Summer of 4 Ft. 2 (S07, E25-153)

Remember kids, reading books is bad!

Plot Summary
Its the last day of school, and Lisa, as a member of the yearbook committee, is anticipating a big boost in popularity over her efforts in editing the yearbook.  However, nobody really cares about that, and Lisa remains as unpopular as ever, not even getting a single person to sign her yearbook, while Bart is fielding signature requests nearby.

Later that day, Flanders tells Homer that he's been sent to jury duty, and as such will be unable to use his summer house, inviting Homer to use up his two weeks of vacation there.  Homer agrees, and Marge lets Bart bring along Milhouse and Lisa a friend of her own for the trip.  Lisa, though, has no friends to bring along.  She decides that this trip will be the perfect opportunity for her to shed her old self and become a new, more popular person.

At the beach house, Lisa 'forgot' to pack, forcing Marge to go clothes shopping.  There, Lisa convinces Marge to buy her a new, stuck-in-the-90s outfit to make her 90s cool.  However, she has trouble finding any kids, and holds off the temptation to go to the library.  She finally finds some kids at the beach, a group of four kids who seem rather uninterested in most things.  Lisa adjusts her outfit and makes her best effort to adjust her personality accordingly, and it pays off, as she's able to make friends with the group.

Spying on Lisa for some reason, Bart tries to show off in front of them, but they're unimpressed with Bart's effort (literally, they don't like that Bart gave effort).  Slowly getting more and more annoyed that Lisa has friends to hang out with while Bart has just Milhouse, Bart devises a plan   On the night of Independence Day, Bart appears in front of Lisa and her friends, holding Lisa's yearbook.  Bart shows her friends just how big of a nerd Lisa is in school.  Before her friends can react, Lisa runs off in tears.

The next day, Lisa is infuriated with Bart, setting up an intense sibling rivalry that continues throughout the day, but after a bumper car incident Bart finally starts to feel bad.  As Lisa walks home by herself, she sees her 'friends' scheming in the dark.  Thinking they're up to no good, Lisa is pleasantly surprised to learn that they have attached seashells to the car with the phrase "Lisa Rules" on it.  Turns out, they don't care what Lisa was, but that they know that Lisa is a good person inside.

As the Simpsons leave the beach house (with pelicans attracted to the shells), Bart reveals to Lisa that he had her friends sign her yearbook just before they left, so in all Lisa probably had the best summer of her life.

Quick Review
This episode, while not among the best episodes of Season 7, is still a strong way to conclude the season.  Like Homerpalooza, this episode is a bit dated with how Lisa reinvents herself as well as the demeanor of the kids she comes across, but bits like most things involving Milhouse a rather short mini subplot featuring Homer buying then improperly using illegal fireworks keep the episode going well.

Final Score: 8.5

Homerpalooza (S07, E24-152)

"I used to be with 'it', but then they changed what 'it' was.
Now, what I'm with isn't 'it', and what's 'it' seems weird and scary to me.
It'll happen to you."

Plot Summary
After Otto wrecks the school bus, Homer is tasked with carpooling some of the kids to school.  During these rides, Homer tries to make himself look cool to the other kids by listening to and talking about his favorite rock bands from the 70s, which drives the kids nuts.  Eventually, Bart has enough of it and tells Homer nobody cares about his 'dinosaur music'.  Distraught, Homer comes to realize that he's no longer cool.  Adamant on fixing that, Homer is able to snag three tickets for himself, Bart and Lisa to go to a 'Hullabalooza' in Capitol City, the cool concert at the time.

However, Homer's efforts start to go weary at the concert, as Homer still has no idea what's considered 'cool' nowadays (by which I mean the mid 90s), embarrassing his kids (again) and being mistaken as a narc by others.  Depressed, Homer kicks a machine, which then shoots a pig balloon right into his gut.  Homer is unharmed, which draws the intrigue of Hullabalooza's freak show organizer, who needs a guy to take cannonballs to the stomach.  In the effort to become cool again, Homer agrees, and goes on tour across the nation (except Ohio apparently).  As he gains admiration from his kids, and the tour going to Springfield on its next stop, Homer notices an oddity from his stomach.  The freak show director takes him to the vet, who informs Homer that all the cannonballs he's taken to the gut have essentially wrecked his stomach, and that if Homer takes just one more shot, he'll die.

Faced with the difficult decision of taking the shot to keep his cool streak going or not taking the shot to keep his living streak going, Homer takes the family to the Springfield Hullabalooza anyway.  When the big moment comes, Homer ducks away just in time, realizing that spending time with his family is more important than dying cool, although now his kids once more find him completely uncool.

Quick Review
Talk about dated.  I was never much a music guy, whether it was in the 90s or since, so maybe the guest starts aren't as great to me as the ones from, say, Homer at the Bat.  However, for a good chunk of the episode it really seems like its a battle between Homer's 70s-esque groove rock and the 90s counter culture which seems stupid by today's standards.

So, as such, there were a few jokes and references in there that I really didn't think was funny, and though a few of the guest spots like Cyprus Hill and Peter Frampton were funny, the other ones weren't doing much for laughs.  I guess you could say its one of those episodes that could only get worse with time.

Final Score: 7.2

Much Apu About Nothing (S07, E23-151)

"Say, lets take a relaxed attitude toward work and watch
the baseball match.  The Nye Mets are my favorite squadron."

Plot Summary
"A large, bear-like animal, most likely a bear, has wandered down from the hills in search of food, or perhaps employment."  Kent Brockman states to start the episode.  The bear is quickly tranquilized, however Homer starts up a bear panic with the neighborhood and an angry mob confronts Mayor Quimby over it.  Quimby vows to stop any and all bear intrusions from now on much to the joy of the mob.  Soon, high tech bear patrols roam Springfield, but the cost of maintaining it means taxes go up ever so slightly, again enraging the town.  Finding true leadership within himself to duck this issue, Quimby rests the blame solely on illegal immigrants, and states that a vote will be held a week from now - Proposition 24 - to determine whether to deport illegal immigrants.  The mob is again appeased, and xenophobia quickly sets in town.  Homer is apart of this, even after learning that Apu is an illegal immigrant, and has no idea what to do if 24 passes.

Later, when Marge visits Apu, he tells his story.  Having been the highest ranked graduate out of a million or so at Calcutta Technical Institute, Apu is granted a visa to continue his studies in the United States, which he does.  When his visa expired, though, Apu was unwilling to leave as he had made so many friends in Springfield, and just stayed around.  Marge decides then to vote 'no' on 24.

However, it still seems 24 will be passed easily.  Desperate for an answer, Apu sees Kearney's newest fake ID and inquires him on where he got it.  Soon, Apu makes a deal with the mob for forged documents which 'prove' Apu was born in Green Bay, and Fat Tony encourages him to act American to avoid suspicion.  However Apu is neither able or willing to keep the ruse going for long, and breaks down after Homer becomes suspicious.  Seeing Apu in tears, Homer finally decides he'll vote 'no' on 24 as well, and decides to help Apu stay in America as well.

Its suggested by Bart that Apu could stay if he married a citizen, however the one person they tried, Selma Bouvier Terwilliger Hutz (!?) McClure, didn't want to marry for once.  Then, Lisa realizes that, since Apu has been in American long enough, he can simply take the citizenship test.  However, with the test just a couple of days away, he really needs to cram.  Homer tries to teach him, but Apu remembers none of Homer's lessons, much to Apu's fortune.

Apu is able to pass the test and become an American citizen.  At a celebration, Homer encourages the crowd to vote 'no' on 24, however 24 still passes by a 95% landslide.  Still, Apu is happy he can stay in American and in fact only one person is deported following the vote: poor Groundskeeper Willie.

Quick Review
This is another one of those 'start fast, finish slow' kind of episodes.  The whole thing with the bear at the beginning was wonderfully done, and Mayor Quimby's 'leadership' was humorous as well.  Once the episode settled in on Apu and Prop 24, the jokes died down a bit but overall this episode is another strong entry for Season 7.

