R&R Homer's Enemy

[Tamaki Suoh]

I suppose both your and Imperciph's points are valid, but I guess it just seemed like the beginning of the change in Burns' character for the worse, growing increasingly more ludicrous until now he is just a complete fop.

[Zowie]

This one is simply one of the all time greatest. The concept is so strong, the animation is great,Hank is wonderful as Frank Grimes(thank god there are DVDs so i can watch them in english now) and I believe, if i must work with Homer in a Power Plant I`ll go crazy,too.

[Starman]

I hate Homer's Enemy for the same reasons the small amount of people out there do. I will never lower myself to liking an episode where people treat someone's death as a joke. I genuinely felt sorry for Frank for the whole episode. Whether the episode was set up brilliantly, had a good sub-plot, and had some great gags, none of them matter when something like that happens. It's not dark, it's not funny, it's just stupid and no matter how much anyone wants or tries to convince me, I will never ever like this episode.

D-

[TheForbiddenDonut]

Since when did they treat Frank's death as a joke? Homer's not caring was a joke. The death itself was pretty intense.

[violent jase]

Starman completely misses the point again. I really need that head explosion gif.

[Chou]

"Homer's Enemy" is a great episode, IMO. The concept is good; I like the idea of an average man entering the crazy world of The Simpsons and being totally irritated (because really, that's how most of us would react, I think). Hank Azaria is brilliant as Frank Grimes, I'm actually glad they didn't get William H. Macy to be in it because Azaria was just so good. It seems like some people think Homer is being mean here, but really, he's just being himself. It may be Grimes who's at fault, because he just can't accept Homer, who's obnoxious but means well. The episode presents a great character study, in Frank Grimes, in Homer, and in their own quirky little universe. The death scene, while perhaps mean-spirited in the end, really says something about Homer, I think. Not that's he's a meany-head (:silly but in a way, he can't help himself. He is who he is.

5/5

[Starman]

Since when did they treat Frank's death as a joke?

I don't know, laughing contently as his coffin is lowered into the Earth? Ring any bells?

[TheForbiddenDonut]

The death scene, while perhaps mean-spirited in the end, really says something about Homer, I think. Not that's he's a meany-head () but in a way, he can't help himself. He is who he is.

Yeah, the thing is. That's totally in-character for Homer. It may seem mean, but it's the way he is. If you have a problem with Homer in this episode, you may as well have a problem with him in every episode.

I don't know, laughing contently as his coffin is lowered into the Earth? Ring any bells?

Again, Frank Grimes wasn't being laughed at. It was Homer who was being laughed at for not caring, which is perfectly in-character for him

You know what's really funny? You gave ''Round Springfield' a good grade and yet it has a character dying and Homer buying a hot dog at the funeral! It's barely any different.

[Starman]

You know what's really funny? You gave ''Round Springfield' a good grade and yet it has a character dying and Homer buying a hot dog at the funeral! It's barely any different.

No, Bleeding Gums Murphy's death was treated with respect. It made me feel sad when he died, because they didn't spend the whole damn episode showing him getting spat on by the public. Hell, Lisa cared about him - who cared about Frank?

And buying a hot-dog, sure, is similar, but as I said, how can it compare to everyone at Frank's funeral laughing contently as his coffin is lowered into the Earth? It simply can't because they're two different things.

[TheForbiddenDonut]

No, Bleeding Gums Murphy's death was treated with respect. It made me feel sad when he died, because they didn't spend the whole damn episode showing him getting spat on by the public. Hell, Lisa cared about him - who cared about Frank?

Maybe it's because BGM's death deserved respect. And yeah, they did spend the whole damn time showing him get spat on by the public. His whole flashback showed how everyone had forgotten about him, Reverend Lovejoy was a jerk, Homer happily bought a hotdog at his funeral, no one showed up at his funeral (see, at least people showed up at Frank's funeral), and then no one else remembered him whatsoever.

