[3F24] El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer
El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer Written by Ken Keeler
[The Mysterious Voyage of Homer] Directed by Jim Reardon
==============================================================================
Production code: 3F24 Original Airdate on FOX: 5-Jan-97
Capsule revision B, 15-Jun-97
"TV Guide" Synopsis {jmb}
At the chili cook-off, Chief Wiggum's imported chili peppers send
Homer on a hallucinatory spiritual journey that makes him question
whether Marge is his soulmate.
Title sequence
Couch :- Everybody descends via parachute to the couch, except
Homer, who lands on the floor with an unopened chute on
his back. [Recycled from 3F23]
Did you notice...
... a bum at the cookoff is selling water for $3?
... Dr. Nick is dancing with Princess Kashmir?
... when Homer tastes the first pepper after coating his mouth with
wax, a mother covers her daughter's eyes (in much the same way
Marge covers Maggie's eyes in similar situations)?
... Homer calls a personal ad placed by a gay black male (GBM)?
Dale G. Abersold:
... Lenny doesn't say anything to Marge or Homer when they are at his
booth?
... Marge has a kerosene lantern?
... Marge is able to climb a ladder in her dress, while carrying a
giant lightbulb? (I'm impressed!)
Stephan Bonneville:
... Homer's fantasyland is similar to Lisa's drunken nightmare in
9F11?
... Captain McAllister has been replaced by EARL as the the
lighthouse keeper?
... Mr. Burns is unusually strong in this episode?
... Homer's hairs standing on end when he wakes up?
... Rod and Todd now appear to be the same height?
... Homer identifies it as a tortoise as opposed to a turtle?
Vince Chan:
... Ruth Powers is in the crowd the second time Homer tries Chief
Wiggums chili?
... the telephone booth is on an island in the middle of the road?
... the kids are brushing their teeth long after Marge is asleep?
... Marge does not have the lantern on until she opens the door?
... most of the town is on the beach in the middle of the night?
Joshua Fruhlinger:
... this is the first time in a long time we've seen Smithers without
an over-the-top gay reference and Ralph saying something that
vaguely makes sense?
... Homer is pretty open about what gender his "soul mate" might be?
(Never mind "GBM;" his first choice as soul mate is Barney!)
... when Homer is trying to explain to Marge what has happened to
him out by the clothesline, with her back to him, the scene
looks just like Homer trying to talk to the faceless Marge he
saw during his "trip?"
Don Del Grande:
... at the beginning of Act II, there is a "live-action" shot of
clouds behind Homer? (This is the first live-action footage used
with "2-D" characters, isn't it?)
... Reverend Lovejoy's first name is used? (Helen calls him "Tim" at
the end of the cook-off)
... Kearney is somewhere (Moe's) without Jimbo and Dolph?
... Charlie's voice is different than it usually is?
... Dr. Hibbert now knows Moe's is a bar?
... Homer says "they're starting to turn" long after the ship starts
its turn?
... for someone with a hat over her eyes, Maggie certainly does a
good job of walking straight? (Lisa was holding her hand, but if
Maggie would have been walking "out of line", their arms would
have straightened as Lisa "pulls her back".)
Jonathan Haas:
... Marge doesn't stop Bart from stealing from the Lost and Found?
... Mr. Burns quite definitely went to Yale?
... "Virtual Chili" involves a head-mounted display, a 6DOF joystick,
and something over your mouth?
... Chief Wiggum's chili tent is decorated with skulls and other
occult items?
... Otto says that Homer "knows what he's doing"? Otto might be the
one character who best understood what Homer was going through.
... Rev. Lovejoy actually stops Helen from continuing to torment
Marge?
... Homer and Marge still use vinyl records?
... Homer thinks the sun revolves around the earth?
... Marge carries an old-fashioned kerosene lantern?
Jason Hancock:
... the "HOMER" bowling ball is in the closet?
... the two porta-potties to the left of the Bumblebee Man's chili
stand?
... Lenny is offering handwoven dishtowels?
... Otto knows who Ralph is?
... Homer is seen wearing his regular shoes, and not his chili boots,
during the dream?
... the clock on Bart's "Time for Chili" hat reads 4:00?
... Homer's pupils shrink after he opens his eyes?
... the "Discabinetron 2000" label on OFF's record shelf?
... the Bumblebee Man wears his costume inside Moe's?
... Homer leaves his newspaper in the phone booth as he exits it?
Eric Hartman:
... the turtle looks like people from "The Critic"?
... the girl who has the ice cream cone looks like Allison Taylor?
[I thought she looked like the "teef" girl in 3F02 --ed]
Joe Klemm:
... Maggie's hat covers her eyes (ala The Homer They Fall couch gag)?
Haynes Lee:
... it took Fox three calendar years (1995-97) to show the entire 3F
series?
... Springfield Shopper uses color in its advertising?
Dallas Pesola
... Bumblebee Man in the first chili tent?
... Moe has a chili bar, not simply a chili stand or tent?
... Marge has records that are worse than the one by the "Doodletown
Pipers"?
... the Sylvania 40,000 watt Energy Miser Lighthouse Bulb?
Benjamin J. Robinson:
... the cadence of Nelson's laugh is reversed? (That is, the accent
is now on the second "Ha.")
Liam J. Scanlan:
... this episode has no official title? (SNPP sources say it as "El
Viaje Misteriosos de Nuestro Homer", but FOX says it's "The
Mysterious Voyage of Homer". I have two sources to back up the
second title.)
Robert Vasquez:
... Smithers is at the square dance, rather than in Burns' booth?
... Ralph now knows that eating wax is wrong?
... after Bart says his hat is "wasted on an idiot like [Lisa]," he
immediately looks for Homer?
... when Homer sees Marge after his hallucination, her back is turned
to him just like on the ziggurat?
... Quimby's running for office again?
Matt Scott Zelman:
... Homer calls the coyote "wolfie"?
... Dr. Hibbert drinks alcohol?
... Bart and Lisa recognize the bat signal?
