“Point out your plot holes elsewhere!” – Theater usher, after kicking Homer out of the Aztec. It’s actually a lesson I’ve taken to heart, as the existence of this blog and the reviews of this decaying series demonstrates.
Airdate: January 7th, 2001.
Written By: Al Jean
Plot: The Simpsons are broke yet again. This time, instead of pathetic spending habits or a fish falling from space, Homer made a daring investment in a startup company that promptly goes under. To try and recoup his losses, he goes to a testing facility. There, doctors discover that he has a brain lodged in his crayon. Removal of said crayon causes his IQ to jump up quite a bit.
Review:
This is gonna sound weird, but a part of me actually expected Season 12 of The Simpsons to be better than Season 11. I mean, the bar was so low as to be easy to walk over, but my memories of Season 12 had involved more positive ones of, say, “Insane Clown Posse” and “Skinner’s Sense of Snow”. But only “Lisa the Tree Hugger” has lived up to my nostalgia, and even that would struggle to make my “Top 200 Simpsons episodes” list.
Otherwise, this season is shaping up to be on par with its predecessor. The only difference I can tell is that any attempts at emotional resonance (bar “Insane Clown Posse”, sort of) have gone straight out the window in favor of embracing the sheer insanity that Mike Scully’s tenure believes to be acceptable for The Simpsons. Then again, given the attempts to pass a certain middle finger of an episode off as emotionally riveting, it might just be for the best. Let’s just say that if that is to be considered a positive, it’s canceled out and more by the overall comedy nosediving to depths of taste and timing.
Inclusive of this episode, I have eighteen Simpsons episodes left to cover – maybe nineteen, given that I’m thinking of reviewing a Season 14 episode helmed by Scully (for some reason). To put it simply, I am ready to bring this project to an end. I just ask for a few, a few decent episodes from now until then to make the denouement that much more bearable.
Thankfully, this one… well, it’s quite a way closer than “Homer vs. Dignity”, at least. It has some major flaws with pacing that impact the rest of the episode, but there is an improvement within.
As one can ascertain, one of the larger issues I’ve had with this show over the past couple of seasons is the abject mishandling of Homer J. Simpson. His descent into a narcissistic, odious, moronic character who serves as the center of the Simpsons universe is really a shame. Besides the obvious “who gives a damn about this type of character”, Homer was – and I would argue is – one of the best protagonists in television history.
He was not just the everyman, he was a brilliant riff on the concept therein. The grandest subversion of the “family dad” type found in the 80s, but not just that, a well-defined character on his own merits. He was loopy, id-driven, occasionally selfish, and not the highest intellectual figure out there. His flaws, though, were balanced by dedication towards his family, a protective mindset, a childlike innocence, and a more insecure and tragic side to his personality and behavior. If Dr. Cliff Huxtable was meant as the father figure we aspired to have or be, Homer Simpson was the father we had or were. And that is what made him such an iconic character, one of the many many reasons why the series became a part of the American pop culture landscape.
One could argue that the Scully years have tried to keep that “jerk with a heart of gold” persona in check, all while playing up his more maniac and moronic side for comedy reasons. But the balance is so out of whack that he instead comes off as a mercurial figure, a borderline sociopath with very occasional moments of decency… which are so minute and pale in comparison to his increasing callousness that it comes off as insincere most of the time. Ergo, an unsympathetic character, ergo, an uninteresting plot to follow.
That said, there are exceptions to the rule. At least, partial exceptions. This is why I would like to introduce you all to “HOMR”, which comes closer than any episode has for a while in trying to capture classic Homer, all while maintaining the more “silly” aura that Scully’s tenure appears to have been going for.
To cut a long story short, Homer’s impulsive behavior has him pour his entire life savings into a motion-capture startup, AniMotion. (No relation.) And before you ask, this is likely a riff on the many, many internet startups that launched in the late 90s to take advantage of the then-relatively new World Wide Web. This show already riffed on this trend way back in “Das Bus”, but instead of a company that has no focus and is just interested in getting money, we get to see a company that has an idea that could be ahead of its time, but has a staggering lack of experience in the back office and is looking for any investment. It only gets Homer, the only man impulsive enough to buy into a highly risky stock (and whose demonstration of the technology at the festival might have put other possible investors off. Not holding the audience’s hand? What show am I even watching?)
Naturally, the company goes bust within a few days, wiping out the Simpson life savings. A toxic combination of a shortsighted gamble to get rich quick, as well as just sheer poor luck, has sent him into the pits yet again. Still not his best moment, but hey, if I have to choose between this and him stealing oversized malt liquor on stage while on Spring Break and getting off with a slap on the wrist, I’ll take this any day of the week. At least this is grounded in reality and shows some social satire.
