The Last Traction Hero (S28, E09-605)

Tone it down Marge goddamn, at least Smithers has Burns praying for goodness sake.

Plot Summary
Homer's mischief at work lands him a fall through Mr. Burns' trap door.  However, the trap door is undergoing renovations, and as a results Homer actually gets hurt from it.  Further, because its undergoing renovation, it no longer benefits from old laws which protected Burns from lawsuits.  Essentially, Homer has legal grounds to sue.  Burns sends Smithers to trick Homer into signing a waiver of liability but it only reminds Homer that he can, in fact sue.

While Homer is recuperating, Marge decides to spend more time with him but does so in such a boring way Homer quickly grows weary of her company.  Smithers takes notice of this and decides to befriend Marge, hoping this will somehow get Homer to sign the waiver.  However, as the two talk Marge becomes attracted to Smithers and the latter, realizing this, decides to back off.  Marge, her sexual tension unresolved, decides to use Homer to relieve herself.  Homer realizes what's happened but doesn't care because, hey, sex.

Meanwhile, Lisa catches a fight in the school bus on her phone and reports it to Principal Skinner.  In response, Skinner makes Lisa a bus monitor, and Lisa has complete control over student seating.  As per usual with Lisa, the power goes to her head but eventually the other students rebel, causing mass chaos on the bus.  Lisa realizes that its not that great to be a know-it-all and promises to cut back on it but can't help herself.

Having failed to secure the waiver, Burns orders Smithers to stop visited, which saddens Marge in more ways than one.  Realizing that a friendless Marge is no good, Homer decides to tell Burns he'll drop the lawsuit under the condition that Smithers gets to visit Marge again, which Burns agrees to.  However, because he made his lawyer upset by giving up the lawsuit, Homer makes it up to him by promising to slip on the courthouse steps to setup another lawsuit, however Marge also gets hurt by trying to stop him.  The two reconcile, unable to move on their bed with Grampa spilling hot soup on them all the time, but now they have all the time in the world to talk to each other.

Quick Review
I went into this expecting a marriage-themed episode.  It never reaches that level (i.e. one separates from the other or makes the threat), but from Marge wanting to kiss Smithers and takes those sexual frustrations out on Homer, to Homer being perfectly okay with it, to the point where he was willing to drop a lawsuit to keep being okay with it, just didn't sit right at all.  I guess I should consider myself lucky that it wasn't another marriage episode but the odd characterizations made me wish it was.  Almost.

This episode was another case of where the sidestory was short and pointless.  The humor slows to a crawl in the second half of the episode as well.  Overall, yet another low-tier episode from what has been another low-tier Zombie Simpsons HD season.

Final Score: 6.2

Boy Meets Curl (S21, E12-453)

That passion.  That dedication.  That effort.

Plot Summary
Its date night for Homer and Marge, but Homer is forced to stay late at work.  When Homer eventually gets home they don't have much time left in the night, and the movie they planned on seeing has Ben Affleck in it, so that's a no go either.  Driving around, the two spot a skating rink they could spend time at, but upon entering they find that the skating rink is closed.  Upon further inspection, they find a group of people playing the ever obscure sport of curling.  Principal Skinner and his mother are both there as well, and they invite Homer and Marge to give it a try.  With Homer's bowling experience and Marge's sweeping experience, the two decide to give it a try and quickly fall in love with the sport.

Some months pass, and the two have become experienced curlers.  Skinner stops by to let them know that they've been invited to the Olympic curling trials for mixed demonstration curling.  At the event, it becomes apparent that Homer's poor curling throws are made up for Marge's godly sweeping abilities, and with her able to make up for any of Homer's mistakes, they and the Skinners become the U.S. representatives for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

While all this is happening, Lisa gets tricked into becoming addicted to Olympic pin collecting.  Soon, Lisa spies a rare pin she must have, but running low on funds she gives the guy her pearl necklace instead.  While in Vancouver, Bart sees Lisa playing her sax on the street for money and sees just how addicted to pin collecting she's gotten: her entire dress is made out of pins.  Bart helps her break her addiction by giving up her pins, then creates a fake pin made partly from Homer's driver's license face to give to the vendor as "Fatoff", the newly created mascot pin for the 2014 Winter Olympics.  The vendor falls in love with it and gives Bart the pearls.

At the Olympics, Agnes tries to convince Marge to kick Homer off the team, but she refuses to do so, citing that curling has helped their marriage tremendously.  Homer overhears this but doesn't really do anything particular to improve his skill.  In the semi-final match, Homer makes another poor throw, but Marge is able to sweep like no one has ever swept before to get the rock in the middle, but separates her right shoulder in the process.  The team makes the gold medal match, but with Marge's new injury they'll have no chance of winning against the rather bleak Swedish team.

