Homer the Smithers
| "Homer the Smithers" | |
|---|---|
| The Simpsons episode | |
| File:Homer the Smithers.png | |
| Episode no. | Season 7 |
| Directed by | Steven Dean Moore |
| Written by | John Swartzwelder |
| Original air dates | February 25, 1996 |
| Episode features | |
| Couch gag | The Simpsons drive around the living room dressed as shriners in tiny cars. They park in a row in front of the TV. They then honk twice, like Marge does in the intro. |
| Commentary | Bill Oakley Josh Weinstein Steven Dean Moore |
"Homer the Smithers" is the seventeenth episode of The Simpsons' seventh season, which originally aired February 25, 1996. It was written by John Swartzwelder and directed by Steven Dean Moore. In this episode, Burns learns to take care of himself, rendering Smithers redundant. As a result, Homer helps Smithers get his job back. In this episode Smithers finds it exceedingly difficult to find a job, but in "You Only Move Twice" he says that he cannot walk down the street without being offered a job.
Plot
After a company night out to the Springfield drag races, Waylon Smithers fails to protect Mr. Burns from a drunken Lenny. Though he tries to make amends the next day, Smithers tries, unsuccessfully to drown himself out of guilt. Burns suggests that he takes a vacation. Smithers purposely chooses Homer to be his replacement due to his incompetence. However, Homer fails to work to the specifications of Burns' rigid orders, the long hours, and Burns continually berates Homer for every little thing he does. In his rage, Homer punches Burns. He then panics and runs home, fearing he's killed him.
Homer goes to apologize, but is turned away by Burns (who only suffered a black eye) out of fear. With no one around, Burns learns to do everything himself, such as making coffee and operating the telephone, instead of relying on Smithers. Smithers returns early and is fired, as he is no longer needed. Homer tries to help him in a scheme to get his job back by getting Burns to handle a call from his mother (the one task he still cannot do), but it backfires. After Homer and Smithers engage in a fist fight, Burns is pushed out a window and is injured. Smithers then gets his job back to care for Burns, and Homer is rewarded with a basket of fruits from Smithers.
Cultural references/Trivia
- Smithers sensing something is wrong with Mr. Burns is similar to Hallorann sensing something is wrong with Danny in the 1980 film The Shining.
- In the scene where Burns is left in his car unnatended, he is approached by a drunken Lenny thanking him for the night. Smithers then apologizes for not being there, but Burns says he always had his mace. The mace was not present when Lenny was approaching Burns though.
- Smithers appears to take his vacation at a gay resort. There are several clues to this, including the fact that there are only men seen in the dance club, and that he drives a speedboat pulling along a pyramid of men in pink speedos. He also makes a point of his reluctance to bring Mr. Burns any pictures of his vacation. Many fans of the show believe that the resort is the real gay holiday resort Fire Island.
- When Homer is punched in the stomach, which traps the assailant's hand within the fat. This is a reference to Terminator 2: Judgment Day, in which the T-800 punches the T-1000's head, only to be enveloped by liquid metal. After he knocks out Burns, Homer's terrified jabbering includes the words "Let's get ready to--!", a reference to boxing announcer Michael Buffer.
- At the end of the episode, when Smithers is feeding Mr. Burns peanuts, Mr. Burns opens his mouth and makes a clicking noise, as in A Clockwork Orange when Alex is being fed by the Minister of the Interior. The manner in which Burns becomes injured is also similar to Alex: they both take a potentially life-threatening fall from a top story window.
- When Homer is serving Mr. Burns breakfast in bed a now repaired bobo (Mr. Burns's teddy bear from the episode Rosebud) is next to him
- The episode suggests that Moe's phone number is 764-8437(7), which is the telephone equivalent of Smithers.
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