Anyway, this is where we get a bit of deconstruction of Homer’s impulsiveness and less-than-intellectual behavior. He sells himself out to scientific research to recoup some of his losses. While there, the morally dubious scientists discover an idiosyncrasy in his X-rays – lodged within the frontal lobe of his brain is a crayon that had been there since a childhood accident. Alright, let’s be real here – this should be stupid. And it is – there’s already a lot of evidence to point to why Homer is so dense, and this just feels… excessive. But in a world of murderous trolls, self-reviving alligators, men getting violated by pandas, and self-dancing tap shoes, I think having a crayon halve a man’s IQ is low on the list of dumbest Simpsons moments from this era of the show. At least this isn’t presented in a “third act shock twist” type of way, so more points in favor.
Even further, this is meant to be a parody of the short story-turned-novel Flowers for Algernon turned-movie Charly. For the uninitiated, the story deals with an intellectually disabled man who is given surgical treatment to increase his IQ, to see if the scientists can replicate in humans what had been experienced in the titular mouse. It works at first, but he finds himself struggling with newfound intelligence, alienated from everybody he once knew (and now knows were mocking him), and discovers aspects about the treatment that… well, let’s just say that Flowers for Algernon might be one of the most heartbreaking short stories ever published. (It was also possibly one of those stories that got me interested in science fiction pop culture – thanks, New York State middle school English class curriculum!)
That story was meant to be a critique of, amongst many other things, how society treats the mentally disabled. Are we so hellbent on conformity that we are willing to shuffle our outcasts off to group homes to live their lives in obscurity at best? “HOMR” sort of poses a different question – what if society itself is so corrupted, selfish, and decayed that even holding common sense and effective intelligence is damning to one’s self-esteem?
We already see this in The Simpsons with Lisa, a rare intellectual in a beaten-down and complacent small-town America. Quite a few of her episodes demonstrate her relationship with her less-than-intellectual birthplace, oftentimes sympathetically, occasionally antagonistically. Two episodes in Season 10 focused on the latter. One, “They Saved Lisa’s Brain”, is a rather insightful episode about Springfield’s intellectuals that ranks as one of a few episodes from the Scully era I would eagerly revisit. The other, “Make Room for Lisa”, is one of the most odious episodes of the series by demonstrating one of the most downright reprehensible takes on Homer’s relationship with Lisa.
This episode tries to repair at least a bit of the damage from the latter. Homer’s IQ increase results in him forming a deeper bond with Lisa, now able to connect with her on a deeper level. This is a brilliant idea that suffers from one weak point – pacing. This thread isn’t given a whole lot of time to develop, thereby dulling an emotional impact. Even if there needed to be the Animation Festival setup, something could’ve been done there to maybe set up this plot thread. I didn’t really see it.
I know that this feels like a petty complaint, but let’s think back to “Lisa’s Substitute”, one of the absolute best episodes of The Simpsons. That set up the Homer/Lisa divide very early on, and kept building on it in the main plot by comparing Homer to Mr. Bergstrom and how Lisa relates to these two figures. It culminates in a third act that can still put a lump in my throat. Some might question why I’m comparing this episode to one of the all-time greats, and my response is simple – this show has set the bar against which its successors and future episodes will be measured.
Concurrently, most of the focus winds up on Homer’s relationship with the world around him. And this is where it actually shows more flashes of brilliance. Homer begins to think logically, a contrast to his id-driven behavior that has been his life story – even in the golden years, he was an emotionally driven figure, albeit one more content with the simple things in life. To an extent, he retains a relaxed nature – just swap out football and food for NPR and Rubix Cubes. Kind of odd how a more intellectual Homer is closer to his classic self compared to the bombastic “center of the universe” of the Scully era.
His intellectualism, however, begins to run into massive issues after he decides to do his job and file grievances with all of the power plant’s failings, thus answering the grand issue of why the hell does Homer still have his job as safety inspector? Simple, he is just incompetent enough to not report the power plant or mandate repairs, thus profit for Mr. Burns goes up the wazoo and he can cover up the many safety violations present (for the most part). Now that he’s intelligent, he rats the plant out to the feds for the laundry list of violations that occur. The plant is shut for repairs, and Burns passes the cost off to the workers. By which, I mean he lays them all off en masse. Alright, you’re getting closer to a malicious Mr. Burns, writers. It ain’t quite “Last Exit to Springfield”, but hey, it’s a hell of a sight better than “Mansion Family”.
Thus, the episode does take a similar path to “They Saved Lisa’s Brain” in showcasing the ostracism of the intellectual from Springfield. This time, the onus is placed on the townspeople – they quickly disown Homer given that he got a good chunk of them fired, and his pop-culture tastes get him cut off from the rest of town. There is a “dual-edged sword” effect here, as Homer had become rather aloof during his rise into intelligence. I would call this cliche, but given that a similar path occurred in Flowers for Algernon, I’m willing to forgive it as a pastiche. Granted, said path involved Charlie realizing that his so-called friends were merely mocking him, so make of that what you will.
Oddly enough, a lot of the parodies of this particular story that I have seen have the protagonist actually yearning for a time of simple-minded behavior and desires to take action to revert to their prior state. This is to the point where it’s become a part of the cliche itself. Let’s just say that in the original, that is not the case. Oh, god, is it not the case. If you haven’t read it yet… keep a box of Kleenex on standby.
