Simpson Tide
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| The Simpsons episode | |
| "Simpson Tide" | |
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| Episode no. | 197 |
| Prod. code | 3G04 |
| Orig. Airdate | March 29, 1998 |
| Show Runner(s) | Al Jean & Mike Reiss |
| Writer(s) | Joshua Sternin & Jeffrey Ventimilia |
| Director | Milton Gray |
| Chalkboard | "My butt does not deserve a website" |
| Couch gag | A parody of Rocky & Bullwinkle |
| Guest star(s) | Rod Steiger as Captain Tenille Michael Carrington as Drill Sargeant and TV announcer Bob Denver as himself |
| SNPP capsule | |
| Season 9 September 21, 1997 – May 17, 1998 |
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| List of all Simpsons episodes... | |
Simpson Tide is the nineteenth episode of The Simpsons' ninth season. The episode first aired on March 29, 1998. The episode title puns on the film Crimson Tide.
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[edit] Synopsis
Homer, Lenny and Carl all want a doughnut, but only one is left. Homer thinks up a solution: he places the donut in the reactor core in an attempt to make it huge. Within ten minutes, the power plant is on fire and Homer is fired.
After seeing a recruitment advert on TV, Homer decides to enlist in "America's seventeenth line of defense," the United States Naval Reserve. Moe, Barney, and Apu join him.
Meanwhile, Bart is impressed when Milhouse gets an earring. As earrings become a fad, Bart gets his ears pierced, much to Homer's outrage.
Soon after Homer and the others graduate, they are subjected to the annual war games. Bart and Homer have an argument as Homer prepares to board the submarine and Bart gives Homer the earring.
When the captain of Homer's vessel, Cpt. Tenille, goes to check on a problem in the torpedo hatch, Homer is left in charge. At this point, an enemy submarine approaches Homer's, and Homer immediately responds by giving the order to fire a torpedo. Unfortunately, as Cpt. Tenille is in the torpedo hatch, he is fired at the other submarine. The other sub fires back at them, and Homer gives the order to retreat.
Homer fails to find his way back to Springfield, and ends up going entirely the wrong way, ending up in Russian waters. This is interpreted by the United States government as an attempt to hi-jack the sub. This event creates a political schism between the USA and Russia; the Russian government reveals that the Soviet Union still exists, and that its fall was merely a ruse. As such, the diplomat switches his name plate to "Soviet Union" mode, and curious changes occur in Russia. Tanks emerge from within floats depicting teddy bears in a parade in front of the Kremlin, goosestepping troops parade, the Berlin Wall reappears from nowhere and Lenin returns from the dead.
Nuclear war is anticipated until the US Navy drops depth charges on the sub, aiming either to destroy it or force it to surface. The consequent explosion causes a pinhole leak in the submarine's wall. The crew all believe their situation is fatal until Homer remembers the earring he took from Bart. He uses it to plug the leak and saves the submarine.
The vessel surfaces and Homer is taken to be prosecuted; however, he is let off the hook because all of the officers at his hearing are under indictment for various offenses. Homer receives a dishonorable discharge and forgives Bart, as the earring saved his life. Homer gives it back to Bart.
[edit] Cultural references
- Many parts of this episode is in reference to the 1995 film Crimson Tide, including the episode title, the story taking place in a nuclear submarine, and the Homer meeting with the naval court.
- Homer's dream is reminiscent of the film The Planet of the Apes.
- Grampa Simpson attacking John F. Kennedy when Kennedy states "Ich bin ein Berliner", one of Kennedy's famous quotes.
- One of the submarine crew's name is Mr. Sulu, the character from Star Trek. He is a "simpsonised" version of the character.
- The name Capt. Tennille is inspired by the 1970s musical duo Captain and Tennille.
- The Russian roulette scene parodies a similar scene from The Deer Hunter.
