to fix it, they learn that getting professionals to fix the foundation would cost $8500.  A short time later, Homer along with Marge head for a retirement "party" for a guy from the plant.  The party, which was just yet another Smithers ploy to exude grace on Mr. Burns, concluded with an interesting tidbit: that the plant would hire an entry level position to replace the guy who just "retired".

With the house in dire shape, Marge decides to go for it.  Lisa massively embellishes Marge's resume to look impressive, and it works out.  Grampa babysits the kids while Homer and Marge now work in the same area of the plant.  Eventually, Marge earns enough money to pay off the foundation repair.  Soon, Marge gains the attention of Burns himself, who becomes infatuated with Marge but is unaware she's married.  Soon, Burns has Smithers set up a private garden party at his estate with Tom Jones as a crooner (Marge having previously mentioned Jones positively).  As Smithers "persuades" Jones to do the gig, Mr. Burns is stunned to learn that Marge has a husband.  Angered by this, Burns fires Marge on the spot.

In a sidestory, Bart really doesn't want to take an English test, and uses multiple excuses to get out of it, including hurting ovaries, smallpox, and that unfortunate bout with apparently offensive actual medical condition rabies.  Throughout this, Bart is asked if he's read The Boy Who Cried Wolf, but Bart claims he hasn't (or at least the key part of the story), and continues to skip the test.  Mrs. Krabappel eventually forces him to take it no matter what.  It just happens that, at this time, a wolf escapes a Krusty Show airing, and runs into the school, finding and subsequently attacking Bart, which Mrs. Krabappel isn't buying for a second.  Groundskeeper Willie saves the day by taking on and eventually taming the wolf, as Bart turns in his torn up and probably failing-quality test before collapsing.

Meanwhile, Marge intends to sue Mr. Burns over the means of her dismissal.  She hires Lionel Hutz, whose willing to take the case to restore his shattered practice, but runs away in panic upon seeing Burns' 10 highly-paid lawyers.  Marge gives up, but Homer sticks up for Marge and demands an apology from Burns.  Mr. Burns relents, seeing how much Homer loves Marge, and lets the two have the private party at the estate with Tom Jones, who is eager to escape.

Quick Review
Another excellent episode in Season 4, this episode has plenty going for it, especially as it picks up near the end.  Bart's sidestory was entertaining if not a bit brief, and storylines featuring Mr. Burns always have a ton of potential, and this episode makes good on most of it.

Final Score: 8.8

Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie (S04, E06-065)

Its a shame there aren't any blood-gushing billboards in real life...

Plot Summary
The Itchy & Scratchy portion of the episode is never really the main focus: the movie serves as a plot device for the latter portion of the episode, but the introduction of the cartoon's mythos - where Scratchy was introduced in 1928 as a boring, unpopular character but was teamed up with the violent Itchy a year later in a Steamboat Willie parody - really was excellent.

As for the episode itself, at a parent teacher conference, while Homer is pleased to learn Lisa is doing well, Marge has the burden of learning about Bart's various schemes.  At the end of the meeting Mrs. Krabappel suggests to the two that when they punish Bart for being bad, they have to make the punishment firm.  If they do so, Bart could become the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, otherwise "there's no telling how low he can sink".  They get their first chance to punish Bart that same night, after Bart breaks Grampa's teeth.  Marge punishes Bart by refusing to let him have any dinner.  Bart scoffs at this, believing he'll get pizza eventually, but as the night continues, Bart begins to realize that he's not getting any.  Just as he begins to learn that he's gotta straighten up and fly right, Homer relents and finally gives Bart some pizza, and the lesson is lost.

As the days continue, Bart finds a way to either squirm out of punishment or gets a lucky distraction to help him out.  Marge reminds Homer what needs to happen, at which point Homer agrees that he'll make sure the next punishment sticks.  As the Itchy & Scratchy Movie had been announced, Bart and Lisa are watching a show regarding the cartoon's history.  Bart was tasked to keep an eye on Maggie, but doesn't keep track of her while watching the show.  As a result, Maggie somehow is able to get into, start up, and drive Homer's car, ultimately crashing into a prison wall.  Maggie is thankfully okay, but with Bart being responsible for what happened, Homer decides on an appropriate punishment: banning Bart from ever seeing the Itchy & Scratchy Movie.

