NHC Weekly Episode Club v3.0

[Financial Panther]

@Oh, that's raspberry!, I can't believe you would like that joke about Homer forcing the kid to eat ice cream. That's among my least favorite jokes ever. I just can't believe that Homer would knowingly endanger a kid's life, and then MOCK HIM EVEN FURTHER. I love the jokes where he's about to run the kid down in this episode just because there are no words exchanged between Homer and the kid, so it doesn't contain the emotion that the other scene does, and it's more of a spur-of-the-moment type thing. I actually don't think Homer is a jerk in Maximum Homerdrive; he's more of a guy who just wants to have some fun.

[zach]

Homer forcing the kid to eat ice cream.

what the...i don't remember that. what's the joke again?

[Financial Panther]

There's a lactose intolerant kid who wants ice cream but can't eat it, so Homer goes up to him and makes him eat the ice cream (I don't remember the lines). Then the kid starts to feel bad and says "call the number on my bracelet!" Then Homer mocks him for wearing a bracelet...

[zach]

oh. sounds funny.

[zach]

[Oh, that's raspberry!]

@Oh, that's raspberry!, I can't believe you would like that joke about Homer forcing the kid to eat ice cream. That's among my least favorite jokes ever. I just can't believe that Homer would knowingly endanger a kid's life, and then MOCK HIM EVEN FURTHER. I love the jokes where he's about to run the kid down in this episode just because there are no words exchanged between Homer and the kid, so it doesn't contain the emotion that the other scene does, and it's more of a spur-of-the-moment type thing. I actually don't think Homer is a jerk in Maximum Homerdrive; he's more of a guy who just wants to have some fun.

Well it helps that I like the episode overall.

[CousinMerl]

So about the doorbell subplot: do you think it should have been skipped to give more room to the trucking plot or replaced with another one such as my suggestion of Lisa protesting against the Slaughterhouse?

[Dobbie]

Remove it completely.

This episode probably had enough to focus on one plot anyway, and it's not like the doorbell story had anything interesting. I'm not sure why they had to include Marge and Lisa in the episode after Homer leaves Springfield, simply no need.

[zartok-35]

The best part of the subplot would be the "Stinking chevy" line. Thats brilliant. I don't know if it justifies the whole plot, but they atleast needed to include that one part.

[zach]

i think we can all agree this would have been the best part of the episode if it actually made it in. i like the song they actually chose, but this one's better.

[Oh, that's raspberry!]

So about the doorbell subplot: do you think it should have been skipped to give more room to the trucking plot or replaced with another one such as my suggestion of Lisa protesting against the Slaughterhouse?

I wanna say remove it entirely, but then we'd get more obnoxious Homer so it is kinda a lose/lose situation.

[Lionel Hutz]

So about the doorbell subplot: do you think it should have been skipped to give more room to the trucking plot or replaced with another one such as my suggestion of Lisa protesting against the Slaughterhouse?

I like the subplot. The Jehovahs Witnesses and the appearance of Senor Ding Dong are too good too lose.

[The Thompsons]

I forgot about the Jehovahs Witness gag, but it would be a small sacrifice if they would have just scrapped that sub-plot. With a Lisa protest you would probably get an exaggerated characterization of Lisa which many fans would also become annoyed with, so still a lose/lose situation.

This is a tough one as you can either go with a "Lisa looses her confidence" or "Marge tries something new" B-plot which has been done many times as well.

I think I remember hearing that Marge is one of the toughest characters to write for so there are limited options to go with, perhaps they should have put more effort in to the trucker plot with regards to the auto-drive conspiracy.

[CousinMerl]

With a Lisa protest you would probably get an exaggerated characterization of Lisa which many fans would also become annoyed with, so still a lose/lose situation.

It's definitely a lose/lose situation; if the subplot is removed, there's gonna be more wacky Homer antics and if replaced by another one such as my suggestion, fans would probably complain as you say. Still, in Lisa's first scene in the episode she angrily complains about the restaurant ("lousy meat eating scum") in what I would say fans think is an exaggerated characterization, so in a way they did introduce a possible subplot there but they didn't continue with it, so I'd say a protest subplot would in some ways probably be better and make more sense than the doorbell one (even though that one does have a few good gags).

