| « last episode | home | next episode » |
Life on the Fast Lane
The Simpsons Season 01, Episode 09
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS
I love Bart's innocence here, regarding the gallon jug of French perfume. Also, Lisa's handmade card is actually pretty impressive, and I hate crap like that.
Why do little kids universally believe that you want to be yelled at and woken up as long as they're yelling something pleasant?
"The Springfield Mall is now open for your spending needs." This should be the motto for the last two decades. Then again, malls everywhere seem to be closing.
The Singing Sirloin seems like a total nightmare. Bart was born when Marge was 24? That's pretty young, right?
Homer's selfishness in buying the bowling ball "for Marge" seems totally out of character.
How did Marge get to age 34 (Marge says she's 37 in a different episode, but continuity is apparently not a very big deal) without knowing what brunch is? I wonder how many children of the Simpsons generation learned what brunch is from this episode.
They threw their pizza box into the trash. I guess recycling was pretty uncommon during season one. Wherever Springfield is, they don't have subs or grinders, they have hoagies.
This is our first introduction to "Helen Lovejoy, the gossipy wife of the minister". As much as I hate this Jacques character, I can't help but agree with him about Helen Lovejoy. Alas nothing runs over her.
Marge's daydream about Jacques' seduction is lame. Is this what women want in a man?
Homer: "Tell him I'm going to the back seat of my car with the woman I love, and I won't be back for ten minutes!"
CONCLUSION
I've always hated this episode. I hate the smarmy Frenchman. I hate Homer and his uncharacteristic selfishness. I hate that Marge won't just yell at him instead of acting out of spite. Oh, and I always hate Patty and Selma. The only upside is: "you are really gonna *strike out* tonight!" I like that part.
THIS EPISODE'S RATINGS
  3/5 donuts from Statler
|
RATINGS LEGEND
= LAME
= BAD
= MEH
= GOOD
= CLASSIC
|
| « last episode | home | next episode » |
PLOT SUMMARY FROM WIKIPEDIA
It is Marge's 34th birthday, and her gifts include a gallon of cheap "French" perfume from Bart and a homemade macaroni-and-glue card from Lisa. However, Homer has completely forgotten about the date. He quickly leaves to go to the Springfield Mall to buy Marge a last-minute gift, and impulsively settles on an expensive bowling ball. The birthday party takes place at the Singing Sirloin, a restaurant featuring singing waiters, recommended by Patty and Selma. Marge is highly insulted that her primary "gift" is something Homer selfishly wants for his own use, even going to the extent of having the ball engraved with his name and having the holes drilled for his fingers. To spite him, Marge decides to keep it and use it anyway.
Just one day later, Marge goes bowling for the first time ever, but is unsuccessful. At the bowling alley she meets Jacques, a handsome French bowling instructor in the next lane, who offers her bowling lessons. She finds in Jacques a sensitive and charming man, nearly the exact opposite of Homer. After one "lesson", Jacques invites her to have brunch with him. Although she feels guilty, she agrees.
On their brunch date they encounter Helen Lovejoy, a known gossip who speculates about what Marge is doing having brunch with a man who is not her husband. Jacques assures her that it is merely a bowling lesson. However, when Helen is out of earshot, Jacques invites Marge to his apartment. Marge accepts the invitation, but has a moral dilemma en route. She reaches a fork in the road, one direction leading to Jacques' apartment, the other to the Springfield Nuclear Plant where Homer is working. After much deliberation, she proceeds to the plant, where she tells Homer she loves him. Homer happily leaves work with Marge in his arms.
Accessed from Wikipedia on Feb. 20, 2010