Despite Bart's and even Lisa's pleas for Homer to let Bart see the movie, Homer refuses to budge.  The movie, is expected, is a huge hit, loved by all who see it, which Bart continues to not be a part of.  Two months in, even Marge thinks Bart has had enough, but Homer continues to insist his punishment is working.  Bart tries to pay for a new ticket at some point, but the theatre had been instructed by Homer not to let Bart in.  After eight total months, the movie ends its run with Bart having never seen it.  While Bart admits Homer had won, Homer says that they've both won in the long run.

Forty years later, Bart is now the Chief Justice of the Supreme court.  Taking old man Homer to the movies, Bart is pleasantly surprised to see the Itchy & Scratchy Movie in the theatre as a classical re-release.  Homer finally lets Bart see it, and though the movie has undergone some animation glitches in the past 40 years, the two still enjoy the film.

Quick Review
This was a fun episode.  I liked the Itchy & Scratchy portions of the episode, I liked the little bit that takes place in the future at the end.  It's not as funny as some of the other top episodes of the season, but that should in no way detract from this episode's quality.

Final Score: 8.7

Treehouse of Horror III (S04, E05-064)

Bart: "Dad, you killed the zombie Flanders!"
Homer: "He was a zombie?"

Plot Summary
These Halloween episodes just keep getting better and better.  The first one to have an actual couch gag, it like its predecessors have a central story: the Simpsons and many of the school children are at the house partaking in Halloween activities.  Marge tries to do that "pretend this food is body parts" gag, but Homer ruins it by eating the food.  Thinking of activities to do instead, its suggested that stories, scary stories should be told instead.  Lisa starts off, followed by Grampa's old movie parody and Bart's thriller.  Homer attempts to tell one, but its not good at all.

Clown Without Pity
Forgetting to buy Bart a birthday present, Homer hurries over to an occult shop for some reason.  There he finds the shopkeep (who offers him some "frogurt" which is just frozen yogurt).  Inquiring about a present for Bart, Homer is given a talking Krusty doll from the shopkeep, and after eventually declining an offer for Frogurt, Homer goes home to give Bart the present.  There, Grampa claims the doll to be evil, though its dismissed by everyone including Grampa himself to be rambling for attention.  A short time later, though, Homer is messing around with the doll when suddenly it states it doesn't like Homer and that its going to kill Homer, brandishing a knife.  Freaking out, the rest of the family doesn't see what's happened and believe Homer has lost some kind of sanity.  After a few more attempts at Homer's life, he's able to stuff the doll into a bag full of Homer's worn socks (which is just cruel), and throws it into a "bottomless pit".  However, the doll is able to escape quickly enough to return with Homer in hiding, then makes another attack on his life.  Marge is able to see it this time, and as Homer yells out "The doll's trying to kill me and the toaster's been laughing at me!" really quickly, Marge is able to call a repairman to come in and check the doll out.  Turns out, a switch on the back of the doll had been set to "Evil", and after the repairman sets it to "Good" instead, the doll quickly embraces Homer, which Homer takes advantage of by making the doll his servant.  Good times.
Individual Score: +2.0

King Homer
In this King Kong parody as told by Grampa, Mr. Burns wishes to go to Ape Island to capture a prehistoric ape, with Marge volunteering to come along (though she doesn't know why).  Arriving on the island, Marge is quickly captured by a tribe that worships the beast, and offer her as a sacrifice.  The ape, King Homer, comes to court Marge when he finds himself under attack by Burns and gang.  After fighting back, eating Lenny in the process, Smithers is able to knock him out with gas, though Homer eats him as well in his sleep.