The family starts to pack up when Homer notices Marge is very capable with her left hand.  She reveals to Homer that she's really left-handed and that she pretended to be right handed to avoid looking unusual.  However, Homer realizes this means she can still sweep, and the two quickly prevent Skinner from signing a concession form so that the gold medal match can be played.  Sure enough, with Marge now sweeping with her main hand, the United States wins its only medal of the Olympics: mixed demonstration curling gold.  During the ceremony, Homer and Marge admit this has been one pretty good date night.

Quick Review
Well, this was a weird episode.  For the most part, it seemed like an advertisement for curling, though the version that was shown in this episode isn't even the same type as the curling often broadcasted in the real Olympics.  As this was mostly an advertisement for a lesser-known version of curling, the opportunity for comedy was limited and while Lisa's pin story actually helps the episode quite a bit, the main story would be really forgettable if it couldn't be remembered as "that curling episode".

Final Score: 6.4

Ice Cream of Margie (with the Light Blue Hair) (S18, E07-385)

That underwear wasn't hard to acquire - its Homer's size after all!  hyuck

Plot Summary
Homer gets fired from work yet again, this time distracted by the music of the ice cream truck.  After indirectly causing the death of the ice cream man, Homer uses his severance pay to buy the truck from the man's disinterested widow.  After pimping out his ride, Homer officially begins his new job as the ice cream man.

Meanwhile, Marge is depressed as she feels she hasn't done anything to leave her mark on the world.  Homer half-assedly tries to cheer her up, but it doesn't work.  Instead, Marge takes notice of all of the left over popsicle sticks Homer acquires from his new job, and decides to create a model of Maggie with them.  Homer is impressed by them, and with Marge finding interest in this hobby, he decides to bring more sticks to Marge.  Soon, Marge's yard is full of stick models of various people across town, and gains enough fame to create a museum of them in her front yard.  Marge insists Homer return from his ice cream route before 3pm, but Homer runs late and, in his haste to return in time, unwittingly crashes his truck through all of Marge's figures, leaving a ruined mess and a furious Marge.

Marge locks herself in her room all night and day, and Homer is unable to reach her.  Homer eventually admits his fault and that the best moments of his now-old job as ice cream man was giving Marge those sticks, and hopes that Marge gives him a sign she still loves him.  Homer falls asleep a short time later, but awakens to find Marge missing.  He finds her near city hall, where Marge reveals that she's create a massive stick model of Homer that she says is a sign of her love as her biggest achievement is dealing with him.  The two reconcile (again), and its revealed that in 200 years, Marge's figure of Homer is the last remaining remnant of Western art after iPods have literally enslaved the nation.

Quick Review
This episode continues a distressing trend in this season where while I haven't found its episodes all that offensive or cringe worthy (the Jazz episode an exception), these episodes just have not provided a decent quality or even quantity of jokes.  The plot was fine for awhile, though it did devolve near the end.  It just wasn't kicking out the jokes that the show had done in the early years or even at least tried to do these past few seasons.

Final Score: 6.0

Please Homer, Don't Hammer 'Em (S18, E03-381)

Those outfits remind me that, despite all else, Luigi is probably a better plumber than Mario.

Plot Summary
The Simpsons visit the mall, which has deteriorated from various factors.  Still, Homer finds a series of books on carpentry and with Marge's urging buys it.  Of course, Homer doesn't give it a second look.  Marge uses one of the books to fix a floorboard and her nightstand, and comes to enjoy carpentry, so she decides to study the entire set of books.  She becomes a capable (though unlicensed) carpenter, and with Lisa's urging decides to take her skills to a professional level.  Unfortunately, she's unable to get any work as people dismiss her abilities because she's a woman.  A frustrated Marge realizes that the only way a carpenter can get work is if that person were a fat man with his ass showing out.  Then she realizes she's married to such a man, and comes up with a plan: have Homer show up as the carpenter, but when nobody's looking, she'll pop out of the tool cabinet and do the actual work.  Seems foolproof, doesn't it?

In a sidestory, Bart is a bit miffed when the school starts banning peanut products on account of somebody having a severe peanut allergy.  Bart investigates into who it is, and with Willie's blundering quickly learns that its Principal Skinner with the allergy.  Quickly, Bart puts a peanut on a stick and quickly taunts Skinner with it, forcing the Principal to do his bidding or else deal with deadly peanut oil.  While embarrassing himself at the comic book store, Skinner learns from the comic book guy that Bart, too, must have a weakness.  Skinner sneaks off that night to the hospital to learn what it is, and the next day confronts Bart with it: shrimp.  The two battle with their allergen sticks, a Star Wars-themed battle which takes them across town and into a Thai food factory.  The battle ends when the two of them fall into a vat full of peanut shrimp, activating both of their allergies to the fullest.

