The Simpsons Episode-by-Episode: S7E15-17: Bart the Fink/Lisa the Iconoclast/Homer the Smithers

It sounds a bit like "Ace in the Hole" (a Kirk Douglas movie)

 

Season 3 - Episode 14: Lisa The Greek [8F12]

Wikipedia article
Simpsons Archive capsule

Original Airdate: January 23, 1992
Writer: Jay Kogen & Wallace Wolodarsky
Director: Rich Moore

Chalkboard gag: N/A
Couch gag: Homer accidentally sits on Santa's Little Helper.

Plot synopsis: Lisa's football predicting skills brings about a closer relationship between Homer and Lisa, not to mention making Moe broke, until Lisa realizes that the relationship may end with the Super Bowl.

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If I had been more consistent with this thread I probably would have gotten this episode up this past Sunday. Sorry guys. :p

 

I like the bonding we see between Lisa and Homer here, but I don't get a lot of the football stuff.

What about the phone line homer calls? The security camera in the dressing room?

When Bart goes shopping with Marge it reminds me of shopping for clothes with my own parents, they NEVER have the same taste you have and it's really hard to say "Mum, I hate this stuff!"

Waiter: Hello, I'm Marco, I'll be your waiter.
Homer: Hello, I'm Homer, I'll be your customer.

Bart ordering the wine: No, no, no, no! My God! What passes for a wine list these days? Marco, just bring us your freshest bottle of wine, chop-chop.

The ending was good, even though I don't like American football and never experienced the superbowl hype.

 

Season 3 - Episode 15: Homer Alone [8F14]

Wikipedia article
Simpsons Archive capsule

Original Airdate: February 6, 1992
Writer: David Stern
Director: Mark Kirkland

Chalkboard gag: "I will not spank others"
Couch gag: The family forms a pyramid.

Plot synopsis: When the family causes Marge to flip out, she takes a vacation from it all at Rancho Relaxo, leaving Lisa and Bart with Patty and Selma, and Homer alone with Maggie. Then, Maggie goes searching for Marge.

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"This is Arnie Pie with Arnie in the Sky. We've got big problems on the Springfield Memorial Bridge, people. Traffic going waaaay back in both directions. And look out at the corner of 14th and Elm, because I just dropped my bagel."

^Classic Arnie. :p

 

Season 3 - Episode 16: Bart The Lover [8F16]

Wikipedia article
Simpsons Archive capsule

Original Airdate: February 13, 1992
Writer: Jon Vitti
Director: Carlos Baeza

Chalkboard gag: N/A
Couch gag: An octopus-like alien sits on the couch, and then disappears, before the family arrives.

Plot synopsis: He has the name of the 23rd president, the face of Gordie Howe, and the lines of a Frenchman. Is Mrs. Krabapple's new pen pal/lover Bart's latest practical joke? Meanwhile, Homer starts building a doghouse, and learns to give up swearing.

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Strap on your skates, Gordie, you're going in!

 

Updating...

 

I've always thought Season 3 is when the show started getting really good, and this episode is one of the reasons. From the "Zinc" movie to Homer's swearing (I don't know why, but "Damn crappy nails!" always makes me laugh), and of course, the letters, it's just a really funny episode.

Oh, and "Strap on your skates, Gordie, you're going in!" was the first thing I thought of when I saw the title bar.

 

Season 3 - Episode 17: Homer At The Bat [8F13]

Wikipedia article
Simpsons Archive capsule

Original Airdate: February 20, 1992
Writer: John Swartzwelder
Director: Jim Reardon

Chalkboard gag: "I will not aim for the head."
Couch gag: The family run to the couch, and bang their heads together, knocking them unconscious. Maggie gets to the couch successfully.

Plot synopsis: The episode follows the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant softball team, led by Homer, having a winning season and making the championship game. Mr. Burns makes a large bet that the team will win and brings in nine ringers from the "big leagues" to ensure his success.

Guest stars: Roger Clemens, Wade Boggs, Ken Griffey, Jr., Steve Sax, Ozzie Smith, José Canseco, Don Mattingly, Darryl Strawberry, Mike Scioscia, Terry Cashman

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This episode has classic written all over it. From Ken Griffey's gigantism to Ozzie Smith's disappearance off the face of the earth to Roger Clemens becoming a chicken, this episode is truly a home run. It even inspired the creation of an [link=http://boards.theforce.net/the_arena/b10777/25593896/p1/?4]Arena thread[/link]. ;)

 

Haven't seen this one, unfortunately...

 

Truly an excellent episode. The argument between Wade Boggs and Barney is hilarious. Burn's initial roster is my favorite laugh though.

"I'm afraid all those players have retired and passed on sir."

 

Dude....seriously? It's regarded as one of the best episodes ever and certainly the best of Season 3.

 

How have you never seen this episode? I would guess I've seen it at least 10 times.

'But there are hundreds of unsolved murders in New York!'
'You just don't know when to keep your mouth shut, do you Sax?'

Gold every time.

 

I've never seen them all...

 

As a Cub fan I was disapointed to hear Ryne Sandberg turned down the Second Baseman role

I love the fact that Burn's RF was Jim Creighton, arguably Baseball's first star... in the Civil War era

 

Season 3 - Episode 18: Separate Vocations [8F15]

Wikipedia article
Simpsons Archive capsule

Original Airdate: February 27, 1992
Writer: George Meyer
Director: Jeffrey Lynch

Chalkboard gag: "I will not barf unless I'm sick"
Couch gag: Bart leaps into everyone's lap.

Plot synopsis: After taking the Career Aptitude Normalization Test, or CANT test, Lisa finds out she's more suited to be a homemaker, while Bart is more suited to be a police officer. While Bart enjoys his taste of authority, Lisa turns into a bad kid.

Guest star: Steve Allen

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Forgery! So he didn't have leprosy!

 

What's with the panther skinner had?

And I think those tests were rigged in a sexist way.

 

Season 3 - Episode 19: Dog Of Death [8F17]

Wikipedia article
Simpsons Archive capsule

Original Airdate: March 12, 1992
Writer: John Swartzwelder
Director: Jim Reardon

Chalkboard gag: "I saw nothing unusual in the teacher's lounge"
Couch gag: Homer gets there first and lies down. The rest of the family arrive and sit on him. Homer flails his arms.

Plot synopsis: When Santa's Little Helper suffers from a twisted stomach, the Simpsons sacrifice in order to pay for a life saving operation. However, when the family's morale suffers from the cuts, the dog runs away, and quickly becomes one of Mr. Burns' hounds.

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One of Homer's best lines:

"If you were 17, we'd be rich! But nooooooooooo you had to be 10!"

 

I enjoy Homer's hand motions while saying "We'll get a new dog. One with an UNTWISTABLE stomach!"

 

"This is the part of the job I hate!", I love that part.

The chair device that holds Santa's Little Helper in place with his eye lids open is hilarious as well as the video.

 

Season 3 - Episode 20: Colonel Homer [8F19]

Wikipedia article
Simpsons Archive capsule

Original Airdate: March 26, 1992
Writer: Matt Groening
Director: Mark Kirkland

Chalkboard gag: "I will not conduct my own fire drills."
Couch gag: Everyone sits on the couch, and falls in with their legs behind their heads.

Plot synopsis: After a particularly bad movie experience, Homer drives to a bar where he discovers a singer named Lurleen Lumpkin. Now, Colonel Homer is her manager, much to Marge's disgust.

Guest star: Beverly D'Angelo (Lurleen Lumpkin)

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"Oh man that's hot. There isn't a man alive who wouldn't get turned on by that. Well, gotta go!"

 

Classic Bart and Lisa moment.

Lisa: (hides her eyes) Tell me when it's over.
Bart: It's over.
Lisa: AHHHHHH!

And I love what Marge says to Homer before he goes out, to remember how he has a family that loves him very much.

 

Poor Homer can't negotiate:

"Now before we negotiate, I have to tell you I'm desperate to unload Lurleen, and I'll take any offer."

And he gets 50 bucks.

Love the sign constantly changing outside the trailer park too ("2 DAYS SINCE LAST TWISTER").

The whole "Homer and Marge have issues which threatens their relationship but they make up at the end" plotline has now become an overused cliche but seen here in the early seasons it made a great episode.

 

Is Lureen based on Tammy Wynette, do you think? Stand by Your Manager may be a clue.

 

Season 3 - Episode 21: Black Widower [8F20]

Wikipedia article
Simpsons Archive capsule

Original Airdate: April 9, 1992
Writers: Story by Thomas Chastain & Sam Simon, Teleplay by Jon Vitti
Director: David Silverman

Chalkboard gag: "Funny noises are not funny."
Couch gag: Two thieves are carting the couch away. The family leap onto the couch, but the thieves dump them off onto the floor and continue.

Plot synopsis: Sideshow Bob gets paroled, and marries Selma. However, Bart suspects that Sideshow Bob has something else up his sleeve.

Guest star: Kelsey Grammer (Sideshow Bob)

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Typical Sideshow Bob greatness. I love the part with Bart trying to explain to Homer what Bob is planning to do and also this:

Sideshow Bob: [quietly] Soon I will kill you...
Selma: What?
Sideshow Bob: "Son pied sent il beau." French for "Her foot smells lovely."
Selma: Oh...
Sideshow Bob: [quietly] Prepare to be murdered...
Selma: Huh?
Sideshow Bob: "eh pah dee meh moo-doo." That's....Sanskrit for "Your toes are like perfume."
Selma: Oh...
Sideshow Bob: [quietly] Voy a matar a Usted.
Selma: Wha?
Sideshow Bob: That's Spanish for... [quietly] I'm going to kill you...
Selma: Say what?
Sideshow Bob: My dear, I do believe it's time for your beloved MacGyver!

And the Dinosaurs parody at the beginning is gold.

 

Certainly has similarities (working as a bar waitress before being discovered, "Stand By Your Manager"), though I think she may be inspired by country female singers in general. Her Wikipedia entry mentions that she could be a parody Dolly Parton.

Interesting tidbit: apart from having odd cameo roles here and there, the character Lurleen returned as a major character 16 years later in the episode "Papa Don't Leech"

EDIT: aaargh - I was responding to Katana above (Boba got in before I finished posting).