Final Score: 9.1

Raging Abe Simpson and His Grumbling Grandson in "Curse of the Flying Hellfish" (S07, E22-150)

"I'll be in the car, dudes."

Plot Summary
On a "take your grandparents to school" day, Grampa thoroughly embarrasses Bart with his senile demeanor.  Bart chastises Grampa later at dinner, but the family for the most part defend Grampa (well, seniors in general moreso than Grampa).  Later that day, Grampa gets a mysterious letter stating "Asa Phelps has died", stunning the old man.  At Asa's funeral, only two people are in attendance: Grampa and Mr. Burns.  After the service, the two bring out keys that open a vault, revealing a list of names, all of whom are now crossed out save Burns and Grampa.  It seems the last surviving of these two will earn some sort of treasure.  To that end, Burns decides to simply have Grampa killed to expedite the process.

Wanting quick results, Burns hires a famed assassin to do the job.  However, Grampa is able to slink away from the assassin's attempts at his life, including one all out assault on Grampa which is foiled by the nursing home's aid, who is more than prepared for a gunfight.  Needing a place to hide, Grampa runs to the Simpson home and demands to stay there for a time, telling them that Burns is after his life but not revealing why.  As the family quickly decides Grampa'll stay in Bart's room, Grampa decides to tell his secret to Bart.

Abe Simpson was once the commanding officer of a unit in World War II known as the Flying Hellfish.  Made up of people all from Springfield, it also included the trouble making Monty Burns.  At war's end, the unit raids a German castle filled with valuable artwork.  Burns decides to steal the paintings and convinces the rest of the unit its not a bad idea.  At that point, Burns introduces the concept of a tontine, where in this case the artwork is to be sealed in a crate and its contents will be given to the last remaining survivor of the group.  With now just Burns and Abe left, Burns is trying to kill the latter to claim the treasure.

Bart, though, passes the story off as another senility-induced lie, still upset over what happened in school.  Before long, though, Burns attacks via a crane of some sort, and forces Grampa to hand over his key rather than kill him.  Bart, now knowing Grampa's tale to be truth, is able to steal both Grampa's and Burns' keys back without Burns knowing, and the two agree to get the treasure right away.

At the graves of the fallen Hellfish, the two learn that the treasure was placed deep in a lake.  Grampa steals a boat and the two quickly go and retrieve the crate.  Just then, Burns arrives, armed, and again forces Grampa to give up the goods, kicking Bart into the now empty crate and overboard to ensure escape.  Grampa rescues Bart, and the two give chase.  After some time and some crafty harpoon work from Grampa, he confronts Burns and the two crash upon a beach, Grampa with the clear advantage.  He then states that, since Burns attempted to kill him, Burns is officially out of the Flying Hellfish unit, and as such no longer part of the tontine, giving the paintings to Grampa.  However, the feds arrive on the scene, having been looking for those paintings since their disappearance, and quickly give them to their rightful heir: some kind of 90s hipster douchebag German.  Even with the treasure lost, Grampa and Bart reconcile their relationship, much to the amusement of the German.

Quick Review
This episode with quite a lengthy name is fun, adventurous sort of episode.  Usually episodes focusing on Burns or Grampa work very well, and this romp featuring the two of them is no exception.  That said, the quantity of jokes is slightly lesser as it makes way for the plot of the episode.  So the score might seem a little low, but make no mistake its another quality episode for the season.

Final Score: 8.5

22 Short Films About Springfield (S07, E21-149)

"Skinner with his crazy explanations, the Superintendent's gonna
need his medication.  When he hears Skinner's lame exaggerations,
there'll be trouble in town tonight!"

Plot Summary
Despite the title, there aren't 22 sub stories that fill this episode.  It's close to 22, but not quite.  Not that its a problem or anything.  Here, in minor detail, is every story featured:

1) Prologue: Bart and Milhouse, while chucking stuff at cars from a bridge above, wonder about the tales the people of Springfield have to tell, which sets up the rest of the episode.

2) "Apu in: The Jolly Bengali": As the two boys go to the Kwik-E-Mart to buy candy, Sanjay invites Apu to a party at his house.  Apu, unwilling to leave the Kwik-E-Mart for long, agrees to go for five minutes.  At the party, Apu pretty much has the full party experience in even less time, though he inadvertently locked Hans Moleman in the store in the meantime.

3) Lisa's Hair Problem (Part 1): As Lisa is recycling, Bart zooms along on his skateboard and tosses some gum away, unknowingly throwing it into Lisa's hair.  Lisa runs to Marge for help, but Marge only has oddball remedies for getting gum out of hair, such as applying peanut butter or mayo into the gum, but this doesn't seem to be working.  She has Lisa sit outside to let it sink it, but she's attacked by a swarm of hornets.

4) Smithers' Bee Problem: One bee flies off from Lisa and heads to the park, where it lands on Smithers (who is deathly allergic to bees), who is in the middle of a bike ride with Mr. Burns.  Burns, irritated that Smithers has slowed down, tries to shoo the bee away, but it stings Smithers instead.  With Smithers in dire need for help, Burns gets Smithers help the only way he knows how: by commanding Smithers to pedal the two all the way to the hospital.  The two make it but both collapse.  Rescue workers come out to help, but only grab Burns.

5) Dr. Nick's Malpractice Problem: After Nick confuses Smithers as a bum ("Holy smokes!  You need booze!"), he goes to a meeting with other doctors who confront him on a malpractice suit against him.  Just then, a crazy old man (Grampa) is causing havoc and insists on seeing a quack.  Nick steps up and 'calms' Grampa by telling him he has a condition where his skeleton is trying to escape the body, and uses 'electrotherapy' to 'cure' him.  The doctors drop the suit in forgiveness, and Nick gives Jasper a free nose job in celebration.

6) Moe's Burglary Problem: Moe officially calculates Barney's bar tab to be in the billions, but gets $2000 from him right away.  Snake runs in to rob Moe, holding Barney hostage.  Moe runs to safety inside a hidden, bulletproof compartment (with little air), which just allows Snake to loot Moe's newly acquired tab and run off.

7) "Skinner and the Superintendent": Skinner invites Chalmers for lunch, but burns his roast by mistake.  Using a series of lies and fabrications, Skinner is able to convince Chalmers that a bunch of Krusty Burgers he desperately bought is a family recipe and that the fire in the kitchen from the roast in actually Aurora Borealis in his own kitchen.  In all, it was a successful luncheon.

8) Homer's Maggie Problem: Hands full of groceries and Maggie, Homer sees an importantly headline in a newspaper stand, and goes to buy it right away, fumbling his possessions in the process.  He gets his paper, but accidentally gets Maggie stuck in the stand.  Having no usable quarters left and unwilling to leave Maggie to get more, Homer decides to just uproot the stand completely and take it home.

9) The Police's Hamburger Problem: Lou describes his time at a Shelbyville McDonalds, a restaurant that has zero presence in Springfield.  After hearing horrors about Krusty Partially Gelatinated Non-Dairy Gum-Based Beverages being called simply "shakes" at McDonalds, Wiggum has heard enough and goes out for donuts.

10) Bumblebee Man's Clumsiness Problem: After a hard day playing the bumbling bee at work, the actor tries to have a relaxing moment at home, but an incident involving oranges causing his clumsiness to take full effect, destroying the house and forcing his wife to divorce him.

11) Snake's Wiggum Problem: Coming off the heist, Snake is in a bind when he sees Wiggum, who just bought some donuts.  Panicking, Snakes tries to run over Wiggum, but crashes into a wall.  The two get into a brawl which goes into Herman's store, where he holds the two hostage for some reason.

12) Lovejoy's Flanders Problem: Reverend Lovejoy brought his dog to Flanders' yard for the sole purpose of having the dog do its business there.  Class act, Reverend.

