Trash of the Titans Written by Ian Maxtone-Graham Directed by Jim Reardon ============================================================================== Production Code: 5F09 Original Airdate on FOX: 26-Apr-1998 Capsule revision 25-Jun-2000 ============================================================================== > TV Guide Synopsis ============================================================================== (Canadian) In the series' 200th episode, Homer dumps a mountain of trouble on Springfield when he promises to trash the city's garbage woes, but his appointment of Sanitation Commissioner busts the budget and causes a huge stink for the townspeople. Steve Martin and U2 members Steve Bono, The Edge and Adam Clayton provide guest voices. {hl} ============================================================================== > Title sequence ============================================================================== Blackboard: None.. sorta. (see below) Couch: OFF run in to find Bart chalking out some lines in detention, which read: I WILL NOT MESS WITH THE OPENING CREDITS I WILL NOT MESS WITH THE OPENIN} at cut-off. ============================================================================== > Didja notice... ============================================================================== ... the pink Care Bears have blue hair bows and the blue Care Bears have extra hair? ... the Care Bears wear diapers? ... when Homer's disposing of the Love Day gifts, among them is Bart's Boogie-O lantern? ... a donut on Homer's head after being beat up by the garbage men? ... Marge seems to be the only one who has finished her meal when the boys offer to clear up the table? ... there's a spare tire among the garbage in OFF's garden? ... the guy who Homer said had put on some weight walks away feeling insecure? Anthony Dean: ... Maggie buried under a pile of wrapping paper during the "Love Day" ending? Jordan Eisenberg: ... this episode aired exactly four years minus one day after the 100th episode? ... Homer closes the fridge with his rear end? ... Jimmy the Scumbag and Freddy Quimby are registering as sex offenders? ... Bart and Homer pass two barbershops in their campaign driving? ... Mike Scully remembered the crow call for SNPP? ... U2 knew to turn and gasp even before Homer's face fully appears? ... the many syringes in Homer's love doll when it was crammed into the mine? ... the new Springfield will be east of the old one? Alex Foley: ... the word "wanker" is used twice in this episode? ... Ray Paterson is 38 years old? ... both Chicago & New York dump their garbage in the Mine? ... one of those Love Day Bears is among the garbage at the mine? Andrew Gill: ... the contrast with how the lawn was decorated in 7G08? ... Homer is the last angry (yellow) male? Don Del Grande: ... Patterson must have been quite young when he was first elected, if he's been there for 16 years but only two years older than Homer? ... Patty and Selma are in a line to register as sex offenders? ... Springfield Shopper is now 50 cents? ... in the closing credits, U2 is listed as "Special Guest Voices"? ... the individual members of U2 don't get separate credits? ... Paul McGuinness and Susie Smith get "Also Starring" credits, but on a different screen from the "regulars" who get that credit? ... Maggie appears naked (during the song)? ... Maggie is petting Snowball II? Tony Hill: ... the Flanders garbage is a neat cube? ... Springfield has annual elections? ... Town Hall employees can smoke on the job? [Another act of Quimby. --hmw] ... Ray was elected when he was 22? (Two years older than Homer, minus 16 years as commissioner) ... Ray/Homer's office has a transom window? ... U2 and Burns fly commercial? (cf. "The Trouble with Trillions" only 2 weeks ago) [Yes, but this episode was before that. --hmw] Anthony Regina: ... a Sir Loves-a-lot with needles poking it in the eye, in the old mine? ... the Homer jumping out of the window of his office scene was cut? ... Mr. Bunny appears to have a stick going through his head when he pops out of the ground? ... Mr. Quimby looked kind of like a clown when the garbage sprayed him? ... Lenny thinks that head of sanitation is a "peace of mind" issue? ... Patty, Selma, Jimmy the Scumbag and Moe are sex offenders? ... Krusty clearly labels porn when he throws it away? Benjamin Robinson: ... someone at the meeting suggests "Product Day"? ... the "Love" bear wears a war helmet and carries a sword? (Now, tough love!) ... the lawn ornament plays Captain and Tennille’s "Love Will Keep Us Together"? ... Lisa distracts herself with "Für Elise"? ... Homer says, "no cutting" as he shoves his way into line? ... either Patty and Selma are sex offenders, or they're no better than Homer at picking lines? ... Maggie is petting a sleeping Snowball II? Awww... ... Homer almost says "asshole"? ["ash-hole-tray"] ... the garbage contained a Love Bear with hypodermic needles stuck in it? ... although Marge and the kids are at the town meeting, they don't oppose Homer's horsewhipping? [It's the only way he'll learn. --hmw] ... Commissioner Patterson is played on (and