Line #1 Recap/TheSimpsonsS3E5HomerDefined


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5	'''Original air date:''' 10/18/1991
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7	'''Production code:''' 8F04
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9	Homer saves the town from nuclear annihilation, but feels bad for it as he knew the whole thing was a fluke. Meanwhile, Milhouse van Houten (Bart's blue-haired friend) is forbidden to see Bart.
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11	!!This episode contains examples of:
12	* AccidentalHero: Homer saves Springfield from nuclear doom by using eeny-meeny-miney-mo to find the right button. He is then lauded as a national hero. He later manages to recreate his blunder, but the townsfolk figure out he had no idea what he was doing, and his "reward" this time is inspiring the term "[[PersonAsVerb pulling a Homer]]".
13	* AchievementsInIgnorance: In the realm of "possible but exceedingly unlikely", Homer manages to prevent a catastrophic meltdown two separate times by pressing a single button on his console at random. In the episode's epilogue he also becomes the literal InUniverse [[PersonAsVerb dictionary definition]] of this Trope.
14	* AnguishedDeclarationOfLove: Smithers makes one of these when [[NotSoFinalConfession death in the coming meltdown seems inevitable]]. The object of his affection does not take it well.
15	-->'''Smithers''': [[IgnoredEnamouredUnderling Sir, there may never be another time to say I love you!]]
16	-->'''Burns''': ''([[DeathGlare glowers]])'' [[SarcasmMode Oh hot dog! Thank you for making my last moments on Earth socially awkward!]]
17	* AsHimself: Chick Hearn; Basketball player Earvin "Magic" Johnson.
18	* BlackmailIsSuchAnUglyWord: When Kent Brockman asks Mr. Burns if the incident at the plan is a meltdown, Burns responds with: "Oh, 'meltdown'. It's one of these annoying buzzwords. We prefer to call it an 'unrequested fission surplus'."
19	* BodyWipe: With Homer, as he presses a random button that shuts down the first nuclear meltdown.
20	* {{Bowdlerise}}: Mr. Burns originally said "Well, there's nothing left for me to do but kiss my sorry butt goodbye" after Smithers told him about the impending meltdown while Bart in a later scene says, "'Bad influence', my ass!" after Milhouse tells him why he wasn't invited to his birthday party. In network reruns (including the "Every Simpsons Ever" marathon, but ''not'' syndication), the lines were changed so that way Mr. Burns says "...sorry ass goodbye," while Bart says, "'Bad influence,' my butt!" The altered version is on the DVD.
21	* BrokenPedestal: Downplayed. Homer is eventually revealed as an extremely lucky buffoon, and his picture is added to the dictionary as both "American bonehead" and "to succeed at something despite idiocy", but he doesn't seem widely despised. When all is said and done, he still prevented two nuclear catastrophes and saved thousands of lives even if he did it through dumb luck. And Lisa is still proud of him.
22	* TheCameo: [[UsefulNotes/NationalBasketballAssociation NBA]] legend Magic Johnson calls Homer to congratulate him for preventing the nuclear plant meltdown.
23	* CouchGag: A space alien is on the couch with a drink in its hand. It opens a trap door in the floor and escapes through it before the family comes in and sits.
24	* CrazyEnoughToWork: Homer resorts to the "Eeny, meeny, miny, moe" method to save Springfield from a nuclear meltdown.
25	* CutawayGag: The different dictionary definitions next to Homer's name and picture, cumulating in Homer actually entering the dictionary via PersonAsVerb at the end of the episode.
26	* DeathbringerTheAdorable: Hercules, Smithers' dog, is a Yorkshire terrier, one of the smallest dog breeds.
27	-->'''Smithers:''' [[LampshadeHanging He's kind of tiny, so. You know, it's a joke]].
28	* DependingOnTheArtist: This was [[Creator/SunwooEntertainment Anivision's]] first aired episode[[note]]their first in production order was the season's Treehouse of Horror episode[[/note]] so there were some noticeable design oddities. For the most pronounced one, [[https://frinkiac.com/gif/S03E05/820209/827499.gif?b64lines= check out Marge when she reads Homer's plaque.]]
29	* DirtyCoward: Mr. Burns stole Smithers' radiation suit and claimed to not know where it was.
30	-->'''Smithers''': Sir, where's my radiation suit?
31	-->'''Burns''': ''[covering the label]'' [[BlatantLies How the hell should I know?!]]
32	* DramaticDrop: When Burns decides Homer will be the next Employee of the Month, a shocked Smithers drops his wine bottle. Because Smithers is always Employee of the Month.