13) Lisa's Hair Problem (Part 2): As Flanders goes to retrieve his shovel from Homer, he spies Marge still trying to get gum out of Lisa's hair.  He offers to help, but it doesn't seem to work.  Other townspeople chime in to give advice to Lisa's predicament, which only irritates the poor girl.

14) "Cletus the Slack-Jawed Yokel": Cletus finds a pair of boots for Brandine's job interview, but as they wouldn't really work well on the topless dancing runway, he has to return them where he found them: dangling on a wire.

15) Milhouse's Bathroom Problem: Milhouse desperately needs to use the bathroom, trying to do so at the comic book shop, but a transaction is required, and as Milhouse is doing that his dad gets him in trouble and takes him away before he could use the bathroom.

16) Wiggum and Snake in a Problem, Featuring Milhouse: Milhouse's next attempt is at Herman's shop, where his father notices both Wiggum and Snake beat up and tied up with Herman just standing there.  As Herman readies to take the elder Van Houten hostage, Milhouse accidentally knocks Herman out with a mace he grabbed.  Wiggum then tries to make his escape.

17) Lisa's Hair Problem (Part 3): Lisa passes Wiggum but is far too concerned about her hair to think about anything else.  She goes to the barber who cuts that part of her hair off, then stylizes it to make it look good.  Lisa starts feeling good again, but is immediately laughed at by Nelson.

18) Nelson's Tall Man Problem: Afterwards, Nelson laughs at Mrs. Glick tripping into a trash can, then laughs at a man driving a rather tiny car.  The man stops and steps out, revealing himself to be rather tall.  Nelson tries to escape, but the tall man catches him.  After a failed attempt at reasoning with the boy, the tall man decides to publicly humiliate Nelson instead, pulling down his pants and having townspeople laugh at him instead.

19) Epilogue: As Bart and Milhouse squirt condiments on Nelson from above, Bart realizes that there are indeed plenty of tales to be told by the townsfolk, but there simply just isn't enough time to hear them all.

20) "The Tomfoolery of Professor Frink": The professor runs in, his skit having been delayed by literal monkey trouble at the lab, but as he tries to sink his bit's theme song, the episode goes into credits and Frink promises that the monkey'll pay for this.

Quick Review
22 Short Films About Springfield, a rather experimental episode at the time, is one of the best episodes of the series.  There is just so many things that work right here.  I think part of it is that there are a good number of jokes in every bit that the writers forced in to make sure each bit is gold, but with so many bits there ends up being a lot of quality throughout.  Its a wonderfully written episode and its a shame more episodes like this were never made afterward.

Final Score: 10

Bart on the Road (S07, E20-148)

The thing that impresses me the most is how good a driver Bart is.

Plot Summary
Principal Skinner plans to go to Hong Kong for Spring Break, but an error on his plane ticket has him leaving a day earlier than expected.  Rather than pay over $7000 to fix this, Skinner instead has the school take that last day off by having a 'take your child to work' day instead.

Lisa reluctantly goes with Homer to the nuclear plant (where the two do have some fun), while Bart plans to stay at home with Marge.  However, Marge's "job" as homemaker doesn't count, so Bart instead spends the day with his aunts, Patty & Selma.  Its not a total loss, however, as Bart stumbles upon an opportunity to create a fake ID, and does so with no hesitation.  The next day, he, Milhouse and Nelson try to take advantage of the card but aren't having much fun.  Martin comes across them, having made $600 playing the stock market the previous day.  Together, the four realize that with that money and Bart's fake driving license, they can rent a car and go on a road trip.  Bart sets up an alibi about some national grammar rodeo in Canada, and off the four go.

Although Lisa is skeptical about Bart's trip to the rodeo, she's having fun spending time with Homer at the plant, getting candy and playing truth or dare during a night shift.  Homer makes sure to keep a secret of Lisa's, that she has a crush on someone named Langdon Alger (though later she admits she doesn't like him anymore).  While that's happening, the four boys are on the road, but they have no idea where they're going.  Milhouse finds a copy of a AAA Travel Guide (from 1982, but nobody has noticed this), and advises the group to head for Knoxville, Tennessee to go the World Fair complete with a Sunsphere being held there (or was held there in 1982, again, nobody notices this).  The other boys agree with Milhouse and they go off to Tennessee.  There, they learn that indeed they're decades too late, and the World's Fair already happened a long time ago; the Sunsphere holds only unsold wigs now.  Further complicating issues, Martin has spent the last of his $600 on a talking Al Gore doll ("You.  Are.  Hearing.  Me.  Talk."), and Nelson, in a fit of anger, topples the Sunsphere with a single rock, crashing it into the rental car, essentially stranding the four boys in Knoxville.

Unable to get money or return to Springfield on their own, Bart has no choice but to call Lisa for help.  Revealing the truth to Lisa, she advises Bart get a job as a courier (using his fake ID), and hope for a package that goes to Springfield.  However, after a trip to Hong Kong (where Skinner spots him) and maybe also Marlon Brando's Island, Bart needs more help from Lisa, asking her to have something sent to Springfield that's big enough to hold Martin, Nelson and Milhouse.  Distraut, Lisa tells Homer her plight under the notion that it remains a secret.  While Homer is outraged over this, Lisa calms him down and the two work together to get Bart back.  Homer comes up with a plan to have the nuclear plant near Knoxville ship to Springfield a new workstation (care of Langdon Alger, as Homer can't use his real name or else Bart will know).  The plan works, and Bart and pals are all able to come home.  While Lisa and Homer are upset with Bart, whose still playing up his broken alibi, Marge is just happy the family is back together again, though the suspicious phone calls she gets later that night leave Homer holding in some laughter.

Quick Review
Bart on the Road is an excellent episode.  There are plenty of jokes throughout the episode, the dynamic between the four boys works very well, and Homer and Lisa play very funny roles in the episode as well.  While there's nothing that really sets the episode apart from others, there's nothing that drags it down either, which leaves it as one of the better episodes in the series.

Final Score: 8.9

A Fish Called Selma (S07, E19-147)

"Dr. Zaius, Dr. Zaius!"

Plot Summary
As the Simpsons are watching an old movie featuring Troy McClure (a Muppet movie this time), Homer and Marge talk about what's become of him, with Homer suggesting that Troy's career has been washed up ever since an 'incident' at the aquarium (later rumors passed along suggest that Troy has some kind of weird fish fetish).  At that same time, Troy is pulled over for reckless driving, and is told that he won't have to wear glasses like his license instructs him to do if he can pass an eye test at the DMV.

There, Selma becomes enamored with Troy, who picks up on that and makes a deal with her to give him a pass on the eye test in exchange for dinner.  The dinner goes uneventfully, but outside the restaurant a pack of reporters catch the two, realizing that Troy McClure is having relations with what appears to be a human.  News of the 'date' make it to papers, prompting Troy's agents, who hasn't spoken to him in eight years, to call and offer him new roles in entertainment, as Troy being with a woman is resurrecting a career that was derailed over his fetish.  Troy agrees to continue his relationship with Selma, eventually proposing to her.  Afterwards, Troy soon gets a good gig on Broadway: a Planet of the Apes musical with him as the star, pretty much bringing Troy's career to life again.

With the wedding approaching quickly, Troy and his soon-to-be brother in law Homer go out for some drinks.  There, Troy drunkenly whispers a secret to Homer regarding Selma and the marriage, but Homer doesn't bother to say anything during the wedding itself.  The night after, Homer casually reveals to Marge that Troy is only marrying Selma to further his career and that the marriage is a sham.  Marge brings it up to Selma, who then confronts Troy over it.  Troy, whose marriage now has him in consideration for the part of McBain's sidekick in a fourth McBain movie, readily reveals to Selma that the marriage is, in fact, a sham, but as long as Selma's living the good life, what does it matter?  Selma agrees with that notion, and the two carry on.

