R&R Home Sweet Homediddly-Dum-Doodily

[Sprocketeer]

Homer: "Oh Bartholamew, I feel just like St. Augustine of Hippo after his conversion by Ambrose of Milan."
Ned: "What did you just say?"
Homer: "I said shut your ugly face, Flanders!"

Now HERE'S a great episode, complete with some of the best Ned characterization in the series. Yes, he's a religious nut here, but not in the negative pushy jerk sense we've seen under Jean. Definite 5/5

[Snaked]

I never cared for the episode until recently to which I consider it to be top notch compared to the crap of the later years. Funny gags and such and the characters, especially Bart and Lisa, were all characterized properly to the point you could actually feel their pain and just how the episode felt completely natural. "Daddy, what's that red stuff coming out of kitty's ear?", LOL.

5/5

[Rowdy Roddy Peeper]

One of the greatest episodes of any sitcom of all time. Consistantly funny from the start, had one of the strongest stories the show had, as well as the emotional pull to make you really care for the characters.

For any aspiring comedy writers (The current writers) i suggest you study this episode.

[MILPOOL...]

"Mr. Simpson would you pl-"

"SHUUUTUP JUDGE!"

[D'ohmer]

This episode isn't bad, but I find it kind of dull. I like the plot, but I find the humor to be average for Simpsons standards (which is still good) and I think it has forced emotion. Overall, good, but not very original/special (IMO). B-/B

[Old painty-can Ned]

A really good episode but it is no where near the best episode of season 7 let alone of the entire series. solid B+

[Kid Moe]

Fantastic episode A+

[qwertyuio]

Just an amazing episode. There's no possible way to explain its greatness in a better way than TerwilligerBob did. And, as if that wasn't enough, any other point I could make has been largely mentioned in this thread.

This is simply one of the best blends of character-driven humor, real emotion and actual plot tension ever written. Such an awe-inspiring, funny, heartwarming gem. Everything you need in a Simpsons episode is here, and it's literally flawless. A classic, which comes quite close to my top20; it will probably join it in reviews. 10/10

That's Bart's ring!

[Mr.]

FANTASTIC EPISODE!!!!!!!!
Great plot, jokes are great (Flanders - Do you reject satan? Homer - Noooooooo!!!!!) and some very sweet moments.

One of best episodes of all time!!!!

[LittleMissLisaSimpson]

A great season 7 episode. I really enjoyed this episode so much 5/5

[Blobulle]

5/5 A Very good episode of the season 7.
"Now Maggie you're a Simpson again !"
"Buuurp !"

[Nothing127]

Funny...good story.....I loved it! It also featured one of Flanders funniest lines....

[The Governor]

Maggie turning her head and saying: "Daddily-Doodily" has to be the best funniest Maggie moment, ever!

[Alone With My Art]

The first "The Simpsons" episode I watched. Memorable, 5/5. I loved the entire premise, and there were several solid jokes in there, as well as tender moments and a strong plot. My favorite lines were "Marge! There's a spider next to my car keys!", "Daddy, should I poke holes with a sharp thing like the mouse did?" and "I love you Cletus!" Great episode!

[Toomanygrandmas]

I'm glad there was an option for 'best episode ever' in the poll, because in my opinion, 'Home Sweet Homediddly-Dum-Doodily' is. It's just so very good. The story is simple, with no unecessary scenes that drag. The characters are likeable, and there are some genuinely emotional scenes as we see

Despite the serious, down-to-Earth nature of some scenes, this episode is definitely a funny one. In the first act, Homer's aquisition of the spa tickets, where he pretends to be a rich count is hilarious. I love the line about him also being able to afford a train. Funny too, were the events that led to the child welfare agents being led to believe that the Simpsons kids were living in a squalid hellhole. There were other scenes that made me laugh in the first act, but I don't want the review to drag. The second had some great moments too. Upon my most recent rewatch of this episode, I found myself laughing out loud at the Itchy and Scratchy short, which happens rarely. Oh, and 'Extra, Extra, Todd Smells' was great. So was Grandpa's 'Oh, bitch, bitch, bitch!'. The parenting class provided some funny moments, especially later one, in the scene where Homer and Cletus embrace - unexpected but hilarious. One of my favourite moments in the second act is the 'saxamaphone' moment. It was nice to see that Homer also used the same word in 'Lisa's Sax'. The third act, was probably funniest. 'Bible Bombardment' was great, especially Bart guessing that the answer was Jesus. I found Lovejoy somehow understanding Ned's babbling into the phone funny, too. The last moment that really made me laugh is Homer reasoning that Ned would be at the Springfield River by imitating his voice in his head.