[Mr Black]

I think we can all agree that despite this episode being a typical scully "wacky homer adventure" the scene in the abbatoir/meat restaruant was hilarious. Mr Burns was fucking brilliant with the delivery of:

"On seconds thoughts I'll just have a glass of milk- from that cow"

[CousinMerl]

I think we can all agree that despite this episode being a typical scully "wacky homer adventure" the scene in the abbatoir/meat restaruant was hilarious. Mr Burns was fucking brilliant with the delivery of:

"On seconds thoughts I'll just have a glass of milk- from that cow"

The reaction from the cow makes that line work really well;

[Mozy]

Maximum Homerdrive:

First off, they had the full intro which could only mean one thing: it was a shorter episode (which was good for those of you that thought that listening to nails on a chalkboard would be more fun than viewing the episode).

This episode wasn't amazing but it wasn't painstakingly horrible either. This is going to be a short review mainly for the fact that I agree with basically everyone on this episodes and because there's not much more to review. One thing, however, that I liked about the episode was that it was Homer and Bart didn't really argue and that they spent quality time together as father and son rather than abusive father and hellian child.

Here are a few things that I wanted to bring up:

Where was Lisa when the family was at the Slaughterhouse? I know that she said was going to protest but they could've shown at least a minor scene of it.

Homer didn't pay for the pills? (or should we assume he did?)

Was Marge's "Open up a can of whoop-tushie..." comment a reference to Stone Cold Steve Austin's "Open up a can of whoop-ass"?

Red had his hand in his pants like Al Bundy, was it planned that way?

I realize that these are dumb questions and maybe too far-fetched but I thought I'd ask anyway. Overall, 2/5.

[zach]

i thought you would have liked this episode @Mozy.

[Mozy]

Why do you say that? Because I'm a Homer fan and because it's based on Homer? It really wasn't that funny of an episode and it was mediocre at best.

NOTE: I AM NOT FIGHTING WITH JERKASS, I just wanted to know why he assumed what he assumed.

[Jesse Pinkman]

no one was going to think you were fighting with him based on one post.

[Mozy]

I just wanted to prevent that from happening, is that such a big deal?

[zach]

yeah the Homerness

haha nice disclaimer.

[Jesse Pinkman]

no, i was just saying. you're debating in an episode club about why he thought you'd like an episode you didn't. it'd be kinda hard for anyone to misinterpret that, especially since there's been other arguments/debates in this thread prior. that's all i was saying.

[Mozy]

Back to the topic, can anyone answer my questions?

[The Thompsons]

Was Marge's "Open up a can of whoop-tushie..." comment a reference to Stone Cold Steve Austin's "Open up a can of whoop-ass"?

I have to admit , this did cross my mind as well.

To answer your question probably.

[Oh, that's raspberry!]

I'll remind everyone that any off-topic posts are subject to deletion just like others for other reasons. Also @Mozy I'll try and answer your questions in order as I interpret the answers:

1.) I thought Lisa was in the steakhouse but I honestly can't remember. I guess it makes sense for her not to be there, but I just thought she was anyway.

2.) While the real answer is probably just the scene moving on without showing him pay to save for time, jerkass Homer never needs obey the law anyway!

3.) It very well could have been a Stone Cold reference considering he was at or near the height of his popularity when this episode first aired.

4.) I don't think that hand in pants gesture is unique to Al Bundy so I'm gonna say no on that one.

[zach]

my post wasn't off topic.

i said "Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment" because he stole cable in that episode. saying that he steals a lot of things.

[Mozy]

Thanks for the opinions, raspy!

[Jims]

my post wasn't off topic.

i said "Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment" because he stole cable in that episode. saying that he steals a lot of things.

Then that's what you needed to explain. Just name dropping a random episode doesn't really add anything to the discussion or even explain why it's comparable to situation. Even though we like to play fast and loose sometimes with one-liners and whatnot sometimes, with this kind of special thread, we should strive for a higher standard than usual.

[Oh, that's raspberry!]

That's a pretty huge stretch too Jerkass to even compare these 2 occasions. I mean an entire episode focused on the evil of theft and Lisa's concern for her family's spiritual well being versus Homer barging in to take various pills with no thought so he can presumably stay awake all night but in reality kill himself and his boy.