Line #12 Recap/TheSimpsonsS18E8TheHawHawedCouple


1	'''Original air date:''' 12/10/2006
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3	'''Production code:''' JABF-02
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5	Bart's newfound friendship with Nelson turns into a possessive relationship. Meanwhile, Homer becomes engrossed in Lisa's ''Angelica Button'' fantasy books, and worries that Lisa will be upset when he discovers that one of the characters will die.
6	----
7	!!"The Haw-Hawed Couple" contains examples of:
8	* AbusiveParents: Marge surprisingly actually hits Bart on the head with a spoon after finding out he convinced his classmates not to go to Nelson's birthday party and threatens to hit him with a whole set of utensils if he doesn't start thinking about others. She also raises the spoon threateningly when she tells him he's going to that party.
9	* AffectionateParody: ''Angelica Button'' is pretty much a gender-flipped version of ''Literature/HarryPotter'', right down to parodying the "Snape killing Dumbledore" moment in the series.
10	* BaitAndSwitch:
11	** Skinner informs Bart that Nelson never woke up... because he never passed out.
12	** Earlier, it looks like Nelson only dragged Bart into the cave to pummel him. Instead, he took him there [[WhatTheHellHero to chew him out]].
13	* BecauseYouWereNiceToMe: A dark variation, Nelson becomes obsessed with Bart after he's the only one who shows up for his birthday.
14	* BorrowedCatchphrase: After Nelson forces Bart to sit next to him on the bus, Lisa uses Nelson's "Haw haw!" laugh.
15	* BrainBleach: After accidentally witnessing Marge and Homer’s lovemaking (their recording of a fake argument was switched over to county fair music), Bart gets traumatised to the point where he can’t steady his Milk Duds.
16	* CagedInsideAMonster: Homer's version of the final battle against the book's villain involves him being folded into a letter, [[JustDesserts chucked into a dragon's mouth]], SwallowedWhole, and ending up in a prison set into the dragon's stomach.
17	* CantGetAwayWithNuthin: After Willie distorts the 4th Grade’s chant of “Hell no, we won’t show” to “Hell no, I won’t mow”, Skinner fires him and takes away his pension.
18	* CrossOver: In-universe, Homer's [[FixFic revised ending]] to ''Angelica Button and The Dragon King's Trundle Bed'' involves a trip to "Franchise/StarWars Land".
19	* DisproportionateRetribution: Groundskeeper Willie chanting "Hell, no, I won't mow" gets him fired on the spot ''with complete loss of pension''.
20	* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: Bart and Nelson's friendship is treated like a romantic relationship -- to the point that the music from ''Film/BrokebackMountain'' is used for a scene near the end.
21	* FanonDiscontinuity: In-universe, Lisa pretends that Homer's version of the ending to her favorite book series is canon instead of the real one where her favorite character dies.
22	* FixFic: After Homer reads ahead in ''Angelica Button and The Dragon King's Trundle Bed'', he is devastated to learn that Greystash is killed by Malicious Krubb after saving Angelica. Upon hearing Lisa say she'd be distraught if Greystash died, he decides to reinvent the ending when he gets to that chapter while reading with her: Greystash uses his "mustache power" to defeat Malicious Krubb, Angelica "somehow" escapes from the hourglass she was imprisoned in, and the two ride off in his sports car. After Homer leaves, Lisa brings out a spare copy of the book to look at the chapter herself.
23	-->'''Lisa''': Eh... dad's version is better.
24	* HandWave: "I somehow escaped from the hourglass!"
25	* HardTruthAesop:
26	** "It's okay to lie to your kids to protect their innocence" is one that many parents would agree with, but an unusual moral for a show. Notably, it is coupled with the Aesop that "they will understand someday, when/because they're old enough to think for themselves".
27	** Fiction exists to entertain the reader (or watcher, player, etc.), and if they finds the most enjoyment by [[FanonDiscontinuity ignoring the ending and writing their own fanfiction]], that's a valid choice too, regardless of whether your fellow fans agree.