off) the stage to the theme of "Sanford & Son"? Mike Smith: ... it's only the sixth episode this season to air the end credits in full (counting variations)? ============================================================================== > Voice credits ============================================================================== - Starring - Dan Castellaneta (Homer, Mayor Quimby, Oscar the Grouch) - Julie Kavner (Marge) - Nancy Cartwright (Bart) - Yeardley Smith (Lisa) - Hank Azaria (Costingtons manager, Costingtons guy, garbage man, Carl, sarcastic clerk, Moe) - Harry Shearer (Ned Flanders, Lenny, Mr. Burns) - Also starring - Maggie Roswell (Costingtons woman) - Pamela Hayden (Rodd Flanders) - Special guest voice - Steve Martin (Ray Patterson) - U2 (themselves) [Some are just my best guess. --hmw] ============================================================================== > Movie (and other) references ============================================================================== + "Clash of the Titans" (movie) - title obvious take-off - Jimmy Dean's hit, "Big Bad John" {th} - Big John's Breakfast Log is a ref to pure pork sausage magnate Jimmy Dean, whose first big hit as a recording artist was "Big Bad John" in 1961 - "The Six Million Dollar Man" (TV series) {ddg} - Homer says "But I can rebuild" + Jell-O advertising slogan {bjr} - the slogan "There's always room for Jell-O," is parodied by Homer: "No room for you, Jell-O" + I Samuel 17:1-58 {bjr} - Homer mis-tells the story of David and Goliath + 1988 vice-presidential debate {bjr} - Lloyd Benson's "you're no Jack Kennedy" recycled as "he's no Ray Patterson" + Irish potato famine - Homer claiming to be the potato man to get on stage, to which U2's manager Paul McGuinness replies, "It's about time!" [courtesy of dsbanks@rocketmail.com] + "Kojak" (TV series) - "Take a hike, Kojak" {ddg} - Bill Gates (small-time computer company owner) {hl} - Homer interrupting the show on the JumboVision(tm) is similar to Bill Gates making an unexpected appearance at an Apple meeting recently announcing the Apple/Microsoft merger + MTV's "Rock the Vote" voter campaign {ad} - Homer's "it's time to rock the vote!" line - Yeltsin's election dance (jig) {ag} - Homer's dance + "The Music Man" (movie musical) {la} - Homer striking a pose, then suddenly having his clothing change from Homer-clothes to bandleader costume (this happens to a teenage girl in TMM) - Homer was marching down the street in a zigzag pattern, a la Robert Preston - [{la} mentions, "And of course this was the second homage to Preston and `The Music Man,' the first being the `Monorail' song in the style of `Ya Got Trouble [in River City]'". --hmw] + "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" (movie) {ddg} - "The Garbageman" song + "The Candyman Can" (song) - "The Garbageman Can" obvious parody + "Sesame Street" (children's TV series) - Oscar the Grouch pops his head out a garbage can + "Volcano" (movie) - sewer covers blasted up, etc. + "Sanford & Son" (TV series) {ddg} - music when Patterson is reinstated + Redd Foxx {df} - a famous (possibly apocryphal) story about Redd Foxx -- Foxx is playing Vegas, there are three people in the audience, band plays "Sanford" theme and Foxx gets on stage, he says "Hey, I ain't do no show for three white people" (or words to that effect) and leaves, band plays Sanford theme + Native American pro-environmental commercial {bjr} - there's a commercial where a Native American (or "Indian," if you prefer) chief watches someone littering and sheds a tear - That nuclear dump in Nevada {ag} - the trash dump ============================================================================== > Previous episode references ============================================================================== - Rat appearances {hl} - [8F04] River of rats scurrying away/towards SNPP - [4F19] Rats scurrying towards Moe's bar - [4F22] Above rats occupying Moe's bar - The many crimes of Jimmy the Scumbag {af} - [4F01] Ran telemarketing scam - [5F05] Has unpaid parking tickets - [5F09] Is a sex offender - [7G13] Agnes Skinner is caught in a gusher {th} - [7F07], [2F13] Lisa mentions a situation that can be resolved by a simple apology (ie. Bart wont apologise to Lisa, or Australia) - [7F12] I&S cartoon titled "Sunday Bloody Sunday" (U2 tune) (cut in syndication) {hl} - [8F03], [3G03] Marge saying "I heard that" {hl} - [1F02], [3F06] Homer becomes angry at someone who has done nothing to offend him {nmd} - [1F07], [3G04] person with excessively large body part appears {ad} - [1F19] Freddy Quimby appears {af} - [2F12] Krusty steals Steve Martin's line "Well..., excuuuse me!" {hl} - [2F22] someone in OFF is a garbage man {je} - [3F03] the recently late Linda McCartney appears {hl} - [3F11] Homer plays golf {nmd} - [3F21] Homer deals with Generation X-oriented concert {ad} - [3F22] Lisa's brain talks to her {ddg} - [4F01], [5F06], [5F09] Jimmy the Scumbag appears {af} - [4F12] the deployment of Love Day reminded me of the invention of Poochie {th} [ie. they choose a typical name that's not good enough and promise themselves they'll work on it, but