A Simpsons a Day – Week 6

3×01 – 036 – “Stark Raving Dad” – 7F24

Watched date – 05/02/24 / Original Air Date – 19/09/91

Homer is declared insane when Bart puts his lucky red hat in the wash dying Homer’s shirts pink and giving Bart his take-home psychological test to complete. In the mental institution, Homer bunks with someone who claims he is Michael Jackson, having never even heard of Michael Jackson Homer believes every word. Meanwhile Lisa’s birthday is approaching and Lisa makes Bart promise to get her something meaningful this year, on the day of her birthday “Michael” calls home to advise that Homer has been committed. Marge works on a way to get Homer out stating if anything it’s Bart that sent him any kind of crazy, shocked the doctors believe Bart was just a manifestation Homer made up and released Homer.

Homer invites “Michael” to their home and word spreads that the legendary “Michael Jackson” will be visiting the Simpsons, he finally turns up and everyone is disappointed to find out it isn’t him. After this Bart admits to Lisa that in all the excitement he never bought her a present, Lisa storms off crushed. That night Lisa writes a letter to Bart disowning him, overhearing all this “Michael” advising they write Lisa a song. Eventually, they write the ballad “Happy Birthday Lisa” which they perform to her the next morning. Eventually “Michael” reveals his name is Leon Kompowsky and he is a bricklayer from Paterson, NJ. He explains he was an angry and unhappy man until he started talking like MJ and saw that it made everyone around him happy, which in turn made him happy so he just kept on doing it. He then takes his leave walking down the street singing Lisa’s song in his normal voice.

Fun fact: Removed from most streaming platforms around the world with sites such as Disney+ reducing the number of episodes in the season without leaving a placeholder where it once lived and starting season 3 with “Mr Lisa Goes to Washington”
Michael Jackson was credited as “John Jay Smith” due to contractual obligations at the time preventing the show from confirming it was the “real” Michael Jackson voicing.

3×02 – 037 – “Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington” – 8F01

Watched date – 06/02/24 / Original Air Date – 26/09/91

Homer gets addicted to “Readers Digest” and finds a competition in there for Lisa to enter where the winner wins an all-expenses trip to Washington D.C. Struggling to start her essay Marge suggests she goes for a bike ride to help clear her mind. Lisa ends up at Springfield National Forest, sitting under a tree she asks nature to inspire her. As she does a bald eagle perches on a branch directly in front of her and spreads its wings, inspired by this she immediately begins writing.

A few days later after writing her essay, Homer brings her to the regional finals, Lisa’s essay is met with high praise. Lisa wins and she will be going to Washington D.C. for the national finals. The Simpsons make it to D.C. and are given VIP passes and explore D.C. The next morning whilst everyone is asleep Lisa gets up to pay a visit to the Winifred Beecher Howe memorial to find inspiration for the essay finals that day. As she is admiring the monument Arnold a Congressman has a meeting with a Lobbyist in which money is exchanged giving them logging permits for Springfield National Forest. Angry at what she witnessed she tears up her essay and runs away in tears.

She tries to visit the Lincoln Memorial for some advice but it is overcrowded so she heads to the Jefferson Memorial and asks him for advice instead. He begins ranting and is upset as Lisa only visited him as Lincoln was busy. Lisa walks away and looks for inspiration elsewhere. On the Capitol Hill steps she watches the politicians mill about and laugh in conversation, imagining them as cats scratching each other’s backs and as pigs wallowing in money or eating it and wiping their mouths with the American flag. She suddenly comes up with an idea for a new essay, saying “The truth must be told”

At the finals, Lisa advises she will be presenting a new essay, she reads it which is filled with anger and rage towards the American government claiming the city was built on a swamp and how it still stinks today. She then calls out the government for its corruption and divulges the information she’s learned about Congressman Arnold and his bribe-taking. The audience gasps, murmurs, and boos as Lisa finishes her essay; one of the judges happens to be a Senate page, and rushes to a phone to inform his superior Senator that a little girl is losing faith in democracy. The Senator is shocked at this news, and a plan is quickly put into place to restore Lisa’s faith and nab Congressman Arnold.