Voice credits {dga}
- Starring
- Dan Castellaneta (Homer, Quimby, Krusty, Barney, Bumblebee Man)
- Julie Kavner (Marge)
- Nancy Cartwright (Bart, Todd, Ralph, Nelson, Kearney)
- Yeardley Smith (Lisa)
- Hank Azaria (Moe, Wiggum, furniture salesman, Carl)
- Harry Shearer (Lovejoy, Otto, Lenny, Ned, Smithers, Hibbert,
Jasper, Brockman, talking dog, McAllister, sailor)
- Special Guest Voice
- Johnny Cash (Spirit coyote)
- Also Starring
- Maggie Roswell (Helen Lovejoy)
Movie (and other) references
[What was this, musical reference day? -- {bjr}]
+ "Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover", song by Paul Simon
- "Fifty Ways to Waste Your Weekend" headline
~ Chip 'n' Dales "Rescue Rangers" {ljs}
- A large man falls into a pink cotton candy machine and then runs
around still wearing it
Pope of Greenwich Village {hl}
- Pope of Chili Town
+ "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly"
- music when Homer and Wiggum meet
"Tapeheads" {np}
- Homer drinks from a candle holder, like a character in the film
+ "Pinhead", by the Ramones {np}
- Flanders' gibberish ends on "Gabba Gabba Hey" from this song
+ "I Am the Walrus", by the Beatles
- Homer hears Jasper say, "Goo goo ga joob," which is a line from
this Beatles song
+ Any "Charlie Brown" cartoon
- the hallucinated Ms. Krabappel sounds like adults in these
cartoons
"Altered States" {rav}
- a South American plant (mushroom) causes hallucinations
- the hero's wife appears in his vision, then blows away like sand
~ "Beavis and Butthead Do America" {ns}
- Homer's hallucination is reminiscent of Beavis's thirst-induced
hallucinations in this movie
"Beetlejuice" {dp2}
- the unknown dimension that Homer wanders around in is similar to
the one encountered outside of the Beetlejuice house (the
stripped snake-like creature is seen in both)
+ "Aladdin" (Disney) {rj}
- the snake twisting around homer
+ "Fiddler on the Roof" {bjr}
- Homer speaks the lyrics "Sunrise, Sunset" while playing with the
sun
"Alice in Wonderland" (Disney Animated Version) {dga}
- Homer's "D'oh!" is visible as clouds, much like the various
utterances of the Caterpillar in this movie
Terminator 2 {rj}
- Homer morphin around and "flipping" the direction of his face
+ Alice in Wonder Land
- the chesire cat appears in similar ways, forming out of thin air
"The Teachings of Don Juan", "Journey to Ixtlan", books by Carlos
Castaneda
- a coyote speaking of inner wisdom [see comments]
+ "At Seventeen", 1975 song by Janis Ian
- song when Homer searches his soulmate
[{jmb} notes that Ian also sang "Coyote" -- how appropriate]
~ United Way {jh}
- "Community Outreach" might be a reference to this
"The Ten Commandments" {dga}
- Homer running to the lighthouse resembles the parting of the Red
Sea
"The Carol Burnett Show" {tl}
- In one sketch, an oversized light bulb is produced and simply
screwed into a lighthouse socket
+ "Jonathan Livingston Seagull"
- Cap'n McAllister uses this book title as an epithet
Speed {sb}
- The scene where Homer and Marge kiss as the ship crashes is
similar
+ "Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus", book from John Gray
- Homer and Marge echo this book title (in reverse order).
+ "Short Shorts", 1958 song by the Royal Teens
- Lenny (almost) echoes one of the lines of the song when he asks,
"Who wants short shorts," and the crowd acknowledges with, "We
like short shorts!"
Previous episode references
- Simpson characters on "mysterious journeys" {dga} {jh2}
- [8F06] Under severe lack of sleep, Homer sees a "dreamworld"
- [8F09] Homer hallucinates about the "Land of Chocolate"
- [8F23] Homer, while riding the SpineMelter 2000 {np}
- [9F11] Lisa, after drinking funny water at Duff Gardens
- [9F15] Lisa, after getting laughing gas at the dentist
- [2F20] Chief Wiggum, after drinking warm cream, experiences
psychedelic visions of Lisa and burning cards
- Other hallucinations {dga} {jh2}
[thanks to Stuart Jackson for his "Drunkenness and Drug Use" list]
- [1F06] Bart and Milhouse drink an all-syrup squishee
- [1F10] Apu hums around, thinking he is a humming bird
- [1F14] Marge sees melting walls and dancing turkeys after
Shelbyville spikes the water supply
- [1F15] Homer gets affected by Mr. Cleanser fumes
- [3F10] Mr. Burns goes under the influence of ether
- Homer eats something gross/dumb/dangerous {sb}
[see Dave Hall's "Grossest Things Homer Has Eaten" list]
- Previous chili references: {hl}
- [9F19] Red Hot Chili Peppers appear
- [1F22] Chili man selling red hot texas chili
- [SC#17] The couch opening mimics the cover {vc}
- [7G10], [2F33] An episode ends with Homer and Marge kissing {vc}
- [7G13] The "Homer" bowling ball in the closet {ddg}
- [7F09], [8F07] Homer's crappy spice racks mentioned {hl}
- [7F11] Homer eats "poison" {mss}
- [7F20] Homer gets drunk and makes a fool of himself {vc}
- [8F01] "Shoe goes on, shoe goes off, shoe goes on..." {dm}
- [8F05] Rev. Lovejoy is called Tim/Timothy {ljs}
- [8F09] A foreign title is used {ljs}
- [8F12] Sam talks {eh}
- [8F13] Homer carves something out of wood {vc}
- [8F18] Janis Ian's "At Seventeen" is sung
- [9F01] "Short Shorts" song is played
- [9F09] "Bed goes up, bed goes down" (cf. "Sunrise, sunset") {dga}
- [9F14] Homer promises Marge not to drink beer
- [9F20] Helen's gossip as a force of evil {dga}
- [1F03] Marge smokes
- [1F07] Homer is involved with soulmates {ljs}
- [1F08] Jim Nabors is mentioned {jh}
- [1F10] The downside of animals is shown while someone walks by a pet
store {ljs}
- [2F03] Homer resolves not to touch anything ("Time and Punishment")
{dga}
- [2F04] Capt. McAllistair at lighthouse causes ship to crash {hl}
- [2F06] "Women Are From Venus..." book is referenced {jh}
- [2F09] Homer makes a note to himself {vc}
- [2F15] Cheif Wiggum has a tent set up at a community event {ljs}
- [2F21] Wiggum is into clothes rather than investigating {eh}
- [2F22] Someone shows off their hat {ljs}
- [2F31], [2F32] Two consective p-coded episodes share same couch gag
{ljs}
- [3F03] Lisa becomes a vegetarian {hl}
- [3F04] Homer enters a strange new world
- [3F08] Homer offers cigarettes to Marge {ol}
- [3F11] "I'm just hair", (cf. "I'm just you're memory") {mss}
- [3F11] Springfield's golf course and country club are seen
- [3F14] Smithers dancing {ns}
- [3F17] A school bully goes to Moe's {ljs}
- [3F21] Marge says "hell" {jh}
- [4F03] Maggie wears a cowboy hat {jh}
- [4F03] Meaningless signs are shown during various shots of Homer
{ljs}
- [4F04] Homer fears Marge doesn't love him {mss}
- [4F06] Captain McAllister crashes a ship {ljs}
Freeze frame fun
Springfield Shopper
Springfield Shopper Section E
K I C K I N '
B A C K !
[balloons and sunshine]
F I F T Y W A Y S T O W A S T E
Y O U R W E E K E N D
Things in closet
- "Homer" bowling ball [7G11]
- Fishing hat [7F20]
- Vigilante hat? [1F09]
- Five coats (brown, red, grey, beige, orange)
- Two black umbrellas
- Lots of shoes and boots
Sign over the cookoff {jh2}
S P R I N G F I E L D
C H I L I C O O K - O F F
Please lick spoons clean
after each use
The chili vendors {jh2}
A Little Bit of Lenny
Apu's
Vegetarian Chili
M u N T z F a M i L Y
C h i L i
It Takes Weeks To Make MuNTz
Old Eliku's
Y A L E S T Y L E
Saltpeter Chili
Professor Frink's
Virtual Chili
[again written in so-common computer font --ed]
Firehouse Ned's
F i V E A L A R M
C H i L i
M o e ' s
CHILI BAR
B E E R G A R D E N
Proof of age or exact change required
J O E ' S S P O O N S
Hand-Carved
The band {jh2}
FERL DIXON and the SECOND HELPING BOYS
[written in that so-common western font --ed]
Chili cookoff crowd {jh}
Carl, Superintendent Chalmers, Charlie, Lunchlady Doris, Herman, Dr.
and Mrs. Hibbert, Ms. Hoover, Jasper, Jimbo, Kent Brockman, Ms.
