History Fridge / THESIMPSONS

* Also in "Lisa's First Word," we find out that ''Bart's'' first "word" was "[[FlashbackToCatchphrase ¡Ay caramba!]]" and are given [[RuleOfFunny no explanation as to how he knows this phrase]]...''apparently.'' A later scene shows him wearing Marge out until she falls asleep, then turning on the TV and gleefully repeating an equally silly exclamation he hears the host say ("Hi-yo!"). If we're meant to infer he does this regularly, it also ties right in with the original rationale behind Bart's use of catchphrases such as "Eat my shorts"--the writers were told to use phrases that were not original to Bart, the idea being that he'd picked them up from TV.

* Scratchy from the Itchy and Scratchy cartoons is a black cat, which are signs of bad luck. This trope is cleverly taken UpToEleven since he's the [[BornUnlucky one who always dies]] [[TheyKilledKennyAgain in every cartoon,]] as opposed to him bringing bad luck to those around him.

** This makes for a FunnyAneurysmMoment in light of Marcia Wallace's untimely passing.
*** Even more so now that [[TheCharacterDiedWithHim Edna herself]] [[http://edgecast.metatube-files.buscafs.com/uploads/videos/image/image_227100_4.jpg is implied to be dead]].

* "And Maggie Makes Three" shows that Marge's third SurprisePregnancy—her first in about 7 years—occurred not long after Homer had settled his debts, quit his job at the nuclear power plant and taken a [[HappinessInMinimumWage lower-paying job that made him happier]]. Given that "Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?" established that Homer is unknowingly infertile due to radiation exposure (([[ContinuityNod something actually touched on in this episode]], as we see that during Maggie's conception most of his sperm were ineffective), was this really the
LawofInverseFertility in action, or did the time he spent away from the plant get things moving again ''just'' enough to make Maggie happen?

* "And Maggie Makes Three" shows that
Marge's third SurprisePregnancy—her first in about 7 years—occurred not long after Homer had settled his debts, quit his job at the nuclear power plant and taken a [[HappinessInMinimumWage lower-paying job that made him happier]]. Given that "Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?" established that Homer is unknowingly infertile due to radiation exposure (([ContinuityNod something actually touched on in this episode]], as we see that during Maggie's conception most of his sperm were ineffective), was this really the

Marge's third SurprisePregnancy—which
was also her first in about 7 years— occurred not long after Homer had
settled his debts, quit his job at the
nuclear power plant and taken a
[[HappinessInMinimumWage lower-paying
job that made him happier]]. Given that
"Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?" established that Homer is unknowingly infertile due to radiation
exposure (([ContinuityNod something
actually touched on in this episode]], as we see that during Maggie's
conception most of his sperm were
ineffective), was this really the

[(HappinessInMinimumWage lower-paying

"Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?" established that Homer is
unknowingly infertile due to radiation

actually touched on in this episode]],
as we see that during Maggie's

* The fact that Sideshow Bob [[ObviouslyEvil made killing Bart and Selma part of his mayoral platform]] in "Sideshow Bob Roberts." Bart has numerous enemies, most of the town's residents WouldHurtAChild (heck, they've run a lynch mob on Bart before!), and "Cape Feare" shows that literally everybody at Sideshow Bob's parole hearing, up to and including ''Patty'', had considered killing Selma. [[ComedicSociopathy Offering to kill them was actually a sound political strategy]]. (It's also pretty much the only moment where Bob doesn't seem to suffer VillainDecay in the episode: once he's actually elected mayor he uses his power to [[EvilIsPetty bother the Simpsons as much as possible]] rather than threaten anybody's life. Politicians never do keep their campaign promises, do they?)

* The fact that Sideshow Bob [[ObviouslyEvil made killing Bart and Selma part of his mayoral platform]] in "Sideshow Bob Roberts." Bart has numerous enemies, most of the town's residents WouldHurtAChild (heck, they've run a lynch mob on Bart before!), and "Cape Feare" shows that literally everybody at Sideshow Bob's parole hearing, up to and including ''Patty'', had considered killing Selma. [[ComedicSociopathy Offering to kill them was actually a sound political strategy]]. It's also pretty much the only moment where Bob doesn't seem to suffer VillainDecay in the episode: once he's actually elected mayor he uses his power to [[EvilIsPetty bother the Simpsons as much as possible]] rather than threaten anybody's life. Well, politicians never do keep their campaign promises, do they?