end up using the crappy idea. --hmw] ============================================================================== > Freeze frame fun ============================================================================== - Store at the beginning of the episode C O S T I N G T O N S --------------------- "Over a Century Without a Slogan" - Loveland - Two lillypad-sitting frogs kissing eachother. (note the obligatory love heart behind them) - An archer aming his bow and arrow, being carted along by two unicorns. (note the obligatory love heart on the cart) - Some Care Bears playing stringed instruments. - Mmmm... breakfast log BIG JOHN'S BREAKFAST LOG - Mmmm... bacon Farmer Dan's BACON - Newspaper headline NEW FACE IN TRASH RACE Local Nut [Homer] At It Again [smiling] - Homer's sign VOTE FOR ME - People on line to register as sex offenders {af} - Jimmy the Scumbag - Selma - Patty - Freddy Quimby - Moe walks in right at the end of Act I - People at Homer's rally {af} - Opening shot: - Front row L-R: - Apu - Jasper - Sideshow Mel - more people - 2nd row: - The Sea Captain - Moe - Comic Book Guy - After Homer talks about dragging garbage cans out in morning: - Back: - Kirk Van Houten - Edna Krabappel - Front: - Miss Hoover - People behind big-nosed guy: - Willie - Herman - Cletus - After "CAN'T SOMEONE ELSE DO IT" sign drops: - Front: - Lenny - Carl - Freddy Quimby is behind them - Shot from behind Homer's head: - Front Left: - Sideshow Mel - Front Right: - Jasper - 2nd Right - Moe - Captain McAllistar - 3rd Left: - Cletus - Willie - People laughing at Homer's Joke at Town Meeting {af} (left to right) - Dr. Hibbert - Mrs. Krabappel - Chief Wiggum - Miss Hoover - Carl - Kirk Van Houten - Apu (Kirk & Carl are seen looking as Ray walks in) - After Ray mentions Homer messing with his breaks {af} - Front Row L-R: - Lionel Hutz - Lenny - Mrs. Glick - 2nd Row L-R: - Ruth Powers - Sarah Wiggum (?) - Carl - People popping out of cans (left to right) {af} - Apu - Sideshow Mel - Ned Flanders - Oscar the Grouch - As door to Springfield Dump closes {af} - Left side: - Lenny - Kearney - Right side: - Apu - Otto - Dr. Nick - Barney - Sign at mine {af} DANGER! ABONDONED MINE - People at town meeting after Quimby asks if anyone is opposed to Homer's firing {af} - Front row L-R: - Pimple-faced teen - Lenny - Carl - Roger Meyers Jr. - Professor Frink - Cletus - Back row - Kearney - Lionel Hutz - Otto - After Garbage spews out in Quimby's face {af} - Front row L-R: - Lisa - Marge (holding Maggie) - Bart - Back row L-R: - Mrs. Glick - Dr. Nick ============================================================================== > Animation, continuity, and other goofs ============================================================================== * Shouldn't the slump run from July through November, or did somebody come up with Halloween cards? (Okay, okay, places like Hallmark do sell "Halloween party supplies" throughout October...). {ddg} [Don adds, "And I do remember one radio talk show host's idea: move the commercial part of Christmas to August 1 and call it `X-mas'." --hmw] = The sales-graph in Costingtons changes between shots. (ie. the line gets thicker, the shape of the line changes.) + It seems a bit unlikely that the Simpsons would have been able to afford all of those Love Day decorations. {nmd} - The are no faces in the pictures behind Bart when he picks up the boogying pumpkin. {je} = The Breakfast Log label seems to shrink in size to look more like a square of paper. {ar} = The pen Homer writes "B+" with disappears after he uses it. = The trash Homer spills on the road vanishes. - Both graded papers are missing when Homer gets back from his fight. {th} [I presume Marge took the fake "B+" down, and took the genuine down alongside it, accidentally. --hmw] = Maggie's hair bow is missing in one scene. {ad} + I don't believe there's a window in the dining room. {ad} = When Flanders comes to the front door, a window suddenly appears over the front door; later, it disappears. {ddg} + Bart's room has been a corner room in every previous episode; and the window over the front door is missing later in the episode. {th} + In 7F15 Marge says that Patty doesn’t like to be touched, yet is in line as a sex offender (maybe she's keeping Selma company). {af} = I'll ignore the background repeating itself when Homer's driving promoting himself, as it's a standard animation technique, but when the roll of buildings resets, the frame jerks (lets just say Homer drove over a bump in the road). = Homer was across the car from the microphone Bart was holding, so his voice shouldn't have been heard in the megaphones. {je} = When the Big-Nosed-Guy speaks, Willie is standing next to a woman, later on he his standing to the right of Cletus. {af} - The view from Patterson's old office suggests a tall office building. The town hall has no more than three stories. {je} = After Homer's second joke, Chief Wiggum is sitting next to Mrs. Glick, unlike before. {af} = Apu is not sitting next to Carl when Ray walks in. (And it looks like Carl and Kirk switched seats.) {af} = Carl is seated next to Sarah Wiggum after Ray