And buying a hot-dog, sure, is similar, but as I said, how can it compare to everyone at Frank's funeral laughing contently as his coffin is lowered into the Earth? It simply can't because they're two different things.

Hey, they were laughing at Homer being funny. I do it whenever I watch classic 'Simpsons'. Since when do funerals have to be depressing anyway? They were just having some fun.

[Starman]

Maybe it's because BGM's death deserved respect. And yeah, they did spend the whole damn time showing him get spat on by the public. His whole flashback showed how everyone had forgotten about him, Reverend Lovejoy was a jerk, Homer happily bought a hotdog at his funeral, no one showed up at his funeral (see, at least people showed up at Frank's funeral), and then no one else remembered him whatsoever.

Yeah, but they didn't do any of that in a cruel way. And knowing that Lisa cared so much for him definitely makes up for it.

Hey, they were laughing at Homer being funny. I do it whenever I watch classic 'Simpsons'. Since when do funerals have to be depressing anyway? They were just having some fun.

O...o...wh...oh, now I get it! Ha, that's actually pretty funny! I mean, if that isn't funny, then my username isn't St....*gets painfully electrocuted*

[Imperciph]

The episode is a metaphor on how no matter what happens Springfield always returns to status quo at the end, no matter how illogical it might seem on occasion. That scene just shows that in the (fictional) Simpsons universe, the restoration of status quo has already started to take place and everyone is forgetting the sordid details of Grimes' death and instead focussing on Homer's wacky antics.

No one's laughing about Grime's death : it's just a very meta scene commenting on how the writer's are pressing on the reset button and by next episode Frank Grimes will be forgotten and everyone go on about their regular roles.

It's ok not to like it, just stop missing the point of it by such a wide margin.

[Starman]

Yeah, well it just shows that no matter how hard I try, I will never get this episode, and I'm perfectly happy to do so. That final scene is still silly and misleading.

[MikeAaronB]

The only good thing that came out of this episode was Homer going "Change the channel Marge!", because that's the quote I use to describe Season 13 of the show. </pointlesspost>

[Starman]

The only good thing that came out of this episode was Homer going "Change the channel Marge!", because that's the quote I use to describe Season 13 of the show. </pointlesspost>

[TheForbiddenDonut]

Yeah, but they didn't do any of that in a cruel way.

Maybe because BGM was important to Lisa, so he got fair treatment. Frank Grimes was meant to illustrate 1) how hardworking members of society get the short end of the stick whereas incompetent people often get high financial positions, and so his death helped convey that, 2) how messed up Springfield is as a whole by representing a realistic intelligent person interacting with a world of stupidity in ignorance, and so his death helped convey that, and 3) how more incompetent and less intelligent people, people who take life as it comes, are often more down-to-earth, humanistic, and overall likable than people who work hard but lose touch with others and take no joy in life, and so his death helped convey that.

Imperciph's got a good explanation too.

Yeah, well it just shows that no matter how hard I try, I will never get this episode, and I'm perfectly happy to do so. That final scene is still silly and misleading.

Wait what? So you just admitted that you enjoy living in ignorance and that a scene that just about everyone else EXCEPT you understands and appreciates is misleading?

[Starman]

Maybe because BGM was important to Lisa, so he got fair treatment. Frank Grimes was meant to illustrate 1) how hardworking members of society get the short end of the stick whereas incompetent people often get high financial positions, and so his death helped convey that, 2) how messed up Springfield is as a whole by representing a realistic intelligent person interacting with a world of stupidity in ignorance, and so his death helped convey that, and 3) how more incompetent and less intelligent people, people who take life as it comes, are often more down-to-earth, humanistic, and overall likable than people who work hard but lose touch with others and take no joy in life, and so his death helped convey that.