- The opening couch gag is a perfect recreation of the old Rocky and Bullwinkle animated bumper seen at the end of each Bullwinkle short. In this couch, we see clouds with thunder and lightning, and then silhouettes of the Simpsons family run back and forth on a cliff that is collapsing, then then the family falls headfirst through a prepice in the gorge. Then we see the Simpsons family outlines form piece-by-piece floating through a mosiac of colors, and then under a red happy sun, pink dasies sprout out of the ground and the Simpsons family sprouts out from the dirt, too. Bart spits out a clod of dirt with a flower in it. The music accompanying it is a remake of the original music accompanying the bumper.
[edit] Quotes
- Homer: Nu-cul-ar, it's pronounced nu-cu-lar.
- Homer: Mr. Sulu, make a left.
Sulu: Aye, aye, Captain. Setting course for Rigel 7. I mean home. - Grandpa: My Homer is not a communist. He may be a liar, a pig, an idiot, a communist, but he is not a porn star!
- Recruiter: Just fill out this form and you're on your way to the Reserve.
Homer: There's a question that's crossed out.
Recruiter: Well, due to a recent presidential order, we're not allowed to ask that particular question.
Homer: I think can make it out. (reading) "Are you a homose--"
Recruiter: For God's sake, don't answer that! I could go to jail!
Homer: But I'm not a homos--
Recruiter: La, la, la, la, la, la, I am not listening! La, la, la, la, la, la! (runs off)
Homer: Nice fella. I wonder if he's gay. - Jimbo: Hey look! Milhouse has an earring!
Bart: Hey, if you want cool, check this out. (Bart starts to sing Do the Bartman in front of the bus) Everybody if you can do the Bart, Man! Shake your body turn it out if you can, can! Do the Bart, Man, yeah!
(The children look on in silence)
Ralph: That is so 1991. - Lisa: Be careful, Dad.
Homer: Oh, Lisa, it's just war games. It's not like a game could hurt me.
(thought bubble appears with Homer's head between two Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots)
Homer (in bubble): Damn you Rock-Em, Sock-Em robots! Can't we all just get along? - Bart: Come on, Dad. Didn't you do anything wild when you were a kid?
Homer: Well, when I was ten, I got my ear pierced... but this is completely different! - Marge: If Milhouse jump off a cliff--
Bart: Milhouse jumped off a cliff?! I'm there! - Tenille (goes into the torpedo room, where Barney and his mother are on duty): Seaman, open that torpedo tube!
Mrs. Gumble: You'll never get a response talking to my son like that! You gotta poke him with a stick! (does so)
Barney (still sleepy): Oh, I don't wanna go to school today. - Homer: Mr. Moe, steady as she goes!
Moe: Aye aye (under his breath), ya big dummy! Oh, what a dummy! - Homer (after saving the sub): Mr. Moe, prepare to surface.
Moe: You wanna stop calling me "Mr. Moe"?!
Homer: No. - John F. Kennedy: Ich bin ein Berliner.
Grampa: He's a Nazi, get him! (Grampa and two other crewmen attack Kennedy) - Homer: You can't spell dishonorable without honorable.
- Bart: Homer, bring me back a torpedo.
Homer: No.
Bart: But Flanders got his kids torpedoes.
Homer: Oh, he did, did he? I'll show him. I'll bring you a weapon of unimaginable destructive power!
Marge: Homer!
Homer: But only if you're good. (secretly to Bart) Even if you're not. - Sergeant: All right, Simpson. I don't like you, and you don't like me.
Homer: I like you!
Sergeant: Fine... You like me, but I don't like you.
Homer: Maybe you would like me if you got to know me. - Russian/Soviet Diplomat:The Soviet Union will be pleased to offer amnesty to your wayward vessel.
US Diplomat: Soviet Union? I thought you guys broke up.
Russian/Soviet Diplomat: Nyet! That's what we wanted you to think, hahahahahaha! - Zombie Lenin: Must crush capitalism... grrr!
[edit] External links
- "Simpson Tide" episode capsule at The Simpsons Archive