Things complicate when Troy's agent informs him that the McBain sidekick part will probably go to a family man, and that Troy needs to have a baby with Selma to greatly improve his chances.  With Troy's, er, romantic inclinations he finds this more difficult than it should be, but Selma is unwilling to bring a child into a sham relationship, and finally decides to leave Troy.  Later, Troy turns down the McBain sidekick part to direct and star in a FOX-funded project of his own: The Contrabulous Fabtraption of Professor Horatio Hufnagel.

Quick Review
This episode has its share of highs and lows.  The entire Planet of the Apes bit was well done and is the best part of the episode, and the Hufnagel joke at the end was nice as well.  The whole thing with Troy's fish fetish, a rather odd concept to introduce to the character, was done well in the episode as well.  The parts where Selma is the focus were the aforementioned lows, and given that she has a big part in this episode, it drags it down a bit which is a shame as an episode otherwise starring Troy McClure should've been much funnier, not that this episode isn't without its good graces.

Final Score: 8.6

The Day the Violence Died (S07, E18-146)

Milhouse: "Look out, Itchy!  He's Irish!"

Plot Summary
With the Itchy & Scratchy cartoon celebrating its 75th anniversary, a parade is to be held.  Homer, Bart and Lisa try to get there early, as in the night before kind of early, and though they get a chance to see some I&S related memorabilia, they oversleep and miss a big chunk of the parade anyway.  Bart separates from the group and joins the parade directly, which brings cheer for some reason.  The parade, which was poorly routed, goes into Bumtown, and speeds off quickly.  Bart is unable to keep pace and catches a bum throwing tomatoes at the parade.  Bart confronts the bum over Itchy & Scratchy, but the bum reveals that he was actually the one to create Itchy, a character that Roger Meyers Sr. stole, and that he invented cartoon violence in general.  He even has a old movie to prove it: "Manhattan Madness", a film made in 1919 where Itchy kills an Irishman and President Teddy Roosevelt.  As Bart decides that this bum, Chester J. Lampwick, is legit, the movie reel falls apart and crumbles to ash, destroying the last known proof of Chester's work.

Regardless, Bart is determined for Chester to get what's his.  Talking to the head of I&S Studios now, Roger Meyers Jr., does not help, so Bart and Chester take them to court, Bart getting the $1000 fee from Homer.  As expected, not having the film makes Chester's case near impossible to prove, but then Bart remembers a frame of Itchy that he saw the night before the parade that looked just like the Itchy in Chester's film.  He borrows $750 rather quickly from Homer to buy the frame of Itchy, and within it reveals that Chester did indeed draw that Itchy back in 1919.  Chester wins the case, and gets $800 billion in restitution (which was probably less after appeals).  However, the case also leaves I&S Studios bankrupt, essentially killing Itchy & Scratchy, much to Bart's unprepared shock.

After being unable to deal with the replacement edu-tainment cartoon, Bart & Lisa decide to try and get I&S back.  However, Roger Meyers Jr. has no money, and nobody they can talk to is either able or willing to spend money to get the cartoons back.  They're about to give up and tackle another problem (getting Apu out of jail for public indecency), when Marge gives them a confidence booster.  They finally find a 'perfect' solution to the I&S problem, but when they go to present it to Meyers, they find that they've been beaten to the punch.

It turns out that the post office's character "Mr. Zip" is a knockoff of Meyer Sr.'s actual original character "Manic Mailman", and as a result the government gives Meyers a huge cash settlement, allowing I&S Studios to go back into business.  The people responsible for finding this?  A young boy and girl by the names of Lester & Eliza, who would look suspiciously like Bart & Lisa if this had been animated eight or nine years prior.  They also solved Apu's nudity problem, and also reunited Krusty with his estranged wife, a problem Bart & Lisa weren't even aware of!  Though Bart and Lisa are happy Itchy & Scratchy are back, they can't shake that unsettling feeling of being beaten to the punch by a seemingly unrelated pair of kids, especially when Lester rolls on by on his skateboard giving Bart a suspicious look.

Quick Review
I really loved the way this episode ended.  Throwing in Lester and Eliza, most notably their appearances, was well devised and brought something new to the table, not that the "Bart and Lisa solve everything" angle had gotten tired yet.  Other things such as Lionel Hutz's false advertising (Works on Contingency?  No, money down!), Homer's seemingly endless supply of money and the many cartoon parodies, such as the ones from Fritz the Cat and Schoolhouse Rock, really give the episode some shine as well.  Its one of Season 7's best episodes.

Final Score: 9.8

Homer the Smithers (S07, E17-145)

How many nightmares has Burns had with this guy in them?

Plot Summary
After hosting his employees at a drag racing function, Mr. Burns retires to his car afterwards.  Upon sending Smithers to retrieve a smaller foam hand, a drunken Lenny approaches him, terrifying the old man beyond belief.  Smithers eventually returns to escort Lenny away, but not being there at the start haunts Smithers.  Smithers tries to make it up the following morning, but another mistake further pushes him in the pits of despair.  Burns insists Smithers take a vacation, much to Waylon's horror.  Needing to find a replacement while he's gone, Smithers tries to find someone who would be too incompetent to outshine Smithers, and as such he picks Homer Simpson.

Apparently there are 2800 duties Smithers performs for the otherwise self-incapable Burns, from brushing his teeth, to lying to congress and notably stopping his 122-year old mother from calling and berating Burns (the two aren't on good terms, to say the least).  As Smithers takes his leave, Homer finds himself overwhelmed with everything he has to do for Burns, and the old man takes notices of Homer's tomfoolery, noting out loud to Smithers during phone calls of Homer's incompetence, right in front of Homer.  Becoming sleep deprived combined with the abuse lashed out by Burns, Homer finally snaps and punches Burns square in the jaw.

Freaking out over the possibility of having killed him, Homer flees back to his house.  He collects himself, and returns to Burns' office.  While Burns did survive the attack, he does have a black eye and is now deathly scared of Homer, shooing him off at every opportunity.  Though Homer tries to reconcile by making Burns coffee, Burns refuses and makes the coffee on his own in a painstaking attempt.  Burns then insists on driving himself home, upon which he realizes that, hey, doing things for yourself isn't so bad after all.  In rather short time, Burns is able to make coffee and shred incriminating documents with ease.  As Homer wonders if there's anything left for him to do now, Burns thanks Homer, as Homer's brutal attack helped Burns learn to be self-reliant.  Just then, Smithers returns, stunned at seeing Burns thank Homer.  Sure enough, Burns no longer 'needs' Smithers, and fires him on the spot.

Smithers tries to get a job elsewhere, but nothing is panning out.  Desperate, Smithers applies for the bottom of the barrel, rock-bottom job others have contemplated in their darkest hour: guarding Barney so that he doesn't raid the Duff beer truck at midnight.  Homer intervenes just in time, and convinces Smithers to get his old job back, though Smithers asks Homer to help him out.  Smithers is fairly sure that as capable as Burns has become, he still wouldn't be able to deal with his own mother, and sets up a ploy where he 'saves' Burns from his mother's ramblings.  However, Homer botches the call and his poor attempts at acting don't fool Burns, and as Burns quickly learns that Smithers is behind the scheme, Smithers finally has enough of Homer, and gets into a fight with him.  Burns tries to stop the fight, but nothing he does works, and crawls on top of a large bear figure to avoid getting hit.  However, Homer is knocked back by a clever ploy of Smithers, and backs into the bear, causing it to crash into the window, sending it - and Burns - down three stories outside.

Burns survives this as well, though is rather injured from the fall.  Smithers regains his job to nurture the broken Burns back to health, and though Burns has Smithers 'deal' with Homer for his second violent act, Smithers instead sends a gift basket thanking Homer for getting his job back.

