YMMV / The Simpsons S2 E5 "Dancin' Homer"

• Alternative Joke Interpretation: After Mr. Burns' laughable attempt at throwing the first pitch at the game, Smithers happily says "I think I could actually hear the air being torn, sir," prompting Mr. Burns to respond with an indignant "Oh, shut up." Was Smithers' comment an attempt at sucking up to his boss and lessening his embarrassment? Or was he sneakily making fun of him? Both interpretations have merit; despite his devotion to Mr. Burns, Smithers has been shown to not be above snarking at his boss either.
• Franchise Original Sin
  • While later seasons would go far further overboard with special guest appearances and attract far more criticism for it, this was the first episode of The Simpsons to have a special guest star (Tony Bennett) As Himself.
  • This is also the episode that originated the trope of "Homer gets a new job for one episode," which would go on to be considered as overplayed several seasons later.
• Hilarious in Hindsight: Mr. Burns not even knowing Maggie's name gains a new level of irony after "And Maggie Makes Three" reveals Homer quit working for Burns shortly before Maggie's conception, and only returned to work for him to support his third child.
• Unintentional Period Piece: Capital City is a parody of America's big cities at the time (1990), being portrayed as dirty, dark, and dangerous (at least at night). This is hardly the case anymore for New York and Boston, both of which have "gentrified", though Detroit and Pittsburgh are still on dire straits.

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