Homer the Smithers

Last updated

"Homer the Smithers"
The Simpsons episode
Episode no.Season 7
Episode 17
Directed by Steven Dean Moore
Written by John Swartzwelder
Production code3F14
Original air dateFebruary 25, 1996 (1996-02-25)
Episode features
Couch gag The Simpsons are wearing fezzes and drive to the couch in minicars. [1]
CommentaryBill Oakley
Josh Weinstein
Steven Dean Moore
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Lisa the Iconoclast"		Next →
"The Day the Violence Died"
The Simpsons season 7
List of episodes

"Homer the Smithers" is the seventeenth episode of the seventh season of the American animated television series The Simpsons . It originally aired on Fox in the United States on February 25, 1996. [1] In the episode, Smithers takes a vacation and hires Homer to temporarily replace him as Mr. Burns' assistant, reasoning he will do such a poor job as to not risk Smithers being replaced, only for this to lead to Mr. Burns becoming so self-reliant that Smithers is fired on his return.

Contents

The episode was written by John Swartzwelder and directed by Steven Dean Moore. [2] The plot came from another writer on the show, Mike Scully. The episode features cultural references to The Little Rascals , a series of comedy short films from the 1930s, and the 1971 film A Clockwork Orange .

Since airing, the episode has received mostly positive reviews from television critics. It acquired a Nielsen rating of 8.8, and was the fifth-highest-rated show on the Fox network the week it aired.

Plot

As employee night at the Springfield drag races ends, Smithers fails to protect Mr. Burns from being harassed by a drunken Lenny (although he was only thanking him). Smithers tries to make amends the next day but again bungles his duties. When he attempts to drown himself in a water cooler, Burns demands he take a vacation once a suitable replacement can be found. Seeking a substitute who will not outshine him, Smithers selects Homer.

Homer is scolded for being unable to perform any of his duties to Burns' satisfaction. He is soon exhausted after waking up at 4:30 a.m. to prepare Burns' breakfast, assist him at the office all day, and cater to his every whim late at night in his mansion. After enduring Burns' constant abuse for several days, Homer loses his temper and knocks him unconscious with a punch. Fearing he has killed his boss, Homer flees to his house in panic. At Marge's urging, he returns to the plant to apologize, but a frightened Burns turns him away. Stranded out of fear in his office, Burns gradually learns how to complete all of his tasks single-handedly and soon embraces his newfound self reliance. After thanking Homer for helping him pick up a more independent lifestyle, Burns fires a now-obsolete Smithers upon his return.

Unable to find another job, Smithers enlists Homer's help in a scheme to get his job back: he plans to save Burns from a phone call from his abusive mother, the one task he still cannot handle alone. Homer accidentally disconnects Burns' mother and tries to impersonate her voice. He is caught by Burns, who berates him and Smithers. A furious Smithers attacks Homer in Burns' office. During the tussle, Burns is accidentally pushed from a third-story window and seriously injured, forcing him to rely on Smithers completely again. In gratitude, Smithers sends Homer a fruit basket with a thank-you note.

Production

The episode was written by John Swartzwelder. John Swartzwelder Brighter Sharper.jpg
The episode was written by John Swartzwelder.

The episode was written by John Swartzwelder, [2] who got the story from another member of the writing staff, Mike Scully. When the show runners of this season, Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein, took over the job from David Mirkin, they wanted to "take the show back" to the Simpson family. Their goal was to have at least fifteen episodes per season that revolved around the family or a member of the family, but they still wanted to do the annual Halloween episode, a Sideshow Bob episode, an Itchy and Scratchy episode, and a "format bending" episode, which in this season was "22 Short Films About Springfield". They wanted the family episodes to be realistic, and Oakley thought "Homer the Smithers" was a good example. When Scully pitched the idea to the writers, Oakley was surprised that it had not been done earlier on the show. He thought the story sounded like something that would have been done by the third season because it was "simple" and "organic". [3]