As Marge continues to build her commissioned projects, she becomes more and more frustrated as Homer continues to not just take credit, but boast and gloat over his supposed abilities.  That, combined with overhearing all of her customer's continued mocking of female carpentry, is too much for Marge to deal with.  When Homer tells Marge that he's going to have her fix a gigantic rollercoaster - and still receive zero credit because now Homer doesn't want to get humiliated - Marge officially quits and makes Homer fix the rollercoaster himself.

Obviously, Homer can't, and despite Lisa's insistence to have Homer forgo his male pride, Homer is still determined to show he is capable.  Soon, the rollercoaster is opened again, with a big public gathering, but its clear that the track is nearly unable to stay together.  Rather than admit the truth, Homer tries to flee on the rollercoaster.  Marge, who came to the gathering to videotape Homer embarrassing himself, springs into action and fixes patches of the rollercoaster to prevent Homer from falling off the rails.  Homer finally reveals the truth during the ride, but as it ends the coaster finally collapses upon itself and Homer.  Later, at the hospital, Marge forgives Homer, and congratulates Bart for 'saving' Skinner from the peanut shrimp, though Skinner - in a bed right next to Bart - doesn't like Bart's lies and the two continue to toss allergens at one another, much to Marge's disinterest.

Quick Review
The main plot of Homer taking credit for Marge's carpentry had its humorous moments, but stumbled a bit when it tried to turn things from "Homer refuses to admit it was Marge" to "Homer's male pride refuses to let him admit it was Marge".  Seemed unnecessary.  The peanut allergy side story started off fine as well, but I didn't like the heavy homage to Star Wars Episode III for the story's climax - especially now when that movie is hardly worth spoofing from.  Altogether, it makes for a disappointing episode, one that almost hits the mark but falls apart at the end.

Final Score: 6.4

Marge and Homer Turn a Couple Play (S17, E22-378)

Could Homer be any happier right now?  Maybe if he had some fries...

Plot Summary
The Simpsons learn the Springfield Isotopes are good at baseball again, and decide to hop on the bandwagon.  The team has gotten good since acquiring some big time (yet minor league level) slugger named Buck Mitchell.  Buck is also married to a singer named Tabitha Vixx, who is mostly known for slutting it up during her performances, including the singing of the national anthem at the game.  Buck is embarrassed by Tabitha's dancing, greatly affecting his play, but notices Homer and Marge making out on the kiss cam, somehow making the connection that those are the two that can help fix his marriage.

Buck goes to the Simpson house to officially ask the two to help in marriage counseling.  Marge is hesitant, mostly because her marriage with Homer hasn't been smooth, but Homer helps convince her to give it a try.  The Simpsons' first attempts at counseling don't go very well, as Tabitha's seductive demeanor and Buck's "good ol' boy" attitude continue to clash.  Still, Marge and Homer are able to keep the two together by finding ways they can do high profile stuff together.  The family goes to one of Tabitha's concerts, where afterward Homer goes to see Tabitha in her room.  Tabitha offers Homer some fried chicken she just happened to have, and asks Homer to give her a neck rub.  The moans of ecstasy from Tabitha's rub and Homer's chicken lust can be heard outside, by Buck, who misunderstands and knocks Homer out, basically ending him and Marge as counselors.

With what's happened, Buck's play begins to sour again.  Marge is upset not just because of what Homer did, but also because of her lack of success at counseling.  Still, Homer decides to try one last ditch effort to fix Buck's marriage, and runs off to the stadium.  Tabitha visits Marge shortly thereafter, telling Marge she's going to break up with Buck.  Marge convinces Tabitha otherwise, and the two also head for the stadium.

Homer commandeers the Duff Blimp and uses it to display a message, 'from Tabitha' to Buck.  Buck gets so inspired from it he hits a home run... which flies right into the blimp, causing it to fall.  Homer escapes, but is found by Buck who quickly learns Homer's deception.  Marge appears on the jumbotron just in time to tell Buck that marriage can be hard work, but worth it if you care about the other person.  Tabitha and Buck make up, and their marriage is saved for now thanks to the efforts of the Simpsons.

Quick Review
It wasn't that bad of an episode.  There wasn't all that much that was funny, but there wasn't anything particularly bad about it either.  The plot was alright, thankfully it stayed away from becoming another marriage episode, though it ended on a bit of a rush job.  Still, the jokes weren't all that plentiful.

Final Score: 6.7

Co-Dependent's Day (S15, E15-328)

Damn, I could really go for some of that good word right about now.