With the ape captured, Burns puts him on Broadway for audiences to gawk at.  However, Homer is able to break free.  After messing around a bit, he finds and captures Marge and makes an attempt to climb the Empire State Building.  However, he's only able to climb but a single story before tiring out and collapsing on the street.  With King Homer's showbiz career dead, Marge decides to take care of the ape from then on.  Naturally, they soon get married.  Good times.
Individual Score: +1.5

Dial "Z" for Zombies
After an attempt to do a book report on a preschool book falls through, Bart tries to find a more suitable book at the library.  There, he notices an odd Occult section that he had not noticed before.  There, he finds a book (or more like it finds him) called "Time/Life Book of Magick and Spelles Vol II".  Taking it home with him, he later leans that its the anniversary of the death of Lisa's first cat, Snowball I.  Bart finds a resurrection spell in the book and takes Lisa to the pet cemetery to revive the dead.  However, Bart reads the wrong spell, and ends up summoning zombies from their graves in the nearby human cemetery.  While the two make a run for it, the zombies begin infecting Springfield residents such as Flanders, Skinner and Krusty the Klown.  The next night, the zombies make a run for the Simpsons place, when Bart and Lisa get the idea to return to the school library to find a spell that will undo the zombie plague.  The family fight their way to the car, with Homer having to shoot down the zombie Flanders (though Homer asks "He was a zombie?").  At the school, Bart finds the book and reads the spell that undoes the zombie plague.  Some zombies return to their graves, others just collapse on the road, whatever.  The Simpsons celebrate, but soon become zombies to TV.  Good times.
Individual Score: +1.7

Quick Review
I'm only three ToH's in, but I doubt I'll come across a good a Halloween episode as this one.  All three segments were classic stuff, full of memorable lines and moments and is one of the all-time classics for the show, a fine example of Season 4's brilliance.

Note: you may notice that the individual scores plus the base score of 5.0 add up to more than 10.  As noted elsewhere, while my raw score my exceed 10 for some episodes, the maximum official score has to remain at 10.

Final Score: 10

Lisa the Beauty Queen (S04, E04-063)

If he had given Lisa that sceptre sooner, Lisa would've been hit.  Krusty is a true hero.

Plot Summary
At a school fair, Lisa has a caricature drawn of herself.  Not understanding the purpose of a caricature, the resulting drawing leads Lisa to believe she's ugly.  Meanwhile, Homer wins a raffle, and the reward is tickets to the Duff Blimp.  Later, however, he notices Lisa being sad and learns why, and is bothered that he isn't able to help Lisa feel better about herself.  At the bar, Homer sees a commercial for a "Little Miss Springfield" beauty pageant, hosted by a cigarette company, for ages 7-9.  Needing $250 to apply Lisa into the contest, Homer sells his blimp tickets to Barney to pay for the cost.  When Homer tells Lisa what he did, she's upset (especially when Homer told her he used Lisa's caricature as the picture to apply with).  Knowing the reasoning behind Homer's deed, Marge is able to convince Lisa to do it after telling Lisa what Homer sacrificed to get her in.

At the pageant, Lisa sees the top competition: Amber Dempsey, who had fake eyelashes implanted in Portugal or somewhere.  Marge helps Lisa get beautiful at a parlor, while Bart trains her for other pageant-related things.  Soon, the pageant occurs, and Lisa goes in and does well, but ends up in second place behind Dempsey.  Shortly after that, Dempsey is at a store to unveil some tire spikes, when lightning strikes her sceptre, leaving her unable to perform her duties.  As such, Lisa as the runner up becomes sworn in as the new Little Miss Springfield.

Lisa's duties start off simple enough, seeing off deportees and appearing at Fort Springfield alongside Bob Hope.  However, she learns that, because the pageant was sponsored by a cigarette company, they now want Lisa to be her spokesperson to increase youth smoking.  While hesitant at first, she decides to go along with her duty, however at a parade she sees kids picking up free cigarettes and decides that's enough, and begins to rebel against smoking, and then college football.  When its learned she's next going after the mayor, panic begins to mount among the top ranks.  Fortunately for them, however, they found a technicality that removes Lisa from the position: when Homer filled out the application, in the space "Do not write here", Homer wrote "OK".  Her title stripped and returned to Dempsey, Lisa is still happy that Homer went through so much effort to make her feel better about herself.

