Week 2 and we finish up Season 1 and a snippet of Season 2. We end Season 1 with what should have been the first-ever episode that should have been shown first!
1×08 – 008 – “The Telltale Head” – 7G07
Watched date – 08/01/24 / Original Air Date – 25/02/1990
We jump straight into a chase scene with Homer & Bart in an alley and Bart with the head of a statue in his arms. Bart climbs on the statue and explains how they got to this point!
Rewind to earlier and Homer is unwilling to leave for the church as he has bet money on the game. Eventually, they all leave and Marge confiscates Barts’s portable radio. Homer sees this as an opportunity to listen to the game and see if his bet pays off!
Homer has an outburst in church during a sermon about gambling and Marge isn’t happy happy! Bart sees “Space Mutants 4” playing at the movie theatre and Marge refuses to let him go. Homer doesn’t care and gives Bart the money to go and he sneaks out to go see it
Once Bart arrives at the theater he meets Jimbo, Dolph & Kearney. Bart makes a good impression on Jimbo and they sneak into the theatre. The manager finds them and kicks them out, they head to the Kwik-E-Mart. Bart buys the gang Squishees but unbeknownst to Bart the trio is using Bart as a distraction to rob. Wanting to be “cool” Bart doesn’t say anything. After they wander over to the town square and throw rocks at the statue of Jebediah Springfield. The trio mentions it would be pretty cool if someone cut his head off, Bart defends the statue and the trio laughs and Bart slinks away.
Bart heads home and has an idea, he asks Homer about the importance of being popular, and Homer advises that it is the most important thing. Bart dressed in a Ninja getup sneaks out and cuts off the head of the statue. Bart wakes up and thinks it was all a dream but turns over to find Jebadiah’s head next to him. He puts it in his bag and heads downstairs, everyone is shocked to hear the news of the decapitation and Bart heads to school. Looking to earn the ultimate “Cool Points” Bart finds the trio and is about to show them the head when they admit they were just kidding about wanting to cut the head off.
When Bart gets home he tries to bury the head but it talks to him telling him not to (his guilty conscience) so he heads inside and confesses to the family. Homer realises it was partly his fault and takes him to put the head back. We now get back to where we began the episode, Bart explains that the town has taken the town’s heritage for granted and his guilt outweighs any punishment they might have in store for him. Moved by his words the mob allows them to return the head, Bart asks the head for forgiveness which he hears Jebidah’s voice granting him.
Another lesson of being careful what you wish for and the lengths people will go to be popular.
Fun fact: This is the first episode of the series in which Sideshow Bob, Reverend Timothy Lovejoy, Jimbo Jones, Kearney Zzyzwicz, Dolph Starbeam, Ms. Albright, and Apu Nahasapeemapetilon appear for the first time. This was also the first appearance of Krusty the Clown (if not counting the Ullman short The Krusty the Clown Show).
1×09 – 009 – “Life on the Fast Lane” – 7F11
Watched date – 09/01/24 / Original Air Date – 18/03/1990
Marge’s birthday and the kids make her a giant breakfast, waking her up Homer realises it is her birthday and has forgotten so runs out for a present, they remark he hasn’t forgotten and will most likely get some he will appreciate more than Marge. Later at the birthday dinner, Homer presents his gift of a bowling bowl which falls through the box and squashes the birthday cake.
Not wanting Homer to be right and end up using it as Marge would have no interest she heads for the bowling alley to give it a go. She meets Jacques and starts lessons, Jacques has other intentions and constantly seduces Marge. The next morning Marge packs their lunches fuller than usual, Lisa realises that their parent’s marriage may be crumbling and is compensating for this in the extra love for the kids.
Several sessions later Jacques invites Marge for dinner she eventually agrees and Helen Lovejoy the local gossip girl spots Marge. Jacques invites her to his apartment at which point Marges faints and has a fantasy. Meanwhile Homer is depressed and thinks he has finally messed up the marriage for good, after finding the personalised wristguard leading Homer into an even darker stoop! Playing ball with Bart he fails to catch the ball and falls over, Bart advises to keep his opinion to himself with Marge and maybe it won’t get any worse. Next morning unable to keep his feelings bottled up Homer tells Marge how much he loves her and how her sandwiches are perfect and that they are too. Marge heads to Jacques and on the way sees many couples in love and reminds her of the commitment she made and ends up at a fork in the road to Power Plant or Jacque’s. Cuts back to Homer at the plant too depressed to eat his sandwich as that would be all he has left of Marge. There’s a tap on his shoulder and Marge is there, he carries her in his arms and announces he won’t be back for ten minutes as he heads to his car.
No Chalkboard or Couch Gag
Fun facts: The episode marks the debuts of Lenny Leonard, Jacques and Helen Lovejoy. Homer parks in a spot that warns “Do not park here” & “No Parking”. In the scene with Marge & Jacques in the car the moon resembles a bowling bowl with 3 pin holes.