Krabappel, Krusty, Lenny, Lewis, Mayor Quimby, Ruth Powers, Skinner
People who had chili stands {eh}
Bumbleman Bee, Lenny, Apu, Otto, Mrs. Krabappel, Nelson, Burns,
Frink, Ned, Moe, Jasper
The start of Homer's trip {jh2}
- Flanders starts cheerfully babbling nonsense, as little copies of
his moustache fly around, ending with "gabba gabba hey"
- Deformed Jasper says "goo goo goo joob"
- Deformed Nelson points and says "Ha HA! Ha HA!"
- Deformed (and six-eyed) Mrs. Krabappel immitates the teachers on
Peanuts
- Barney burps loud and majestic
The furniture store {jh2}
B O B ' S
All-night furniture store
Quimby's campaign HQ {jh2}
"Your best friend in government"
Re-elect Mayor Joe Quimby
The signs Homer sees {jh2}
- NO TRESPASSING
- DO NOT ENTER
- SEVERE TIRE DAMAGE
- EMPLOYEES MUST WASH HANDS
Community Outreach
Community
Outreach -> FULL
[drawing of two [drawing of two
hands giving out] hands as "halt"]
Sign on the lighthouse
W E L C O M E
This Lighthouse
Operated By
E A R L
E.A.R.L.'s display {jh2}
E.A.R.L.
Electronic
Automatic
Robotic
Lighthouse
The lightbulb {jh2}
S Y L V A N I A
4 0 , 0 0 0
W A T T
Energy-Miser
Lighthouse
Bulb
- Overseas Animation: Rough Draft (Chang, Myung Nam) {ddg}
Animation, continuity, and other goofs
* How did Marge get that vacuum cleaner plugged in so fast? {ol}
* Unless the plunger of the phone is broken, I don't think pushing a
vacuum cleaner against it would make it come out. {ol}
+ Marge was worried about Bart smoking in Treehouse of Horror IV. Now
suddenly she considers having a smoke just for the sake of smoking?
(Looks like she can just kiss that "Mother of the Year" award
goodbye) {ol}
+ Why does Homer object to the cigarettes? In 3F08 he actually bought
some for Marge. {sb}
+ Didn't Marge smoke during the ending of 1F03? {mss}
* I doubt Homer could whistle so easily after having his head flooded
in smoke. (Notice how he's about to cough just before.)
* Why should Marge care if Homer gets drunk at that cook-off? She
didn't seem to want to go herself. If anything, Homer would just be
embarrassing himself, and he does that good enough on many occasions.
{ol}
+ In 3F21 Homer was told not to eat spicy foods by the vet. {vc}
+ Marge should know what oregano is. She uses various herbs and spices
on her pork chops in 7F09. {ol}
* In the bird's-eye shot of Homer staring down Wiggum at the cook-off,
only Homer casts a long shadow. {tl}
* The peppers were sitting in boiling hot water; they should have
burned Homer`s fingers. {sb}
* Since when are whole peppers put in chili? {ol}
= Marge magically has a watch on her right wrist for one scene. {msz}
* Drinking hot liquid wax should send Homer screaming in pain for a
while.
= When Homer's stomach starts affecting him, Jasper is in a booth, but
he's also in the crowd in front of whom Homer falls down. {ddg}
= The "OIS" in "FOLLOW THE TORTOISE" is spelled on the ground on the
side view, yet on the arial view, we have to wait for the tortoise to
finish spelling it. {ljs}
* The pyramid would have to slide to the left while it grew or else it
would pick up Homer. {ljs}
* I always thought that Homer had three hairs on his head, two on top
and one going around the back and sides. However, when he was talking
with the coyote and the wind blows through his hair, I counted four
distinct hairs. The long strand going around his head was made of two
hairs. Was my initial assumption of three hairs wrong? {ns}
+ Marge doesn't need to dry her clothes on a line since she got a
perfectly good dryer from Herb in 8F23. {vc}
+ Moe's was surprisingly crowded and un-dank in this episode. {mss}
+ In 1F03, Moe said he was phasing out the games because people drink
less when they're having fun. Now he has a pool table. {sb}
* How could a shadow appear as a circle in the sky if there is no solid
background to it? {ljs}
* Homer's shadow shouldn't be visible in the sky if the light points
toward the ground - but the light keeps switching between pointing to
the ground and pointing to the sky. {ddg}
= When Bart and Lisa are looking at Homer's shadow, the light stops
blinking. {ddg}
* After Bart and Lisa look at Homer's shadow, the light appears to
shine over Homer, so his shadow shouldn't be visible. {ddg}
* How did Marge remove the remnants of the old bulb without
electrocuting herself? {ddg}
Reviews
Dale G. Abersold: Odd, to say the least. I loved the surrealistic
animation in Act II, and there were plenty of funny moments (the
highlight was probably Homer calling "GBM.") On the down side, one
never had an idea what the writer wanted, and the ending was
(unfortunately) predictable. Johnny Cash was very good as the Coyote
spirit guide. (B-)
Jennifer M. Blaske: Marge's character seemed a bit "off," but I liked
Homer's Trip. My main problem was the ending. Saying, "Oh, it is
Marge after all" seemed to be cheating. Personally, I would have
liked it if Homer's soul mate were God; after all, no person fully
understands us, but God presumably does. I was hoping for a
Thought-Provoking Episode, a la the Blowfish one, but this ending
fell flat. (C+)
Chris Courtois: Ken Keeler redeems himself with "El Viaje
Misterioso..." While the ending was rushed and forced (both forced
emotions and forced wacky gags), the first 2 1/2 acts (everything
from the chili cookoff scene through Homer's phone conversation with
GBM) was among the best OFF of the past 2 seasons. The chili cookoff
and dream sequences were outstanding. Another kudo for Keeler for
using references in a manner which didn't bring the entire episode to
a halt.
After such an inspired middle portion, it was a little
disappointing to see the episode turn into yet another Homer-Marge
strained relationship episode, especially coming so soon after "A
Milhouse Divided". The ending in the lighthouse veered off into wacky
gag with a quick resolution area, but considered what came before,
that's a minor quibble. (A-)
Joshua Fruhlinger: Boy! Was THAT weird! Interesting, though, and
highly enjoyable. The middle section (Homer's "trip") wasn't side
splitting funny, but beautifully animated and fascinating to watch.
(Though I did get a big kick out of "Note to self: don't do
anything.") For the rest of the episode, the gags were enough to
carry it. I almost fell out of the chair during the "GBM" sequence.
And Homer's whiny dance was very well done. (A-)
Jason Hancock: This is one of the weirdest episodes I have ever seen.
Homer's hallucinations reminded me of Lisa's trip to Duff Gardens (in
"Selma's Choice") with some good special effects. There were several
funny moments, like Homer's phone call; however, I was not impressed
with Marge's behavior in this episode. (B-)
Ryan Johnson: The chili tasting and Homer's trip were wounderful,
although they did seem to be in a different style (altogether, not
just the animation) than we've seen before. The ending was a bit
lame, but it didn't crush the first to acts in its stupidity as the
past few episodes have. It's unfortunate that this was run within a
few weeks of "A Millhouse Divided". (B)
Ondre Lombard: Bad animation, mostly flat jokes and a story that lacks
depth makes this an all time clanger, to me. Homer's quest for his
new soulmate is handled rather improperly. I, myself, am tired of
seeing stories about Homer and Marge's relationship in jeopardy. It
was a bold idea at one point, but it isn't anymore. The ending is so
predictable and forced that it just totally falls flat. I didn't too
much care for the animation or most of Homer's hallucenation either.
