Homer's Triple Bypass
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| The Simpsons episode | |
| "Homer's Triple Bypass" | |
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| Episode no. | 70 |
| Prod. code | 9F09 |
| Orig. Airdate | December 17, 1992 |
| Show Runner(s) | Al Jean & Mike Reiss |
| Written by | Gary Apple Michael Carrington |
| Directed by | David Silverman |
| Chalkboard | "Coffee is not for kids." |
| Couch gag | A very small Simpsons family sits on a giant couch. |
| Guest star | None |
| DVD commentary by | Matt Groening Al Jean Mike Reiss Michael Carrington David Silverman |
| SNPP capsule | |
| Season 4 September 24, 1992 – May 13, 1993 |
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| List of all Simpsons episodes... | |
"Homer's Triple Bypass" is the eleventh episode of The Simpsons' fourth season, which originally aired on December 17, 1992. It sees Homer start having heart attacks, and the family having to resort to a discount surgeon for his bypass operation.
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[edit] Synopsis
One night, while watching TV, Homer — shortly after Marge warns him against his unhealthy dietary habits — begins feeling chest pains, which return the next morning at breakfast. After refusing Marge's "special surprise" (oatmeal), he eats a cholesterol-laden breakfast of eggs and bacon. While driving to work, Homer's chest pains worsen, but he chalks the irregular thumping to a problem with his car's transmission. The mechanic tells him it is probably his heart, and a relieved Homer drives away.
At work, Mr. Burns calls Homer in to reprimand him for his poor work performance, taunting him with dismissal all the while. Homer's chest pains get worse, and when he is told he is fired, his heart stops. When Smithers tells Burns that he thinks Homer is dead, Burns asks him to send a ham to his widow; at that moment, Homer regains consciousness and the ham is cancelled.
Back at home, Marge gets a phone call from the hospital, telling her Homer has suffered a mild heart attack. When she quickly leaves, a visiting Patty and Selma continue cutting coupons, as though nothing is wrong.
Later, Dr. Hibbert advises Marge that Homer needs triple bypass, but Homer suffers another heart attack when he is told the price — $30,000 (which is upped to $40,000 after his heart stops again); no wonder — the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant doesn't offer health insurance, and the family has less than $100 in their savings account. Homer suffers a third heart attack at the health insurance office and is denied because of his poor health.
Left without options and sure he'll die before he gets some much-needed surgery, Homer and Marge see a TV commercial for Dr. Nick Riviera, who performs bargain-basement surgery for $129.95. Despite Dr. Nick's obvious gross incompetence — thanks to not-too-subtle hints such as being called to the morgue (Dr. Nick sarcastically reacts, "The coroner? I'm so sick of that guy!" before being greeted by the media) — Homer sees the good doctor as his only chance to have the surgery done an affordable price.
Just before the surgery, a nervous Dr. Nick tries to review the basic procedures of the surgery he is about to perform by renting an instructional video, but the most important part of the procedure is taped over with 'People Who Look like Things'. On the day of the surgery, Nick proceeds with the surgery but quickly realizes he doesn't know what to do. Fortunately, Lisa — who has studied cardiology — is in the operating room amphitheater and guides Dr. Nick through the procedure. Amazingly, the surgery is a success, and Homer makes a full recovery. His heart, with some help, thumps out the Simpson's theme tune in the end.
[edit] Trivia
- The word "hell" was used six times in this episode:
- Homer's "What the hell is this?" when Marge serves him oatmeal
- Carl's "We've had a hell of a time replacing you," when he and Lenny give Homer the get-well card (made from a safety placard)
- Barney's "What the hell am I supposed to do with this jumbo thong bikini?" when he mistakes Homer's heart surgery for a sex change operation.
- Dr. Nick's "What the hell is that?" as Homer is under anesthesia.
- A Kwik-E-Mart customer's "Oh, what the hell, sure," after Apu asks him if he would like vodka with his beef jerky.
- After Barney asks if Moe is starting to pray for Homer again, he responds "Hell, no!"
- Though it's not explicitly said, Homer alludes to being in Hell when he wakes up from his heart attack after failing to sign the papers at the Merry Widow insurance company ("Oh, Doctor. I was in a wonderful place filled with fire and brimstone. And there were all these guys in red pajamas sticking pitchforks in my butt.")
- The rabbi that Homer talks to about the money for surgery is Krusty's father Rabbi Krustofski from "Like Father, Like Clown".
- The Hindu guru Homer talks to about the money for surgery is Surdrudinma Baradad, the host of the yoga show Homer and Marge work out to on "Kamp Krusty".