1×10 – 010 – “Homer’s Night Out” – 7F10
Watched date – 10/01/24 / Original Air Date – 25/03/1990
Next up we have an episode on Homer’s “infidelity”.
Bart orders a mail order “Spy-Camera” which takes 6 months to arrive! Bart takes several photos including one whilst Homer is dancing with a belly dancer at a colleague’s bachelor party. The photo gets developed and school and is eventually copied and passed around the school and through the parents. This eventually leads back to Marge who is furious at Homer and ends up throwing him out. This is a little condescending as she practically cheated on Homer last episode! (I suppose we are supposed to see most episodes as separate entities)
Homer ends up spending the night a Barney’s, after enduring questioning from Burns he heads home to apologise. He agrees to take Bart to see Princess Kashmir to show that women are not sexual objects. A few strip and gentleman clubs later they finally find her and ask questions about her. As Homer is about to leave the stage he gets caught up on the stage and part of the attraction. After a few minutes of interacting, he sees Bart and remembers the reason he is here and reasons with the crowd to treat the woman with the respect they deserve. His plea moves everyone in the audience and then notices Marge at the back of the room, she tearfully accepts Homer’s comments and the two make up.
Another episode showing no matter who much they screw up Homer and Marge get back together and trying to portray the message that woman are not sexual objects and that it takes 6 months for your mail order items to arrive.
Fun facts: Car Carlson makes his first appearance. There is a stuffed polar bear in Burn’s office. A framed copy of Homer & Princess Kashmir is displayed behind Apu in the Kwik-E-Mart.
1×11 – 011 – “The Crepes of Wrath” – 7G13
Watched date – 11/01/24 / Original Air Date – 15/04/1990
Bart leaves a mess in the hall leading Homer to fall down the stairs and tear a ligament, at school Bart takes a prank way too far leading Principal Skinner to propose no punishment would be suitable and suggest sending Bart on the Foreign Exchange student programme. They discuss this with Bart and he is excited to go to Paris, in return they get a student from Albania named Adil.
Once Bart arrives in Paris he finds it is not at all what he expected and not as advertised. He meets winemakers Cesar & Ugolin who will work Bart harder than the donkey. They take all Bart’s possessions and give his lucky red hat to the donkey. Bart is made to collect and crush grapes, sleep on the floor and sample wine adulterated with anti-freeze.
Back home Adil settles in and Homer wishes Bart was like this, Adil asks to visit the nuclear power plant, which Homer obliges as happy he is showing interest in where he works. Adil takes photos all around the plant including top-secret areas, it turns out Adil is a spy after nuclear secrets.
Bart is sent to town to buy more anti-freeze for the wine and tries asking a policeman for help but is unable to communicate due to a language barrier as Bart is walking away he realises he spent enough time around the French to be able to speak the language. He runs after the policeman and is able to get help and the winemakers are arrested and Bart returns home. Adil is arrested by the CIA and exchanged for an American boy who is a spy who was caught in Albania. Bart is grateful to see his family and gives them all gifts.
Fun Fact: Agnes Skinner made her first appearance on the show in this episode, although her voice is different to that of later episodes. This episode was meant to be the finale of Season 1, but after production, that title was given to “Some Enchanted Evening.” Adil’s picture hangs on the wall above Homer & Marge’s bed.
1×12 – 012 – “Krusty Gets Busted” – 7G12
Watched date – 12/01/24 / Original Air Date – 29/04/1990
Bart & Lisa watch Krusty and an episode of Itchy & Scratchy (at the disapproval of Marge) Marge asks Homer if he can grab Ice Cream from the store, realising this is due to Patty & Selma visiting to show slides Homer shudders and heads to the Kwik-E-Mart. Whilst there Homer witnesses Krusty stage an armed robbery and taken in for questioning. When Homer finally returns Homer is relieved he missed the slide show but then has to try to break the news of Krusty’s arrest but is saved from that duty as it is announced on TV.
Bart is devastated and doesn’t believe his idol is capable of this, he requests Lisa to help look into the crime and clear his name. between them, they crack the case. Krusty has a pacemaker and the robber used the microwave which is advised not to be used by those with a pacemaker. They also note Krusty was reading a magazine which couldn’t be Krusty as he advised he couldn’t read and finally the nail in the coffin, Homer crushed the clown’s big foot which again couldn’t have been Krusty as he had small feet.
The kids realise the only person it could be whose feet were big enough to fill Krusty’s shoes was actually Sidehow Show Bob, they confront him and he admits to the crime and is arrested but vows to get Bart when he gets out.
A fun little whodunnit mystery and we get to see how much Bart idolises Krusty and starts us on the road to the long-running theme of Sideshow Bob wanting revenge on Bart
Fun Fact: Kent Brockman, Judge Roy Snyder and Scott Christian make their first appearances in this episode. Kelsey Grammer makes his debut as Sideshow Bob.