A few good jokes, but a story that leaves much to be desired. (D+)
Nate Patrin: Oh wow.... hea-veee. Some of the most innovative animation
I've ever seen in a Simpsons ep- or anywhere. Homer's trip was
practically art. But outside of the animation, there was also a slew
of hilarious jokes, unusual moments and a not-entirely-formulaic
episode. Johnny Cash was the best voice-over by a musician since the
Ramones in [1F01], and though this was yet another retread of the
Marge-and-Homer-have-friction theme, it was handled in an interesting
way. The best ep this season. (A)
Werner Peeters: The animation of Homer's hallucinations was superb. Too
bad this episode didn't have a story! Though the beginning was quite
nice (esp. Maggie with a cowboy hat), the plot - of any - went very
mellow... Homer looking for a soul mate, and surprise surprise, it's
Marge! I'm a bit disappointed in this one, because in former
episodes, people hallucinating was always good for some very funny
scenes (remember Otto with the talking shoes? Lisa the Lizard Queen
etc.). (C-)
Benjamin J. Robinson: For an episode that gets by on its looks, it does
pretty well. Ken Keeler has written some of the show's more oddball
episodes, and he really gets a chance to strut his stuff here.
Homer's psychedelic sojourn in the desert is the high point of this
episode, with hog-wild animation that is a treat to watch. The setup
and wind-down lack the same spark, though. Check out Johnny Cash (!)
in a cameo as Homer's spirit guide. (B)
Matt Rose: This was a bizarre and often surreal episode, and most of
the time these things bother me but I didn't care this time, because
I was on the floor after some of the hallucinations. Interesting
cameo by Johnny Cash. I would have liked it better if Homer had tried
"Professor Frink's Virtual Chili"....anyhoo, the ending seemed a
little rushed and somewhat mushy but overall a pretty good episode.
And Bart and Lisa were pretty much nowhere to be found. Still, it was
pretty funny, and that is why I watch the show. (B+)
Liam J. Scanlan: The hallucination sequence was superb and enjoyed by
me. However because it went by too fast for me, I didn't really enjoy
the last act. Johnny Cash had a boring a small role. But it was still
enough for my to watch it over and over again. (A-)
Nelson Seggley: I loved this episode. It followed Homer's strange
perception of reality to its logical conclusion. The spiritual coyote
with the voice of Johnny Cash was great. Marge's attempt to prevent
Homer from finding out about the Chili cookoff was great. The
Reverend's wife was deliciously evil. All the pop-culture references
in this episode makes me think that the writers kinda gave the real
Simpsons fanatics something they could sink their teeth into- the
last few episodes were kind of introductory. (A)
Robert Vasquez: Well! Now we know why it took so long for this episode
to appear. I imagine Gracie Films treated this episode as an
extra-special event, like Chuck Jones and "What's Opera, Doc?" The
backgrounds in the hallucination were breathtaking, and Johnny Cash
was better than perfect as the coyote spirit-guide. I only wish I'd
taken a look at my dad's Carlos Castaneda books so I'd have some more
insight into the parody. (A)
Mike Yeomans: The writers really came up short on this one. The only
real laugh-out-loud joke was with the turtle. A slow moving story
that doesn't even show the simpson kids. It's probably the least
funny episode since "'Round Springfield" and the worst storyline
since... well, ever. (D)
Matt Scott Zelman: Nothing uproariously funny but overall very good.
Unfortunately the ideas of "homer embarresing marge" and "homer
questioning his marriage to marge" had a kind of been there-done that
feel to them. And like most episodes this season-no definitive
subplot! Homer's hallucination scene was classic though, especially
johnny cash as the coyote. (B+)
Yours Truly: And I thought 3F18 was out of the ordinary... Funny how
this episode tried to concile opposing trends: both usual and unusual
types of animation, quick jokes and deep mysticism, an innovative
mystical journey and the old "Homer's marriage in crisis" plot.
Trying different avenues, this episode felt like a bumper car
bouncing off walls, reaching new places with a few bruises in the
process. Therefore, it called for a mitigated feeling; one I would
not care to experience every week, but which was enjoyable while it
lasted. (B)
AVERAGE GRADE: B (3.06)
NIELSEN RATING: 10.0 [?] (ranked 21st out of 112) {ol}
Comments and other observations
Writer Watch
Dale G. Abersold: Ken Keeler has had a shaky career as a writer for The
Simpsons. His first episode was "A Star is Burns" [2F31], the
"Critic" crossover disowned by Matt Groening. His next episode was
"Two Bad Neighbors" [3F09] hated by many (including former President
Bush). Perhaps it is because of their departure from established
continuity which makes these episodes so distasteful to some viewers
(as they do not lack of good jokes). This season, he wrote "The
Thing and I" from the Hallowe'en episode [4F02]. His next
assignments are the eagerly-awaited Sideshow Bob episode "The Brother
from Another Series" [4F14], and next season's "The Principal and the
Pauper" [4F23].
Hey, that title ain't English!
Dale G. Abersold: This is the second Simpsons episode with a title in a
foreign language (the first being, of course, "Burns Verkaufen der
Kraftwerk" [8F09]).
[at least this title makes sense in Spanish, unlike 8F09 --ed]
Saltpeter, as was the style at the time
Jonathan S. Haas: Saltpeter, or potassium nitrate (KNO3), is a
versatile compound used as a preservative, and also in the
manufacture of explosives. Saltpeter is 75% of common gunpowder.
Consumed in large quantities, it's rumored to cause impotence.
However, Mr. Burns's "Saltpeter Chili" is probably a reference to
"Chile Saltpeter", which is sodium nitrate or NaNO3.
Dave Hall's Insanity Sauce (or something similar...)
Dallas Pesola: Guatemalan Insanity Pepper might be a reference to
Dave's Insanity Sauce. This hot sauce is well known as the hottest
sauce that can be directly consumed. The substance in peppers that
make them hot is called capsaicin. This extract is added to sauces
to make them unbearably hot. The capsaicin extract is sold as a
product called Pure Cap. Hot sauce companies will not sell it to you
unless you sign a waiver first. It is that dangerous.
From eating red crayons to speaking against candle-drinking
Brett Barabash: My theory is, that the writers have found an even
greater sense of pleasure portraying Homer as being unintelligent. So
dimwitted, in this case, that Ralph Wiggum has more common sense than
he does when he goes to drink a candle.
Also, Ralph probably learned that a hot candle does not make a good
beverage from personal experience...
Fussin' over peyote
[Many people have argued that Homer's hallucination was the result of
peyote, a drug used in Native American ceremonies. I leave to
Jonathan Haas the care of replying to this. --ed]
Jonathan Haas: Peyote is a cactus and is quite visually distinct from
capsicum peppers. Besides, Wiggum says quite clearly that the
ingredient in his chili is a special pepper from Guatemala.
People have gone on trips in the Simpsons before under the influence
of non-drugs. Warm cream and dried gravy aren't exactly psychoactive
in real life, but they were on the show.
Space coyote?
Tom Pierce: A few people had asked about the relevance of the coyote in
the Guatamalean Insanity Pepper episode. Homer, standing on top of a
very Aztec-y looking pyramid, is visited by a coyote (with Johnny
Cash's voice, no less) who gives him rather insufficient spiritual
advice about finding his true Soulmate. He also makes a go at eating
Homer's pants.
