The Simpsons Project #3

Simpsons Project Case #3 (Season 1, Episode 3)
Homer’s Odyssey
Original airdate: 1/21/90

Oh, hello! Welcome to another installment of the Simpsons Project, where we take an in-depth look at every Simpsons episode in chronological order, every 1 ½ to 3 weeks! Today, we’ll dissect “Homer’s Odyssey”, the third episode of season one. Though the episode doesn’t establish multiple characters in the family like the first two episodes had done, “Homer’s Odyssey” provides the first starring role for Homer J. Simpson and sews the seeds for the funniest television character, well, ever. So let’s take a look!

The episode begins with Bart and his class being ushered onto the bus for a field trip to the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. We get our first glimpse of Otto, who shows Bart his new tattoo (“Woke up with it this morning,” proclaims Otto). Several tertiary characters are introduced as Bart’s classmates here, including ever-queasy Wendell and Bart’s early season nemeses Sherri and Terri. Bart’s constant troublemaking causes Ms. Krabappel to force him to sing “John Henry was a Steel Driving Man”.

The class arrives at the Power Plant and meets Waylon Smithers, who appears here as a black man for the only time. Smithers rolls a film called “Nuclear Energy: Your Misunderstood Friend”, which is a hilarious send-up of the kind of putrid 50’s “educational” short films routinely skewered on Mystery Science Theater 3000. The Simpsons has always had a knack for making fun of 40’s and 50’s pop-culture dreck like this (other examples include the “Zinc” educational film, "Springfield: City on the Grow", etc.) but that fine tradition gets its start here.

After the film, Bart sees his father riding a motor cart around the plant and yells to get his attention. Homer is distracted, causing him to crash into a pipe and nearly cause a nuclear disaster. He is fired on the spot; coincidentally, by Sherri and Terri’s father. Bart is embarrassed, but Homer is mortified, setting up the plot for the episode.

Homer attempts to look for a job and figure out how to provide for the family, but when his attempts fail, he turns to booze. He visits Moe’s for the first time, and we get our first Moe prank call (the name used is I.P. Freely). Marge re-takes her old job as a drive-in burger joint waitress, and things look bleak for the family. Homer finally reaches rock bottom when he decides to steal Bart’s piggy bank to buy beer (which features a hilarious gag where Homer realizes what he’s doing and feels ashamed, but then double-checks the meager coins to see if there’s enough for the beer). He decides the family would be better off without him, and writes a suicide note.

I remember seeing this and thinking that it was a little dark at the time and it is a little uncharacteristic of early-Homer to contemplate suicide. Homer in modern times is a complete lunatic, but in the early episodes he is a kind hearted family man who just happens to be a little soft. I remember being taken aback by his decision.

Anyway, Homer doesn’t actually go through with it (obviously, because then we wouldn’t have 20 more seasons). His family shows up at the last second, and when they’re nearly hit by a car, Homer saves them and is given a purpose in life: making Springfield’s streets safer. He attends city board meetings and moves to put stop signs and caution signs all over town. Incredibly successful in these endeavors, he decides to take on the biggest health problem in the town, the nuclear plant.

Homer’s title of “Safety Inspector” that he holds for the duration of the series is given to him here. Homer incites a protest at the plant, and Burns decides to squash the rebellion by giving Homer a job, a raise and a promotion. Homer takes the job; on the condition that he tell the throng outside that the plant is safe. When he is unable to do so, Burns actually respects his decision, and hires him back anyway. Homer’s principles remain intact, he does right by his family, and he redeems himself.

This episode has some really great gags and snappy lines in it. It’s not as historically important as the first two, but it’s a great look at what Homer is made of. The show really knew what it was doing right off the bat, with characters being developed rapidly in each episode flawlessly while remaining really funny. Though not as strong as “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire” or “Bart the Genius”, another fine early episode.

B+

"Our lives are in the hands of men no smarter than you or I, many of them incompotent boobs." - Homer

John Lacey