History Recap / TheSimpsonsS4E12MargeVsTheMonorail

* ArtisticLicenseEngineering: It's impossible to CutTheJuice to the monorail because it's solar-powered, but that should just mean "flip a manual override to cut off the power from the solar panels", not "there is no way to shut down the monorail at all." [[RuleOfDrama The climax would not happen (or it would be very different) if it followed that rule, of course.]]

* ConvenientEclipse: Parodied and subverted. A total solar eclipse happens seconds after it's revealed that the out of control monorail is solar-powered, stopping it. However, reality ensues and the eclipse is over also within seconds, preventing passengers from getting out.

** Though [[WhereTheHellIsSpringfield deliberately vague]], Lanley's map puts Ogdenville and North Haverbrook many states away from each other, with Ogdenville in the Southwest and North Haverbrook (the one within driving distance of Springfield; "Marge in Chains" later in the season would place it 63 miles away) in the Midwest. Later episodes would place Ogdenville in Springfield's state.

* DarkIsNotEvil: Cobb looks threatening and actually scares Marge (it probably didn’t help that he walked behind her with his arm outstretched like a zombie), but he's not bad in the slightest and helps explain to Marge exactly how bad Lyle's conning is.

* MeatOVision: Homer is trapped on the out-of-control monorail train and needs to find an anchor. He looks to Bart, and visualizes him as a large ship's anchor. Bart, for understandable reasons, urges him to "think harder".

-> '''Nimoy:''' My job here is done.\\
'''Barney:''' What do you mean? You didn't contribute to this trope page!\\

* ArtisticLicenseEngineering: It's impossible to CutTheJuice to the monorail because it's solar-powered, but that should just mean "flip a manual override to cut off the power from the solar panels", not "there is no way to shut down the monorail at all." [[RuleOfDrama The climax would not happen (or it would be very different) if it followed that rule, of course.]]

* PurpleProse: Nimoy's response to the solar eclipse, much to the annoyance of the man sitting next to him.
-->'''Leonard Nimoy:''' A solar eclipse. The cosmic ballet goes on.
-->'''Other guy:''' Does anyone want to switch seats?
* RecognitionFailure: Mayor Quimby doesn't recognise ''Leonard Nimoy''.
-->'''Quimby:''' And let me say, "[[Franchise/StarWars May the force be with you!]]"\\
'''Nimoy:''' [''clearly annoyed''] Do you even know who I am?\\

-->'''Leonard Nimoy:''' [''To Krusty''] The world needs laughter.

* SongParody: The episode begins with Homer singing a parody of ''WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones'' theme song, which abruptly ended when Homer's car "hit a chestnut tree". "The Monorail Song" is a parody of "Trouble" from ''Theatre/TheMusicMan''.

* KarmaHoudiniWarranty: Lyle Lanley. He ''almost'' gets away with defrauding Springfield, but ends up getting beaten up (and possibly killed) by the people of North Haverbrook after his plane makes an unexpected stopover there.

[[caption-width-right:250: Starring: Leonard Nimoy as himself...who doesn't really do much.]]

* LateToTheTragedy: Marge visits North Haverbrook, the scene of one of Lanley's scams, to find that it's become a GhostTown filled with faded evidence of the same monorail fever currently gripping Springfield, including the wreckage of its monorail still on view.

* IgnoredEpiphany: After the near miss with the monorail, as Marge's narration explains, the town makes it the last folly they made... except for the popsicle-stick skyscraper... and the giant magnifying glass... and the escalator to nowhere.

** Marge brings a scientist from North Haverbrook to stop the monorail, and Marge says she has someone who can help. Homer asks if it's Franchise/{{Batman}}. But when Marge says, "No, he's a scientist!" Homer thinks she's telling him that Batman's a scientist.