A couple people said it was a reference to Carlos Castaneda, probably
"Teachings of Don Juan". Well, that's kind of an empty answer; it was
a direct reference to Old Man Coyote, even though it incorporated a
lot of the ideas Castaneda put forward about "the spiritual search",
ideas that were already ages old.
Many tribes believed in the concept of spirit helpers, entities who
would serve as a guide through the metaphysical aspects of life.
Young tribe members would be send out on a "vision quest", where they
would fast and meditate (or take hallucinogens, or hit themselves on
the head with a rock, or whatever made it work for them). While in
this state (the Shamanic State of Conciousness, if you want to be
technical about it), they would see an animal (or bird or fish) that
would have chosen to represent them, and in many ways, become their
spiritual Guardian Angel.
In quite a few tribes, it was a combination of an honor and a
horrible disaster for your spirit animal to be Coyote.
Old Man Coyote (First Person, Trickster) ranged from being the most
powerful of the Native American spirits to the most useless,
sometimes within the course of one story about him. Foolish, vain,
obtuse, and horribly ravenous. Much like Homer. Also like Homer,
Coyote was also fond of talking to his brain (and any other body
parts who wanted to chip in).
His "advice" was almost always of no true benefit, aside from the
fact that the attempt to follow his advice would teach the follower
important lessons about themselves and the goal they seek. Much like
Homer is mislead by Coyote into doubting Marge as his soulmate; his
rather moronic search for his true soulmate eventually shows him the
truth of the matter. He gets nothing out of Coyote's advice except a
reassurance that what he has is what he was looking for.
Sometimes, however, Coyote's advice was just malicious, done for his
own amusement. To me, at least, it seemed uproarously funny for
Coyote to have chosen to speak to Homer; both are clowns who make
decisions based on whims that haven't been thought out at all.
Notice how Coyote is happy when Homer threatens to "mop the floor"
with him. Most godly creatures wouldn't respond well to a mortal
saying that; Coyote would think it showed spirit. And ignorance. Both
wonderful things.
Maybe one of the Simpsons writers read some Carlos Castaneda and
based it solely on that. But I doubt it - they're pretty slick, and
if even half of the minor references I caught were intended, they did
an excellent job.
[seems we got a new winner in the "what did the show teach you"
thread --ed]
Flowers By Irene
The different agencies listening to Homer's line are:
NSA - National Security Agency
Responsible for the US government computer and communication
security, this agency is mostly into encryption. It is known for
its DES encryption scheme, and the infamous Clipper chip.
FBI - Federal Bureau of Investigation
The police force of the US Department of Justice, it provides help
to other law enforcement agencies, investigates the more serious
federal crimes, and defends the country against foreign
intelligence attacks.
ATF - Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms
Affiliated with the US Department of Treasury, the ATF collects
revenue and enforces the law regarding alcohol, tobacco and
firearms.
CIA - Central Intelligence Agency
An external agency, distinct from the US government, responsible
of foreign intelligence and counterintelligence activities.
KGB - Komitet Gosudarstvennoi Bezopaznosti
USSR's own intelligence agency, long considered as the opposite
player against the FBI and CIA. Due to the fall of USSR, the KGB
has been disbanded. [or am I wrong about this?]
MCI - Microwave Communications Incorporated
One of the two big US phone companies, the other being AT&T. Both
are fighting a merciless war over local/long-distance/collect
fees. You might remember an MCI 1-800-COLLECT ad featuring Homer
two years ago, at the start of 2F20.
Look! Up in the sky! It's ... oh, wait, that's someone else
Benjamin Jay Robinson: When Homer stands in front of the lighthouse
beam, Lisa notes that either her father is casting the shadow, or
Batman has let himself go lately. No doubt she's thinking of the
world-famous Bat Signal (tm). In the days before wireless pagers, the
commissioner of Gotham City needed a way to alert Batman that the
city needed his services. The solution was a searchlight with a bat
logo (not Batman himself) painted on the lens. When criminal
masterminds struck, the commish would shine the light in the sky,
projecting the logo on a cloud. Batman would come to the rescue.
Good thing Gotham's supervillains never thought to attack on a clear,
cloudless night.
So, you thought bell-bottoms looked tacky
Benjamin Jay Robinson: Hot pants were a notorious fashion accessory in
1970s America. Basically, they were womens' pants so short that they
didn't quite cover the entire derriere. Today, they're in the same
joke-fashion class as leisure suits. Considering the way women try
to hide their rear ends, it's a wonder they caught on in the first
place.
Character Analysis
Matt Scott Zelman: Homer: The way he fidgeted when he realized they
were "missin' the cook off" was hilarious. It showed once again how
much Homer is a kid at heart. The hallucination and search for a
soulmate also showed us a new open minded side of Homer we may not
have seen before.
Marge: She smokes, she swears, she's not there to support Homer's
chili eating, she gets excited by neon and rhinestone. Maybe Marge
is going through a whole new stage (with a cigarette addiction).
The Immortal Threads
Where is Springfield?
Dale G. Abersold: West coast? Apparently Springfield slopes towards
the west, where the ocean and lighthouse are.
Is Smithers Gay?
Well, if there ever was a scene meant to unite a.t.s. under one side of
the argument, this one certainly is the last to come to mind! Many
argued that Smithers asked a woman to dance, while others
mentionned that his outfit, in the words of Dave Grossman,
"neutralizes any straight tendencies he might show for several
episodes to come". Not to mention the "gay is/isn't normal" thread
that followed.
I leave the final words to Elson Trinidad's adaptation of a 4F01
quote:
"Smithers danced with a WOMAN! That is so gay!"
It goes like, gabba gabba hey, dee dee dee and so on...
Thomas C. Allard provides us with the lyrics to the Ramones' "Pinhead":
Gabba Gabba
We accept you
We accept you
One of us
One of us
I don't wanna be a pinhead NO MORE
I just met a nurse that I could GO FOR
D-U-M-B
Everyone's accusing me
Gabba gabba hey
Gabba gabba yay
Quotes and Scene Summary {dga}
It's breakfast time in the Simpson household. While the children eat,
Homer is discarding sections from that morning's Springfield Shopper.
Oh, why do they have to put all of this crud in my newspaper.
[tosses sections aside] "World." "The Arts." "Religion."
Ah-ha! Here it is: "Kickin' Back."
-- Homer's vision of a newspaper, "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
Homer opens the paper, but there's a gaping hole in the first page.
Homer: Hey, who cut something out of my paper?
[Homer stares suspiciously through the newspaper hole at his
wife and children]
Lisa: Not me.
Bart: Not me. I'm more of a mail-tamperer.
Marge: Don't look at me. Just because I'm holding a pair of scissors.
[Homer frowns]
Scissors which I need to, uh, to... gussy up these curtains.
[she half-heartedly trims the curtains, grinning sheepishly at
her husband.]
-- "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
Somewhat later, Homer is sitting on the couch with Marge, who's
repairing her early damage to the curtains. The phone rings.
Homer: Yello? Oh, hi, Lenny.
[Marge reacts with alarm]
No, why would I need a ride this afternoon?
[Marge begins to vacuum next to Homer. He is forced to yell.]
Where? To the big annual what?
[Marge pounds at the telephone plug with the vacuum. Finally
the plug comes out of the wall]
Lenny? Aw, well, if it was big and annual, I'm sure they'd have
mentioned it in the newspaper.