In Congressman Arnold’s office at the capitol building, a lobbyist proposes drilling for oil inside Theodore Roosevelt’s head in Mount Rushmore and offers Arnold a bribe. When Arnold accepts the bribe and goes along with the idea, F.B.I agents storm his office and place him under arrest; the lobbyist reveals himself as another agent and the proposition is a sting operation. A short time later in the House of Representatives, a vote is taken on House Bill 1022, regarding Arnold’s expulsion (during which another Congressman suggests they tack on a pay raise for themselves, only to be immediately shot down). Shortly after the vote, an intern at the White House delivered Bill 1022 to President Bush for him to sign, with him saying passing the resolution should make his “bosses” very happy (referring to the voters of the United States). All of this takes place as the last of the finalists at the essay contest reads his essay. At the contest, a brief recess is called so the judges can tabulate their votes, and the Simpson family waits outside the Kennedy Center. Homer purchases a newspaper from a newsy that touts the headline about the expulsion of Congressman Arnold as well as his becoming a born-again Christian, and when Lisa sees the headline, her faith in democracy is restored.

Back inside the Kennedy Center, the musician is back on stage, this time with a corny song and dance about the Trading Gap. As he finishes his number, Faith steps to the podium to announce the results that have been tabulated. Lisa, with her faith restored, sheepishly stands up on stage with the other finalists. Not surprisingly, Lisa does not win the contest, but she does teach the audience an important lesson, and the winner of the contest gives an honourable mention to Lisa for reminding the public that the price of freedom is eternal vigilance to stand against corruption. Homer, however, loudly demands that the winner give Lisa the check, glumly stating he is serious about the request when everyone proceeds to laugh at him. As the musician plays a final corny song and dance number, Bart pulls out his slingshot and pelts the musician on stage, causing him to stop mid-song. Lisa is angry as she is enjoying it, to which Bart replies, “Lis, you taught me to stand up for what I believe in.”

Fun fact:

3×03 – 038 – “When Flanders Failed” – 7F23

Watched date – 07/02/24 / Original Air Date – 03/10/91

Ned announces he is quitting his job to open a Left Handed store called “The Leftorium” at a BBQ, Ned invites Homer to pull a wishbone with him, which Homer eventually wishes upon Ned’s failure due to his resentment for Ned’s material success whilst he struggles to provide for his own family.

Bart decides to take Karate lessons and is dropped off in the Mall but doesn’t end up staying long and sneaks out every time he is taken. Whilst at the mall Homer notices the Leftorium isn’t doing very well which Homer is boastful about around the house to the displeasure of Lisa. Eventually, Homer notices Ned’s financial hardships and Ned ends up selling most of his possessions which Homer ends up buying for cheap. Eventually, he has a heart and goes to see Ned to tell him he would be returning what he bought only to find they are homeless and living in the car.

Feeling bad Homer tells Ned to open the Leftorium the following day, Homer remembering all the left-handed people who needed products designed for them spreads the word and Ned turns up to a packed store and even Mr. Burns buys an expensive left-handed drive car. This helps Ned make the money he needs to save his house and Homer toasts to “the richest left-handed man in town”

Another episode with Homer’s “hatred” for Ned and that in the end, he can accept Ned’s more fortunate situation for what it is and help out when he can.

Fun fact:

3×04 – 039 – “Bart The Murderer” – 8F03

Watched date – 08/02/24 / Original Air Date – 10/10/91

Bart having the worst day ends up at the doorstep of the Springfield Mafia and is employed by Fat Tony. He ends up being their bartender and does odd jobs and “holds” good for them in his room. After he is sent to detention he misses an important Mafia meeting where they were promised the finest Manhattans in all of Springfield. Bart finally turns up for work and explains his absence was due to Principal Skinner, and Fat Tony decides that he and his associates will go to “meet and greet” this individual.

The very next day, Skinner goes missing. Bart suspects Tony may have something to do with it, and begins to have nightmares about Skinner’s death. Bart runs to the mob headquarters, where they deny having killed Skinner. During their chat, Chief Wiggum and his officers enter Tony’s hangout, arresting everyone in there for Skinner’s murder.