Whilst the episode certaintly was funny, the episode's strongest points were it's characterisations of the family, the plot and emotional moments. As I said earlier, the plot is simple, but effective. In a rare case, the members of the Simpsons family are given equal screentime. In this episode, no moments drag, and there isn't any subplot added in that feels like it is merely using up time. All the characters are characterised really well. Since all the characters are only on screen for a roughly equal time, none of the characters are fully developed, but that's understandable. There are some really strong emotional moments in the episode, like when the kids are taken away, as Marge desperately tries to take them back. Despite their differences, the members of the Simpsons family do truly care for each other. The episode culminates in a scene that is not only hilarious, but moving too - they may not be the most civilised, orderly family (as shown as the contrast through Maggie's eyes, between the Flanders family, and Homer, Bart and Lisa), but their a family, and that's all that matters to them.

My review is dragging, so I'll end it here. They say that there is no such thing as a perfect episode. Maybe, but 'Home Sweet Homediddly-Dum-Doodily'. There's only one other episode that I'd put in the same league as this - 'Marge Be Not Proud', another Season 7 episode, showing how truly fantastic the season is.

A+ Best episode of all time.

[rkell48]

Had some great gags and jokes. I loved how caring Ned was for the children, and it was funny to see how the Flanders family lived

[cloneasaurus]

Rewatched it for the top 100.

First things first, this episode has one of the best first acts in the history of the show. Everything is set up well in an amusing and well paced fashion, and there's some genuine drama at the end of the act. There's some pretty good jokes as well - for some reason I found the child welfare guy calling Abe "dishevelled" hilarious.

However after this, whilst the episode certainly maintains a high standard, it never really peaks again. The two plots generally work well together but they never feel that significant, and the jokes aren't as strong as in the first act. I didn't really like the scene with Homer not listening to the judge, it may not have been very long (about 10 seconds) but I just thought it was unnecessary. However, I recognise that these complaints are highly minor and nitpicky; there is certainly nothing majorly wrong with this episode. (if I were really nitpicky, I would point out how the house becomes suddenly dirty out of nowhere at the beginning, and how Flanders would never really pin a sign to his door saying "Gone Baptizin'", but whatever).

Ultimately a very strong episode with some great jokes and strong plot, however there were very tiny problems that stop this from being perfect. Top 20, probably. A

[Prune Tracy]

and how Flanders would never really pin a sign to his door saying "Gone Baptizin'", but whatever

Why not?

Anyway, this episode just narrowly missed my Top 50. Great plot, but I feel that the humour is lacking somehow. Still, it's funny enough to warrant a 4/5 from me.

[Bleedin' Gums Murphy]

One of the finest episodes ever created. 5/5, 10/10 A+

[The Duke of Insomnia]

5/5
One of the best season 7 episodes great mix of emotion and comedy.

"Stupid babies need the MOST attention"

[ANdre1001]

5/5 superb episode! Top 5 material

A whole episode, great story, awesome jokes, emotional, man golden age!

[Bert Stanton]

"Cool wet sack"

need I say any more

[Snaked]

As I look back on this episode, my opinion of it has once again changed, and not for the better, either. Yes there were good jokes but at the cost of making Flanders into a complete religious nutcase, it s rather depressing when you think about it (Homer taking a baptisimal for Bart comes to mind which, while humorous, comes at a cost). It's also depressing that such characterizations would become rather permanent down the line, especially in Rod & Todd going from unpopular but otherwise sane, levelheaded kids to complete lamewads & scaredy cats where they develop an irrational fear of things such as Moths, Ladybugs & a story about Brother Robots named after them 2 space years apart in age, aside from becoming even slightly moronic & gullible, too. Even Maggie's characterizations were also disappointing with her taking to Ned & Maude the way she did & like it was mentioned earlier, there would be no excuse as she's shown intelligence for her age for her not to forget who her parents are & the love they've given her which she does in the end with Marge but still.