Plot Summary
Homer takes the kids to see the latest edition of the Star Cosmic Wars saga.  However, the movie ends up being a lot of exposition (well, a glorified role call, literally), with a few appearances from Jar-Jar Binks Jim Jam Whatever.  Bart and Lisa decide to write to the movie's creator, George Lucas Randall Curtis, a rather fat tiny man.  However, when Lucas Curtis replies as though they liked the movie, the Simpsons decide to go to his ranch in northern California.  While Bart and Lisa go make Lucas Curtis understand their criticisms, Homer and Marge decide to go to a nearby winery.  Marge really gets into it with Homer, and the end up really drunk much to the surprise of both kids because, hey, they never see Marge drunk.

After returning home, Marge continues to drink wine with Homer as much as she can.  Soon, though, she hits her limit and the hangovers get to be a bit much.  She tells Homer they should lay off the wine drinking for awhile, and Homer agrees but then they go attend an Octoberfest anyway.  Rather than offend Germans, Marge has herself a rather large beer she 'nurses', but she winds up wasted anyway and passes out.  Homer, who is pretty drunk as well, tries to drive the two of them home, but promptly drives the car off the rail and into a ditch.  He hears the police arrive and, recalling in his drunken state that one more DUI arrest means the loss of his license, quickly fixes the scene to make it look like Marge drove the car into the ditch, and she gets arrested for DUI.

Marge can't remember much about the night, and thus is disgusted at herself for apparently drinking and driving.  She admits herself into rehab with Barney's help, but Homer begins to regret his decision.  He goes to the clinic and tells Marge the truth, and Marge gets so angry she storms off.  She meets up with others at the clinic, all of whom have their secret stashes and alcohol and Marge decides to join in.  However, Marge isn't as happy as she usually is when drunk, and she realizes that she was happy not because of the booze, but because she spent time with Homer.  She and Homer reconcile, and Marge convinces Homer to give up alcoholic clear liquids so that the two can finally have some memories together that aren't blurs.

Quick Review
Its your average Season 15 episode here, a few good jokes, periods of time where there aren't many jokes, your somewhat offensive plot point (this time, its Homer getting Marge to take the fall for DUI), and your joke-lacking ending.  These episodes have barely been able to stay above 7, and this episode is no different.  The first act, focused on "Cosmic" Wars was just odd, partly because they're going full out on mocking Star Wars yet they don't have enough stones to actually call it that.  Meh.

Final Score: 7.1

Diatribe of a Mad Housewife (S15, E10-323)

Because no one demanded it: the long-waited return of Dr. Marvin Monroe.

Plot Summary
Homer's reckless driving within the plant causes him to lose his job.  Homer finds employment at a used car lot as a salesman.  While there, he sees an ambulance on sale, and when he hears its siren go off, he decides to quit his new job and become an ambulance driver.  While this is happening, Marge and the kids go to a bookstore where Marge meets the author of a series of books Marge enjoys.  Marge gets inspiration from the author somehow, and decides that she can write a book as well.  She starts to write a story about the wife of a whaler, who she imagines is just like herself, and writes the whaler as a more awesome version of Homer.  However, Marge's vision of the whaler lessens when Homer shows a lack of interest in Marge or her book, fully absorbed in his new job.  Feeling neglected, Marge rewrites the whaler as a cruel drunkard who only treats his wife poorly.  Marge decides to add a romantic character who will attract the depressed housewife and models the man after Ned Flanders.  With her conflict set, Marge is able to finish writing her book.

Marge has Lisa preview the book, and Lisa notices that the drunken whaler is a lot like Homer, and advises Marge to have Homer read the story first.  Marge does so, but Homer gets distracted and ends up only reading two sentences, later telling Marge that he liked the story to cover his ass.  Marge is relieved and goes to publish the book, which occurs rather easily.  People across Springfield start reading the book and quickly realize that the main character in the book is a lot like Marge, making the connection.  Homer catches wind of this and finally gets around to reading the book (on audiotape), and learns that the whaler is basically him.  He confronts Marge over this, but before Marge has much of a chance to defend herself (or scold Homer for lying earlier), Homer rushes out angrily to find Flanders.

Ned freaks out over Homer's aggressive greeting, and drives off.  Homer catches up in the ambulance, forcing Ned to pull over.  With this scene mirroring the final scene of the book (where both men end up dying), Homer walks up to Ned... to ask for help in being a better husband.  Marge catches up to see what Homer is really doing, and is relieved.  Homer then declare that the two should 'collaborate on a new project', which is lingo for writing a book about who really killed JFK.

Quick Review
This was another okay episode, with nothing that great but nothing that bad.  Frankly, this scored better than I thought it would, as the scenes that focus on Marge's novel didn't detract from the episode as much as expected.

Final Score: 7.3

The Frying Game (S13, E21-290)

When was Carmen Electra ever actually popular?  Really, when?