A trial begins, but unfortunately, Lionel Hutz acts as Bart’s lawyer. On the stand, Bart is upset to find that Fat Tony and his gang name Bart as the Don of their organization, pinning any issues regarding Skinner’s disappearance (as well as everything else they did) on him. Just when it seems that Bart is going to be found guilty, Skinner bursts into the courtroom, and tells everyone that he was in fact trapped under a pile of newspapers in his garage the entire time. The case is dismissed, and Bart angrily rejects Fat Tony for using him. The case of Skinner’s disappearance becomes a highly inaccurate TV movie, but when Marge reveals it was so inaccurate the producers were not required to pay royalties to the Simpsons, Homer remarks that they should go after the real crooks in Hollywood.

Fun fact:

3×05 – 040 – “Homer Defined” – 8F04

Watched date – 09/02/24 / Original Air Date – 17/10/91

On the bus ride to school, Bart gives Milhouse one of a pair of Krusty walkie-talkies as a birthday present. Bart is crushed to learn that Milhouse has held a birthday party the previous Saturday, but he hasn’t been uninvited. Milhouse seems hesitant to chat with Bart and avoids him for the rest of the day. While the kids are off the bus entering the school, Bart is left alone on the bus with Otto.

Meanwhile, at the plant, as Homer eats jelly doughnuts, one of them splatters onto a dial nearing the red zone. The plant is on the verge of a meltdown, and Homer seems to be the only person who can stop it. He has no skills and cannot remember any training (actually, according to a flashback, he never paid attention to his on-the-job training as he was busy playing with a Rubik’s Cube), however, and in desperation chooses a button via eeny, meeny, miny, moe. Miraculously, Homer presses the button that stops the meltdown; Springfield is saved, and Homer is honoured as a hero.

Meanwhile, Bart’s friendship with Milhouse changed when Milhouse’s mom won’t let him hang out with Bart anymore: because Mrs. Van Houten says that Bart is a bad influence on her son. And she has banned Milhouse from seeing Bart, which he has reluctantly done. Suddenly deprived of his best friend, Bart responded by playing with Maggie.

Mr. Burns rewards Homer for saving the plant with an “Employee of the Month” award (displacing longtime holder Smithers), a ham, a plaque, a discount coupon book, Burns’ personal “thumbs-up”, and a call from Magic Johnson. Even Lisa begins to admire Homer as a role model, but Homer’s conscience haunts him. He knows (and fears that everyone else will realize) that his “heroism” was nothing but luck. Burns introduces Homer to Aristotle “Ari” Amadopolis, the owner of the Shelbyville Nuclear Power Plant. Ari wants Homer the hero to give a pep talk to his plant’s lacklustre workers. Homer is hesitant to accept, but Burns forces him into it.

When Marge finds out about the situation, she visits Milhouse’s mother to try to repair their children’s friendship. Marge admits that Bart really does influence Milhouse very badly, but she begs Mrs. Van Houten to let Bart and Milhouse be friends again. Upon realizing that both Bart and Milhouse are miserable without each other, his mother relents. At that rate, Milhouse invites Bart over to his house, and Bart happily pulls out a BB gun to play with.

As Homer gives his fumbling “motivational” speech, an impending meltdown threatens the Shelbyville plant. The crowd marches Homer to the control room, asking him to perform his heroic deeds once again. In front of everyone, Homer repeats his juvenile rhyme and presses a button blindly. By sheer dumb luck, he manages to avert this meltdown as well. He is even more widely derided as a lucky imbecile than he was hailed as a hero, and “to pull a Homer” becomes a widely-used phrase meaning “to succeed despite idiocy” (even entering the dictionary illustrated with a small portrait of Homer). However, the episode finishes with Lisa giving encouragement to Homer by declaring that “[Their] dad, now belongs to the ages”.

Fun fact:

3×06 – 041 – “Like Father, Like Clown” – 8F05

Watched date – 10/02/24 / Original Air Date – 24/10/91

After finishing his show, Krusty decides to free himself up for the night and cancels all his plans, including a thank-you dinner with Bart. Krusty is reminded of how Bart saved him from prison, but still cancels and not for the first time. This makes Bart extremely upset even to the point of turning in his membership badge. He sends a letter to Krusty and after his secretary reads it, she is very disappointed and forces Krusty to go. Marge tells Bart that Krusty is coming and he instantly cheers up.