mentions Homer messed with his breaks, unlike previously. {af} = Homer's door keeps changing between 3 lines of text and 4; sometimes Homer's name appears on one line and sometimes two. {ddg} = The words "Sanitation Commissioner" on Homer's door sometimes move around. {je} = Marge was holding a long line of papers, then they became a small, neat pile. {je} * If the whole town where on top of the mine, it would cave in. {ar} = When we first see the buildings being moved, there are no buildings beyond OFF's House & Moe's. When Homer leaps into Moe's, we see plenty of buildings behind him, which disappear after the scene switches back to the buildings being moved. {af} * Even if they move all of the buildings in the town, what are they going to do about streets, parks, and other town features (and how much do you want to bet that they'll be back to normal next week)? {nmd} * How are they going to move the SNPP 5 miles down the road on a lift like all the other houses? {ar} c When someone from U2 (I don't know their names) says "Oh, here we go again" at the spoon, the captions say "Wow, that is a beauty". {je} ============================================================================== > Reviews ============================================================================== Dale G. Abersold: Great expectations almost inevitably result in great disappointment, and such certainly was the case with "Trash of the Titans." The writers tried _so_ hard to come up with the Simpsons episode to end all Simpsons episodes, that the result was sadly mediocre. I'm not saying it was terrible: it had its pleasures, chief among them the fine vocal work from Steve Martin. The problem with the episode is that it just threw on guest voices, musical numbers, and cultural references, and ended up sounding loudly pale. (C) Rich Bunnell: I'm probably one of the only people on a.t.s. that is constantly amused by each episode (I didn't understand why "The Last Temptation Of Krust" was so bashed) and therefore, this episode was a definite winner for me. Yes, Steve Martin didn't do much, but U2 made up for the jokes that he didn't do. The musical number was good (and actually funny, for once) and the scene with Mr. Bunny coming out of his grave was one of the funniest jokes of the episode. The only downside was when I saw the ending. I LIKED the ending, I thought the idea of moving Springfield five miles down the road was funny, but when I saw it, I just KNEW that everyone was going to complain about it. Whatever, the episode lives up to the title of #200, and I'll have to give it an... (A) Ben Collins: Executive Producer Mike Scully has a very Fox-like idea of how a Simpsons episode should work. "Let's put in big-name special guest voices (no matter how useless their roles are), create a musical number (no matter how dumb), base it around any plot (no matter how retarded) and the Poochie fans in South Park Land will love it. Oh yeah, and it doesn't matter who or what writes it; just because we found Ian Maxtone-Graham at a 'Write a Simpsons Episode' contest doesn't mean he can ruin THIS kewl combination." Mike Scully has no idea what he's talking about. (D) Chris Courtois: "Trash of the Titans" was an ultimately unsatisfying mixture of good and bad elements we've gotten to know over the past 200 episodes. On the plus side, the episode featured some great satire with the creation of "Love Day" and the "Can't Someone Else Do It?" political campaign. On the minus side, Homer was more of an asshole than he's been all season, when we did hear from Lisa she was shrill, and the ending was kind of stupid. The musical number was so-so. Steve Martin did a good job as Ray Patterson. U2 parodying their 1980s self-righteous image was less successful, mainly because U2 has already been parodying themselves since the ZooTv tour, and the joke is stale. (Heck, that was a major criticism of last year's Pop Mart tour). This poses the same problem the writers had with the variety show segment of last season's spin-off showcase: how do you effectively parody something that is already a self-parody. Some good stuff, but asshole-Homer drags this one down to a... (B-) Anthony Dean: This episode was a weak effort overall. Much of the episode's faults reminded me too much of other recent weak entries, such as "Homerpalooza" or even "The Principal and the Pauper" (this episode's decidedly unfunny and bizarre ending reminded me of PatP's). The few high points were Lisa's reaction to Homer's David and Goliath statement and his refusal to pay for a copy of the Springfield Shopper. Still, these didn't overcome the rest of this episode's faults. At the end, all I could think of was that I had taped over this morning's hilarious "Pinky and the Brain" episode for this. (D) Nathan Mulac DeHoff: This week's episode was somewhat of a mixed (garbage) bag. Some parts worked, and some, well, didn't. The episode started out well enough, with a clever blackboard/couch gag, and a good satire on holiday merchandising. The events that led Homer to run for sanitation commissioner were not done especially well. Being stubborn is within