Homer the Smithers

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The Simpsons episode
"Homer the Smithers"
Episode no.	145
Prod. code	3F14
Orig. Airdate	February 25, 1996
Show Runner(s)	Bill Oakley & Josh Weinstein
Writer(s)	John Swartzwelder
Director	Steven Dean Moore
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.
SNPP capsule
Season 7 September 17, 1995 – May 19, 1996
Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part Two) Radioactive Man Home Sweet Homediddly-Dum-Doodily Bart Sells His Soul Lisa the Vegetarian Treehouse of Horror VI King-Size Homer Mother Simpson Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular Marge Be Not Proud Team Homer Two Bad Neighbors Scenes from the Class Struggle in Springfield Bart the Fink Lisa the Iconoclast Homer the Smithers The Day the Violence Died A Fish Called Selma Bart on the Road 22 Short Films About Springfield Raging Abe Simpson and His Grumbling Grandson in "The Curse of the Flying Hellfish" Much Apu About Nothing Homerpalooza Summer of 4 Ft. 2
List of all Simpsons episodes...

"Homer the Smithers" is the seventeenth episode of The Simpsons' seventh season.

1 Synopsis
2 Trivia
3 Cultural References
4 Quotes
5 External links

[edit] Synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

After a company night out to the Springfield drag races, Smithers fails to protect Mr. Burns from a drunken Lenny. Though he tries to make amends the next day, Smithers tries and fails to drown himself. Burns suggests that he take 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, and Burns continually berates Homer. In his rage, Homer punches Burns.

Homer goes to apologize, but is turned away by Burns out of fear. With no one around, Burns learns to do everything himself. Smithers returns and is fired, as he is no longer needed. Homer tries to help him in a scheme to get his job back, 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.

[edit] Trivia

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. Frankie Goes To Hollywood's Relax is playing in the background as Mr. Smithers calls Burns before being pushed into a conga line.

[edit] Cultural References

At the end of the episode, Mr. Smithers is feeding Mr. Burns peanuts, and 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.
Homer is punched in the stomach, which traps the assailant's hand within the fat. This references Terminator 2: Judgment Day, in which the T-800 punches the T-1000's head, only to be enveloped by liquid metal.
Smithers sensing something is wrong with Mr Burns is similar to Hallorann sensing something is wrong with Danny in the 1980 film The Shining.

[edit] Quotes

Burns: (while driving and wrecking everything in his path) Beep! Beep! Out of my way! I'm a motorist!
Chief Wiggum: That's some nice reckless driving, Mr. B.
Burns: I'll have my lunch now. I'll have a single pillow of shredded wheat, some steamed toast, and a dodo egg.
Homer: But I think the dodo went extin--.
Burns: Get cracking! Answer my phone messages, install a computer system, and rotate my office so the window faces the hills!
Homer: Uh huh, uh huh. Um, could you repeat the part where you said about, umm, the things?...... The things?
Homer: Here are your messages. (reading answering machine messages) "You have thirty minutes to move your car", "You have ten minutes", "Your car has been impounded", "Your car has been crushed into a cube", "You have thirty minutes to pick up your cube". (phone rings and Homer answers) Hello, Mr. Burns' office.
Burns: Is it about my cube?
Mrs. Burns: (answering phone) Whot?
Smithers: Hello, Mrs. Burns? This is Waylon Smithers. I have your son Montgomery on the line.
Mrs. Burns: That improvident lackwit? Always too busy stridin' about his atom mill to call his own mother. I'll give him what-fors 'till he cries brassafrax!
Smithers: I've got to find a replacement that won't outshine me. Perhaps if I search the employee evaluations for the word (types) "Incompetent".
Computer reports: 714 matches found
Smithers: 714 names? Better be more specific. (keeps typing) "Lazy", "clumsy", "dim-witted", "monstrously ugly".
Computer searches, then reports: 714 matches found
Smithers: Oh, nuts to this, I'll just go get Homer Simpson.
Burns: Doughnuts? I told you I don't like ethnic food! Here, tell me how my stocks did yesterday.
Homer: (looking at the oh-so tiny print of the stock reports) Uh... they all won.
Burns: What about my options?
Homer: Well, you can either get up or go back to sleep.
Burns: I believe I'll get up.
(later...)
Burns: (unseen, but Homer is brushing his teeth) Scrub harder! Gotta get that layer of dead skin off! (Homer shudders)
Smithers: Your new duties will include: answering Mr. Burns' phone, preparing his tax return, moistening his eyeballs, assisting with his chewing and swallowing, lying to Congress, and some light typing.
Burns: Stay back Homer, approach no further, coffee's already made. I stomped the beans myself.
Homer: Uh, well, can I at least drive you home, Mr. Burns? It's 5:00.
Burns: No! I thought, uh, I thought I'd chauffeur myself this evening. Yes, that's what I thought. How difficult could it be? I'm sure the manual will indicate which lever is the velocitator and which the deceleratrix, hmm?