Weinstein said that this episode was an opportunity for him, Oakley, and Swartzwelder to "go nuts" with the "Burns-ism". He said that they enjoy writing for characters such as Burns and Abe Simpson because of their "out-datedness", and because they get to use thesauruses for looking up "old time slang". For example, Burns answers the phone by saying "Ahoy, hoy!", which was suggested by Alexander Graham Bell to be used as the proper telephone answer when the telephone was first invented. Burns' kitchen is full of "crazy old-time" devices and contraptions. For inspiration, Weinstein brought in "a bunch" of old books with designs of old kitchen devices. [4] Oakley commented that the stuffed polar bear had always been in Burns' office, and they were excited to "finally" have a use for it. [3]

Matt Groening has noted the challenges of sound mixing with this episode, the results of which influenced future episodes of the show and Groening's other series Futurama . [5] When the animation for the episode returned, the production staff found the scene of Homer fighting Smithers "horrifying", as the sounds of character exertion made it seem too violent. [6] After experimenting with the sound, they were eventually able to make the scene humorous by only leaving in sounds of the characters' agony. [6]

Cultural references

When Homer gets up early to make Mr. Burns breakfast, he wakes up Marge in bed. She says: "Homie, it's 4:30 in the morning. Little Rascals isn't on until 6", referencing The Little Rascals , a series of comedy short films from the 1930s. [1] Smithers uses a Macintosh computer with the Mac OS operating system to search for his replacement. [2] At the end of the episode, Burns is lying in bed in a body cast, chewing loudly and pausing his speech for Smithers to spoon-feed him, as in the film A Clockwork Orange when a bedridden Alex is spooned steak. The manner in which Burns becomes injured is also similar to Alex: they both take a potentially life-threatening fall. [1]

Reception

In its original broadcast, "Homer the Smithers" finished 60th in the ratings for the week of February 19 to February 25, 1996, with a Nielsen rating of 8.8. [7] The episode was the fifth-highest-rated show on the Fox network that week, following The X-Files , Beverly Hills, 90210 , Melrose Place , and Married... with Children . [7]

Since airing, the episode has received mostly positive reviews from television critics.

Dave Foster of DVD Times said that "Homer the Smithers" shows "just how dependent upon Smithers Mr. Burns is". He added that the staging and animation of the scene in which Homer tries to apologize to Burns "will remain engraved in your memory in the same way as some of the series finest dialogue can". [8]

DVD Movie Guide's Colin Jacobson enjoyed the episode and commented that "any doubts about Smithers' sexuality will not last long when we see his vacation". Jacobson would have liked to see more scenes from Smithers' vacation, but he still thought the episode offered "nice exposition" for the character. He added: "It’s fun to see more about his pampering of Burns, and it’s amusing to watch Homer take over for him." [9]

Jennifer Malkowski of DVD Verdict considered the best part of the episode to be the scenes of Smithers on vacation. She concluded her review by giving the episode a grade of A−. [10]

The authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, called it a "very good episode, and an unusually straightforward one for this surreal season". [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grampa Simpson</span> Recurring character in The Simpsons

Abraham Jay "Abe" Simpson II, better known as Grampa Simpson, is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He made his first appearance in the episode entitled "Grandpa and the Kids", a one-minute Simpsons short on The Tracey Ullman Show, before the debut of the television show in 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waylon Smithers</span> Fictional character from The Simpsons franchise

Waylon J. Smithers Jr., usually referred to by the names Mr. Smithers, or simply Smithers, is a recurring character in the animated sitcom The Simpsons, voiced by Harry Shearer. His first appearance was in the episode of "Homer's Odyssey", although his voice could be heard in the series premiere "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". He is the consummate executive and personal assistant of Springfield Nuclear Power Plant's owner Mr. Burns, and is usually treated unfairly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josh Weinstein</span> American television writer and producer

Josh Weinstein is an American television writer and producer, known for his work on the animated comedy series The Simpsons. Weinstein and Bill Oakley became best friends and writing partners at St. Albans School; Weinstein then attended Stanford University and was editor-in-chief of the Stanford Chaparral. He worked on several short-term media projects, including writing for the variety show Sunday Best, but was then unemployed for a long period.