I guess my rating for the episode now is 3.5ish/5 (it's still good & all but at the price of ruining characterizatons it just sours my experience of the episode)

[Handsome B. Wonderful]

5/5. Top ten.

[irvine_11]

I always found this episode to be a bit overrated.

For starters, the premise was very unrealistic - I mean, the new foster family being next door and taking them in without any prior arrangement? What? And yes, I'm aware it's a cartoon, but that doesn't excuse plot holes.

Also, I didn't much care for Flanders's portrayal. Remember back in the early seasons when he used to splurge on things like expensive shoes and gas grills, despite his wholesome nature. Well, now that's been replaced by Flanders forcing his family to eat "Flanders-style nachos" and go to bed in the middle of the day. I dunno, it just seemed off-putting to me.

What puts it way, way, WAY above today's show is that the emotion felt real. Despite the nonsensical plot and events, I genuinely felt sad for Homer and Marge and thought the kids reuniting with their family was a really touching moment. Not a bad episode by any means, but below average for the classic era. 4/5 (B+)

[arii]

Oh man I just rewatched this one and the whole time couldn't help but think it would have made for a perfect series finale. It focuses on the entire family, takes perfect advantage of the world it created and its secondary characters, and is just really, really funny. The whole premise of the episode is great and shows something that's really been missing from the show for well over a decade now: this is a family that really does love each other, despite their differences and own little spats. Homer's still an idiot and still quick to anger but he genuinely cares for his kids and wants to be an important part of their lives (plus the image of him taking a baptism for Bart is so, so great - the direction in that moment is amazing too); Marge isn't marginalized and while she's basically super mom, it's exaggerated in a way that is very fitting for the episode and entirely believable; the fact that Bart and Lisa still snipe at each other as siblings do but in the end are there for each other and do genuinely love their parents. Another aspect I really love about this one is the fact that Maggie is a crucial plot point rather than a prop, which isn't seen that often, but especially in a way believable for a baby.

The way O&W talked about wanting to take the show back to a more S3 style and how this was the first episode that they EP'd fits so perfectly. It's funny, but not overly zany, and it's just an episode about how much this one family loves each other. The one shot social worker characters aren't obnoxious or ridiculous in any way; they serve their purpose, move the plot along, don't steal the show, and have some fantastic jokes along the way, pretty much everything you'd want out of a one timer. Flanders makes for a great villain of sorts, it's so unconventional but gotta love that this is the kind of show that would take a character so wholesome and make him the bad guy. He does get a bit more extreme when he goes to baptize someone else's kids but for a single episode it makes for a great climax so it's easily forgivable because it just adds to the whole show and yeah, it's such an awesome moment when Homer saves Bart.

The entire episode really is just a perfect storm of circumstance (why Homer and Marge are perceived as neglectful, how easily Homer found Flanders at the end) but it's a comedy show and it just makes it all the funnier (especially Homer thinking like Flanders). The narrative is still really tight and there aren't any wasted scenes. Everything furthers the plot and the jokes just come naturally.

All of the elements just really come together. When Homer and Marge are by themselves, the background music is much more sullen and they look alone; there's a lot of empty space around them and it's hard not to feel for them. Darkness is used really well in this episode: not only is the scene where Flanders is putting Bart and Lisa to bed at 7 PM great to show the contrast in how light it still is outside, but the darkness in their room just adds to the gloomy feel . And the voice acting nails it; that's one of my favourite scenes in conjunction with the net one: the way they reminisce over their parents, sigh sadly, followed by how excited Homer and Marge are on hearing Bart's ring. It's hard not to feel for these characters while they're going through everything they are; the animation and voice acting do a perfect job and of enhancing the script. Plus the whole episode never gets too series and caught up in itself: even in an emotional moment they still throw in a few jokes, contrasting the sweetness of Marge heating up their underwear in the microwave with Homer being a dick in regards to traffic tips, plus the callback to the Todd Smells joke. It's just so tightly written and well thought out and hilarious through and through.