-- Homer's specious reasoning, "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
That afternoon, Homer wastes his time by playing with the dog.
Yeah, it's a lazy dog-dangling afternoon...
-- Attica, Attica, Attica! "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
Homer somehow senses that something is a little "off." He then
notices Marge smoking.
Well, I just fell like filling the house with the rich satisfying smell
of tobacco.
-- Marge, our new spokeperson, "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
Marge takes a puff and blows it right in Homer's face. He concludes
that she's nuts, and goes to get some fresh air, but Marge tries to
hold him back.
Homer: What's wrong with you? What are you trying to hide from me...
[Homer opens the door and sniffs] What's that smell? Onions...
chili powder... cumin... juicy ground chuck? It's chili! Oh, my
god, I'm missing the chili cook-off! [whining, fidgeting] I'm
missing the cook-off, it's going on right now, and I'm missing
it.
Marge: All right, I was trying to keep it from you, but I had a good
reason. Every time you go to that cook-off you get drunk as a
poet on payday.
-- As drunk as James Dickey? "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
Marge asks him to remember last year. In a flashback, we see an
obviously drunk Homer, a Duff in each hand, standing in the cotton-
candy machine. "Look at me...I'm a puffy pink cloud." he mumbles,
before he climbs out of the machine and lies on the ground, where dogs
lick at him.
Back to the present. Homer is shuffling around in the closet.
Homer: Well of course, everything looks bad if you remember it. Now
where are my chili boots?
[finds them in the closet] Ah!
-- Somehow I'm not reassured, "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
Marge: Okay, we'll go to the chili cook-off, but I want you to promise
that you won't have any beer.
Homer: [trying to pull his boots on] Okay, quit nagging me, I won't
have any beer. Sheesh, why don't you have a cigarette or
something?
Marge: Mm, I suppose I could.
-- You've come a long way, baby, "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
Our favorite family arrives at the cook-off, where Homer anxiously
urges his wife and children on.
Lisa: I'm gonna go get some vegetarian chili before they get desperate
and add meat.
Bart: I'm gonna go claim some valuables at the lost-and-found.
-- "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
Meanwhile, Marge finds items more of her interest at "A Little Bit of
Lenny", a stand selling craft items.
Marge: Oh, look at that adorable spice rack! Eight spices? Some must
be doubles. Ore-GAH-no? What the hell?
Homer: Marge, we're missing the chili. Less artsy, more fartsy.
Marge: Homer, I happen to like handicrafts much more than stuffing my
face.
Homer: Fine, I'll come find you when I'm ready to stop having fun.
Marge: Remember your promise: no drinking.
[they walk apart]
Homer: [sotto voce] Stupor-pooper...
-- "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
Marge wanders over to a large dancing floor, where Ferl Dixon and the
Second Helping Boys are playing.
Helen: Howdy howdy, Marge and Home... oh, my mistake. Homer's not
even with you. Probably just knocking back a few
"refreshments." [chuckles]
Marge: Thank you for your concern, Helen. Homer isn't drinking today.
Helen: Oh! I think it's lovely that he said that. And that you
believed him.
Lovejoy: Now, Helen, let us not glory in Homer's binge-drinking. There
but for the grace of God goes Marge herself.
-- "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
As Ennio Morricone-esque music plays, Homer visits the cook-off
proper. People gasp as he approaches and brandishes a wooden spoon.
They say he carved it himself... from a bigger spoon.
-- Lenny narrates the spoon legend,
"El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
Homer steps up to "Firehouse Ned's Five-Alarm Chili."
Homer: Five-alarm chili, eh?
Ned: Uh-huh.
Homer: [eats some] One, two... hey, what's the big idea?
Ned: Oh, I admit it. It's only two-alarm, two-and-a-half, tops. I
just wanted to be a big man in front of the kids.
Todd: Daddy? Are you going to jail?
Ned: We'll see, son. We'll see.
-- "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
As Marge watches the dancing, a gaudily-dressed Waylon Smithers
approaches her.
Smithers: Evenin', little lady. You reckon a square could get a dance?
Marge: [sighs] It looks so complicated. Do you know how?
Smithers: Ma'am, I wouldn't honk the honk if I couldn't tonk the tonk.
-- Whatever that means for his reputation,
"El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
Smithers then pulls at his bola tie, lighting up a neon "Hot Nashville
Nights" sign on his back. Marge is impressed.
Back to the Cook-Off. Homer samples the bill of fare at "Moe's Chili
Bar". "A bland, timid entry, suitable, perhaps, for patients
recovering from surgery" is his verdict, much to Moe's disappointment.
Homer walks off, in search of another victim. Chief Wiggum, at his
own stand, observes.
That Simpson, he thinks he's the pope of chili town.
-- Wiggum, "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
Surrounded by speared skulls and other various occult items, Wiggum
puts on welding mask and gloves, and proceeds to stir a boiling
mixture. Homer steps in front of him, on the theme from "The Good, The
Bad, and The Ugly".
Wiggum: Afternoon, Homer. Care for some chili? I've added an extra
ingredient just for you. [dramatic] The merciless peppers of
Quetzlzacatenango! [exhibits a glowing pepper]
[crowd gasps]
Grown deep in the jungle primeval by the inmates of a Guatemalan
insane asylum. [drops the pepper back in the pot]
[crowds observes in silence]
Homer: Uh, Wiggy? My chili's getting cold.
-- A fistful of chilis, "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
Everyone holds his breath as Homer nonchalantly picks a pepper from
Wiggum's chili. However, the pepper sears his tongue on the slightest
contact. Homer screams frantically, much to the crowd's amusement.
He grabs an ice-cream cone from a little girl; wnfortunately, the ice
cream melts before it actually touches his tongue. He is finally
about to down six mugs of beer simultaneously, when Marge sees him,
and sternly reminds him of his promise.
Later, Homer is reduced to slaking his thirst with water. While
complaining about his defeat, he absent-mindedly grabs a candle.
Ralph: Wait, mister, you're drinking a candle. You don't want to get
wax in your mouth, do you?
Homer: [slyly] Maybe I do, son. Maybe I do.
[Homer chugs the candle, and spits out a stream of wax, which
solidifies on the spot]
Outstanding!
-- A man, a plan, a candle, "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
Homer reapproaches Wiggum's booth, his tongue now sealed in wax.
Wiggum: Hey, everybody, look who's back. It's the biiig baby.
[childlike] Oh, dis porridge is too hot! Oh, wah-wah-wah!
[crowd laughs, but Homer hands his spoon in silence]
Want some more, do you? Well, sure! Heck, it's not my job to
talk people out of killing themselves.
-- Bad cops, bad cops, "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
To everyone's surprise, Homer quickly downs the pepper, and asks for
more. Wiggum fearfully hands him two more peppers, which follow the
first one as rapidly.
Quimby: Good lord, this can't be happening!
Hibbert: By all medical logic, steam should be shooting out of his ears.
Krusty: His ears, if we're lucky.
-- Chili as seen on Road Runner, "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
Showing off, Homer gulps down a last one, and bows in front of his
audience.
Well, Chief, don't quit your day job... Whatever that is.
-- Homer, "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
The crowd laughs and applauds, as Homer walks away in triumph.
Savoring the moment, his regret is that Marge wasn't there to see it.
However, his attention is quickly drawn to his stomach, which emits a
loud rumble. He walks around in pain, searching for help.
