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Recap / The Simpsons S 29 E 07 Singin In The Lane

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Homer reunites his old bowling team, the Pin Pals, where they must compete against a team of millionaires. Meanwhile, Marge and Lisa are stunned by how greedy Bart has become and join forces to change his behavior.

Tropes:

  • Absurdly High-Stakes Game: If the Pin Pals lose to the millionaires, Moe loses his bar and his name.
  • Armor-Piercing Response: When Marge tells Bart that he doesn't need money to be happy, he asks if not having any money would make him happy, and she reluctantly says no.
  • Beat Them at Their Own Game: The Fund Bunch demoralize their opponents by sniffing out their insecurities. Lisa and a couple of nerds retaliate by use their research skills to unearth the most profound dysfunctions in their lives.
  • Bowling for Ratings: In this episode, Homer brings back his old bowling team, the Pin Pals, in an attempt to cheer up a depressed Moe, only to end up in a fierce competition with a team of arrogant millionaires.
  • Breaking the Fourth Wall: When "The Boys are Back in Town" plays shortly after a gag involving "Tubthumping" by Chumbawumba, Lenny comments that there's "a lot of music in this episode."
  • Call-Back: To "Team Homer": there's a picture of the bowling team from that episode, and Homer reforms the team with different members.
  • Food Slap: The Fund Bunch get a kick out of throwing cheeseburgers at people. At a critical moment, Bart's deeper loyalty to his family over toadying for money is evident when he won't throw one at Lisa at their orders.
  • The Friend Nobody Likes: Moe feels like this to the usual bar goers because they never seem to invite him to hang out with him (even though that is far from the truth). When there is a chance that he may lose his bar, he actually wants to lose it because that would (probably) mean he'd start over somewhere else and do better with other people. Despite trying to blow it, his team wins the bet and he's back to sulking, though at least the guys are willing to include him...provided his bar is used for celebration parties, that is.
  • "I Know You're in There Somewhere" Fight: Lisa appeals to the bond between her and Bart that neither of them will admit to to stop him from chucking a burger in her face.
  • Imagine Spot: Moe has one of what his life will be if he loses the bet.
  • Screw the Money, I Have Rules!: Bart eventually decides his sister is more important to him than money.
  • Shout-Out: The building where the team meets the millionaires is being climbed by a giant gorilla.
  • Sidekick: Continuing the Running Gag from "Team Homer" of character archetypes being grouped together on bowling teams, Lou, Milhouse, Smithers and Sideshow Mel form a team called "The Sidekicks." They've no sooner finished a game than Wiggum, Bart, Burns and Krusty (respectively) arrive to unceremoniously drag them off.
  • Spit Take: Barney spits out a cloud of liquor when he's told he's just downed a $1000 shot of bourbon. He then summons the cloud back to him.

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