But yeah the thing that really kept me thinking "series finale" material is that it had pretty much everything I'll want out of the show's end: an episode focusing just on how much this family loves each other. This one has it in spades while still being beautiful and funny. It's a perfect mix and so Simpsons-esque and a reason why O&W are my favourite showrunners - because they just understood the show so well and knew what they wanted out of it, and capitalized on their vision. Probably one of the best in the show's entire history, and really a model for what the show is.

[Handsome B. Wonderful]

If this were the series finale, war and famine would be gone.

[CousinMerl]

Very easily one of the best episodes; A+. I think I once said it best in the first Weekly Episode Club thread (long read):

First off, I must say that 'Home Sweet Homediddly-Dum-Doodily' is one amazing episode. The plot, which manages to fit in the entire Simpson family and give them all an equal amount of screentime within 20 minutes, is pure gold and the fantastic mixture of emotion, humor, satire and even character development is top notch and it's all so well done that it's extremely hard for me to find something to dislike. The episode also defines how screwed up the Simpson family really is, but despite their obvious shortcomings and lack of perfection, they still love each other. To me, it's definitely one of the best episodes of the seventh season and one of the most memorable ones as well; it's great stuff all the way through.

The plot in which Bart and Lisa is placed into the Flanders home as foster children by a couple of Child Protective Service agents after various discoveries and mishappenings, concerning both themselves and the overall look of the Simpson home, while Marge and Homer struggles to get them back is quite brilliant. It all starts when Bart's hair is discovered being riddled with lice and then it all escalates further; Lisa conveniently has her shoes stolen and gets a ball thrown at her head, causing her to bite her own tongue (how it all happens barely minutes before Skinner finds out is just perfectly done), the Simpson household being a mess when the agents arrive there and sees Grampa sleeping on the couch with bits of food scattered over him (from when the cat leaped off his chest and knocked over a food tray seconds earlier) and Maggie is discovered drinking from the dog's water bowl; all this while Homer and Marge is at the health spa and relaxes. It's all played out so well and it perfectly sets the ground for the plot. The pacing is perfect and nothing feels rushed or slow, it all moves along in just the right pace so there is nothing negative about that.

The music is really good and it gives a lot to the episode, in particular the emotional parts, and the animation is fantastic; it's bright, colorful and very expressive with all the shadows (lice burning scene, "A foster home!") small details (Homer and Marge glistering as they are in the sauna) and the quirks and movements of the characters; Homer drumming some of the fingers of his right hand on to his left while waiting for Marge to do away with the spider near his car keys, Homer's monocle cartoonishly staying in the air and spinning around after he snatched the free spa tickets from the car salesman and runs off, Marge briefly shaking and sputtering with anger after Grampa startles her (hilarious in a wierd way), the lice squealing as they die in the fire, Flanders moustache wierdly moving around as he amuses with Maggie and that shot of Bart smiling with and open mouth, looking at Flanders with his head turning around and his arms, with clenched fists, slightly moving back and forth in a worked up manner after having watched the Itchy and Scratchy episode (I love that shot, it's great). Another one of my favorite shots in the entire episode is the overhead shot of Marge walking around the kitchen table and placing a waffle slice each on the food plates; it's really cinematic and cool. That whistling noise that comes out of Lisa as she finishes her sentences after one of her teeth has fallen out is also a great addition; it makes it more realistic. I also love the sunset in the last moments of the episode, it completes it all.