Quick Review
Homer the Smithers is the best episode of the season thus far.  Everything about this episode really works well.  From things as silly as Lenny's "attack" to Smithers' vacation preferences, to Homer's attempts at cooking breakfast, this episode has a lot of good going for it, with no real gaps that drag it down at all.  Its another highlight of this stellar golden age of Simpsons.

Final Score: 10

Lisa the Iconoclast (S07, E16-144)

Wiggum sure knows how to liven up a grave digging.

Plot Summary
Springfield's bicentennial is fast approaching, and a big celebration is planned mostly focused on the town's founder Jebediah Springfield, his iconic phrase "a noble spirit embiggens the smallest man" as cromulent as ever.  Homer earns a spot in the parade as the ever loud Town Choir, while Lisa's 2nd grade class is tasked with writing an essay on Jebediah.  Lisa goes to a historical museum focused on Jebediah and its curator shows her some objects once owned by Jebediah himself.  As the curator takes his leave for a moment, Lisa finds something lodged in Jebediah's flute: a torn parchment detailing Jebediah's confessions: most notably that he was once the pirate Hans Sprungfeld, a secret the townspeople will never learn.

Lisa researches the matter more at home, and she finds that Hans once attempted to kill George Washington, ultimately losing the fight and retreating after Washington is distracted, changing his identity afterwards.  She also finds that Hans had a silver tongue after his real tongue was bitten off in a different scrum.  However, such accusations do not sit well with anybody, though Homer believes Lisa as he is fairly sure Lisa is right about most things.  After Lisa gets an F for her essay calling Jebediah a "super fraud", Homer decides to help Lisa's message get out.  However, everyone she comes across is outraged by the accusation, and soon the town "jubilation" committee summons the two to explain themselves.  Lisa states that she can be proven right or wrong by checking Jebediah's grave to see if his silver tongue is still there.  The committee reluctantly agrees, and alongside the museum curator the group uncovers the grave... to find no tongue.  As punishment, Homer loses his position as Town Choir, which devastates him.

That night, Lisa has a dream where Jebediah tries to haunt her, but is saved by Washington who tells her she's close.  The next day, she's able to figure out the final piece of the puzzle: the parchment the confession is written on is the same parchment that was torn off of what's become the famous 'unfinished' painting of Washington during the fight between George and Hans.  Lisa confronts the curator once more, and makes him reveal that he stole the silver tongue before the dust settled, unwilling to face the fact that his career of researching Jebediah has been a sham.  With the bicentennial celebration now underway, Lisa and the curator find a microphone to allow Lisa to reveal the dark truth.  However, Lisa sees all of patriotic spirit that has embiggened the town, and realizes that the myth of Jebediah still holds substance, and she couldn't possible ruin that with the truth.  Homer forces his way into the Town Choir position anyway (the police unwilling to stop him because "he's too damn good", and he and Lisa march in the parade for all it stands for.

Quick Review
This was another solid episode, an interesting take on the beloved founder of the town and another instance of Lisa realizing that sometimes the beautiful lie helps people more than the cold truth could.  W-wait is that a good message or not, I forget.  Oh well, anyway its not as funny as Season 7's best, but its still a cromulent episode with a few classic moments.

Final Score: 8.4

Bart the Fink (S07, E15-143)

"Oh, I'm sorry, I can't divulge information about that customer's
secret, illegal account."  *hangs up*  "Oh crap, I shouldn't of said
he was a customer.  Oh crap, I shouldn't of said it was a secret.
Oh crap!  I certainly shouldn't of said it was illegal!  Ah, its too hot today."

Plot Summary
After spending a night at their recently-deceased Aunt's haunted house, the Simpson family each receives $100 as part of the Aunt's will.  Marge 'encourages' Bart and Lisa to invest that money into a savings account at a bank, though Bart instead puts it into a checking account instead.  A short time later, Bart just misses out on getting Krusty's autograph, but is able to slip a check for 25 cents in his pocket, reasoning that if Krusty wants that money, he'll have to sign it, and Bart will get the check back in his monthly balance.  However, when the check comes back, he finds that it was endorsed with a stamp from an offshore holding corporation.  He goes back to the bank to demand a signature, but the banker there notices something odd about the stamp.  A five-minute investigation (hah) reveals that Krusty is a giant tax evader, and with Bart's help Krusty has finally been arrested for tax evasion (or as Kent Brockman puts it, tax avoision).

Given just how much evasion Krusty made, the IRS decides to garnish 95% of his salary, leaving his show in disarray.  To further pay for his taxes, his estate and belongings are auctioned off for mere cents.  Bart tries to comfort Krusty, but Krusty can't deal with his new life as a regular guy.  That night, Krusty gets into his last remaining possession - a personal plane - and flies through the skies, garnering a lot of attention before crashing into a rock formation.  The plane wrecked and no body to be found, Chief Wiggum declares Krusty dead, much to Bart's horror.

After the funeral, Bart starts seeing a man that resembles Krusty at various points, but nobody believes him as they believe its just his grief messing around with him.  However, each sighting has something in common so he takes Lisa along to the place where all the threads meet: the wharf.  There, he finds a check featuring a signature very similar to that of Krusty's, and finds the owner of that signature, Rory B. Bellows.  Upon finding him, it doesn't take much for the kids to break him down to admit he really is Krusty.  Krusty reveals that just before the plane crash, he jumped out to start his new life out at sea, but Bart and Lisa are able to convince him that his celebrity life, where he got to hang out with phonies and be more respected than scientists and educators, is still worth living for.  He decides to go back to his old life, using the 'death' of Rory B. Bellows to handle his tax problem.

Quick Review
Bart the Fink is another solid episode, albeit not among the best episodes of the season.  After Krusty's 'death', the episode goes into a sort of lull for awhile though Bob Newhart's appearance is appreciated for its humor.  Otherwise, there were still quite a few good jokes and bits and is still a classic episode.

Final Score: 8.6

Scenes From the Class Struggle in Springfield (S07, E14-142)

"Mmm... open-faced club sand-wedge..."

Plot Summary
When Grampa so eloquently destroys the family TV, the Simpsons go to an outlet mall to buy what ends up being a very similar-looking TV.  While there, Marge and Lisa go clothes shopping, where Lisa finds a Chanel suit on sale for $90 somehow, and it fits Marge perfectly.  With Lisa's urging, Marge decides to go ahead and buy it.  Showing it off, Marge is unable to get Homer to go anywhere fancy, but decides to wear it on an everyday basis anyway.  At the Kwik-E-Mart, she runs across an old high school associate, Evelyn, who is impressed with Marge's fashion sense and invites her and her family to the country club.

At the club, Marge is slowly able to fit in, though she begins to believe that the people there are her and the family's social betters.  However, one of the regulars at the club, the oft-critical Susan, begins to make jokes at Marge's expense, mocking Marge for a lack of variety in her wear.  Determined to fit in, Marge begins altering her suit to look different each time.  The ploy seemingly works, to the point where Evelyn is willing to allow Marge to join as a full member, but her suit is in such disarray that it can barely be altered further.  Sure enough, a mistake on the sewing machine rips it apart, and Marge is left desperate for a new suit.

In the meantime, Homer spends his time at the club well, having picked up some golfing tips from the guy whose gear he stole, Tom Kite.  He becomes a whiz at golf, impressing at work, and catching the eye of Mr. Burns who has won every match save for a pity loss against Richard Nixon.  Burns and Homer meet up for a match against one another, when to Homer's confusion Burns is seemingly able to get the ball on the green in one shot every time.  By luck, Homer is able to find an explanation: it seems Smithers always placed a ball on the green no matter where Burns' shot actually went, which reveals that Burns isn't all the good at golf.  Homer is in glee over having new info to spill to his co-workers, but is forced to silence when Burns promises to put in a good word for Marge to join the club.