Homer's character, but he seemed to carry it to extremes. His campaign was amusing, and Homer's solution to the garbage problem was a good example of Homer being clever and stupid at the same time. I didn't care for the scenes with the garbage erupting into the town, though. It was too unrealistic, and I think that the garbage could have been discovered in a different manner. Moving the town was ridiculous, but creative. U2's appearance didn't live up to the hype (What does?), but I enjoyed Homer's potato man disguise, and the ending scene on the plane. Overall, it was a decent episode, but a bit too ridiculous, and not handled quite so well as it could have been. (B-) Jordan Eisenberg: I'm starting to wonder why I bother reviewing these anymore. Mike Scully rightfully held this episode until now, and the high-quality animation and extra attention to detail given to it because it was the 200th are the only things that can compliment it enough. I'll soon be quoting everything like crazy so watch out... everyone with 14.4kb modems thank me for my short review. (A+) Alex Flandonwittsy: Homer owned this episode. Surprisingly, he was also one of the least enjoyable aspects of it. Our hero acted too "in your face" and cruel. Some other problems occurred in this 200th episode, including the whacked out plot, the even wackier(and stupider) ending, and the little air time the other four Simpson family members got. Good laughs at the U2 concert, though. (C-) Alex Foley: Great first 2 and a 1/2 acts, ruined by the Season 9 staple of a horrible ending. Good song, but Steve Martin talents are wasted and Homer the jerk returns. (B-) Andrew Gill: Put simply, this is looks like the best show that a FOX exec could produce. Unfortunately, this was not done by FOX execs. The dialogue was horrible (Quimby, especially). Homer was back to idiocy, the lowbrow humor reared its ugly head, again, the pacing was off, and the zany plot wormed its way in. Fortunately, the characterization was good (except Homer) and the plethora of problems made it too hard to focus on any one. Keeping that in mind, the grades are: Technical merits: (D) Artistic quality: (B) Tony Hill: Once again plastic reality ruins an episode. The whole city moved five miles away? Everything up to the golf course scene was cute and funny. It seemed odd to see Steve Martin playing a straight character. But two Homers would be too much. I give it a... (B-) Kevin Hinrichs: I thought the episode was pretty good. Homer's fight with the garbage man, his election campaign, and the town being destroyed. Homer proved he has gotten even stupider. The gags, such as Mr. Bunny, Cletus's appearance, and U2s appearance were pretty funny. Good conclusion. (A) Haynes Lee: For once the big name guest stars actually contributed to the boot. But why another non-sequitur ending? (B-) Jake Lennington: One of the (in the minority) bad episodes of Season 9. We have an episode that gives us the classic 8th season, jackass, out of control Homer trying out for a job he was never meant to have. Overall a bland outing with few laughs. (I like the songs, but the garbage song was not funny, IMO) IMO, the best scene was when U2's guards were beating the tar out of Homer on the big TV screens. I was hoping that would shut him up. (D+) Ondre Lombard: High-energy forced gags and celebrity cameos outweigh the pursuit of good storytelling as The Simpsons reaches its 200th episode. This episode is a pointless, predictable, stupid and unfunny illustration of just how low-brow and down in the trash The Simpsons has gotten. If my sentiments haven't been expressed the best way that they could be, I must say that I agree with everything Michael Neylon had to say about this episode 100%. (D-) Ewan Macdonald : The song finally put some long-gone musical greatness and humour back into the show. I haven't heard a song that good since 'Flaming Moe's' or 'We put the Spring in Springfield'. The ending was a bit disappointing however, but the number of 'laugh-out-loud' moments for me were the highest for a VERY long time. Even watching it for a second time was good, as many of the gags still were funny, and the song was excellent. (A-) Benjamin Robinson: A nice show, but one that suffers a bit from "Very Special Episode" syndrome. In the rush to pull out all the stops, some of what made the show last 200 episodes in the first place was lost. On the other hand, we did get a good showing from U2 (Steve Martin was wasted, though), some good satire, and a plenitude of DYN's and references. A decent show, but I'll be glad when the get to episode 201 and can move on. (B-) Yours truly {hmw}: Yawn. Was reasonable until things started getting out of hand (ie. Homer becomes the sanitation commisioner). Steve Martin was fabulous! U2 were amusing, but unneccesary. Too much music. The ending was a pile of garbage (No pun intended. Well.. I suppose it was intended.) (C-) ============================================================================== > Comments and other observations ============================================================================== >> Two hundred and