33	* EmergencyBroadcast: When Homer's inattention to warnings that the core temperature is nearing dangerous levels results in a near meltdown, Channel 5 immediately goes on air with a news flash alerting residents to the situation and that only a couple of minutes remain before a sure nuclear explosion. Kent Brockman interviews Mr. Burns, who – despite the wail of the sirens and the imminent danger to Springfield – hides his nervousness as he nonchalantly assures the public that the problem will quickly be resolved and that there is no danger to the town. Reaction around Springfield is, of course, varied (for instance, the students at Springfield Elementary are huddled under their desks in anticipation of a powerful explosion while the residents at Springfield Retirement Castle turn the channel to watch ''Series/WheelOfFortune'' [and a humorous missolve of "THREE COINS IN THE FOUNTAIN"]).
34	* EmployeeOfTheMonth: Homer wins the Employee of the Month after saving the power plant from a catastrophic meltdown, which comes with perks like a reserved parking space next to Mr. Burns. Notably, the hall of fame of the previous Employees of the Month are all Waylon Smithers.
35	* FaceDeathWithDignity: During the quick montage of the power plant workers panicking, a group of workers is shown kneeling in prayer with another worker reading from Literature/TheBible (presumably preparing to meet their Maker).
36	* ForebodingFleeingFlock: The rats at the power plant. They run back just as quickly when the crisis is averted.
37	* GilliganCut: Mr. Burns reassures Kent Brockman and his audience that his workers are calmly fixing a malfunction that's leading to a meltdown. Cut to his workers screaming, running, praying and destroying vending machines, and an army of rats fleeing the plant.
38	* HairTodayGoneTomorrow: In both the flashback to his training and the file photo that appears when Smithers looks him up, Homer is shown in the early stages of going bald. A similar thing happens with Burns when his picture is shown as he talks to Kent Brockman.
39	* HeroicBSOD: Homer knows he just got lucky, so as more and more congratulate him for what he's done, he gets increasingly depressed and worried someone will find out the truth.
40	* {{Hypocrite}}: The owner of the Shelbyville Plant denounces Homer for picking a button at random, despite the fact that none of ''his'' employees had the slightest clue what to do during the meltdown either.
41	* ImagineTheAudienceNaked: Homer, on Barney's advice, tries this during his speech at the Shelbyville plant. It backfires when he imagines himself in his underwear, too.
42	* IncompetenceInc: Despite his incompetence, Homer is pretty much the ''only'' power plant employee who actually tries to do something about the impending meltdown. The rest of the employees are all praying, looting or screaming and running around in a blind panic.
43	* InstantCooldown: Homer randomly pushes the right button when the reactor is seven seconds from a core meltdown, and everything immediately returns to normal.
44	* IResembleThatRemark: Pre-{{Bowdlerization}}, Bart's immediate reaction to hearing that Milhouse's mom called him a bad influence ("Bad influence, my ''ass!")'' was more clearly this.
45	* JerkassRealization: Homer is prideful after saving the plant, however after Magic Johnson indirectly labels his dumb luck as making him a fraud, he becomes guilt ridden by the endless praise he receives from his family and friends.
46	* KentBrockmanNews: After buying Burns's cover story about the meltdown, Kent vows "to be more trusting and less vigilant in the future."
47	* LookBehindYou: When it starts to become evident that Milhouse had a party without inviting Bart, he desperately deflects by pointing out a dog outside the bus. This being [[AttentionDeficitOohShiny Bart]], it works like a charm.
48	-->'''Bart:''' [[MundaneObjectAmazement Wow, brown!]]
49	* NeverMyFault: During the flashback of the training Homer didn't pay attention to, we see that he was focused on solving a rubix cube. Back at present time, Homer was angrily pointing at the still unsolved cube and blaming it.
50	* NotHelpingYourCase:
51	** Milhouse reveals why he didn't invite Bart to this birthday party: his mom says he's a bad influence. Bart retorts with:
52	--->'''Bart''': Bad influence, my butt! How many times have I told you: never listen to your mother!
53	*** And that's after Bart made Milhouse spill a bunch of salt on his lunch as payback for not inviting him without even asking why.
54	** When Marge informs Bart that she spoke to Luann Van Houten about letting Bart and Milhouse be friends again, Bart hugs her and Marge reminds him, "Now be good." Bart replies, "I will" and grabs a pellet gun.
55	* OhCrap:
56	-->'''Homer:''' I'm sure whoever's problem this is, I'm sure they'll know how to handle it.