Flanders: Well, sure, buddy, I'd be happy to help out. What can I
[Ned's visage begins changing as Homer hallucinates] do-
diddily-doodily-diddly-hobbily-hibbily-gobbily-gobbily-
gobble-gabba-gabba-hey.
[Homer screams and falls. He then sees everyone else as
caricatures of their normal selves]
Jasper: Goo Goo Ga-Joob?
Nelson: [parrot-like] Ha-HAW! Ha-HAW!
Krabappel: [muted trumpet sounds]
Barney: [incredible belch]
-- And so it begins, "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
Homer screams and runs away, crashing through a wooden fence.
Ralph: Hey, Mister, do you need some help?
Otto: Let him go, Ralph. He knows what he's doing.
[Homer screams bewilderedly]
-- I wouldn't bet on it, "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
[End of Act I. Time: 8:19]
In Paul McCartney's words, Homer "went into a dream." Homer
hyperventilates as his skin flows like some kind of liquid as he
stands in front of a psychedelic cloudscape.
Okay, retrace your steps. Woke up, fought with Marge, ate Guatemalan
insanity peppers, then I... Oh...
-- Homer's daily regimen, "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
The rapidly morphing landscape plays hell with Homer's perspective.
Thinking that he's in Shelbyville, he is divebombed by a giant,
garishly colored butterfly.
Man, this is crazy. I hope I didn't brain my damage.
-- Who would notice? "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
Homer's facial features sink into his head and pop out the other side.
He decides to check his pupils in a nearby stream. His pupils are
doing downright odd things. Suddenly, the stream turns into a giant
snake which coils around Homer and hisses at him. He decides that
he's going to be leaving. As he walks towards the horizon, the sun
moves up. As he steps back, the sun goes down. He likes this, and
does it several times in a row until the sun hits the ground and
shatters. Homer screams.
Note to self: stop doing anything.
-- Good advice, "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
Meanwhile, in the real world, Marge stands by the exit of the
cook-off, looking for her husband.
Marge: Has anyone seen Homer?
Helen: Marge, better you should hear it from me than from some gossipy
neighbor. Homer made a total jackass of himself.
Lovejoy: Helen, that's enough. Call off your dogs.
Helen: But someone had to tell her. [sulking] And I got here first!
-- Gossip used for good, not evil?,
"El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
Growls Marge "No beer, huh? I guess I know what a promise from Homer
J. Simpson is worth."
Back in his chili trip, Homer is spelling out "HELP" with rocks. One
of the rocks crawls away, however.
Hey, buddy! Get back there with the other rocks!
-- Homer's attempt to domesticate rocks,
"El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
Homer is surprised to see that it is a (non-kinky) tortoise. As the
tortoise crawls, he leaves a message in the dirt.
Homer: [reading] "Follow the..."
[gasps] This must be why I'm here! Follow the what? Follow the
what? Hurry up!
[the message reads: "Follow the tortoise"]
D'oh! [that words forms in clouds of dust]
-- Yet, better than a snail, "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
Homer frantically follows the tortoise, which is moving far too slow
to suit him. "When I'm kicking you, that means hurry up!" He then
punts the reptile an incredible distance. Homer follows it, taking
increasingly greater strides, finally coming to a tiny Aztec-style
pyramid. The tortoise points to it.
Homer: Oh, you want me to climb that, huh? No problemo.
[before Homer can climb it, the ground rumbles and the pyramid
grows to several times its original size]
[groans] This is 'cause I kicked you, isn't it?
[the tortoise nods in assent]
-- Stupid poetic justice, "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
Back to the real world, the Simpsons are driving home. Bart is
wearing a "Time for Chili" hat.
Bart: Lis, check it out. Time for chili.
Lisa: [bored] I saw it, Bart.
Bart: You're just mad 'cause there's no clock in your hat.
Lisa: What hat?
Bart: Pff. Ah, this baby's wasted on an idiot like you.
-- "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
Bart: Where's Homer?
Marge: [through clenched teeth] Your father decided he'd rather come
home in a taxi. [to herself] Or a police car.
-- "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
In his fantasy world, Homer, gasping, finishes climbing the pyramid.
On top, he sees Marge with her back to him. He tries to get her to
look at him, running circles around her at one point, but he never
sees her face. "Fight fair, I never do this to you" he argues.
Suddenly, a strong wind blows her away as she turns into a fine
powder.
Homer cannot stand this place anymore, wondering what he's doing there
anyway. "You are on a quest for knowledge" replies a disembodied
voice.
Homer looks up in the sky, where the moon turns into a giant eye. A
saturn-like planet floats down next to the eye and turns into another
eye. Then, the rest of a smiling canine face appears in the sky. The
face liquifies and then materializes as an entire coyote on the
pyramid next to Homer.
Coyote: Fear not, Homer. I am your spirit guide.
Homer: [warily] Hiya.
Coyote: There is a lesson you must learn.
Homer: If it's about laying off the insanity peppers, I'm way ahead of
you.
-- That's more than he usually learns,
"El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
Coyote: I speak of a deeper wisdom. The problem, Homer, is that the
mind is always chattering away with a thousand thoughts at once.
Homer: Yeah, that's me all right. [Homer has a glazed look in his eyes
as the wind blows his two hair strands.]
-- Yeah, right, "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
Coyote: Clarity is the path to inner peace.
Homer: Well, what should I do? Should I meditate? Should I get rid of
all my possessions?
Coyote: [snorts] Are you kidding? If anything, you should get more
possessions. You don't even have a computer.
-- Inner peace through silicon circuitry,
"El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
Homer: You know, I have been meaning to take a spiritual journey, and I
would... [the coyote is chewing his pant leg] Hey! Knock it
off! [kicks him]
Coyote: [sheepishly] Sorry. I am a coyote.
-- "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
Look, just give me some inner peace, or I'll mop the floor with you.
-- Homer bargains a cheap price to his inner peace,
"El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
The coyote instructs Homer to find his soulmate: the one with whom he
shares a profound mystical understanding. Homer thinks it is Marge,
but the coyote, running off, makes him doubt himself. Homer then sees
a ghost train which runs over him...
...returning us to the real world, where Homer is hit on the head with
a golf ball. Kent Brockman calls security to get him off the course.
Homer: Huh? Golf course? Did I dream that whole thing? Maybe the
desert was just this sand trap. Oh, and I bet that crazy pyramid
was just the pro shop.
[the pro shop is on top of a giant pyramid, as well]
And that talking coyote was really just a talking dog.
Dog: Hi, Homer. Find your soulmate.
Homer: Hey, wait a minute! There's no such thing as a talking dog!
Dog: [barks]
Homer: Damn straight!
-- Couldn't be more convincing myself,
"El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
Bart and Lisa are in the kitchen.
Bart: ...so then I says to Mabel, I says...
[Homer walks in]
Homer: Hi, kids!
Bart: I'll finish this later. Hi, Dad.
Homer: Where's your mother?
Lisa: Out back.
[Homer walks out]
Bart: So anyway, I says to Mabel, I says...
-- "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
In the backyard, Marge is putting the laundry out to dry with her back
to him. Her back stiffens when she hears her husband.
Homer: Oh-ho. I guess you're cranky 'cause I didn't come home last
night.
Marge: I'm "cranky" because my husband got drunk and humiliated me in
front of the entire town. You broke your promise, Homer.
Homer: Oh, honey, I didn't get drunk, I just went to a strange fantasy
world.
-- Probably prepared his argument with Lionel Hutz,
"El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
Homer points out that Marge should believe him, being his soulmate.