counting Mark Aaron Richey summarises the other animated shows which fell before the Simpsons in the race to the 200 mark. Note: this was posted on the night 5F09 aired (26th April 1998) so today's figures may very well be -- and are -- different, but at the time of this capsule compilation, The Simpsons is still way ahead: Tonight, "The Simpsons" becomes the first prime-time animated series to reach 200 episodes. How long did the others last? Here is a list of how many episodes each of the 21 animated series (I think that's the right number) that aired on one of the six broadcast networks in prime time (7:30-11:00 EST before 1972, 8:00-11:00 EST afterwards, Sundays from 7:00-11:00). This list does not include early evening series on the networks (The original "Rocky and His Friends"), shows on cable ("Daria", "Rugrats"), one-time specials, primarily live action shows with some animation ("The Tracy Ullman Show--sorry, original OFF shorts), shows on PBS, or shows in syndication. - "The Simpsons"-200 and counting (assuming it airs tonight as scheduled) Fox 1989-present (was seen in shorts on "The Tracy Ullman Show" prior to becoming a regular series) - "The Flintstones"-156 [Mike Smith says 166. --hmw] ABC 1960-1966 (new episodes and spin-off series were seen on Saturday mornings) - "The Bullwinkle Show"-107? NBC 1961-1964 (number of episodes an estimate, since I couldn't find an episode guide that listed the exact number of episodes. Follow-up to the non prime time "Rocky and His Friends") - "The Bugs Bunny Show"-52 ABC 1960-1962 (mostly the theatrical shorts with new connecting animation) - "King of the Hill"-33 and counting (assuming it airs tonight as scheduled) Fox 1997-present - "Top Cat"-30 ABC 1961-1962 - "The Alvin Show"-26 CBS 1961-1962 (new episodes seen on Saturday mornings) - "Calvin and the Colonel"-26 [Mike Smith says 39. --hmw] ABC 1961-1962 - "Jonny Quest"-26 ABC 1964-1965 (new episodes seen in syndication) - "Batman: The Animated Series"-24? Fox 1992-1993 (I couldn't find the exact run dates, and all prime time episodes appear to be reruns from the afternoon series. How many different episodes actually aired in prime time I don't know. New episodes seen on weekday afternoons and Saturday mornings) - "The Jetsons"-24 ABC 1962-1963 (new episodes seen in syndication) - "The Critic"-23 ABC 1994, Fox 1995 - "The New Adventures of Huck Finn"-20 NBC 1968-1969 - "CBS Cartoon Theater"-13? CBS 1956 (series was mostly theatrical Terrytoon shorts, with connecting commentary from an unknown Dick Van Dyke. It aired for 13 weeks, but I don't know if the show was ever pre-empted or any reruns were shown) - "Pinky and the Brain"-13 WB 1995-1996 (new episodes seen on Saturday morning) - "Where's Huddles?"-10 CBS 1970 - "This is America, Charlie Brown"-8 CBS 1988-1989 (only first four were shown as a series, during the fall. The remaining four were shown once a month the following spring) - "Capitol Critters"-7 ABC 1992 - "Family Dog"-5 CBS 1993 (pilot episode seen in 1987) [Mike Smith says, "The `Pilot Episode' is, in fact, an episode of `Amazing Stories'. --hmw] - "Fish Police"-3 CBS 1992 - "Jokebook"-3 NBC 1982 (mostly theatrical shorts connected with new animation) >> The skinny of the 200 episodes Haynes Lee counts up the episodes that led to this single milestone, compiled in a handy-dandy table: PC: # 7G: 13 7F: 24 8F: 24 9F: 22 1F: 22 2F: 25 3F: 25 3G: 4 4F: 24 5F: 17 ------- 200 Does not includes are 48 Ullman shorts, 2 Bart music videos, and 7 unaired 5F episodes (3 to air in May, 4 next season). >> To enter, you must be two hundred or over Jeff Wildman shows us how The Simpsons stack up against over shows exceeding the two hundredth episode mark: 1. "My Three Sons" had 370 episodes 2. "Peyton Place" (Prime-time) had 514 episodes 3. "Bonanza" had 430 episodes 4. "Rawhide" had 216 episodes 5. "Perry Mason" had 270 episodes 6. "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" had 265 episodes 7. "Wagon Train" had 283 episodes 8. "The Andy Griffith Show" had 249 episodes 9. "Father Knows Best" had 203 episodes 10. "The Real McCoys" had 223 episodes 11. "The Loretta Young Show" had 255 episodes Also, I don't have the final counts, but "The Beverly Hillbillies" and "Petticoat Junction" both exceeded 200 episodes. >> What's with the animation? At the time of the airing, various people complained that the animation on this episode was below standard. Ben Collins explains why this could be: The Korean production company Anivision (the clowns behind "The Cartridge Family," "Lisa the Skeptic," "The Joy of Sect," and other badly-animated Season 9 episodes) may have had something to do with this episode's poor animation quality. There are obvious differences among Korean houses. Akom's work tends to be clean, slick, and professional. Rough Draft is somewhat less refined but well-angled and focused, with the best color choices. Anivision specializes in lousy colors, misshapen figures (especially the eyes), and generally unfinished-looking, sloppy work. >> Happy Holiday Day! Benjamin Robinson shares his knowledge on selling schemes: For years now, greeting card