YMMV / The Simpsons S2 E10 "Bart Gets Hit by a Car"

• Alternative Character Interpretation: Homer doesn't want Mr. Burns' settlement of $500,000 dollars, which is what he'd get if he won the lawsuit after Lionel Hutz's fifty percent fee. But is Homer just greedy and wanting more, or does he also really want Burns to feel a loss of money?
• Harsher in Hindsight:
  • Marge testifies that Dr. Hibbert is a good, honest man who has always taken care of her family and couldn't stand in greater contrast to Morally Ambiguous Doctorate Nick. Subsequent episodes would make her seem like a very Horrible Judge of Character, with Hibbert, while undoubtedly more competent than Nick, proving himself to be as much if not more prone to questionable ethics, having even obliquely offered to help Marge sell the as-yet-unborn Maggie upon learning she was an accident before lamely covering up the offer as a Secret Test of Character.
  • The show would go on to reveal that Homer became trapped in his hated job at the power plant once Maggie entered the picture because it was the only way to make ends meet—in fact, he was forced to beg for the job back after having ditched it for a lower-paying job that made him much happier. He may have gotten greedy by choosing to keep his fraudulent lawsuit going for the full $1 million in damages instead of taking Burns' proposed $500,000 settlement, but at the end of the day, he just wanted to lift himself and his family out of an ongoing financial struggle that he had the worst of.
  • Hearing the voice of Phil Hartman in Heaven...
• Hilarious in Hindsight:
  • The Devil says Bart isn't due in Hell until the Yankees win the World Series decades from now. At time of broadcast, 1991, this baseball team hadn't won this sports event since 1978 and they had some of the worst records they ever had as a team in the early '90's. But then they turned things around and they won again in 1996. ^note  They also won in 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2009.
  • In Brazil, it's translated as not until Brazil wins the FIFA World Cup. The last time Brazil won before 1991 was in 1970. Brazil's next victory took place in 1994. ^note  Brazil won again in 2002.
• Never Live It Down: Marge botching the trial (simply because she refuses to lie in court, despite being under oath) is still a huge reason why her detractors hate her, even over thirty years after the original broadcast. If you look up any video of this episode online, you will find flame wars over who's at fault. ^note  A majority will say it’s on Marge. Some have even voiced their beliefs that Homer should have divorced her over it.
• Tear Dryer: The ending scene, where Homer confesses to Marge that he's not sure if he still loves her, is very upsetting up to the point where he looks her in the eye and realizes his true feelings:
  Homer: Oh, who am I kidding? I love you more than ever!
• Values Dissonance:
  • Lisa asks Lionel Hutz if he's a shyster. The term has since fallen out of usage due to possible anti-Semitic connotations. (Although, it's rumored it originated from a lawyer named "Schuster".)
  • At the time of the episode's airing, the extent of Bart's injuries ultimately cost the Simpsons as much as Bart was paid to take the garbage out each week (which is why Marge felt so uncomfortable lying in court about it). However, in the decades since, American healthcare costs have ballooned to the extent that, even with insurance, Bart's trip to the hospital may well have financially ruined the Simpsons. Seeking compensation would be entirely necessary, though it still would be a bad idea to get phony doctors and questionable lawyers involved.

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