Episode 10 - Homers Night Out
13 January 2010
Synopsis: Homer gets drunk and rowdy at a bachelor party. Bart takes a picture of him dancing with a stripper and the photo spreads around Springfield. Marge is outraged and kicks Homer out. She lets him back in on condition that he shows Bart that women are not objects.
The Good: The “Six Months Later” plot device establishes an important part of The Simpsons mythology. That time has almost no meaning. That events can occur which should shake and change characters but won’t. At this stage it makes perfect sense because the Simpson family are the major component of the show. In a nice touch they show Homer battling with his weight and Marge unknowingly encouraging him not to change. A very real example of what doesn’t change over time.
The main jokes come from the amusing logic of school kids (see Best Joke) including Bart being cynical about the ads in his comic book until he finds one that appeals to him.
This is the first appearances of Apu and Barney in their more recognisable forms.
The Bad: What exactly did Marge think would happen at a bachelor party? Her outrage seems like quite an overreaction. The whole story seems slightly implausible because the whole town goes crazy over a photo of Homer dancing with a stripper. Far raunchier pictures would be available everywhere and Homer is hardly well known enough to warrant huge attention.
Homer’s advice to Mr Burns is woefully inadequate and yet seems to satisfy him. Princess Cashmere’s decision to kick Homer off her cage seems pretty extreme. He could have been seriously hurt.
Best Joke: Milhouse wants a copy of Bart’s racy picture. But Bart asks him to swear he won’t share it with anyone else:
B: “Cross your heart and hope to die.”
M: “Yup.”
B: “Stick a needle in your eye.”
M: “Yup.”
B: “Jam a dagger in your thigh.”
M: “Yup.”
B: “Eat a horse manure pie.”
M: “Yup.”
B: “Well ok.”
Cut immediately to Milhouse in the school library showing another kid the picture.
The Bottom Line: A bit of a misfire. It feels like one too many “Homer is a bad husband” stories in a row and his behaviour didn’t seem bad enough to warrant his punishment.
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