The night of the Initiation is nearing.  Marge's attempts to borrow a suit from her sisters prove worthless, and there are no gems in the outlet store this time.  She ultimately decides to buy a brand new Chanel suit at full price just in time for the ceremony.  Deathly afraid as being seen as common folk, she forces Homer to park far away and forces the family to not commit any of their usual antics - Maggie can't even suck on her pacifier.  As Homer comments on how Marge becoming "a better person" let them see just how awful they are, Marge realizes what she's become, and learns that she shouldn't become a snob just so she can hang out with other snobs.  The family, still dressed up, decide to spend the night at a Krusty Burger, a setting they are all more familiar with.

Quick Review
While this episode does have its moments, Homer's golf subplot being the hidden star of the episode, for the most part the quantity of laughs is less so than other episodes from this season, and as a result its the least funny episode of the season, which is not saying a lot really, but that's how it is.

Final Score: 8.1

Two Bad Neighbors (S07, E13-141)

If Bush used this tactic in his 92 re-election bid, could he have won?  ...no.

Plot Summary
Homer likes living in his neighborhood, Evergreen Terrace.  He also likes being a big shot in said neighborhood.  That same neighborhood is hosting a rummage sale, though it starts off rather slowly.  Homer finds a way to liven up the sale with a sing and dance routine, and soon people are listening to his every word.  However, a short time later, new neighbors have moved into the large mansion that just happens to be across the Simpson home.  Quickly its revealed that the new neighbor is former President George H.W. Bush, who steals all of Homer's thunder with the reveal.

As Homer becomes increasingly annoyed with all the attention given to Bush, the Flanders family visits the former President.  Both Rod and Todd, however, make mention to George to be weary of a certain young boy, namely Bart Simpson.  Soon enough, Bart starts hanging around the Bush house, making himself to be a Dennis the Menace type troublemaker.  The trouble making reaches a climax when Bart's mischief leads to the shredding of Bush's just-finished memoir.  As punishment, Bush grabs Bart and spanks him, twice.  The act is the final straw for Homer (though Bart doesn't explain why he got spanked until its too late to matter), and he begins a verbal tirade on Bush.  Bush, who calls off his secret service after being called a "wimp", decides to play along, and the two are officially at war.

Homer and Bart start it off by firing bottle rockets at their house.  Bush tries to respond by putting up a sign indicating the two as "bad neighbors", but its poorly drawn and hard to understand.  Homer and Bart get the drop on Bush again, tricking the former President into thinking his two sons are there, only to glue a rainbow-colored wig on his head.  As Bush drives his car around the Simpson yard in retaliation, he notices Homer and Bart sneaking off in the sewer.  As Bush confronts and fights Homer within, Bart releases a box of locusts which attack Bush.  At the same time, Mikhail Gorbachev arrives with a housewarming gift for the Bushes.  However, he witnesses the fight as it breaks out above the sewer, prompting Barbara Bush to force George to apologize to Homer, much to Homer's delight.  The incident causes Bush to get the hell out of town as soon as possible, no longer willing to deal with Homer or Bart.  The house, though, is immediately bought by former President Gerald Ford, whose love for football, nachos and beer allow him and Homer to get off on the right foot.

Quick Review
Two Bad Neighbors was another fun episode, at the expense of the 41st President but at the same time avoiding any of that nasty political commentary that can ruin anything and everything.  The jokes were great, and seeing George break down as the episode progresses was interesting as well.

Final Score: 9.2

Team Homer (S07, E12-140)

Perfect?  Homer's head isn't nearly big enough!

Plot Summary
The episode starts off with what ends up being the subplot, where Bart and Milhouse buy a Mad Magazine.  Among other things, the magazine gives Bart the idea to wear a shirt to school with the phrase "down with homework" causing a mass frenzy throughout the school.  In response, Principal Skinner introduces uniforms, rather dull, gray affairs that successfully drain the life out of the students that wear them.  Soon, they lose all sense of identity and become as dull and lifeless as the uniforms themselves.  However, the uniforms aren't protected against water, and a timely rainfall washes in a rainbow of color into each uniform, reigniting the student's spirit and willpower, and causing another mass frenzy throughout the school.

Meanwhile, Homer goes to a particular empty Moe's, with Barney, Lenny and Carl all tending to "mistresses".  Homer and Moe decide to go bowling, but are not allowed to actually play because its 'league night'.  Apu is also turned down from playing, but Homer gets the idea to have the three of them become a team, and later the nearby Otto (playing a claw game endlessly) because a team needs four bowlers.  The team also needs a $500 sign up fee, which stuns Homer, who eventually decides to try and ask Mr. Burns for it.  Lucky for Homer, he catches Burns in the middle of an ether high and Burns, mistaking Homer for the Pillsbury Dough Boy, happily gives Homer the money.

Named the Pin Pals, in the team's first match Homer is able to rally the team for a late victory.  The team goes on a roll from there, setting up a championship matchup with the Holy Rollers, consisting of Ned & Maude Flanders as well as Reverend Lovejoy and his wife Helen, a team that has won the title five years in a roll.  Despite that, Homer still declares the team to be unstoppable.  Just then, Mr. Burns finds out he gave $500 for bowling during his ether high, and learns he gave it to Homer.  Upon confronting the team, Burns has a 'change of heart' and decides to join the team.  Given Burns his is boss, Homer has no choice but to let Burns join, kicking out Otto in the process.

Though Burns improves in his game, being able to get the ball all the way to the end (in the gutter) in one push, he's still terrible and the group goes on a losing streak leading up to the big match.  Moe and Apu both push Homer to kick Burns off, but on the day of the championship Burns presents the group with special Pin Pal jerseys, and the group lets him bowl in the game.  Sure enough, Burns drags the team down, but they're down by only two somehow with just Burns left to go.  After a gutter ball, Burns' second attempt is just barely able to avoid the gutter, clipping two pins on its way out.  At the same time, Otto claws onto a screw on the claw machine, causing it to fall over, the impact forcing those two pins to also fall over.  The Pin Pals win the trophy, but Burns has another 'change of heart' and takes the trophy for himself.  Regardless, the team, with Otto will still cherish that they're a team, though later attempts by the 'team' to steal the trophy back from Burns proves painful.

Quick Review
Team Homer is good episode, but a step down from the other episodes thus far in the season.  The quantity of gags and jokes were just a bit less than in other episodes for the season, but its still a high quality episode.

Final Score: 8.5

Marge Be Not Proud (S07, E11-139)

How many kids have had this feel, hm?

Plot Summary
As Christmas time nears, Bart is faced with two dilemmas.  One, as a growing ten year old, he's becoming a bit tired of Marge treating him like a little kid still.  Two, a much more pressing concern, Bart desperately wants the bloody video game Bonestorm after seeing an ad for it on TV, but Marge quickly decides not to buy it for him.  He can't rent it because all of the rental copies are rented out, and Milhouse refuses to let Bart play his copy even though its very clearly a game that can be played with two players.  Bart decides to go to a store, specifically the Try-n-Save, and look sad near the game so that someone will buy it for him.  There, he sees Nelson and Jimbo shoplifting other goods, noting that its a victimless crime.  With the door giving access to the games open and a rather biased inner-convo, Bart decides to steal the game.  He makes it out the door, but is stopped just outside by store security.

The security guy tries to call Bart's parents about the attempted shoplift, but they aren't home so a message is left instead.  As Bart leaves, the security guy warns Bart never to step into the store again.  Bart is able to make it home before the family and replace the answering machine tape with a copy of Allen Sherman's Camp Grenada.  Feeling great after seemingly dodging a bullet the next morning, his mood quickly sours when he learns the family is going to the same Try-n-Save to take a family portrait for Christmas.  Despite every attempt to either hide his face or hasten the family's time in the store, Bart is still found by that security guy just as the picture is being taken, and as the latter is about the show the family the incriminating tape, Bart finally reveals that he did indeed shoplift, much to Marge's disappointment.