What do you want me to say? I think this episode was far too soon for the show, just like I think many other things in Season 8 were; "Homer's Phobia" was too soon for the style of the show, "Hurricane Neddy" ruined Ned Flander's character, so that was obviously too soon for Ned's character, and "Lisa's Date With Density" was just a little too soon for Lisa as well. If all these episodes were made a season later, I'd probably love them. Hell, if this was a Season 9 episode, I'd probably find a way around my hate for it, because things like this are inevitable at around about this time and I would've come to expect things like this. This, and the episodes I just mentioned are in the season directly after the one with my favourite episode of all time in it. I repeat, some of my least favourite things that happened on the show came just a season after what I call almost the best season in the history of the show with some of the best episodes of all time. That's why I think it was too soon.

Wait what? So you just admitted that you enjoy living in ignorance and that a scene that just about everyone else EXCEPT you understands and appreciates is misleading?

No-one else on this site shares my opinion of the episode, obviously, but there are still some that do. Read some of it's reviews on it's snnp page. Even Josh and Bill mentioned people hating it, so what, they were referring only to me?

[Simpsonsfan1981]

I loved this episode -it ranks for me as a classic and definitely one of my favorites. I loved the character of Frank Grimes and how they portrayed his relationship with Homer. I thought the script was well-written and the plot and storyline flowed nicely. I've read somewhere that the writers created this episode to show that the world of the Simpsons couldn't align itself with the real world and I think that most of the points that Frank Grimes makes in this episode -especially when he visits Homer's house -very adequately conveys this

My only minor criticism of this episode is that they didn't need to make Homer's stupidity so exaggerated in order to show what an annoying buffoon he can be at times. Homer's character is such that he has proven time and time again that he can annoy people without having to go to extremes to do so and I think that the writers probably tried a bit too hard to convey his stupidity when they didn't need to

I also think that they should have kept Grimes on as a semi-permanent character rather than killing him off. I enjoyed him in the role of a nemesis and would have loved to have seen him playing the role of the antagonist in subsequent episodes of the show.

But all in all a classic episode -5/5

[violent jase]

.
What do you want me to say? I think this episode was far too soon for the show, just like I think many other things in Season 8 were; "Homer's Phobia" was too soon for the style of the show, "Hurricane Neddy" ruined Ned Flander's character, so that was obviously too soon for Ned's character, and "Lisa's Date With Density" was just a little too soon for Lisa as well. If all these episodes were made a season later, I'd probably love them. Hell, if this was a Season 9 episode, I'd probably find a way around my hate for it, because things like this are inevitable at around about this time and I would've come to expect things like this. This, and the episodes I just mentioned are in the season directly after the one with my favourite episode of all time in it. I repeat, some of my least favourite things that happened on the show came just a season after what I call almost the best season in the history of the show with some of the best episodes of all time. That's why I think it was too soon.

What the hell? So if the exact same episode aired 1 season later with no changes made to it whatsoever, you would love it? Sorry but that makes no sense.

[TheForbiddenDonut]

What do you want me to say? I think this episode was far too soon for the show, just like I think many other things in Season 8 were; "Homer's Phobia" was too soon for the style of the show, "Hurricane Neddy" ruined Ned Flander's character, so that was obviously too soon for Ned's character, and "Lisa's Date With Density" was just a little too soon for Lisa as well. If all these episodes were made a season later, I'd probably love them. Hell, if this was a Season 9 episode, I'd probably find a way around my hate for it, because things like this are inevitable at around about this time and I would've come to expect things like this. This, and the episodes I just mentioned are in the season directly after the one with my favourite episode of all time in it. I repeat, some of my least favourite things that happened on the show came just a season after what I call almost the best season in the history of the show with some of the best episodes of all time. That's why I think it was too soon.

Well that was a whole lot of nonsense. "Yeah, if something bad airs after something good, it's bad, but if something bad airs after something bad, it's good!" It doesn't matter when something aired. It's always the same episode. What, so is season 12 your 2nd favorite season because it came after the worst season in the show's history?

No-one else on this site shares my opinion of the episode, obviously, but there are still some that do. Read some of it's reviews on it's snnp page. Even Josh and Bill mentioned people hating it, so what, they were referring only to me?

