History Recap / TheSimpsonsS21E14PostcardsFromTheWedge

* WhatTheHellHero: At one point, Lisa calls him a sociopath for his actions.

* InsaneTrollLogic: Marge worries that Bart might hate school if he's forced to do too much homework.

* JerkassHasAPoint: Homer has a point Bart needs to finish his schoolwork, even if he tried unnecessarily forcing Bart to do more homework than was mandated (it's unlikely Skinners went through that suggested punishment).

** While Bart does his big load of homework, he watches a parody of ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' on TV and comments [[LongRunner how it hasn't run out of]] [[SeasonalRot ideas yet]], [[{{Irony}} which is ironic]]. This is a nod to ''[[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver HeartGold and SoulSilver]]'', which was released in the United States on the same day of the episode's airing.

* JerkassRealization: Marge realizes that if she continues fighting Homer, she might end up like her poor,rude,obese and grotesque sisters. Funny enough, she wouldn't have known about it if
[[NiceJobFixingItVillain Patty and Selma didn't inspire her to be like them]].

* KidHasAPoint: Nelson explains to Bart why he isn’t getting his fix and Lisa at the end.

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Both Homer and Marge realizing they are making big mistakes for fighting each other.
** Marge doesn't want to end up like her poor,rude and grotesque sisters.
** Homer doesn't want his wife to die because of his ego.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: At the end of the "Springfield of Tomorrow" film, it's stated couples can freeze their kids for when they need privacy.

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Both Homer and Marge realizing their mistakes.
** Marge didn't want to end up like her poor, obese sisters.
** Homer didn't want his wife to die.

* WhatTheHellHero: On two separate occasions, Lisa called out Bart for his actions.

* {{You are Grounded}}: This episode marks a major turning point in the franchise's history as for the first time in the series' history, we actually see a character get grounded. In this case, Bart Simpson. Now while Bart had been grounded in the comic book series, (read "When Bongo's Collide" to see one of the earliest groundings in the franchise's history), and while there have been references towards the grounding itself (especially between Seasons 20 and 21 in episodes like "The Good, the Sad, and the Drugly"), this marks the first time a grounding featured in the series became canon, and was not largely ignored, ("Marge Be Not Proud") or used as part of a joke ("Fraudcast News").
In fact this episode not just marks a first for having an actual grounding be used as a serious part of the story, but features many of the tropes and cliches that most "Token Grounding Episodes" have, including having a sibling (mainly female) relish with delight over their relation's grounding, (Lisa), a "No TV!" reference (said by Homer), a character making a pointing down gesture as they tell their child that they are grounded, (performed by Marge), and the mother being the one who tells the child he or she is grounded, (Marge again). This marks one of the most pivotal moments in the show's history because they have never had an actual grounding occur in the entire series, not even during the original shorts from the late 80's. Usually a child character would be sent to their rooms or punished in other ways. ("Itchy and Scratchy: The Movie" and "Double, Double, Boy in Trouble" are notable examples of this trope, with the latter being a final bow for the old non-grounding system of discipline)

** While Bart does his big load of homework, he watches a parody of ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' on TV and comments [[LongRunner how it hasn't run out of]] [[SeasonalRot ideas yet]], [[{{Irony}} which is ironic]].

** While Bart does his big load of homework, he watches a parody of ''Anime/Pokemon'' on TV and comments [[LongRunner how it hasn't run out of]] [[SeasonalRot ideas yet]], [[{{Irony}} which is ironic]].

* TookALevelInJerkass: Bart’s plan on destroying the school with the abandon subway

** This is of course after he finds out he doesn't have to help him do it.

* HandsOffParenting: When Homer and Marge grew tired of Bart manipulating them, they opted for this until they learned of his plan to destroy Springfield with the abandoned subway.