However, that's the last thing she wants to hear.
That night, Marge is sleeping alone upstairs, while Homer paces by the
couch, wondering if Marge really is his soulmate.
Homer: We don't have anything in common.
[opens the record cabinet, with "Marge" and "Homer" sections]
Look at these records: Jim Nabors, Glen Campbell, the Doodletown
Pipers. Now look at her records! They stink!
-- Compared to...?, "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
Outside, Homer concludes that his soulmate is not to be found there,
and walks away, dejected.
[End of Act II. Time: 15:37]
Homer is laying on a sofa, speaking to a seated, well-dressed man.
Homer: I always just figured my wife was my soulmate. But if it's not
Marge, then who is it? Where do I begin looking?
Man: This really goes beyond my training as a furniture salesman, sir.
Now if you don't want the sofa, I'll have to ask you to leave.
-- "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
Homer goes to Moe's. He buys Barney a beer, calling him "soulmate,"
but Barney says that he's "really more of a chum," not his soulmate.
Lenny describes himself as a "croonie"; Carl, a "acquintance"; Larry,
a "collegue"; Sam, a "sympathizer"; Bumblebee Man, a "compadre";
Kearney, an "associate"; and Hibbert, a "contemporary".
I'm a well-wisher, in that I don't wish you any specific harm.
-- Moe, on his relationship to Homer,
"El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
Homer tries to find his soulmate via a pay phone...
Hello? Is this... [reads his paper] GBM? Uh, yeah. I read in the
personals that you were seeking a soulmate. Well, I also like rainy
days and movies. Uh-huh... [apprehensively] Uh, no, I don't like
that... Or that... No, it's not that I'm afraid. [very quickly] I'm
going to hang up now, bye-bye.
-- Homer, unfamiliar with personals,
"El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
Homer: Oh, I give up.
Coyote: [voiceover] Find your soulmate, Homer. Find your soulmate.
Homer: Where? Where?
Coyote: This is just your memory. I can't give you any new information.
-- Thank you for calling, "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
Homer wanders through Springfield as Janis Ian's "At Seventeen" plays.
Searching for his soulmate, he rushes into Mayor Quimby's campaign
headquarters, under the banner "Your Best Friend in Government". He
is promptly kicked out.
Next, in front of a pet shop, he is solaced by watching a pair of
"kissing fish," but his admiration turns into horror when one fish
opens his mouth, swallowing the other, and then turns to Homer with a
malicious look.
Homer's long wanderings continue. Even the Community Outreach office
turns him down. Finally, he ends up on the waterfront, where he sees
a bright light. It's the lighthouse! Homer decides that the
lighthouse keeper, "the loneliest man in the world," must be his
soulmate. He rushes to the lighthouse, and getting swallowed by a
wave in the process.
The lighthouse sign says it is operated by Earl. Homer rushes in.
"Here I come, buddy! No more loneliness for Homer and Earl!" But his
joy ends abruptly when he steps into the main room, occupied by the
Electronic Automatic Robotic Lighthouse.
Homer: A machine?! Earl's a machine?!
[sarcastic] Oh, that's just perfect! Homer's desperate search
for a soulmate has yielded a lighthouse-keeping robot. Oh, wow.
-- Bad luck, "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
Homer's silhouette is projected by the lighthouse, making him visible
to all Springfield, including his own children, who are brushing their
teeth.
Bart: Hey look! Is that dad?
Lisa: Either that, or Batman's really let himself go.
-- You mean he looks like Adam West?
"El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
Back in the lighthouse, Homer continues to feel sorry for himself.
I'm a lonely, insignificant speck on a has-been planet orbited by a
cold, indifferent sun.
-- Copernicus still has some followers,
"El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
His moaning is interrupted by a ship's horn heard in the distance. In
his desperate search, Homer decides to bring the ship to him, and
throws a fire extinguisher into the light.
The ship is commanded, of course, by Captain McAllister.
McAllister: Arr, matey. Nary a warning light to be seen. 'Tis clear
sailing ahead for our precious cargo.
Sailor: Uh, would that be the hot pants, sir?
McAllister: Aye, the hot pants.
-- Precious to whom, I wonder, "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
In the lighthouse, creepy music plays while Homer giggles insanely.
Suddenly, we hear footsteps, and the door opening. It's Marge, who
was worried when she woke up and Homer was gone.
Homer: But how did you find me?
Marge: Well, I was sure you'd be on foot, because you always say public
transportation is for losers. And I was sure you'd head west,
because Springfield slopes down that way. And then, I saw the
lighthouse, and I remembered how you love blinking lights. Like
the one on the waffle iron.
Homer: Or that little guy on the "Don't Walk" sign.
-- Nothing like bright, shiny things,
"El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
Homer: Wow, Marge, you really do understand me. See, I thought we
weren't soulmates because...
Marge: ...we had a fight?
Homer: Right, and we don't like the same things. It's like you're from
Venus...
Marge: ...and you're from Mars.
Homer: [resentfully] Oh, sure, give me the one with all the monsters.
-- Venus Attacks! "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
Homer realizes that he and Marge really do have a profound mystical
understanding.
Homer: Oh, Marge! [chanting] We're number one! We're number one! In
your face, space coyote!
Marge: [sotto voce] Space coyote?
-- "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
Homer's triumph is short-lived when he hears the ship coming near.
They realize they have to get the light back on. Marge checks the
utility closet for spare bulbs. After throwing away an empty box, she
carries a new bulb up the ladder, and successfully installs it.
McAllister: Jonathan Livingston Seagull! We're on a collision course!
Hard a-starboard!
Sailor: [just checking] Uh, port?
McAllister: [quietly] Aye, port.
-- "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
The ship gives the lighthouse a wide berth. The soulmates kiss
passionately.
Meanwhile, the ship has missed the lighthouse, but has run aground on
some other rocks, tossing the precious cargo into the water. Chief
Wiggum and a crowd of others examine the flotsam.
Wiggum: Look at all them hot pants.
Lenny: Hey, who likes short shorts?
Crowd: [chanting] We like short shorts!
-- Just checking, "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer"
The credits go up over a silhouette of Marge and Homer kissing. "Short
Shorts" plays as the credits roll.
[End of Act III. Time: 21:23]
Contributors
{bjr} Benjamin J. Robinson
{ddg} Don Del Grande
{dga} Dale G. Abersold
{dm} Dennis Moran
{dp2} Dallas Pesola
{eh} Eric Hartman
{jh} Jason Hancock
{jh2} Jonathan Haas
{jmb} Jennifer M. Blaske
{hl} Haynes Lee
{ljs} Liam J. Scanlan
{mss} Marge Starbrod-Simpson
{msz} Matt Scott Zelman
{np} Nate Patrin
{ns} Nelson Seggley
{ol} Ondre Lombard
{rav} Robert A. Vasquez
{rj} Ryan Johnson
{sb} Stephan Bonneville
{tl} Torey Lightcap
{vc} Vince Chan
Legal Mumbo Jumbo
This episode capsule is Copyright 1997 Frederic Briere. It is not to be
redistributed in a public forum without consent from its author or current
maintainer (capsules@snpp.com). All quoted material, episode summaries and
on-screen bug remain property of The Simpsons, Copyright of Twentieth Century
Fox. The transcript itself is Copyright 1997 Dale G. Abersold. Not void where
not prohibited.
This work is dedicated to Raymond Chen, James A. Cherry, Ricardo Lafaurie, and
all of those who made episode capsules what they are today.