<i>The Itchy & Scratchy Show</i> Fictional animated series on The Simpsons

The Itchy & Scratchy Show is a fictional animated series featured on The Simpsons. The cartoon depicts a sadistic mouse named Itchy who repeatedly maims or murders a black cat named Scratchy. It is typically presented as 15- to 60-second sketches that are a part of The Krusty the Clown Show. Itchy & Scratchy is filled with graphic violence, unsuitable for children, that almost invariably prompts laughter from The Simpsons characters, especially Bart and Lisa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homer's Enemy</span> 23rd episode of the 8th season of The Simpsons

"Homer's Enemy" is the twenty-third episode of the eighth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It was first broadcast on the Fox network in the United States on May 4, 1997. "Homer's Enemy" was directed by Jim Reardon and written by John Swartzwelder, based on an idea pitched by executive producer Bill Oakley.

"Marge Be Not Proud" is the eleventh episode of the seventh season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on December 17, 1995, exactly six years after the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". In the episode, Marge refuses to buy Bart the new video game Bonestorm, so he steals it from a local discount store. Bart is estranged from his mother after he gets caught, so he works to regain her love and trust.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Oakley</span> American television writer and producer (born 1966)

William Lloyd Oakley is an American television writer and producer, known for his work on the animated comedy series The Simpsons. Oakley and Josh Weinstein became best friends and writing partners at St. Albans School; Oakley then attended Harvard University and was Vice President of the Harvard Lampoon. He worked on several short-term media projects, including writing for the variety show Sunday Best, but was then unemployed for a long period.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scenes from the Class Struggle in Springfield</span> 14th episode of the 7th season of The Simpsons

"Scenes from the Class Struggle in Springfield" is the fourteenth episode of the seventh season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on February 4, 1996. In this episode, Marge buys a Chanel suit and, invited to join the Springfield Country Club, becomes obsessed with trying to fit in with Springfield's upper class.

"The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular" is the tenth episode of the seventh season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on December 3, 1995. As the title suggests, it is the 138th episode and the third clip show episode of The Simpsons, after "So It's Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show" and "Another Simpsons Clip Show".

"Lady Bouvier's Lover" is the twenty-first and penultimate episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 12, 1994. In the episode, Abe Simpson falls in love with Marge's mother, Jacqueline Bouvier, and they start dating. However, on a night out in town, she is charmed by Mr. Burns. Abe is brokenhearted when he learns that Jacqueline is going to marry Mr. Burns.

"Homer Simpson in: 'Kidney Trouble'", or simply "Kidney Trouble", is the eighth episode of the tenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on Fox in the United States on December 6, 1998. In the episode Grampa's kidneys explode, leaving him in urgent need of a donor. His son Homer initially agrees to donate one of his kidneys, but after hearing of side effects of only having one kidney, he begins to have second thoughts about the operation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">22 Short Films About Springfield</span> 21st episode of the 7th season of The Simpsons

"22 Short Films About Springfield" is the twenty-first episode of the seventh season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox Network in the United States on April 14, 1996. It was written by Richard Appel, David X. Cohen, Jonathan Collier, Jennifer Crittenden, Greg Daniels, Brent Forrester, Dan Greaney, Rachel Pulido, Steve Tompkins, Josh Weinstein, Bill Oakley, and Matt Groening, with the writing being supervised by Daniels. The episode was directed by Jim Reardon. Phil Hartman guest-starred as Lionel Hutz and the hospital board chairman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homie the Clown</span> 15th episode of the 6th season of The Simpsons

"Homie the Clown" is the fifteenth episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on February 12, 1995. In the episode, Homer becomes a Krusty the Clown impersonator, but is mistaken for the real Krusty by the Springfield Mafia. Joe Mantegna returned as Fat Tony, while Dick Cavett and Johnny Unitas guest starred as themselves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Hunka Hunka Burns in Love</span> 4th episode of the 13th season of The Simpsons

"A Hunka Hunka Burns in Love" is the fourth episode of the thirteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network on December 2, 2001. In the episode, Mr. Burns falls in love with Gloria, a woman who is much younger than he is and who turns out to be Snake Jailbird's ex-girlfriend.

"Home Sweet Homediddly-Dum-Doodily" is the third episode of the seventh season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on October 1, 1995. In the episode, following a series of misunderstandings, the Simpson children are put in foster care at Ned and Maude Flanders' house. Homer and Marge are forced to attend a parenting class to get their children back.