Plot Summary
Homer buys Marge a koi pond for their anniversary, but the family is in for a rude awakening when the pond attracts a bug known as a screamapillar, basically a screaming caterpillar.  The EPA runs in and informs the family that its endangered and because of some law now the Simpsons have to ensure its safety while it stays within their property.  One night, though, Homer accidentally knocks it out, but Homer believes he killed it and tries to bury it to hide suspicion.  Of course, the EPA gets on his ass and the screamapillar turns out to be okay.  For his acts, Homer is sentenced to 200 hours of community service.

As part of that service, Homer takes part in a Meals on Wheels program.  One of his stops is at an old, creepy mansion home to an old widow, Mrs. Bellamy.  The two get along at first, but Bellamy begins asking Homer to take care of chore after chore, essentially becoming her work aid.  Marge catches wind of this and tries to talk to Bellamy, but she too gets stuck in the cycle and soon the two are her full-time helpers.  As the two lament over their situation, they hear Bellamy scream.  They find her dying and a robber with braces makes off with her diamond necklace.  Its learned the Bellamy just put Homer and Marge in her will as well, which makes the two the prime suspects (the man with braces left no trace of his being there).

Eventually the police get a search warrant and comb through the Simpsons house, finding Maggie holding the diamond necklace.  Homer and Marge are arrested while they continue to insist they didn't do anything.  They are sentenced to death for the crime, but Homer puts the blame all on himself so that Marge doesn't have to die with him.  At the execution, Homer is put into an electric chair, but just as the switch is pulled, it turns out the two were being rused pretty badly by a new reality show.  The man with the braces?  He's the host.  Mrs. Bellamy?  Just Carmen Electra.  Everything turned out okay, I guess.

Quick Review
The ending was stupid.  Not that the episode was on a comedic run or anything, but the episode ended badly.  I mean, really?  Out of nowhere, they were just part of some prank?  Again?  The screamapillar opening act wasn't that much better, and most of the episode's humor came when Homer and Marge were benefiting from their own suspicions.  Otherwise, not much good happened here.

Final Score: 6.9

Jaws Wired Shut (S13, E09-278)

Homer never did very well taking punches from Tatum, real or otherwise.

Plot Summary
The Simpsons go to the movies, however when the film they see continues to be preceded with preview after preview, Homer goes nuts and tries to incite a riot.  He's chased out by ushers, though, and Homer escapes outside where he ends up running into a statue of Drederick Tatum.  Homer's jaw hits the statue's fist dead on, essentially crushing it.  Later, to repair it Dr. Hibbert wires shut Homer's jaw, leaving him unable to speak or eat solid foods.

Though Homer initially finds it difficult to live with a jaw wired shut, he soon decides to invest his time listening to others, starting with Marge.  Marge comes to like this new Homer, and and is even able to bring him along for a fancy social gathering incident free.  However, at said gathering, Dr. Hibbert sees Homer and tells him that he can remove the wiring the next day, much to Marge's dismay as she's fully aware that this'll mean the return of 'old' Homer.

However, as Homer celebrates the return of his jaw at Moe's, he and Marge are invited to appear on a TV show to talk about his jaw and the person he became while it was shut.  He vows on said show to remain his new, mild self, even stating he won't bother with an upcoming demolition derby in a few weeks.  Marge loves this at first, but as the weeks go on, she grows tired of new Homer, as the days have gotten extremely dull.  One night, she comes to realize that every family needs a wild member, and if Homer isn't going to be wild (and forgetting Bart exists, I guess), then Marge will have to be wild.

Marge signs up for the demolition derby and finds it thrilling at first, but once her car starts getting knocked around its not so fun anymore.  The other Simpsons arrive, but Homer has now become too timid to jump in and help.  Bart finds a quick, simple solution to Homer's dilemma: beer!  Beer loosens Homer's demeanor and he quickly goes down and rescues Marge before her car flips over from the chaos of the derby.  The two resume their roles of wild husband and mild wife, and everything turns out okay.

Quick Review
I liked this episode, there wasn't anything bad about it really, and nothing cringe-worthy either.  Its still not the funniest episode around though, the jokes that did appear worked well for the most part, but its still a fine episode.

Final Score: 7.8

Marriage Episodes

Note: I have decided to stop updating this post as of the end of Season 28.  It'll still be up and might pop up in the random page generator, but I'll remove the link to it on the sidebar and just kind of let it rot.

There are perhaps way too many episodes where the marriage of Homer and Marge Simpson is put in jeopardy, and then ultimately saved.  This list is for episodes where the stability of their marriage is the episode's central theme.  Not episodes such as Bart Gets Hit by a Car, where the subject comes up suddenly at the end.

Note: this list will be updated as I review more episodes.

