Simpsons Did It!: “See Homer Run”

Oh, look, one episode after one about the relationship between Bart and Marge, and we’re back to Homer and Lisa.

Say, I don’t think I’ve seen this one before!

Homer is hanging a stocking by the mantle.  Why?  It’s Father’s Day Eve.  Marge is taking the kids to shop for something at the mall.  Bart uses such a trip to get Homer a multi-tool while Lisa decides to make him something.  Homer loves his new tool.  He doesn’t know what to make of a hand-drawn picture book depicting himself and Lisa as a pair of happy unicorns.  And then, after putting it on the fridge, it slides down and gets soaked and ruined forever.  Now Lisa’s upset.

Bart, meanwhile, is encouraged to steal a road sign for Bart Boulevard by Jimbo, Dolph, and Kearney.  The bullies, impressed by the power of peer pressure, then encourage Milhouse  to ride his bike with his eyes closed.  That leads to Milhouse being hit by a train and rare bully guilt.

Don’t worry.  Milhouse shows up again later with just a cast.

But now Lisa hates all men everywhere and starts taking it out on, oh, everybody at school, prompting Principal Skinner to call Homer and Marge in for a conference.  What is he worried about?  Lisa might end up hating all men everywhere unless Homer can win her affection back.  How can he do this?  He can become the school’s new Safety Salamander, a mascot for safety.  And then Homer is off to do things as only Homer can.  You know, like freak out when he learns the bus as no seat belts, or freak out when his fireworks display at a long school presentation starts a fire, or just mostly freak out.

Will Homer do anything right?  Well, that missing sign for Bart Boulevard causes Cletus to ram another car while running Brandine to the hospital to give birth to a baby, and that leads to a bunch more cars ramming each other, and then a police car, a fire engine, and an ambulance all ram into the large pile up from different angles.  And then, finally, a police helicopter crashes on top.  People are trapped, and then Homer runs out and starts pulling people to safety, saving many lives while still dressed as the Safety Salamander.  Not bad for a mascot.

But all that incompetence leads to questioning the Mayor’s effectiveness.  One young man does so very directly at a town meeting.  Quimby tells him to take it to his press secretary.  The man is his press secretary.  Quimby says he should have hired his nephew.  The man says he is also Quimby’s nephew.  Hey, it’s Freddy Quimby!

Well, it turns out there is a recall option, and 200 Springfielders all toss their hats in the ring.  Lisa convinces Homer to do so as well since as the Safety Salamander, he’s quite popular.  Homer does, and he’s doing well until Marge washes the costume and it rips apart at a debate.  People were willing to listen to a salamander, but not a man.  Quimby keeps his job.  Homer can’t even get his kids to come out on stage with him.  Lisa refuses.  Bart shoves Milhouse out in his place.

See, I told you Milhouse was fine after being hit by a train.