"Mountain of Madness" is the twelfth episode of the eighth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 2, 1997. In the episode, Mr. Burns forces his employees of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant to go for a team-building hike in the mountains. Burns and Homer are paired together and trapped in a cabin that gets buried by several avalanches.

"Bart the Fink" is the fifteenth episode of the seventh season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on February 11, 1996. In this episode, Bart inadvertently exposes Krusty the Clown as one of the biggest tax cheats in American history. With his career ruined, Krusty fakes his own death and adopts an alias, until Bart and Lisa convince him to become a television clown again.

"Team Homer" is the twelfth episode of the seventh season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on January 7, 1996. In the episode, Homer starts a bowling team with Moe, Apu, and Otto. When Mr. Burns discovers the team was funded with his money, he insists on joining, but the team fears he will cost them the league championship. In the subplot, Bart's "Down with Homework" T-shirt incites a school riot, so Principal Skinner implements a uniform dress code.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Day the Violence Died</span> 18th episode of the 7th season of The Simpsons

"The Day the Violence Died" is the eighteenth episode of the seventh season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 17, 1996. It was written by John Swartzwelder and directed by Wes Archer. Kirk Douglas guest stars as Chester J. Lampwick, Alex Rocco as Roger Meyers Jr., Jack Sheldon as an anthropomorphic constitutional amendment, Suzanne Somers as herself, and Phil Hartman as Lionel Hutz. The end of the episode features Lester and Eliza, who resemble Bart and Lisa Simpson as they appeared in The Tracey Ullman Show in the 1980s.

Media is a recurring theme of satire on The Simpsons. The show is known for its satire of American popular culture and especially television culture, but has since its inception covered all types of media such as animation, journalism, commercials, comic books, movies, internet, and music. The series centers on a family and their life in a typical American town but the town of Springfield acts as a complete universe. The town features a vast array of media channels—from kids' television programming to local news, which enables the producers to make jokes about themselves and the entertainment industry.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Martyn, Warren; Wood, Adrian (2000). "Homer the Smithers". BBC. Archived from the original on March 9, 2005. Retrieved January 4, 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 Groening, Matt (1997). Richmond, Ray; Coffman, Antonia (eds.). The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family (1st ed.). New York: HarperPerennial. p.  198. ISBN   978-0-06-095252-5. LCCN   98141857. OCLC   37796735. OL   433519M..
  3. 1 2 Oakley, Bill (2005). The Simpsons season 7 DVD commentary for the episode "Homer the Smithers" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  4. ↑ Weinstein, Josh (2005). The Simpsons season 7 DVD commentary for the episode "Homer the Smithers" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  5. ↑ Futurama Volume 6 "Professor Farnsworth's Science of a Scene (DVD/Blu-ray Disc). 20th Century Fox. 2011. David X. Cohen: Matt Groening really laid the foundation of the sound of Futurama. I remember a classic lesson he taught me was when people are having a fight you emphasise the sounds of the person who is getting hurt, rather than the person who is grunting and attacking the other person. He's worked out a lot of the comedy theory of the sound mix.
  6. 1 2 Futurama Volume 6 Professor Farnsworth's Science of a Scene (DVD/Blu-ray Disc). 20th Century Fox. 2011. Matt Groening: This goes back to an episode of The Simpsons in which Homer was in a big fistfight— with Smithers of all people— and when we got the animation back it was just horrifying. Because there was all this sound of exertion, and then we took out all the sounds of exertion after many different kinds of experiments, and when we just left in sounds of pain and misery— agony— people started laughing.
  7. 1 2 "Nielsen Ratings". The Tampa Tribune . March 1, 1996. p. 4. Retrieved on January 4, 2009.
  8. ↑ Foster, Dave (February 25, 2006). "The Simpsons: The Complete Seventh Season". DVD Times. Retrieved December 1, 2008.
  9. ↑ Jacobson, Colin (January 5, 2006). "The Simpsons: The Complete Seventh Season (1995)". DVD Movie Guide. Retrieved December 1, 2008.
  10. ↑ Malkowski, Judge (January 16, 2006). "The Simpsons: The Complete Seventh Season". DVD Verdict. Archived from the original on December 4, 2008. Retrieved December 1, 2008.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.