Rate & Review: Homer the Vigilante

[Simpson Purist]

7/10

One of the weakest episodes of season 5 and like Homer Goes to College, it acted as a precursor for the show's "Golden Age." There's a lot of silliness present in this episode, not to mention one of the most non-sensical (albeit quite amusing) endings in the show's history.

[Garp]

I give it a 7/10, too.

[Voodoo Monkey]

4/5. It wasn't that bad. Sure, the ending was predicatble, but it had some good jokes, and was still better than anything Scully wrote.

BTW, kudos on the Foxtrot ratings.

[DotheBartman]

I watched this again recently, and realized something: its really almost no different from a lot of Scully's Homer gets a new job episodes. Sure, its a little funnier, but that's about it. Homer's a complete ass in this one, seriously, wanting to take over the world, "bossing everyone around", etc, and is also probably the stupidest he ever was before Scully, save for maybe Homer Goes to College. Plus there's overly wacky stuff, the rest of the town acting much dumber then usual (chasing after the big T is bad even for Springfield), etc.

Still, I just can't hate it. It gets away with its problems mainly because its still pretty funny, and because it was at least done before its formula became the entire show. Still, I couldn't really give it much more then a B/B-.

Edit: I must comment on the above post. Scully's executive producing may not have produced many better ones (though some, like "Cartridge Family", are miles ahead), but as a writer he generally did better stuff then this, before he took over anyway. Lisa on Ice, Lisa's Rival, Marge Be Not Proud, and Lisa's Date with Density are all much better then this episode.

[Eddie]

It did have some good one-liners, but overall it just wasn't that memorable. Not much here but some entertaining goofiness. 3/5

[Mayor Quimby]

You guys are Crazy Talking! This episode is awesome I gave it a 5/5 one of the best from a great season. I realize that he is a tad Jerkassish in this episode. It was very very humoress. I could watch this over and over.

[Tibor]

Funny, but flawed. Flawed, but funny. That's the rundown.

B+

[Wezzo]

B+. 4/5. You know how it is, rockin' and rollin'.

[NoOneFamous]

Its really one of the worst of the classic era, and the whole thing is actually very scully-ish, but a lot of great humor and the ending save it. 4/5, B-

[George Cauldron]

It is very very funny, but ultimately it seems like plot and characterization were put on hold while the writers wrote the best jokes possible.

[snrub]

Saw it for the first time ever a few months ago. I didn't think that it was anything special - but I didn't think it was a poor episode either as it was quite funny in places.

3/5

[Rowdy Roddy Peeper]

i rate this around 4/5 probably

[Mike Scully]

Originally posted by George Cauldron
It is very very funny, but ultimately it seems like plot and characterization were put on hold while the writers wrote the best jokes possible.

Agreed. Grade: A/A+ :D

[mohammed jafar]

HAH!

a lot of the jokes don't work IMO

Homer strangling the stage manager for example

[Mike Scully]

Originally posted by Mohammed Jafar
HAH!

a lot of the jokes don't work IMO

Homer strangling the stage manager for example

Hey, even the best episodes have a failed moment or two. Homer's rapmaster microphone was also slightly lame.

Any other jokes that didn't work? Nope, don't see any, sorry.

[Moose of Doom!]

4/5

One of my favorites. Filled with great movie references, wonderful uses of minor characters, and one of the alltime best lines of Homer stupidity: "Oh Kent, anyone can make up statistics, forfty percent of people know that!"

[mohammed jafar]

Originally posted by Mike Scully
Hey, even the best episodes have a failed moment or two. Homer's rapmaster microphone was also slightly lame.

Any other jokes that didn't work? Nope, don't see any, sorry.

How about "where did you get that saxophone?" "Sears." "Get him.". Fairly dumb typical Jerkass joke, that one.

Also, the way in which the identity of the cat burglar was made so blindly obvious after the "tooth fairy" bit was pretty lame....

[doyle]

it was pretty good, but not great. there were much better episodes in S5

[NoOneFamous]

Originally posted by Mike Scully
Hey, even the best episodes have a failed moment or two. Homer's rapmaster microphone was also slightly lame.

Any other jokes that didn't work? Nope, don't see any, sorry. I thought that was funny.. it only seems kind of lame now because they say "Its Hammer!!", which is really outdated.

[SideshowTim]

5/5, I loved this episode.

[simplysimpsons]

I thought the rapmaster gag was hilarious! I know Homer's a bit of a jerk in this one, but I thought there were a lot, and I mean a lot of really funny jokes. Sure, the big T thing was zany, but I loved it. There was a bit of a dull patch between the burglar raiding the home and Homer becoming the vigilante, but I dunno, the episode works almost purely on humour alone. Grampa shone in this one, too. A-

[Rest your giant head]

5/5 This episode is dear to me,because it was one of the first episodes I saw. Really solid,but there are many episodes of season 5 that are better than this one. "Homer the vigilante" also contains the very first appearence of jerkass Homer,but it was still funny.

[BrideofMoleman]

I'm not too fussed over Jerkass Homer, but I just feel like there is a big chunk missing out of this episode. I'm not quite sure what it is, but it feels quite empty to me. I think this episode could have been better if they focused more on the cat burgular terrorizing the town, rather than Homer's crazy antics (I do love him arresting Flanders). I thought it would have been funnier if the cat burgular was someone we already knew, but I guess that random old guy was all that we got. The ending was great though. I thought this was a very enjoyable episode to watch (and one of my favorites as a kid), but the huge missing part needs to be filled for a top score by me.