But no one there who hated it seemed to miss the point or bothered to label it misleading.

[Starman]

Well that was a whole lot of nonsense. "Yeah, if something bad airs after something good, it's bad, but if something bad airs after something bad, it's good!" It doesn't matter when something aired. It's always the same episode. What, so is season 12 your 2nd favorite season because it came after the worst season in the show's history?

Well no, because I don't consider Season 11 the worst season in the show's history. I don't despise Season 12, but I don't like it, and it's not because it's nowhere near as bad as Season 11 that I like more things about it, but because some things in Season 12 are genuinely great.

If something bad airs after something good, it's bad because....well, why isn't it? it marks the decline in quality. But if something bad airs after something bad, sure, it's still bad, but so what, I expected it, it's nothing new.

[TheForbiddenDonut]

But here's the thing. You're letting when something aired dictate its quality. Again, it doesn't matter when, it just matters how good or bad something is. Why would anyone even bother to keep air-dates in mind anyway? Even though I expect garbage in a lot of seasons doesn't mean I'm going to go easy on them, and even though a lot of average episodes air after great ones doesn't mean I'm going to go hard on them. It's just a stupid way of reviewing episodes. An episode is the same no matter when it airs. The exact same. THE EXACT SAME. If you would honestly give 'Homer's Enemy' a better grade just for being in a different season then you're not grading the episode itself, which is what your grade should dictate. It should never be about the season, always about the episode itself.

[Starman]

But here's the thing. You're letting when something aired dictate its quality. Again, it doesn't matter when, it just matters how good or bad something is. Why would anyone even bother to keep air-dates in mind anyway? Even though I expect garbage in a lot of seasons doesn't mean I'm going to go easy on them, and even though a lot of average episodes air after great ones doesn't mean I'm going to go hard on them. It's just a stupid way of reviewing episodes. An episode is the same no matter when it airs. The exact same. THE EXACT SAME. If you would honestly give 'Homer's Enemy' a better grade just for being in a different season then you're not grading the episode itself, which is what your grade should dictate. It should never be about the season, always about the episode itself.

Yes, I know. If "Homer's Enemy" aired five years later, it would still be of the same quality. The way it stands out in comparison to the season it represents is still something to consider. I would still grade the episode on what it is, even if it was in Season 9, except my personal opinion of it would change.

[TheForbiddenDonut]

Okay, then. I guess I'm good with that.




Not really.


Wait didn't you say that 'Lisa's Date With Density' was of high quality but you personally didn't care for it, but still grade it based on your personal feelings?

[Starman]

Yes, but for me, the "high quality" doesn't take effect with the silly plot. The episode's "high quality" which it clearly shows it has, was not used to the fullest of it's potential.

[Nebuchanezzar]

Starman, take a breath and think before you say. As a result, you'll lead yourself to make conclusions that aren't totally uncool!

[CalumWhitehouse]

5/5 for definite. Laughed almost all the way through the episode and I was happy about Homer dominating the show with his jokes.

[Kiyosuki]

I'm coming into this late but...on the Burns was stupid thing, I don't think he was either. Just simply oblivious and eccentric. Doesn't mean he's stupid, even Lisa goes into that mode once in a while. Even in the earliest seasons when Burns was generally as sharp as a dagger he also had those moments once in a while.

Thing is, everyone has to be a little dense in this show once in a while. Part of the joke of the Grimes character is he's never dense or oblivious. If you ask me...the guy's also got no sense of humor which is maybe a subtle little note the writers are giving us since Grimes has no life and destroys himself.

Generally though he just doesn't fit in that world at all. Then again though, a guy -that- uptight wouldn't be all that popular in ours either I say.

[Inamon]

A.

Good review huh? Seriously, this episode is one of the most funniest episodes of the entire series. The dark structure was impressive, and Frank Grimes was a good character. I laughed about ten times of the subplot alone, and the plot was somewhat unqiue. The + is removed due to some lacking Homer characterisation.

[Capt Hammer]

BUMP