At dinner, the Simpsons ask Krusty to say grace and he starts to recite a prayer in Hebrew. Realizing that Krusty is Jewish, Lisa speaks of his heritage, making Krusty break down in tears. After some convincing from the family as to why he is so depressed about it, Krusty tells the family his real name, Herschel Krustofsky, and describes his upbringing in the Lower East Side of Springfield. His father is a rabbi at Temple Beth Springfield synagogue and he always wanted Krusty to follow in his footsteps. Krusty, however, always wanted to be a clown, angering and disappointing his father who was determined to stop him. When Krusty was looking through the window of a joke shop his father dragged him away and when he told a joke in class his father strangled him. One night Krusty got a chance to perform at a rabbi’s convention but unfortunately for him, his father had turned up. His performance was going well but he was sprayed with seltzer by one of the rabbis, his make-up fell off and his father recognized him and disowned him. After the story is over, Krusty becomes very emotional. He ends up outstaying his welcome at the Simpsons, not leaving until after 1 am. He finally leaves and tries calling his dad, but is afraid that his dad will reject him again, so he doesn’t say anything.

Bart and Lisa notice him getting increasingly depressed (even to the point of crying during his TV show) so they agree to try to locate and reunite Krusty with his father. They first ask Rev. Lovejoy for help (he thinks they want to confirm until they mention Krusty’s father) it turns out they know each other very well as they do a radio show together and gives them the address and visit Temple Beth Springfield to speak with him. He welcomes them in but the moment Bart and Lisa mention that it’s regarding his son he declares that he has no son and slams the door on them. They then call him on a radio studio where a framed “Larry Davis Experience” gold record hangs on the wall. Bart pretending to be a person called Dimitri living in Springfield asks if a person should be forgiven for doing something different, while the others say that they deserve forgiveness Krusty’s father is still mad at him and refuses to forgive him. After several tries, they finally convince Hyman to forgive Krusty by saying a quote from Sammy Davis, Jr., a Jewish entertainer just like Krusty, in which the entertainer makes a passionate speech about the struggles that the Jewish people have overcome. This finally convinces Rabbi Krustofsky that entertainers have a place in Jewish heritage. Bart, Lisa, and the now proud father meet Krusty on the set of his show, where they reconcile their differences together.

Another side character-building episode where we learn some more back story for Krusty

Fun fact:

3×07 – 042 – “Treehouse of Horror II” – 8F02

Watched date – 11/02/24 / Original Air Date – 31/10/91

We finish up Week 6 with “Treehouse of Horror II” or “The Simpsons Halloween Special II” whichever you prefer. Again split into 3 stories, this time the overarching story is the kids have had too much candy leading to them having “bad dreams”

The Monkey’s Paw

First, in the classic tale of be careful what you wish for, in Morocco Homer buys a monkey paw from a street vendor who warns of great misfortune. Not heeding its warning Maggie wishes for a Golden Pacifier. Bart wishes for the family to be rich and famous but they end up being on everything and annoy everyone. Lisa wishes for world peace by which everyone gets rid of weapons, defenseless they are invaded by Kang and Kodos. For the final wish, Homers wish for a turkey sandwich with no “Weird surprises” but ends up with dry turkey. Outraged he ends up throwing it out which Ned sees him do. Homer offers him the paw assuming that wishes with misfortunes but he wishes to get rid of the aliens which frees the human race and he is considered a hero. Shortly after Flanders wishes for his home to become a castle, as Homer watches seething.

The Bart Zone

In a parody of “The Twilight Zone” episode “It’s a Good Life” Bart is a kind-hearted boy with the ability to bend reality with his mind, as well as read the minds of others. The entire town lives in fear of him, constantly forced to be happy and fulfil his every demand. This leads to Bart turning Homer into a Jack-in-box when he catches Homer trying to hit him with a chair after Homer returns home after being turned into a ball. Marge takes them to see Dr. Marvin Monroe who suggests they need to spend more time together eventually turning Homer back to normal.

If Only I Had a Brain

Homer is fired from his job and ends up becoming a gravedigger falling asleep in the grave, meanwhile, Mr. Burns and Smithers go hunting for a brain for their experiment to create the perfect worker. They stumble upon Homer asleep in the open grave and take him back remove his brain and insert it into their robot. The robot then acts like Homer (clumsy, lazy and a love for donuts) to their disappointment they put Homer’s brain back in, but after that, the robot falls and crushes Mr Burns. To save his life Smithers sews Burn’s head onto Homer’s body.

Fun fact: