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Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire
The Simpsons Season 01, Episode 01
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS
I guess the Simpsons actually start the show out with Snowball II. Pretty funny setup for the recurring joke.
This episode may be the last time you see Homer actually working at the plant instead of just sitting around.
Bart: "It used to be a real boss tattoo." I don't know if Bart ever uses the word "boss" again.
When Homer is at the discount store trying to shop for cheap gifts for his family, he tears the packaging of the squeaky toy to get a better price.
Moe definitely changes as the show grows. He actually cares that Homer is depressed and drinking in this episode.
Ah yes, the first d'oh! Homer, dressed as Santa, hits his head as he says, "Ho! Ho! D'oh!"
Bart gives his inspirational meta speech about poor characters on TV always getting miracles. Here starts a long tradition of the Simpsons as meta critics of their own medium.
Oh Lisa, giving your first self-righteous speech, chastising Patty and Selma for giving Homer a hard time.
We see Barney with a woman for the last time for several years.
Homer, looking into Santa's Little Helper's eyes: "But he's a loser! He's pathetic! He's ... a Simpson." And so Santa's Little Helper joins the Simpson family.
CONCLUSION
It's pretty amazing how well-formed all of the characters are at this early stage in the development of the show. I guess that must be because of their earlier development as characters on the Tracey Ullman Show. Of course, they do grow and change as the series progresses. They are not yet nearly as dysfunctionally funny as they are destined to become, but they're clearly very well thought out characters from the very start. Statler mentioned the internal coherence of the narrative with Homer's Santa training course echoing Flanders' robotic Santa's 'ho ho ho,' pointing out the absurdity of America's commercial Christmas.
THIS EPISODE'S RATINGS
  4/5 donuts from Statler
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RATINGS LEGEND
= LAME
= BAD
= MEH
= GOOD
= CLASSIC
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PLOT SUMMARY FROM WIKIPEDIA
Homer, Marge, and Maggie attend Bart and Lisa's Christmas pageant at Springfield Elementary School. At home, Marge asks the children what they want for Christmas and Bart asks for a tattoo. When Marge, Bart, and Lisa go Christmas shopping the next day, Bart sneaks away and starts getting a tattoo reading "Mother". Discovering this, Marge interrupts the process at "Moth" and immediately takes him to a laser removal clinic and spends the family's Christmas money getting Bart's tattoo removed. Meanwhile, at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, Homer learns that he will not be getting a Christmas bonus.
When Homer returns home and hears about the loss of the Christmas money, he decides not to tell Marge his own bad news. Instead, he does the shopping himself, buying cheap presents from a variety store which sells nothing over $5. At Moe's Tavern, Homer meets Barney dressed in a Santa outfit. On Barney's advice, he secretly takes a job as a mall Santa. Bart discovers this secret after he rips off Homer's fake beard on a dare by his friend Milhouse, but agrees not to tell the rest of the family.
Homer receives his paycheck and is dismayed to see that after deductions it is only for $13. Barney, who has received a check for the same amount, suggests betting it at the dog track. With encouragement from Bart, Homer agrees to gamble the paycheck and takes Bart with him to the track. Although Barney recommended they bet on a dog named Whirlwind, Homer decides to bet on a last-second entrant named Santa's Little Helper, believing it to be a sign. Santa's Little Helper, however, comes in dead last and his owner abandons him. The dog follows Homer and Bart, who eventually decide to keep him. When they return home, Homer plans to tell the family about his misfortune, but Bart interrupts his speech and tells the family he brought Santa's Little Helper as a gift. Everyone is happy with this, especially Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. After discovering their wonderful gift, everyone has a Merry Christmas.
Accessed from Wikipedia on Feb. 11, 2010