3.5/5

[Ivan]

Personally I find this episode enjoyable, but at the same time it's one of those episodes that I have seen so much I know what to expect, which makes it on the whole actually less enjoyable than it should be. The beginning and the whole vigilante bit, in my opinion, was well done. The ending, however, seemed to lose it's way, as if the writers had no idea what they were doing with it.

3.5/5

[Homer Jay]

This episode was one of the funniest of the season. Although I have not seen the entire movie, the parody of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World was great. Homer's stupidity may have been an at an all-time high, but boy was he funny. B+

[Green_Peaness]

Shit...I was gonna give this an A and say "who cares about slight characterization issues" but Mike Scully already did that. Still, I agree this episode is hilarious throughout, and the ending has especially grown on me.

This is one of the first episodes I would show any non-fan.

[Sniper Squirrel]

One of the great's, I love it when Homer strangles the stagehand and when he and Skinner have their Dragnet speech, I also liked the way Maloy walked, much more vertical than usual

[Oliver.]

2/5
It get from me Is it simply not funny.

[LionelBrockman13]

Homer is obviously an idiot, but I never got the feeling that he verged into "Jerk-Ass" territory; he's more characteristic of the "Mirkin Homer" of Seasons 5 and 6.

I see this ep as more of a "Marge vs. the Monorail" type episode, where it's obvious from the very beginning that characterization is being eschewed in favor of continuity-bending gags. If you look at in that regard, I don't think any of Homer's behavior is that excessive or out of line, save for one or two moments.

I watched this one recently, and maybe it's because it came on the heels of the comparatively dry Season 8 episodes I had watched, but man it was hilarious. Two bits always make me laugh out loud: Frink's anti-theft house and his consolation that "the real people won't burn quite as quickly", and Kent Brockman's line that "heavy sack beatings are up a shocking 900 percent".

The only complaint I have with the ep is that the first half of the third act (up until Malloy reveals that he stashed his loot under the Big T) is kind of slow and ruined by too many dumb moments. The ending redeems things though, and the first two acts are so good that it gets an A from me.

[Rococo Fox]

Extremely outlandish and not very funny. Just rather stupid and the only redeeming quality was that the thief in question was actually quite an entertaining and humorous one, although he wasn't very original and at times seemed like a Sideshow Bob knockoff. 2/5

[chagopian]

HAH!

a lot of the jokes don't work IMO

Homer strangling the stage manager for example

That's a ******* awesome joke.

You guys a prissy nutbags, not every episode of the show needed to be deep and rich for it to be "good". I bet you people still think that the Jean years are better than the Scully years just cause Jean gives a **** about story while Scully wanted to make us laugh. Without jokes, this show is garbage.

[Green_Peaness]

^I essentially agree with this guy. This is some of the best comedy ever created by humans; I repeat, some of the best comedy ever and I say that without hyperbole. Yet some people complain that Homer vaguely resembles a crappier characterization that he'd have five years in the future, therefore B-. :o|

[Moe Nopoly]

i really like this episode, it's at least a good episode and quite entertaining. Also most of the time funny enough. 4/5

[jaww05]

Dig up, stupid!

[Jye]

One of my favourites of all time. 5/5.

[Nebuchanezzar]

Hilarious and a lot of fun. Perfect characterisation of Homer imo. 5/5

[SilverEagle]

:( Why would someone give this a 2/5?

It's a 4.5/5 in my mind. Not an absolute classic, but hilarious just the same. Apparently that just isn't good enough for some.

[The Law-Talkin' Guy]

If it's S5 it's going to be good...3.5/5.0

[Rococo Fox]

Just rewatched it and my opinion has changed, but only slightly. I still think it's a rather poor episode, with a lot of failed jokes and many scenes that missed their mark. However, among the failed jokes, there were also some brilliant ones, which redeemed the episode a bit. Grandpa's characterization was also interesting and very humorous in this one. 3/5

[My Two Cents]

This episode had some good moments such as Homer's jug dance :D and most of Kent Brockman's lines. Plus Grandpa was very funny too. But the plot was a bit too zany for me. 3.5 /5.

[RoyScorpio]

3/5

[ThatAsianGuy]

an okay episode, I liked the ending parody of "It's A Mad, Mad, Mad World" but the overall episode didn't quite feel comfortable with itself.

[Fox Executive]

OK, but not more. maybe the worst of its season. 3/5

[Sprocketeer]

A bit wacky, but it was wacky in a very funny way. Mirkin was able to pull off wackiness right. 4.5/5

[Kiyosuki]

Well it's one of my personal favorites. As much as I like the deep and multi layered stuff if it ever happens, It's plain delusional I think to say the show should never do zany, but there is a better way to do it than others and I thought this was a good example of that. It wasn't moronically zany, it had a genuine point behind it. It was just a fun episode that didn't get so crazy that it just started indulging in itself like some other episodes.

[Van Houten]

My opinion on this episode hasn't really changed much since the first time I saw it. I don't find it outrageously wacky for the most part except for the ending. Grampa was funny and I still love Moe's "But you gotta supply your own knobs" line. 4/5

[Dewey Finn]

The humor was definitely apparent with some good movie parodies (Dr. Strangeglove and It's Mad Mad Mad World, mainly) and it made me laugh for sure. It also gave a good satire on modern society ala 'Whacking Day'. However, to be really honest everything that happened after Molloy was caught was just painful to see with very supposed zany ending that never worked for me. C+