01) Life on the Fast Lane
Season 01 - Episode 09-009
Marge goes bowling to spite Homer giving her a bowling ball as a birthday present, then becomes closely acquainted with fellow bowler Jacques.
Score: 6.6

02) The War of the Simpsons
Season 02 - Episode 20-033
Tired of Homer's irresponsible behavior, Marge takes herself and Homer to a marriage retreat.  Its at Catfish Lake, and Homer's attempts to fish only complicate matters.
Score: 8.4

03) Colonel Homer
Season 03 - Episode 20-055
Homer becomes the manager of a former bar waitress whose singing he really enjoys.  As she begins falling in love with him, Marge worries that her marriage with Homer is in jeopardy.
Score: 7.5

04) The Last Temptation of Homer
Season 05 - Episode 09-090
Homer becomes attracted to a new female coworker who has a lot in common with Homer, leaving Homer struggling to remain faithful to his wife.
Score: 9.1

05) Secrets of a Successful Marriage
Season 05 - Episode 22-103
Homer teaches an adult education class on marriage, but the only way he can keep them interested is by telling them secrets about him and mostly Marge.  When Marge finds out, things turn real sour.
Score: 7.5

06) A Milhouse Divided
Season 08 - Episode 06-159
After the Van Houtens have an ugly divorce, Homer realizes his marriage hasn't been much better, and decides Marge needs a fresh start.
Score: 8.8

07) Natural Born Kissers
Season 09 - Episode 25-203
Marge and Homer need a new spark in their romance, and get one by getting a thrill via public indecency.
Score: 10

08) Brawl in the Family
Season 13 - Episode 07-276
The family gets help from a social worker to work together, but when Homer's ol' Vegas wife comes to town, it really puts a strain on his marriage to Marge.
Score: 7.4

09) Three Gays of the Condo
Season 14 - Episode 17-308
Homer 'learns' that Marge began to hate Homer when they were going out, and only married him because she was pregnant with Bart.  Angered, Homer leaves and starts living with two gay guys.
Score: 8.0

10) Brake My Wife, Please
Season 14 - Episode 20-311
When Homer loses his driver's license, Marge starts to lose it somewhat, and after a series of events where Marge 'accidentally' hurts Homer, once again their marriage is in trouble.
Score: 7.3

11) My Big Fat Geek Wedding
Season 15 - Episode 17-330
Skinner and Krabappel's relationship falls apart just before they were to wed, while Homer and Marge are dealing with yet another marital spat.
Score: 5.8

12) Mommie Beerest
Season 16 - Episode 07-342
Marge spends time at Moe's after Homer takes out a second mortgage to pay for the bar's repairs.  Homer becomes worried that Marge and Moe are partaking in an 'emotional affair', and tries to stop it.
Score: 5.9

13) Mobile Homer
Season 16 - Episode 13-348
Homer is un-insurable.  Marge tries to penny-pinch as a result.  Homer gets defiant and spends Marge's savings on a mobile home.  Neither are rather happy with one another by this point.
Score: 6.5

14) Bonfire of the Manatees
Season 17 - Episode 01-357
Homer gets in trouble with the mafia again, and the result this time - forcing Homer to have an adult film take place at his house - angers Marge so much she takes up a new passion in manatee care.  Or something like that.
Score: 6.9

15) Milhouse of Sand and Fog
Season 17 - Episode 03-359
Milhouse's parents get back together but they don't pay attention to Milhouse.  Bart tries to split them up again so Milhouse can be showered with love once more, but ends up splitting up his own parents instead.
Score: 7.5

16) Regarding Margie
Season 17 - Episode 20-376
Homer's relationship with Marge nearly ends after Marge suffers amnesia and has no personal bias to prevent her from seeing Homer as the creep he probably is.
Score: 6.7

17) That '90s Show
Season 19 - Episode 11-411
Does it count as a marriage episode when a flashback reveals Homer and Marge had relationship problems before they married?  In the 90s?  ...yes.
Score: 4.0

18) Dangerous Curves
Season 20 - Episode 05-425
A thing Homer and Marge did five years ago at a lodge almost ruins Homer and Marge's marriage today, at that same lodge while a thing they did 20 years ago at that same lodge may save it.  Uh huh.
Score: 5.6

19) Wedding for Disaster
Season 20 - Episode 15-435
Homer and Marge learn their second wedding from earlier was never official, so they try to plan another big wedding, but Marge turns into a 'Bridezilla', causing Homer a lot of grief.
Score: 7.1

20) The Devil Wears Nada
Season 21 - Episode 05-446
Marge gets hot and bothered from her own calender photos, but Homer is so worn out from being Carl's assistant he never has the energy to satisfy Marge's craving libido.
Score: 7.6

21) Moe Letter Blues
Season 21 - Episode 21-462
Moe sends a letter to Homer, Apu and Reverend Lovejoy while they're on a boat telling them he's going to leave town with one of their wives.
Score: 7.0