--->'''Homer:''' Hmm, [[SkewedPriorities I don't agree with his Bart-killing policy, but I do approve of his Selma-killing policy]].

* In "Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes," the "Montgomery Burns Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence," a made-up award Mr. Burns invents on the spot for legal reasons. It's a reference to his CatchPhrase. He even delivers the word "excellence" with the same intonation.
* Sideshow Bob's VillainDecay in "Sideshow Bob Roberts" compared to his murderous schemes in his previous two appearances:
** A quick gag shows that he made his intention of killing Bart and Selma [[ObviouslyEvil part of his campaign platform]], but once he's actually elected mayor he uses his power to [[EvilIsPetty bother the Simpsons as much as possible]] rather than threaten anybody's life. Well, politicians never do keep their campaign promises, do they?
** Bart has numerous enemies, most of the town's residents WouldHurtAChild (heck, they've run a lynch mob on Bart before!), and "Cape Feare" shows that literally everybody at Sideshow Bob's parole hearing, up to and including ''Patty'', had considered killing Selma. [[ComedicSociopathy Offering to kill them was actually a sound political strategy]].

* In "Selma's Choice," an employee at Springfield's sperm bank assures Selma that donors have to go through a "rigorous screening process" to ensure quality, which is InstantlyProvenWrong by the reveal that Barney is a frequent donor and has fathered multiple children this way. When you think about it, though, he looks pretty good on paper: as an ambitious student bound for Harvard in his youth, he presumably had an excellent academic track record before he became TheAlcoholic, and he was later part of a Grammy-winning musical act. Assuming he managed to cover up his alcoholism somehow, it's hardly surprising that his sperm would be in demand.

* The title of the episode "Lisa's Substitute." It's not called "Lisa's Substitute Teacher" because it doesn't refer to Mr. Bergstrom's role at the school, but to his role as a ParentalSubstitute in Lisa's life. He's a substitute for ''Homer.''

* Although "Separate Vocations" suggests that a computer malfunction surrounding the school's IneptAptitudeTest was what caused Bart and Lisa to get the unexpected results they did, Bart as a policeman actually makes perfect sense when you take his uncanny ability to figure out Sideshow Bob's schemes into account. On the other hand, given Springfield's track record, [[PoliceAreUseless the aptitude test is probably not accounting for actual detective skills as a necessary quality for police work]], meaning that it still took an accident to get Bart that result.

* "Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?" reveals that Homer is sterile due to radiation exposure from working at the power plant. Did this happen after Maggie was conceived, or did he briefly become fertile again during the time he spent at another job immediately prior to her conception?

* Although "Separate Vocations" suggests that a computer malfunction surrounding the school's IneptAptitudeTest was what caused Bart and Lisa to get the unexpected results they did, Bart as a policeman actually makes perfect sense when you take his uncanny ability to figure out Sideshow Bob's schemes into account. On the other hand, given Springfield's track record, [[PoliceAreUseless the aptitude test may not be accounting for detective skills as a necessary quality]].

* Although "Separate Vocations" suggests that a computer malfunction surrounding the school's IneptAptitudeTest was what caused Bart and Lisa to get the unexpected results they did, Bart as a policeman actually makes perfect sense when you take his knack for figuring out Sideshow Bob's schemes into account. On the other hand, given Springfield's track record, [[PoliceAreUseless the aptitude test may not be accounting for detective skills as a necessary quality]].

** While, in their first appearance, Kang and Kodos are misunderstood good guys, they appear as antagonists for the first time in "Treehouse of Horror II," where they conquer and enslave the earth. The segment in which they appear is ''Lisa's'' dream, and she was the one who suspected them of being evil (in Bart's story) in the first special.