57	-->''(sees that the meter on his dashboard is extremely high)''
58	-->'''Homer:''' AAAAAAHH!!! IT'S ''MY'' PROBLEM!!! WE'RE DOOMED!!!
59	** Also the reaction of Burns and Smithers when they realize where the problem at the plant is:
60	-->'''Plant P.A.''': Warning... Problem in Sector 7-G.
61	-->'''Burns''': 7-G? Good God, who's the safety inspector there!?
62	-->'''Smithers''': ''[calls up a video file photo of a hairful Homer]'' Homer Simpson, sir.
63	-->'''Burns''': [[RunningGag Simpson, eh?]] Good man? Intelligent?
64	-->'''Smithers''': ''[reluctantly]'' Actually, sir, he was hired under Project Bootstrap.
65	-->'''Burns''': [[SarcasmMode Thank you,]] [[UsefulNotes/GeraldFord President Ford!]]
66	* ParkingProblems: After Homer is given Smithers' Employee of the Month parking space, Smithers is resigned to park ''really'' far away.
67	* PartiallyConcealedLabelGag: Homer almost causes a nuclear meltdown when he ignores the core temperature gauge on his dashboard, which was obscured by excess jelly from a donut he was eating.
68	-->'''Homer:''' Okay, okay, don't panic. Whoever's problem this is, I'm sure they know how to handle it.
69	-->''(at this point, the increasing heat causes an air bubble to blow from the stain and burst, revealing the gauge behind it)''
70	-->'''Homer:''' [[OhCrap AAAHH! IT'S]] ''[[OhCrap MY]]'' [[OhCrap PROBLEM! WE'RE DOOMED!]]
71	* PersonAsVerb: "Pull a Homer," defined as "to succeed despite idiocy." In the commentary, it's noted that everyone behind the show was hoping this would catch on for real, and were quite disappointed when it didn't.
72	* PrayerIsALastResort: As the plant is about to blow up, Marge is praying in what appears to be the town's final moments. Several workers at the plant are shown praying as well.
73	* ProfessionalButtKisser: An almost literal example.
74	-->'''Plant P.A''': 30 seconds to core meltdown.
75	-->'''Burns''': [[FaceDeathWithDignity Oh, Smithers, I guess there's nothing left but to kiss my sorry ass good-bye]].
76	-->'''Smithers''': May I, sir?
77	-->'''Burns''': Urgh!
78	* PseudoCrisis: Homer pushes a button in an attempt to avert the first meltdown just as the act ends and the show goes to commercial break. We find out that everything was just fine after the break.
79	* RunningGag: The title of this episode comes from a running bit where Homer imagines his picture as being next to the dictionary definition for various words: "stupid", "lucky", "hero", and "fraud". It ends with the phrase "to pull a Homer" ending up in the dictionary for real.
80	* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: Rats were seen fleeing the power plant. They return after Homer stops the meltdown.
81	* SeeminglyProfoundFool: Lisa begins to admire Homer after he saves the power plant and interprets all of his statements as wise utterances (also extending the treatment to Barney).
82	-->'''Homer:''' What's your problem, boy?
83	-->'''Bart:''' I had a fight with Milhouse.
84	-->'''Homer:''' That four-eyes with the big nose? You don't need friends like that.
85	-->'''Lisa:''' How Zen.
86	* ShoutOut:
87	** A license plate in the parking lot reads [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Mile_Island_accident Three Mile Island]].
88	** The timer for the meltdown stops at [[{{Film/Goldfinger}} 007]].
89	* ShowWithinAShow: Before being interrupted by the news, Marge watches an episode of the fictional SoapOpera ''Search for the Sun''. The scene shows a boss, Avery Devereaux, flirting with his employee, Margarita, at work. After Margarita tells Devereaux she can't work under these conditions, he fires her before the two of them make out.
90	* SpecialGuest: Creator/JonLovitz as Aristotle Amadopoulos and Avery Devereaux.
91	* StolenCreditBackfire: Homer is hailed a hero for stopping the meltdown, but is too embarrassed to admit he did it through sheer luck and didn't know what he was doing. He is asked to give a speech at another power plant when the same thing happens again and Homer stops it the same way again, this time with witnesses. He is exposed as a fraud, but he does get the minor consolation of his name ending up in the dictionary.
92	* UnrevealAngle: When Homer flashes back to his training, the technician points to the button on his console that will stop a meltdown, but it's just off-screen so the audience doesn't see it. This also applies when Homer pushes it to stop the meltdown.

Context Recap / TheSimpsonsS3E5HomerDefined