companies have had a reputation for starting new holidays just to increase card sales. This reputation is largely deserved, if the example of Mother's Day still holds. Now, Hallmark and friends didn't actually invent Mother's Day; that was the work of one man who felt there should be a day to honor America's mothers. (His name escapes me, sorry.) He intended for it to be a quiet, reverent day when children would travel to be with mom and thank her for not leaving them to the wolves. The greeting card companies started innocuously enough with some cards, but things sort of blew up from there, and today we have Mother's Day candy, flowers, balloons, and Heaven knows what else. The originator eventually turned on his own holiday, trying to keep people from celebrating it. Eventually, he wished he had never thought of the idea. Other holidays, like Father's Day, were probably even more the idea of the card makers. And if there's any reason for Secretary Day and Boss's Day, other than keeping card companies in clover, I'd like to hear about it. Ben Collins: Anyone remember "Grandparent's Day"? It was invented around the early 80s (?), caught on quickly, then fizzled out within a couple of years. >> Car & Truck Watch Eagle-eyed Benjamin Robinson does some car-spotting: There's a lavender Beetle in the plant parking lot (which you see as Carl and Lenny walk home). Perhaps someone took the one from "Girly Edition (5F15)" and restored it. Or, given the p-code order, perhaps someone from the plant junked it in time for Bart to use as a hiding place. Springfield's garbage trucks resemble Ford's C-series midrange trucks. Ford made this same truck for what seemed like eternity, so it could come from a pretty wide range of model years. >> The real Ray Patterson There is a real guy named Ray Patterson who has been working on animation since the 1940s. He's been an animator for too many cartoons to count, and produced the Sixties "Spider-Man" cartoon. >> Local nut at it again The newspaper headline could possibly be a jab at capsule lovin' folk such as ourselves. Internet fans have been complaining recently that all the new episodes are not decent family-based episodes, but whacky Homer adventures. >> U2 Andrew Gill gives us some details on the band who lend their voices to this episode: U2 is probably the only band that came from the 80's that has spanned two decades(1980-1998 and beyond). U2 largely gained stardom status through "The Joshua Tree" and "Achtung Baby", and attained superstar status through their Zoo Tour. Last year, U2 decided to make their return via the dance CD "Pop". Most people either like the old U2 or hate U2 completely. I suspect that a few like only the "new" U2. I myself like both. >> "Take a hike, Kojak!" Tony Hill explains why Homer called the bald operator "Kojak": Kojak was a bald detective played by Telly Savalas on the series of the same name, which ran on CBS from 1973 to 1978. (There was a revival on ABC in 1989-90.) >> "So let me give you the 911!" Benjamin Robinson explains what on earth Homer meant by his 911 remark: When Homer said "the 911," he really wanted "the 411," which is the slang for "the information." In the United States, 411 is the number for information and directory assistance. >> I'm just a grouch sitting on the couch... That green thing in the trashcan during the episodes main musical number was none other than Oscar the Grouch, from TV's "Sesame Street," the popular young children's show. On the show Oscar is grouch who lives in a trashcan. >> Wan... ker? Younger readers, stop here and view another capsule. Gone? Good. "Wanker" is a British insult used not by children, but by teen/adult folk. For those unclear on what it means (which will be most of the non-Brits reading this), to "wank" is to "masturbate," so "wanker" inevitably means "masturbator". Due to the confusion around the term in North America, the censors let this one slip, but in the UK the mention of the word was cut, and hasn't been put back in on any of its syndicated screenings. For what it's worth, Sky allow words like "bastard," "bitch," etc. >> Unheard voices Dale G. Abersold: Marcia Wallace got a voice credit again. Did Edna say anything in the episode? I'm wondering if Ms. Wallace has a new contract that states she gets a special guest voice credit for every episode Mrs. Krabappel appears onscreen, whether or not she actually says anything. >> Goofs that will plague us forever As of tonight's episode, there will be a bunch of goofs that will undoubtedly be made in future episodes: - Springfield will no longer be next to Shelbyville, unless of course the stench of the garbage ruins is too much for them, in which case they'd have to move five miles down the road, too. Wouldn't be conveinient. - Moving the power plant would be impossible. Will Burns rebuild from scratch? Most probably, although I doubt we'll actually it being done. - Somehow they'll have found a way of moving their basements. - Ye Old Fishin' Hole? Springfield Gorge? Gone for the sake of a cheap gag, although their exact doubles will be found down the road. >> Lyrics to "The