22) The Spy Who Learned Me
Season 23 - Episode 20-506
Homer gets help from a concussion-induced spy to help fix his marriage.
Score: 6.6

23) Love is a Many-Splintered Thing
Season 24 - Episode 12-520
Homer being kicked out of the house for a while takes a back seat to Bart having love troubles, but its still a pretty big theme in the episode.
Score: 3.9

24) What Animated Women Want
Season 24 - Episode 17-525
Marge is fed up with Homer's lackluster attempts at romance, so Homer tries to fix things by attempting several lackluster attempts at romance.
Score: 6.7

25) Dangers on a Train
Season 24 - Episode 22-530
As Homer secretly prepares Marge's anniversary present, Marge believes Homer forgot again and inadvertently spends some time with a similarly forlorn married man.
Score: 7.0

26) Specs and the City
Season 25 - Episode 11-541
Homer learns via spy-capable smart glasses that Marge has been going to a therapist because of how screwy a husband he is.
Score: 7.0

27) Luca$
Season 25 - Episode 17-547
Marge notices Lisa is into a boy who acts a lot like Homer and worries that she might marry him or another guy who acts just like Homer.  This viewpoint upsets Homer.
Score: 7.1

28) I Won't Be Home for Christmas
Season 26 - Episode 09-561
Marge gets upset when Homer doesn't come home on Christmas Eve, and kicks him out.  When she learns Moe is mostly responsible, she goes out to find and apologize to Homer, whose having a rather odd adventure of his own.
Score: 6.1

29) Every Man's Dream
Season 27 - Episode 01-575
Homer and Marge break up due in large part to Homer's narcolepsy.  Then they find new partners, who are related to one another!  What hijinks!
Score: 6.6

30) To Courier with Love
Season 27 - Episode 20-594
Homer decides to take Marge to Paris to rejuvenate their marriage, but pays for it by being a mob courier.
Score: 6.4

31) Kamp Krustier
Season 28 - Episode 16-612
Homer and Marge stop having sex after Homer realizes he becomes a productive member of society when he abstains.  This is an actual plotline from an episode trying to be a sequel to a Season 4 episode.
Score: 6.5

32) Moho House
Season 28 - Episode 21-617
This time, a wealthy friend of Mr. Burns tries to break them up, using Moe of all people as a catalyst.
Score: 7.3

The War of the Simpsons (S02, E20-033)

This pretty much sums up most of the main plot.

Plot Summary
So, Homer and Marge host a party.  Homer gets extremely drunk at this party, and makes a total ass of himself in front of friends, associates and Marge, though Homer remembers it as a more classy affair.  The next day, Marge, fuming over those events, admits that her love for Homer was shaken and goes to church alone, having Homer explain himself to Bart.  Homer gets to church later on, when Reverend Lovejoy mentions a marriage retreat out at Catfish Lake, and encourages couples whose relationships are hanging by a thread (or just in a need of a tuneup) to attend.  Marge quickly signs her and Homer up for the weekend.

While Homer was initially against the retreat, he quickly remembers that the retreat is at Catfish Lake, and there's fishing to be had, which Marge quickly chides him for even thinking about.  When a babysitter arrives for the weekend, she remembers Bart and his crazy stunts as a baby, and runs off.  Desperate, Marge asks Grampa to babysit, and after taking some offense as being a 'last resort' option, agrees to do it anyway.  On the way, Homer notices a sign for a bait shop.  Using low gas as an excuse (despite having a full tank), Homer buys some bait but in the process learns about "General Sherman", a gigantic catfish that resides in the lake.  Despite his wavering marriage, Homer promises the bait shop he'll catch Sherman.

The marriage retreat only has three couples aside from the Lovejoys: the Simpsons, the Flanders (where Ned is upset that Maude underlines passages in his bible - that wench) and another couple who quickly rekindle their love and make their departure.  After the first day, where Marge soaks up all the time bringing up all of Homer's shortcomings, the next morning is no better when Marge catches Homer trying to sneak out for fishing.  She convinces him to stay, but Homer is unable to sleep and tells Marge he's going to go for a walk.  During the walk, Homer notices a fisherman leaving his rod behind.  Before he can return it, General Sherman grabs a hold of it and drags Homer into a battle for the ages.

Marge, of course, notices this and, at the retreat that day, is told by the Reverend that Homer really is at fault... for everything!  Several hours later, Homer is finally able to subdue and capture Sherman, and is singing fanfare on his way back to the dock, but Marge is furiously waiting for him.  While Marge points out that Homer cares more about that fish than he does their marriage, Homer reactively shows her otherwise by pushing Sherman back into the lake.  Astonished as to what Homer just did, the two are able to reconcile right there and then.