1×13 – 013 – “Some Enchanted Evening” – 7G01
Watched date – 13/01/24 / Original Air Date – 13/05/1990 / Planned Air Date – 17/06/1989
The finale episode of the first season which should have been the first (which I have probably mentioned too many times now)
Fun facts: Barney’s hair is the same colour as his skin. Bart has a Krusty lunchbox and Lisa has a Happy Little Elves one. Maggie falls down 19 times. Homer’s clean-shaven look lasts exactly 7 seconds, and then his shadow returns.
2×01 – 014 – “Bart Gets an ‘F'” – 7F03
Watched date – 14/01/24 / Original Air Date – 11/10/1990
We round off Week 2 with the first of Season 2! We have an updated intro (see below) which is the mainstay until the revamped HD version in 2009!
After fumbling through his Treasure Island book report, Mrs Krabappel advises his grades are getting steadily worse and there is an exam on COlonial America the following day. Bart goes home focusing on trying hard for the exam but Homer encourages him to watch TV and when he finally heads up to study he falls asleep on his books.
The next morning he tries to get the bare minimum from Sherri & Terri but they give him bogus info and Martin advises him of this. Bart fakes an illness and heads home and later calls up Milhouse for the answers. He submits his answers and Mrs Krabappel notes he did almost as bad as Milhouse. In a meeting with the school counsellor, they advised they won’t have a choice but to hold Bart back a grade. Not wanting to be held back he seeks tutorage from Martin in exchange for improving his “Rep” at school but this backfires as Martin is now obsessed with Bart’s bad attitude and ignores his request to help study.
Bart goes to bed wishing for anything to delay him from having to take the test, waking up he is greeted with a Snow Day and the schools are shut. Bart almost heads out to enjoy the snow when Lisa stops him as she overhears him wishing for a way to have extra time the previous night. Reluctant but knowing it’s for the best he goes to study. He completes the exam to the best of his ability but still gets an “F”. Breaking down to Mrs Krabappel stating he really tried this time but still failed and he understood how George Washington felt when he surrendered Fort Necessity to the French in 1754. This stuns Mrs K. and leads to amending the grade with extra credit leading to a passing D-. In his excitement, he kisses Mrs K on the cheek and runs through Springfield shouting about passing then suddenly realising he kissed a teacher. Back home Homer Proudly displays Bart’s exam on the fridge leading Bart to proclaim part of the credit goes to God.
A fun Bart-centric episode to kick off the season, this was due to air 3rd in the series but due to the popularity of Bart over the previous summer they bumped this up to the first of Season 2 instead.
Fun facts: The first episode to use the new intro, it is the most viewed Simpsons in history with over 33 million households watching the premiere. Bart wears a purple shirt in this episode instead of the usual orange one. The flag outside the school remains still in the wind. RV Salesman Bob & Jacques join the rest of Springfield in singing “Winter Wonderland”. Two kids build an ice sculpture of Jebediah Springfield standing between two bears. Benjamin Fanklin’s new sled has “Don’t sled on me” written on it.
New Intro
- The Simpsons logo is in a lighter blue sky and is surrounded by clouds instead of mist and all dies down.
- The stores in the zoom over Springfield are different.
- The Semi-Painless Dentistry is replaced, appropriately, by Candy Most Dandy.
- The school is now orange instead of purple.
- The walls in the school are now dark green.
- When Bart flies out of the school, there are two buildings (one orange, and one white).
- The bald man eating the sandwich is now replaced by Mr. Burns and Waylon Smithers.
- The grocery store’s background walls are now orange instead of red.
- Maggie’s hands are now straight on her side rather than on her hips.
- Lisa’s saxophone is now deeper.
- When Homer throws the rod, it does NOT bounce near Moe’s Tavern.
- Bart does not pass obese townspeople and steals the bus stop sign this time. Instead, he roughly skateboards past Helen Lovejoy, Moe Szyslak, Bleeding Gums Murphy, Apu, Barney, Chief Wiggum, and Jacques.
- Marge’s car is now orange instead of red, but during Marge’s view, it turns red.
- Lisa’s bike sequence is replaced by a zoom over townspeople. Instead, Lisa now happily passes by Homer in the driveway.
- The TV is now bluish-purple with a VCR and an antenna.
Week 2 down, the series is now well-established and polished from its season one run as we dip into season two. Most characters have now been introduced with a few more regulars to appear this season. I’m looking forward to the growth in all areas and getting some of the memorable episodes.
Comment which episode you are most excited to see or recap on this journey.
See you next week!
Link to Week 1 Here
Link to Week 2 Here
Link to Week 3 Here
Link to Week 4 Here
Link to Week 5 Here
Link to Week 6 Here
Link to Week 7 Here
Link to Week 8 Here
Link to Week 9 Here
Link to Week 10 Here
Link to Week 11 Here
Link to Week 12 Here
Link to Week 13 Here
Link to Week 14 Here
The link to my schedule is below:
Simpsons 1-a-Day