28	* HaveAGayOldTime: Martin says that the class banding together will make them form a "mighty faggot", then a dictionary definition appears at the bottom of the screen to show it means a group of sticks and not the anti-gay slur.
29	* KissOfLife: Skinner gives Bart CPR after almost drowning; Bart opens his eyes at the moment their lips touch. The students laugh, which prompts this reply from Skinner:
30	-->'''Skinner''': Shut up! I'm just giving him CPR. ''The kiss of life''.
31	* ManlyFacialHair: Homer's revised ending to the ''Angelica Button'' book, where Greystash activates his "mustache powers," causing his mustache to enlarge and flex like muscular arms that punch Malicious Krubb into submission.
32	* NegativeContinuity: Nelson has been a BullyTurnedBuddy to Bart many times in previous episodes and was even along for the road trip in "Bart on the Road." This episode starts the relationship from scratch, with Bart balking at the idea of being friends with him.
33	* NWordPrivileges: Parodied. Milhouse calls Bart a "bully", which Bart finds offensive because ''Milhouse'' is the one using it. Then, they see Jimbo and Kearney using the word casually among each other; Milhouse questions why ''they'' get to say it, and Bart side-steps the issue by saying they just can.
34	* PseudoRomanticFriendship: Nelson takes a shine to Bart, declares him his BestFriend and becomes a CrazyJealousGuy when Bart sneaks in time with Milhouse. By the end of the episode Bart returns his feelings too late.
35	-->'''Nelson:''' [[SignatureLaugh Haw-haw]]. I touched your heart.
36	* PrimalScene: Bart and Lisa walk in on their parents having sex and is traumatized about it in school.
37	-->'''Milhouse:''' Trust me Bart, it's better to walk in on both your parents than on just one of them.
38	* PunchCatch: Nelson saves Bart from Jimbo this way. Jimbo and the other bullies wisely promise to leave Bart alone afterwards.
39	* ShoddyShindig: Although Nelson's birthday party featured boxes of pizzas, a jumping castle and ComicBook/SpiderMan, only Bart Simpson showed up to the party because Bart's parents demanded him to go. Nelson's [[TheBully personality]] and Bart's RousingSpeech to his fellow classmates not to go certainly didn't help in that matter. It does get [[ZigZaggingTrope zigzagged]], however, when Nelson has fun with Bart in taking down Doctor Octopus.
40	* ShoutOut: The scene where Nelson leads Bart on a tour through the school's basement is a reference to a similar scene from ''Film/{{Goodfellas}}''.
41	* SleepCute: The series of incriminating pictures Nelson takes of Bart having fun with Milhouse includes one where the two of them, tired from kite-flying, are adorably passed out on a bench with Bart leaning on Milhouse.
42	* TrialBalloonQuestion: Homer asks Lisa how she would react if Wizard Greystash died, she says that would be the day her childhood ends. This prompts Homer to revise the book's ending.
43	* UnrequitedLoveSwitcheroo: By the time Bart has learned to value Nelson's friendship, Nelson has moved on.
44	* WhatTheHellHero: While on the field trip, Nelson calls out Bart for being a bad friend, and only liking the things he did for him, not Nelson himself.
45	* WritingByTheSeatOfYourPants: InUniverse, Homer decides to rewrite the ending to the Angelica Button book he was reading to Lisa after reading ahead and seeing that [[DownerEnding the mentor figure died]]. Half because he was thinking it up in the moment and half because of his own shortcomings as a writer, the resolution is nonsensical involving [[ItMakesSenseInContext mustache power]] but nonetheless a HappyEnding. Lisa reads the chapter for herself and preferred Homer's rewrite.
46	%%* {{Yandere}}: Nelson, a non-romantic example.

Context Recap / TheSimpsonsS18E8TheHawHawedCouple