Homer's Odyssey

The Simpsons episode
"Homer's Odyssey"
Montgomery Burns watches as Homer campaigns for nuclear safety.
Episode no.	3
Prod. code	7G03
Orig. airdate	January 21, 1990
Show runner(s)	James L. Brooks Matt Groening Sam Simon
Written by	Jay Kogen & Wallace Wolodarsky
Directed by	Wes Archer
Chalkboard	"I will not skateboard in the halls"[1]
Couch gag	The family hurries on to the couch which makes it collapse.
DVD commentary	Matt Groening Wes Archer Jay Kogen Wallace Wolodarsky
Season 1 December 17, 1989 – May 13, 1990 "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" "Bart the Genius" "Homer's Odyssey" "There's No Disgrace Like Home" "Bart the General" "Moaning Lisa" "The Call of the Simpsons" "The Telltale Head" "Life on the Fast Lane" "Homer's Night Out" "The Crepes of Wrath" "Krusty Gets Busted" "Some Enchanted Evening" List of all The Simpsons episodes
Seasons 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11 · 12 13 · 14 · 15 · 16 · 17 · 18 · 19 · 20 · 21

"Homer's Odyssey" is the third full length episode of The Simpsons, that originally aired on the Fox network on January 21, 1990. In this episode Homer becomes a crusader for citizen safety in Springfield, and is promoted to his current position as Nuclear Safety Inspector for the entire power plant. It was written by Jay Kogen and Wallace Wolodarsky and was the first Simpsons script to be completed, although it was the third episode produced.^[2]

Plot

Bart's class attends a field trip to the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. On the bus, Bart must sit next to Wendell; a classmate with horrible motion sickness. Bart is warned not to complain and is told that if he makes one more outburst, he will be forced to sing in front of the class. Sherri and Terri, the twins sitting behind Bart, both kiss him, causing him to yell. His annoyed teacher, Edna Krabappel, forces him to sing.

At the power plant Mr. Smithers shows the class an educational video about nuclear energy. During a tour of the plant, Homer greets Bart and causes an accident in this moment of distraction. Homer's supervisor (who is also Sherri's and Terri's father) immediately fires him.

Unable to find a job, Homer turns to alcohol as a "temporary solution" to his depression. However, there is no beer in his fridge and Moe will not add one to Homer's tab because he believes that Homer will never be able to repay him. In a moment of desperation, Homer smashes Bart's piggy bank. He then realizes that he hates the man he has become and decides to commit suicide. While the family is asleep, Homer writes them a goodbye letter, quietly ties a large boulder to his waist, and leaves the house. The rest of the family eventually awaken to find Homer's letter. They run to the bridge that Homer intends to jump from. When they all step into a street, a car almost hits them, but Homer saves them by pushing them off the road. Experiencing a eureka moment, Homer realizes that he profoundly cares not only for the safety of his own family but for that of the general public as well.

Homer motions City Hall for a stop sign at the intersection where his family was almost killed. Encouraged by the successful passing of this motion, he begins a crusade for public safety, erecting various warning signs all over Springfield. He soon realizes that the power plant is the town's most dangerous feature and with a growing mass of supporters, begins a campaign to shut it down. A nervous Mr. Burns offers to rehire Homer to a higher position (as nuclear safety inspector) with a larger paycheck, and uses an egg timer to give Homer 30 seconds to confer with himself. Homer decides that he would rather be a good provider to his family than a public savior, and that he cannot have Marge keep working as a carhop waitress. He takes the job, and Mr. Burns says that Homer's first assignment as safety inspector will be to end his campaign by announcing to the protestors that the SNPP is a safe plant. He tells his supporters to continue without him while he works to ensure the safety of the plant.^[1][3]

Production

"Black Smithers", as seen in this episode

Smithers was mistakenly animated with the wrong color and was made black by Gyorgi Peluce, the color stylist. David Silverman has claimed that Smithers was always intended to be "Mr Burns' white sycophant",^[4] and the staff thought it "would be a bad idea to have a black sub-servient character" and so switched him to his intended color for his next episode. Smithers' skin tone was later explained as an "extreme tan".^[5] This is the episode where Homer becomes the Safety Inspector at the plant. His previous job is unclear although he calls himself a "technical supervisor". He was originally hired as part of "Project Bootstrap," a fictional government program implemented by the Ford administration to bring in unskilled workers.

Blinky the three-eyed Fish makes a brief cameo in this episode; he later becomes of importance in episode four of the second season, "Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish". Also notable is that Marge was originally called Juliette in this script as an homage to Romeo and Juliet.^[6] Homer's middle initial, J, is mentioned for the first time in this episode. According to Matt Groening, it was a reference to Bullwinkle J. Moose.^[7]

Additionally, the following characters made their first appearances in this episode: Otto Mann, Chief Wiggum, Jasper Beardley, Sam & Larry, Mr. & Mrs. Winfield and Sherri and Terri. Waylon Smithers also appears for the first time, although his voice was heard over the power-plant's PA system in "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire".^[1]

Cultural references

The episode's title comes from the Greek epic poem Odyssey, traditionally attributed to the legendary poet Homer. On the bus, Bart sings "John Henry was a Steel Driving Man;" an American folk-song about a 19th century hero of the working-class, building railroads across the Western mountains.^[1]

Reception

Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, the authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide stated that "the story rather fizzles out at the end, but there are many good moments, especially in the power plant."^[1] Other reviewers said the episode was notable, but preachy.^[3]

In its original American broadcast, "Homer's Odyssey" finished 28th place in the Nielsen ratings for the week of January 15–January 21, 1990. It was the highest rated show on the Fox Network that week.^[8]

References

External links

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The Simpsons portal

• "Homer's Odyssey" at The Simpsons.com
• Episode capsule on "Simpsons Archive"
• "Homer's Odyssey" at TV.com
• "Homer's Odyssey" at the Internet Movie Database