- People waiting at the hospital: Groundskeeper Willie with his arms in casts; Jacques (the French bowler from "Life in the Fast Lanes") with his finger caught in a bowling ball; Jasper with a bike caught in his beard; Akira with his hand stuck in a plank of wood; Apu with a gunshot wound; Sideshow Mel stuck in a cannon, & Chief Wiggum with a locked jaw after he was about to bite a sub-sandwich. Lou taunts him by putting his hand inside with Wiggum trying to say "Cut it out!"
- Homer suggests he own a defibrillator instead of spending $40,000 to Dr. Hibbert for the surgery. In actuality, buying a defibrillator would be even more expensive than the open heart surgery.
- Homer ask Dr. Hibbert to remember his hippotamus oath, mistaking it with the Hippocratic oath. This episode shows another example of Hibbert's unprofessional behavior in certain circumstances.
[edit] Deleted scenes
The following listed scenes were cut and can be viewed, as a bonus feature, on the DVD:
- Cops at Diner: Before Marge warns Homer about eating, there was one scene where Chief Wiggum and his friends appear at a diner. The waitress bills them for the "coffee and donuts" they ate. Instead, Wiggum rips the bills and places it in her front pocket.
- Homer in Ambulance: A brief scene of the driver telling Homer he needs to stop at the Kwik-E-Mart to get cat food. Homer responds by telling him to get beef jerky for himself.
- Sideshow Mel in Cannon: Krusty has a line after they try to blast Sideshow Mel out of the cannon, "You know who I feel sorry for? Sideshow Phil. Mel is standing on his shoulders."
- Alternate Pizza Ending: Originally the episode was going to end with Homer eating a pizza in his hospital bed after the operation, before Marge asks a nurse where he got the pizza from. This would reflect the earlier scene where Grampa watches him as an infant chewing on a slice of pizza in the hospital. The scene was deleted and replaced with the scene where Homer's family cheer him on while he's in intensive care.
[edit] Cultural references
- COPS – The opening gag, "COPS: In Springfield" spoofs FOX's police-reality series. Instead of highlighting police officers' work, this parody showcases Chief Wiggum's incompetence. Also spoofed is the theme song (as "Bad Cops").
- The animation of Homer's heart attack in Burns' office is likely inspired by the early-to-mid-1940s-period cartoons made by the Warner Brothers studio, specifically the scenes animated by Rod Scribner under the direction of Bob Clampett.
- Life in Hell — The puppets Homer uses to describe his upcoming heart surgery to Bart and Lisa are Akbar and Jeff (minus their fezes), from Matt Groening's comic strip.
- Starsky and Hutch – In the COPS gag, Chief Wiggum calls himself "Papa Bear," an allusion to Huggy Bear on the 1970s police drama.
- The Restaurant at the End of the Universe - Homer's fantasy of eating a roast pig, which speaks, recommending the rump, is inspired by a similar moment in Douglas Adams' novel, with a cow that's been raised to want to be eaten.
- In hospital, Flanders thanks God for the Ziggy comic strip, and "volumes one, two and four" of the Richard Simmons exercise video Sweatin' to the Oldies.
[edit] COPS! in Springfield
[edit] Opening montage
- "COPS: In Springfield" title card. The rest of the montage is set to a parody of the tune "Bad Boys" entitled "Bad Cops."
- Wiggum fails to prevent a suicidal man from jumping; after the man plummets to his death, Wiggum makes a cuckoo sign with his finger.
- A cop pursues a crook by jumping across buildings. Zoom back to reveal Wiggum, Lou and Eddie watching TV.
- The officers attempt — without success — to shoot a mummy; Wiggum throws his gun at the creature.
- Eddie and Lou pull various weapons (a knife, a hand grenade, a pair of brass knuckles, and a gun) from Jasper's beard.
- Wiggum and his officers watch the Itchy & Scratchy cartoon "Field of Screams."
- The officers use a helicopter to sneak into a local drive-in, which is playing "Space Mutants."
- "COPS: In Springfield" (with voiceover)
[edit] Story
Chief Wiggum investigates a cattle rustler and uses a tank to knock down the suspect's door, only to find he has the wrong house.
The occupant, Rev. Lovejoy, is very angry ... especially since the cattle are in the neighbor's yard. Snake, the suspect that Wiggum is after, is able to make a clean getaway. Wiggum is unable to give a coherent description of the car; he describes the vehicle as "a car of some sort" and "heading in the direction of that place that sells chili." However, he does point out that the "Suspect is hatless! Repeat, hatless!"
[edit] External links
- "Homer's Triple Bypass" episode capsule at The Simpsons Archive