Quick Review
Lisa the Beauty Queen is a superb episode, which is odd for a Lisa-centric episode but Homer really pulls through in the episode as well.  The few moments Krusty the Klown was in were great too.  It is one of Season 4's best episodes.

Final Score: 9.6

Homer the Heretic (S04, E03-062)

Homer's new animal friends are enjoying themselves.

Plot Summary
On one frigid Sunday, Homer refuses to go to church (mostly because he rips his church pants).  So as the family plods their way through ice and snow to attend the service, Homer sleeps in.  As the family freeze in a heat-less church, whose only doors freeze themselves stuck in the process, Homer begins what he ends up considering the best day of his life.  He takes a whiz with the door open, says "ass" with no restraint, jams to music in his undies, enjoys a "moon" waffle which is a sloppy mix of caramels, waffle mix and liquid smoke wrapped around a stick of butter, and enjoys a football game that at one point is 63-63 which also includes the return of Jim Brown.  The day reaches perfection when Homer finds a penny on the floor.  When the family returns from church, cold and restless, Homer proclaims that he's had the best day of his life, which can be owed to skipping church, and to Marge's shock Homer proclaims he won't be going to church again.

That night, Homer has a visit from God in his dream.  While initially angered that Homer had forsaken thy church, Homer explains that as a working man who loves his kids, why should he waste half his Sundays being told how he's going to hell for this or that?  God then agrees and sympathises with Homer, and allows Homer to worship Him in his own way.  Despite still worshipping and believing and God and all, Marge is still appalled that Homer is willing to skip church.  She attempts to have Reverend Lovejoy reason with him, but to no avail.  The Flanders family try to sing Homer back to church, but Homer escapes their attempts, literally.

Soon enough, its Sunday again.  Despite Marge's pleas, Homer stays home again.  As Lovejoy gives a heated sermon on 'the true nature of the devil', Homer is relaxing once more, though he turns down an offer from Krusty to aid the tornado-affected Jewish Clowns, and later mocks Apu's religion at the Kwik-E-Mart.  Shortly thereafter, Homer falls asleep while smoking a cigar (just after saying "Everybody is stupid except me."), and the cigar falls on the floor, quickly catching fire.  As the house goes up in flames, a volunteer firefighting crew seemingly led by Apu and featuring the likes of Barney, Chief Wiggum, Milhoue's mom and Krusty gather up to put that fire out.  Meanwhile, Flanders (who is not at church for some crazy reason), sees the house on fire and runs in to save Homer, which he eventually does despite some troubles.  The fire is put out, and Homer sees that even though he was mean to the Christian Ned, the Jewish Krusty or, as the Reverend says, the "miscellaneous" Apu, they all acted perhaps in God's will to save Homer's life.  With that in mind, Homer agrees to go to church again, and sure enough the next Sunday he's in church sleeping away, having a conversation with God about how his religion failed and what the meaning of life is, and so on.

Quick Review
Most people can identify with the bliss the weekends can provide as more often than not those are the days people do not have to go to work or school.  Sleeping in on either or both of those days is something that feels so right, too.  For a lot of people, though, they can't sleep in on Sundays because of church or another religious service, and church is hardly ever the fun activity with its traditions and hymn signing and guilt-tripping and such.  So, what's the harm in skipping it every now or then or every time?

Homer the Heretic, despite whatever religious leanings you may have or what the episode may portray, is one of the show's classics.  Seeing the contrast between Homer's day and the family's in the early portion of the episode was really funny, full of laughs, while the rest of the episode keeps it going strong throughout.  Its one of the best episodes of the series, and especially Season 4.

Final Score: 10