Marge is still in disbelief over what Bart did, coming to realize that he's grown up, and treats him as such the following day, though in a way which makes it look like she's distancing herself from Bart (though that might've been intentional).  Becoming frustrated over these turn of events, Bart goes back to the Try-n-Save to "show what a black sheep can do".  Upon returning home, Marge notices Bart hiding something again and goes to confront him, but Bart reveals he had taken another photo of himself, with the receipt stapled on, and Marge forgives Bart.  She lets Bart get his present early, which as she was told by a clerk at the store what one game every boy wants, Bart gets the hot new game Lee Carvallo's Putting Challenge.  Bart is able to express joy over the gift, and he and his mother reconcile.  Bart, I assume, then gives the game a try before quitting out of boredom.

Quick Review
Marge Be Not Proud is a solid episode, with good gags throughout though most of the hilarity comes from the video game related plotlines, not so much the shoplifting ones.

Final Score: 8.7

The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular (S07, E10-138)

I wonder how many people looked like this when seeing Good Night for the first time.

Plot Summary
The episode acts like a special, with Troy presenting clips in some sort of order.  The first few clips are actually the full-length 'episodes' of the show that were featured on the Tracy Ullman Show, where The Simpsons originated from.  After that, Troy answers some letters that were mailed in, showing clips that may or may not show "Homer getting stupider" every season and the "real deal" with Mr. Smithers.

Then comes the true gem of the episode: deleted scenes.  The first few shown are nice, but then the last couple are fairly big: an alternate scene in Burns' Heir where Homer tries to retrieve Bart from Burns concludes not with Burns simply locking the door, but rather sicking a Richard Simmons robot on Homer before it goes haywire and blows up.  The other big set of clips occur from the conclusion of Who Shot Mr. Burns?, where its revealed that several scenes of different people shooting Burns (including those who weren't suspects, like Apu) were animated, and an entire ending where Smithers ended up shooting Burns was animated to prevent anybody from leaking the real ending where Maggie did it.  With those scenes revealed, the show ends with what everyone was waiting for: hardcore nudity, though most of it is just ass and more ass.

Quick Review
While this episode is a dressed up clip show, its still a very well dressed up clip show, one very much unlike the last effort where this one takes clips, some of which have never been aired, and wraps it up in a nice package presented by Troy McClure.  As a result we end up with a very strong episode.  The retrospect was, well, okay, but the deleted scenes at the end plus the portrayal of Matt Groening as some kind of right-winged nut were both well done.  Finding a way to get Troy McClure included in this was an excellent move as well.

Final Score: 8.9

Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming (S07, E09-137)

The bomb, like Bob's plan, is fated to simply fizzle out.

Plot Summary
While watching Sideshow Mel get made a fool of again on Krusty's show, the kids remind Homer of the things Sideshow Bob has done in the past.  At the same time, in the minimum security prison Bob went to after being convicted of voter fraud, Bob becomes increasingly frustrated towards the cesspool of entertainment otherwise known as television.  Soon, the inmates at the prison are forced to clean up an air force base for an upcoming air show (which the Simpson family will be going to much to Marge's dismay).  Bob takes the opportunity to escape just as the air show is about to begin.

Bob is able to pick up on the mannerisms of the base's colonel, and pretends to be him over an intercom to gain access to a bomb storage, where he steals an atomic bomb.  Hiding himself somewhere, a rather high-pitched Bob appears on the jumbotron at the air show to announce his demands: either eliminated TV in two hours, or he'll detonate his atomic bomb.  As panic quickly escalates as everyone evacuates the base, Bart is able to separate from the group and go back in, with Lisa following.  Meanwhile, with such a strict deadline, Mayor Quimby has no choice, despite Krusty's objections, to force all TV to end.  Krusty however isn't licked quite yet, as he realizes that the Emergency Broadcast Network is still live, and makes the trek to the remote location the EBN is at to begin broadcasting himself - the only thing on TV now.

Lisa realizes that Bob is in the blimp at the base, given how high-pitched Bob's voice was during his announcement.  As the two reach the blimp, Bob finds out in horror that Krusty is still on the air.  His campaign to end TV foiled, Bob decides to 'take the easy way out' and detonate the bomb.  However, the bomb is a dud, as it was built in the 50s and Bob was too taken up on the retro look to pass up on it.  His plans foiled further, he tries to take it out on Bart, but Lisa is able to call the police to the scene, foiling Bob again.  In desperation, Bob kidnaps Bart and makes a getaway on the Wright Brothers plane that was on display.  Far too slow to be intercepted by modern jets yet too above the ground to actually grab, Bob is successfully making his getaway, but his mission isn't to escape: its a kamikaze mission to crash into the station Krusty is at, to kill Krusty.

As the plane approaches, Bart is able to warn Krusty to escape, however the plane is moving far too slowly and upon hitting the shack, it only bumps into it and falls to the ground.  Bob is arrested, finding terrible irony in that his plan and its ruination are not unlike a plot devised by some Hollywood TV hack.  Just then, Grampa rolls up on a motorcycle ready to burn rubber, much to Marge's dismay.

Quick Review
This episode is considered a bit of an oddball among the early Sideshow Bob episodes, the premise is kinda screwy admittedly, but there are still plenty of jokes and gags that carry the episode through its premise and makes for another top notch Sideshow Bob episode and another quality Season 7 episode.

Final Score: 9.3

Mother Simpson (S07, E08-136)

Plot Summary
Rather than help clean up a Burns-owned highway on a Saturday, Homer goes out of his way to fake his own death so that he can just waste the day away instead.  With his co-workers all witnessing the "death", news of it spreads quickly, with neighbors and sisters-in-law trying to comfort (or celebrate with) Marge.  Marge scolds Homer over it, and has him go the next morning to prove his status among the living.  At the cemetery, he does so but with an attitude and after demanding he see his government profile, he notices what appears to be a glaring error: his mother is still listed as alive.  Homer tries to point out the grave his dad claimed to be his mother's, but upon closer inspection it's just Walt Whitman's grave.  He inspects another grave, but it turns out to be his, falling in over the shock.  Then, he gets scolded by an old woman for messing around in her son's grave.  As Homer is pointing out to the woman that its his grave, both people realize what that means, and Homer has reunited with his mother.

He introduces her to the family, who are a combination of shocked and stunned over this development.  While "Mona" Simpson starts to get along with the family, most notably Lisa, suspicions begin to rise.  For one, Mona refuses to talk about where she's been the past 27 years.  Bart finds several fake IDs in her purse, as well.  Mona also avoids being seen by the police, which confuses Lisa.  Homer also doesn't know why she left him, presuming he had something to do with it, which prompts Marge to inquire about her past as well.  With the whole family on her, Mona decides to reveal her story.

It was 1969, and as Mona tucks away young Homer for bed time one night, she notices her husband Abe watching Super Bowl III.  On the broadcast, she sees Joe Namath put on display his long hair, which blows Mona's mind, showing her a new revolutionary side of things.  In that vein, she joins a protest against Mr. Burns, who was heading a germ warfare building at the time (guarded by Clancy Wiggum, who was in student security).  She and the group decide to build a device that releases concentrated antibiotics into the building, pretty much killing all the germs in the building (as well as Wiggum's asthma).  Burns arrives just in time to be trampled by the group, but Mona makes the mistake to see if Burns is alright.  Burns sees to it that she'll be arrested, but Wiggum's incompetence allows Mona to escape.  However, now that her face is on the news, she's forced to go on the run, kissing Homer good night one last time.

Homer still wonders about one thing: how come Mona never sent him any packages?  Turns out, she sent one every week but Homer never received them because the letter carrier is never tipped at Christmas.  While Homer and Mona go to the post office to retrieve the packages, Mr. Burns happens to be there as well, and is able to identify Mona, requesting the FBI and Chief Wiggum to track her down.