The characterizations are perfect; Homer is the simple and sometimes rude father, Marge is the caring and concerned mother, Bart and Lisa are the kids who misses their parents, the Flanders family are the same hyperreligious family as they usually are and so on. None of the characterizations in the episode annoys or bothers me so I think the writers did all the characters justice really nicely, nothing to complain about there. The emotion strikes perfectly during the run of the episode, that scene where Homer and Marge runs down the stairs and opens the door after hearing Bart's style of ringing the doorbell and finds the newspaper page with the text "Simpson Kids Misses Mom And Dad' stands out as being one of the most effective scenes in the episode without being sappy at all; the bit when Marge tries to stop the kids from being taken away is also really powerful and it really shows that it's her who is taking the entire ordeal the hardest and is the central character of the story; at least I feel that way. I also have a soft spot for that bit where Ned and Maude sings to Maggie; it makes it more clear that she might get too used to the Flanders flock since, as Lisa puts it, she hasn't been a Simpson as long as Bart and Lisa (therefore she is easier to sway); this thing always lies there as an ongoing mini plot and at the end, she faces the ultimatum of choosing which family she wants to stay with (the "daddily-doodily" is supposed to make the result even more uncertain). That drug thing with Marge towards the end is a bit wierd (it's a bit ironic since she said "It's like I'm on some wonderful drug" earlier on in the episode) but it's still quite funny and it worked well as a brief gag. The Simpsons really feel human in this episode and yes, it's indeed easy to get attached to them because again, they feel so much like real life people, flawed as they are.

As for the jokes and gags, the most of the really works well as they are truly funny. To mention some that hasn't been mentioned yet in this review, here's a few I think stand out: the reused "I'm A Stupid Baby" note, Homer being afraid of the spider that's near his car keys, Homer pretending to be a Count as he test drives a presumably expensive car, the mafia guy in the sauna, the rewinding "all is well" tape, the line "dogs mating on dining room table!?" and the following bit with Santa's Little Helper whimpering and scurrying off, Grampa "bitching" when Homer is shocked that the kids were taken away after being left alone with him for three hours, Rod and Todd's reaction to the Itchy And Scratchy cartoon ("Dad, should I poke Rod with a sharp thing like the mouse did?" "No, son!, no sir-ree bob!"), Homer trying to call the kids only to be called a 'negligent monster' by the phone lady, the courtroom scene where Homer accidentally says that he's probably the last guy on earth who should have kids and then tries to correct himself and just afterwards he gets angry and makes a scene; telling the judge to shut up, the agency guy going through the basics and Homer writing them down, the Cletus scene, "Ned, have you thought about one of the other major religions?; they're all pretty much the same" and the "sacrifice" scene at the end when Homer pushes Bart away from Ned who is pouring the Holy Water and gets hit with it instead, whereupon he comically trashes around while groaning like a demon before he falls down onto his back in the water; that whole baptism stuff is really great. Basically all of the stuff involving the Flanders family was great as well, especially the parts with Bart and Lisa. There's definitely a lot of humor in the episode and basically all of those moments hits the right spots.

Now over to the very last scene, where Maggie's ultimatum occurs, is she gonna choose the Flanders family (Ned, Maude, Rod and Todd) or the Simpson Family (Homer, Bart and Lisa)?; I really like how her two choices are defined by the backgrounds, with the Flanders having a nice and beautiful background with rabbits and bright forest while the Simpsons has a lot of dead trees and a random frog. Maggie sets off, walking towards the Flanders clan, but then Marge appears and spots her baby and they both greet each other with open arms. Marge lifting up Maggie and spinning around with her in joy (great turnaround shot) before stating that her youngest daughter is a Simpson again (followed by a burp from Maggie which is a comical proof that she truly is a Simpson); afterwards, without another word to the Flanders family, the Simpsons heads home and shares a laugh about the many paint cans in Ned's garage which Bart tells them about, causing Homer to add "Old Painty-Can Ned!" while they're laughing about it. Now that's a great finale; it truly shows how the family are and it's important to end an episode like this that way; I couldn't imagine the episode ending without a single joke or laugh before the end credits.

Overall, the animators, writers and directors did very well with this episode and all the voice actors and actresses did a marvellous job bringing the story to life on their part (particularly Julie Kavner as Marge but also Dan Castellaneta as Homer); even Hank Azaria as the Child Protective Service guy did a really good job, that bit when he talks about the basics was great. It's a perfectly solid episode which deserve all the praise it gets; it manages to be really down to earth while still keeping that certain kind of wackiness that the show has. Again, "Home Sweet Homediddly-Dum-Doodily" is an amazing episode and definitely a favorite of mine; simply put, it is a true classic worth revisiting more than once.