History Recap / TheSimpsonsS2E11OneFishTwoFishBlowfishBlueFish

* IdiotPlot: Homer's usual density is on full display as he refuses to hear out the objections of the restaurant's staff to his ordering fugu, but credit is also due to the master and apprentice chef for ditching his post to make out in a car and going forward with the fugu preparation despite lack of training, respectively. In RealLife, Japan requires chefs to complete two years of training and a successful examination before they're allowed to prepare and serve fugu.

* LastDayToLive: The plot of the episode largely consists of Homer checking off items on a list of things to do before the fugu poisoning kicks in. Despite having to contend with a few unexpected obstacles, he gets around to most of the important stuff and is prepared for the end, [[StatusQuoIsGod which, of course, never comes]].

* LastDayToLive: The plot of the episode largely consists of Homer checking off items on a list of things to do before the fugu poisoning kicks in. Despite having to contend with a few unexpected obstacles, he gets around to most of the important stuff and is contented with how it all turns out.

* LastDayToLive: The plot of the episode largely consists of Homer checking off items on a list of things to do before the fugu poisoning kicks in.

* SmallRoleBigImpact: Mrs. Krabappel's role consists of having sex with the only chef in the Happy Sumo to have the required experience to cut fugu. If not for that, Homer would not have spent the rest of the episode thinking he was poisoned and would die from it.

Episode - 7F11\\
First Aired - 1/24/1991

* RecycledAnimation: The animation of Homer watching bowling on TV and eating Pork Rinds Lite is reused from Season 1. It originally showed [[https://frinkiac.com/gif/S01E06/890655/892006.gif Homer choking on the pork rinds]], but that was cut out and Homer's chewing was put on a cycle.

** Homer grumbles about how he wouldn’t be in his situation if he didn’t agree to eat at a sushi bar, never mind the fact HE was the one who didn’t listen to the staff’s warnings when they tried to tell him, instead ordering them to bring him food without question.

* ArtMajorBiology: In reality, fugu poison -- tetrodotoxin -- is ''not'' an untraceable poison whose only symptom is sudden death after 24 hours. It's a neurotoxin that causes total muscle paralysis, and the most common cause of death is the resulting inability to breathe. The toxin starts taking effect within 30 minutes, and while it has no antidote, it ''is'' treatable if the victim can be rushed to the hospital and placed on life support until the poison is eliminated from the body.

* ArtMajorBiology: Contrary to how it is potentially depicted here, the actual Fugu poison is a paralytic neurotoxin, not a slow-acting asymptomatic killer. The toxin (known as tetrodotoxin) causes paralysis by blocking sodium ions in nerve axons, preventing any brain signals from being sent and causing muscles to cease movement, including involuntary breathing muscles, and the actual death comes from the person being unable to breathe.
** The other difference is that while tetrodotoxin has no known antidote, the treatment for fugu (if one can do it fast enough) is to be placed on life support and have the stomach pumped until the poison is metabolized and the body can regain function. It is not the untreatable and delayed death sentence that fugu is shown to be here, and it is certainly not asymptomatic (i.e. there would be NO ambiguity about whether he was poisoned).
** If the fugu had actually been improperly prepared, Homer would have known after less than 30 minutes if he had been poisoned, and then realized he would have been fine. Even if Homer ate a nonlethal dose, he would have likely suffered major convulsions, seizures, and potential heart failure within 1-4 hours of ingestion.

* GilliganCut and HypocriticalHumor: When Homer survived the fugu, he tells Marge he's going to take advantage of life and start really living. The episode ends with Homer watching a bowling competition on TV while eating pork rinds.

** The other difference is that while terodotoxin has no known antidote, the treatment for fugu (if one can do it fast enough) is to be placed on life support and have the stomach pumped until the poison is metabolized and the body can regain function. It is not the untreatable and delayed death sentence that fugu is shown to be here, and it is certainly not asymptomatic (i.e. there would be NO ambiguity about whether he was poisoned).

* SpecialGuest: Joey Miyashima as Toshiro; Sab Shimono as the sushi bar chef; Creator/GeorgeTakei as Akira ([[TheOtherDarrin later replaced with Hank Azaria]]); Diane Tanaka as the bar hostess

* TooDumbToLive: Homer orders the Fugu blowfish platter, which the waiter tries to warn him about the dangers of that particular dish. However, Homer ignores the warning and tells him to give him his dish because he was impatient. Then he inadvertently caused the amateur chef to mess up the cutting with his impatient shout, “I WANT MY FUGU!” Never mind the restaurant having Fugu on their menu in the first place, despite their clear uncertainty about preparing it safely.

** In RealLife, this would never have even been attempted. The Japanese take proper fugu preparation VERY seriously, requiring years of schooling and experience to obtain a license to handle it, as well as extensive preparation time and special tools needed. Even at the time of airing, despite sushi being far less ubiquitous than it is today, America had very strict regulation of the fish. Most sushi restaurants back then, and even today, have the fugu safely sliced in Japan and freeze-flown to the United States. Had Homer actually died from this mishap, the restaurant would have been in ENORMOUS legal trouble. A more likely outcome would be for the chef to adamantly refuse making it.
** Also, fugu is VERY expensive because of the expertise required and the need to import it, as unlike most fish used for sushi, fugu is not present in water outside of East Asia. A modern sushi place that serves fugu (if you can find one, not many of them do) would charge at least $200 for it. A working-class family like the Simpsons would likely stay far away from such an order.

* CrossingTheBurntBridge: While believing he had less than 24 hours to live, Homer jumped at the opportunity to tell Mr. Burns off. [[WhatHappenedToTheMouse We never get to see the consequences when it turns out that Homer isn't going to die]] (see WhatCouldHaveBeen on the Trivia page).

* EskimosArentReal: When Lisa says she wants to go somewhere without burgers, pizza, or fried chicken, Homer says, "[[SarcasmMode We'll go to Mars!]]", indicating he doesn't believe restaurants exist that don't sell those entrees.

* DefyingTheCensors: The censors did not like [[AgeInappropriateArt Bart and Lisa singing the theme from]] ''Film/{{Shaft}}'', so the producers had to show a clip from the Academy Awards when that song was nominated, as proof that it had previously been performed on prime time television without repercussions.

* CaptivityHarmonica: {{Parodied|Trope}}. Homer asks his harmonica-playing cellmate what he's in for. The answer? "Atmosphere."

* DefyingTheCensors: The censors did not like [[AgeInappropriateMusic Bart and Lisa singing the theme from]] ''Film/{{Shaft}}'', so the producers had to show a clip from the Academy Awards when that song was nominated, as proof that it had previously been performed on prime time television without repercussions.