The search takes the police to the graveyard and eventually to Patty & Selma, who have the tombstone Mona was visiting: Homer's.  Meanwhile, after Mona is painstakingly reunited with Grampa and the group sits down for dinner, Homer receives a call, and he and Mona quickly take their leave just before Burns and company arrive.  At a distant locale, the tipster calls again, revealing that Mona was responsible for clearing up his asthma, allowing him to rise up the ranks and become Police Chief Wiggum (though Homer hangs up before that last part).  With Mona's hippie group ready to pick her up, Mona says her goodbyes to Homer and departs.

Quick Review
In terms of comedy, Mother Simpson isn't among the best episodes of Season 7 thus far.  However, this episode is an emotional one, as Homer is reunited with, then separated from, his long lost mother.  The scene at the end can be a tearjerker, and really boosts the quality of the episode, making it one of Season 7's best.

Final Score: 9.5

King-Size Homer (S07, E07-135)

Lisa has it pretty rough in this episode.

Plot Summary
Homer absolutely, doubtlessly hates the nuclear plant's exercise program consisting mostly of light calisthenics, the only one to actually dislike the program.  He learns that another co-worker is unable to participate by getting injured and going on disability.  Quickly, Homer attempts to go on disability himself, and finds something that'll work that won't also cripple him potentially: hyper-obesity.  At 239 pounds and 300 pounds being the "goal", Homer gets to work to achieves what must be a dream for him, with Bart's help and Lisa's protest.  When Marge learns of the plan, she too is put off by the idea, but isn't given a chance to state her protests until its too late.  Soon enough, Homer reaches his goal, and is given a work station in his house from which to operate.

The station is mostly straight forward, with questions having 'yes' or 'no' inputs such as "Vent Radioactive Gas?" and the like.  Lisa starts to get creeped out by all of this, while Marge admits to Homer that she finds him less attractive physically now, but Homer is defiant, proud of his achievement, and taps 'yes', later just 'y', on that computer like nobody before him.

That enthusiasm soon wavers, and as Marge is out running errands, Homer finds himself bored.  He leaves to watch a movie, leaving a drinking bird toy to tap 'y' for him instead.  At the theatre, he learns he can't buy a ticket because his stature is too large to fit the theatre's seats.  After being mocked by others, Homer is defiant again, proclaiming that the overweight are just as hardworking, and that its time to make their voices heard.  While stating that overweight people aren't lazy or irresponsible, he comes home to see the bird topple over, and the nuclear plant reaching meltdown status.

Learning the problem to be the lack of vented radioactive gas, Homer then finds out that the system will have to be shut down manually - at the plant - to prevent catastrophe.  Attempts to call the plant fail because his fingers are too big to dial.  Attempts to drive his car or ride a skateboard both fail as he's too heavy for either one to deal with.  Eventually, Homer grabs a hold of an ice cream truck (by sheer coincidence of course), and drives it to the plant.  At the gas tank, Homer is unable to reach the manual shutdown as the hatch below him blasts open.  Luckily, Homer's large body falls onto the hole containing the now vented tank, plugging it up to prevent the meltdown.  Later, Burns awards him with a medal and Homer, for Marge's sake, asks Burns to make him thin.  Burns agrees, but after a failed attempt at exercise, Burns simply pays for liposuction, which Homer is more than happy with.

Quick Review
King-Size Homer is a very in depth look over the life of the obese, or so this episode has portrayed it to be, with its own sets of challenges and rewards.  In the end, Homer proves that being heavy does not mean being lazy, or unengaged and that when it counted, he was as willing and active as any thin man can be.  The episode itself?  Another strong effort for this season, not quite among the best thus far, but it still has a lot of content that's funny in one way or another.

Final Score: 8.9

Treehouse of Horror VI (S07, E06-134)

1995's computer animation, everyone!

Plot Summary
The annual installment returns with three more tales that, well, are a step down from earlier tales.

Attack of the 50 Ft. Eyesores
Homer is largely disappointed when the 'colossal' donut from Lard Lad Donuts turns out to be much smaller than he thought.  Vowing to get his colossal donut, Homer returns that night, as an ionic storm hits, and steals the giant donut fixed onto the Lard Lad statue.  Just as Homer taunts the Lard Lad when driving away, an ionic bolt of lightning hits the Lard Lad, bringing him to life.  A similar occurrence begins with many other advertising icons as well.

As Homer enjoys his newfound donut (though all he can really do is sit in it), the advertisements wreak havoc across town.  The Lard Lad eventually finds Homer, who denies having taken the donut.  Marge urges Homer to give him the donut as the chaos will end.  Homer does so, but the chaos continues anyway as the Lard Lad now uses the donut as a destructive aid.

Lisa notices the name of an advertising agency on the Lard Lad's footprint, and goes there to investigate.  There, she learns from that company's head that, like with all advertising, the icons will go away once they're ignored.  Given that the icons create attention with destruction, Lisa and the company head enlist Paul Enka to sing a tune to Springfield asking them to "just don't look".  The ploy works (though Homer is the last to listen as Lard Lad gains his attention with a "now with sprinkles" sign), and the icons all become lifeless.
Individual Score: +1.2

Nightmare on Evergreen Terrace
Bart's dream is violently interrupted by Groundskeeper Willie, who tries to slash him with a rake.  Bart wakes up to find scars from the attack on his physical body as well.  He confirms that other kids have had close calls with Willie in their dreams, though Principal Skinner tries to quell them by saying there's nothing suspicious about Willie's mysterious disappearance, nor the cover up behind it.  The situation comes to a head when Willie is able to kill Martin in his sleep, leaving Bart and Lisa to learn the truth from their parents. 

Some time ago, parents were brought to school for a meeting on a cold "Smarch" night (the meeting was to talk about misprinted calenders).  Homer turns up the heat despite Willie's warning not to, engulfing the furnace with flame, as well as the nearby Willie.  Willie's efforts to seek help are hindered by the parents' self-absorbency, and as he burns away, Willie promises to attack their children in their sleep.

Knowing they could die the next time they sleep, the Simpson kids try to stay awake, but they can't hold out for long.  Bart decides to confront Willie in his dream for a final showdown, asking Lisa to stay awake in the meantime.  In the dream, Bart is able to trick Willie and seemingly defeat him, but Willie rises from the trap, and grabs Bart (as well as Lisa who fell asleep anyway).  Just then, Maggie appears in the dream and finds a way to defeat Willie, saving Bart and Lisa and possibly ending Willie's threat for good, though in the morning Willie appears in front of them after they've awoken to taunt them.
Individual Score: +1.4

Homer^3
With Patty and Selma coming over for what ends up being seashell cleaning, Homer desperately hides behind a bookshelf, where he notices an odd portal in the wall.  Taking his chances with it rather than his sisters-in-law, Homer stumbles upon an odd dimension where he appears in CG 3D.  His voice now booming over everyone else, Marge and the others get help to figure out where Homer is and how to get him back.  As Homer explores the 3D world, which he tries to explain is like Tron, some sort of cone pokes him in his ass.  As he tosses it away, the pointed end hits the ground, creating a hole which slowly expands, swallowing anything around it like a black hole.

Professor Frink reveals to everyone that Homer has wandered into the "third dimension", full of such oddities like "cubes", but as Homer's new world begins to collapse upon itself, Bart desperately tries to go into the dimension to rescue Homer.  However, the effort fails, and Homer falls into the hole as Bart gets pulled back.  With Marge worried sick about Homer's fate, Homer ends up in the real world, unsure of what has happened and people staring at him, though he finds momentary comfort when he stumbles upon a store with erotic cakes.
Individual Score: +1.0

Quick Review
Overall, the quality of these segments is a bit less compared to the Treehouse of Horrors prior to it.  Homer^3 is more of a showcase of 3D technology at the time and as such its attempts at humor are lessened.  Its still a solid installment to the series, but its not as good as it could've been.

Final Score: 8.6