Meanwhile, both Bart and Lisa take advantage of ol' Grampa by pretty much doing whatever, under the excuse of "mom said it was okay".  Bart takes it too far, however, by staging a party and inviting all of his friends, who invite people like Otto, and so on.  Grampa is overwhelmed by the party, and afterwards, cries his heart out over being feeble and useless.  Bart actually feels guilt over what he's done and he and Lisa decide to really clean up the house.  As it turns out, though, Grampa was faking it, having fooled Bart and Lisa with their act.  When Marge and Homer return, Grampa leaves the house as proud as ever.  And at a bait shop, the legend of Homer, the guy who almost caught General Sherman, grows.

Quick Review
We've come to Season 2's "marriage episode", feels like its been awhile since the last one (Life on the Fast Lane, over 20 episodes ago), and this is one of the better marriage episodes of the bunch.  Partly because of the main plot, but the eventual sideplot becomes the more humorous portion of the episode.

This is a great episode for one focused on Homer and Marge's marriage.  However, a lot of the laughs came from the Grampa subplot, where a seemingly overwhelmed old man gets his last lick in and ends up the true victor of the episode.

Final Score: 8.4

The Way We Was (S02, E12-025)

OH THOSE 70s MAN, THOSE CRAZY SEVENTIES

Plot Summary
The episode begins with the family watching two movie critics insulting one another personally, but then the TV breaks down.  While the kids are upset, Marge notes that before they were born she and Homer hardly ever watched TV.  Intrigued about the past, Lisa inquires about how Homer proposed to Marge.  Marge declines to answer (the Season 3 episode I Married Marge answers that, using the same scene as the one featured here), and deflects it away to tell the story of how Homer and she first met, and fell in love.

It was 1974, which could make Homer and Marge 56 years old this year if, you know, things made sense like that.  Anyway, though they were both high school seniors, they had not yet met.  Homer, along with his pal Barney, was a slacker and did his own thing, drank, smoke, etc.  Marge, meanwhile, was a budding activist, taking part in forensics and making stands and such.  Homer and Barney both get caught smoking and are sent to detention.  A short time later, Marge's demonstration outside involving burning a bra for some reason catches the attention of the principal as well and he gives her detention too.  As such, inside the detention room, Homer and Marge meet for the first time.

Immediately in love, Homer tries to get advice from his dad, which doesn't pan out, and his guidance counselor, who doesn't give advice on love normally, but he does let Homer know that Marge is on the forensics team.  Homer signs up and, on a debate on whether the speed limit should be reduce, gives a simple rebuttal: "NO WAY" literally on his ass, fully displaced to everyone.  Its with that backdrop that Homer tries to set something up with Marge, having her ask 'trusted' people about Homer in the process.  Finally, learning that Marge is a french tutor, claims that he's struggling in the class and needs her help.  He's able to invite her over to study french, and after the lessons convinces Marge to dance a little.  The plan is working, and Homer is able to ask Marge out to the prom, which she accepts.  However, knowing Marge likes honesty, Homer lets her know that he never was in a french class, and it was just an excuse to get to know her better.  Angered, Marge storms out and tells Homer she hates him.  Homer, however, still believes the date is still on, and goes out of his way not to see Marge until the prom to make sure of it, skipping school in the process.

Meanwhile, Marge's forensics classmate Artie Ziff (voiced by the ever so wonderful Jon Lovitz) asks Marge out to the prom.  Having essentially dumped Homer, Marge accepts.  It creates an awkward moment the night of the prom, as both men are there to pick Marge up, but its made clear (to the relief of the Bouvier household) that Artie is Marge's date, not Homer.  Homer, having paid for the limo and two dinners, goes to the prom anyway, but is left on the sideline as Artie and Marge win homecoming King and Queen.  Marge sees Homer afterward and though Homer admits that being with Marge is the first things he's ever really been sure about, Marge says that he is just wrong.

After the prom, Homer's time with the limo runs out and is forced to walk home.  Meanwhile, Artie and Marge have time to themselves, but Artie is a little too forward and his efforts tear Marge's dress.  She slaps him and insists she take him home.  On the way, she sees Homer walking along the side of the road, and she remembers just how much he loves her, and though she overhears the family again putting down Homer and talking up the somewhat lecherous Ziff, Marge decides to find and pick up Homer.  Homer then says that once Marge stops the car, he'll hug her, and he'll kiss her and he'll never want to let go, and he never has to the present day.  Its a great conclusion to a great story which Lisa loved hearing (Bart not so much).

Quick Review
The Way We Was is the first of many flashback episodes of the show, and its among the best episodes not just among other flashback episodes, and not just among Season 2 episodes, but among the best episodes of the entire series.  Its a very heartwarming tale wrapped around so much fun and hilarity that it makes for a great episode to watch time and time again.

Final Score: 9.2