Here, after a conversation with Lisa noting her own isolation, Homer concludes that society has no respect for the intellectual and demands the crayon back in his brain, even resorting to having Moe Syzlak do the nefarious deed because he doesn’t do the Hippocratic oath. (Another slight character repair – Moe becoming surly and involved in criminal activities once again.)
Now, here’s where the possible shortcomings in this type of plotline might appear. The whole “ignorance is bliss and stupidity is happiness” thread is quite dour, and if done poorly, can carry some rather unpleasant implications. This take is a mixed bag. On one hand, it would be in character for Homer to want some sort of reprieve from the stressors of life, even if it means reversing the gains he had made in terms of his intellectual power. But if handled poorly, it could negate the character development that he could’ve had with Lisa. Given that Homer’s likability as a character is at an all-time low, it’s a very risky course to take.
Thankfully, the episode does at least attempt to end on a sweet note. Before he got his crayon reapplied, he penned a note to Lisa:
I’m taking the coward’s way out. But before I do, I just wanted to say being smart made me appreciate just how amazing you really are.
Really, I think this makes up a little bit for the debacle that was the ending of “Make Room for Lisa”. If that episode came off as Lisa accepting Homer’s complete jerkass behavior, this comes off as Homer appreciating Lisa’s intellectualism and how she perseveres in a society that hates her, even as Homer resigns himself to a less-than-intellectual life. But it does form another issue – the idea of telling instead of showing. Which, in turn, shines a light on the biggest issue this episode has – pacing. This episode had somewhat limited interaction between Lisa and Homer. Their moments were good, admittedly, and they showcase the contrast between the positive and the negative sides of the hyper-intelligent. But it just feels… a bit blase. Refer back to my “Lisa’s Substitute” comment above, and think about the climax to that episode – the contrast is reinforced here. That felt sharp, that felt realistic, that was sold damn near perfectly, from the dialog to the pacing to the animation, selling a show that deconstructed the American family before rebuilding it as utterly idiosyncratic characters. Here? It’s not bad… but it’s not anywhere near as sharp, as witty, as heartwarming, as uniquely Simpsons.
Yeah, Homer and Lisa hugging at the end of the episode is cute, but by the time “I’m on the biggest roll of my life” rolls around, a lump is always in my throat. I think that’s the biggest issue with these episodes – even the moments that are meant to move us, to warm our hearts, seem lesser and less impactful. The structure has weakened because of a lack of care regarding plot and character development.
The soul of The Simpsons is gone.
Still, compared to what I’ve seen in Seasons 10 and 11, “HOMR” is certainly not nearly as egregious in its failings as other episodes here. The attempt to present a thought-provoking and moving story is not nearly as disastrously executed as other examples from the Scully era, there were a few genuinely amusing scenes, and it’s at least a somewhat memorable episode without the side effects of other… memorable episodes from Season 12. But the plotting is less than stellar, and accordingly, the character development feels just a tad bit… unfinished. It’s fine for a quick watch, but what could have been…
Tidbits:
- This episode features the “return” of Ozmodiar, a gag character featured at the end of “The Simpsons Spin-off Showcase” as a pastiche of The Great Gazoo. He takes on two quick gag scenes. In retrospect, Scully probably thought himself in a similar situation with Season 12 that Bill Oakley and Jeff Weinstein thought themselves with Season 8 – they were ready to get the call to wrap up the show. In this case, it feels like Scully was throwing everything at the fourth wall to deconstruct the series. And then Al Jean came in. Twenty years later…
- One character that is all but destroyed in this episode is Ned Flanders. Somehow, I doubt he would be so approving of an episode of Davey and Goliath where the former wants to blow up a Planned Parenthood clinic. His decay into a pastiche of the Christian Right is officially set. Some have theorized that this was a reaction to his wife’s death – his retreat into fundamentalism was a coping mechanism. In a more serialized and consistent show, I would buy it… but it just makes the decay in other characters that much more appalling.
- The chalkboard gag for this episode? “Network TV is not dead”. Much as the chalkboard gags are meant to be snarky, oh, you don’t know the half of what would happen over the next 20 years.
- Ironically, as we have just entered a new decade as of the posting of this review, this episode was the first to air in 2001. Some would argue that this makes “HOMR” the first Simpsons episode to air in the 2000s decade. Personally, I like the roundness of 0-9.
Wrap-Up:
Zaniness Factor: 3. How many crayons was Homer able to fit in his head?
Jerkass Homer Meter: 2. Even before his intellectual-based ego, he still gambled a large sum of money on a tech startup. Not his finest moment. Still, balanced out by some of his dynamic with Lisa.
Favorite Scene: This is an episode with not many true highs. But I’ll give this one to Homer getting tossed from a movie theater for pointing out all the godawful rom-com cliches that appeared to be dominant through the era.
Least Favorite Scene: Homer withdrawing his money from the bank took way, way too long. Just another example of how poor the pacing in this episode is.
Score: 6. But after a string of failing episodes, at least we get a… watchable one. A not-terrible way to start off the new year, at least.
The Review Nebula 