Garbageman" {je} Oh, the garbage man can, Marge. The garbage man can . . . Who can take your trash out? Stomp it down for you. Shake the plastic bag and do the twisty-thingy too? The garbage man . . . oh, the garbage man can. The garbage man can and he does it with a smile and never judges you. Marge: Who can take this diaper? GM: I don't mind at all. Wiggum: Who can clean me up before the big policemans' ball? The garbage man . . . yes, the garbage man can. U2: The sanitation folks are jolly, friendly blokes. Courteous and easygoing! They mop up when you're overflowing . . . and tell you when your arse is showing! Apu: Who can? Mel: Who can? Ned: Who can? Oscar: Who can? The garbage man can! Bart & Lisa: 'Cause he's Homer Simpson man! He cleans the world for . . . YOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!! >> Meta References Benjamin Robinson looks at the blackboard/couch gag: For the couch gag, Bart writes "I will not mess with the opening credits," on the old chalkboard. Would that the production staff felt the same way: They've been shortened, lengthened, and the blackboard quote itself made a (thankfully temporary) hiatus. Haynes Lee: It's most likely a reference to how ending credits are screwed up when the Fox affiliate butts in with a split screen. And Bart was writing in two columns. >> Where is Springfield? Jordan Eisenberg: A map appeared on the walls on several occasions that depicts a large peninsula protruding from the left to fill most of the map. Suggestions, anybody? Andrew Gill: About 5 mi down the road, I guess... >> Scenes likely to be cut in syndication Haynes Lee: The "ash-hole" remark. >> Thoughts Benjamin Robinson: - Here's an odd p-code coincidence: Both this season's "09" episode and last season's ("Grade School Confidential (4F09)") aired out of order. - One of the men at the door, the one who asks, "Where have you been," was drawn pretty realistically. Does he represent some real-life person? - The Springfield Shopper is fifty cents? Why, that's inflation for you. I remember when it was free! - "Sanford & Son" was a mid-Seventies series about a junk dealer. Pretty appropriate choice for a sanitation commissioner, no? >> Musical references + "Love Will Keep Us Together" by Captain and Tenille - Care Bears music {hl} + "Für Elise" composed by Beethoven - the music Lisa plays in her mental jukebox + "Pride" by U2 + "Candy Man" by the late Sammy Davis Jr + "Sanford and Son theme" {hl} >> Details on the musical references Tony Hill sheds some light on some of the musical references in this episode: "Love Will Keep Us Together," words by Howard Greenfield, music by Neil Sedaka was introduced by Sedaka in 1973. It became a big hit in 1975 in a recording by the Captain & Tennille (not of "Simpson Tide" fame). For a lot of people it epitomizes the crassness of a lot of 70s music. Lisa's escape music is Beethoven's "Für Elise," a piece which bears her name, sort of. "The Candy Man," written by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley, was introduced by Gene Wilder in the 1972 film "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" and was a number one hit for Sammy Davis Jr. (whom Bart is not a reincarnation of) that same year. It did seem to me that OFF changed the song just enough so they can't get sued. They didn't stick close enough to the original music to suggest it was an authorized parody. >> Miscellaneous tidbits - MPAA rating: TV-PG {ddg} - Nielson rating (courtesy of AnonyMouse): 11,200,000 - 17% - This episode is dedicated to the memory of Linda McCartney. - The Haynes Lee alterna-title for this episode is: "Splash of the Titanic" - Jordan Eisenberg's suggested alterna-title: "The People vs. Homer Simpson" ============================================================================== > Quotes and scene summary {jo} ============================================================================== % Act one. In a skyscraper, a man in a business suit delivers the state % of financial affairs for his company. Someone in the room coughs. His % presentation is not very well-received, and he is promptly carted off by % security at the nod of a cigar-smoking business leader, who closes the % blinds and addresses his eight underlings. Manager: Okay, people. We need to cook up a new holiday for the summer. Something with, eh, gifts, cards, assorted gougeables. Woman: How about something religious? We had great penetration last spring with "Christmas II"! Man: Ooh, I know, Spendover, like Passover but less talk, more presents! -- Discussing the new holiday, "Trash of the Titans" % The businesspeople around the table break into serious discussion, until % the cigar-smoking man breaks them up. He decides the holiday needs to be % something warm and fuzzy, like "Love Day," only not so lame. Cut to OFF % in their TV room celebrating Love Day. % Homer opens his gift on the coffee table. It's a talking toy bear with % an annoyingly sweet mechanical voice, dressed in a knight's clothing. Bear: I'm Sir Loves-A-Lot! The bear who loves to love. Homer: They didn't have Lord Huggington? Marge: It's the same basic bear, Homey. Homer: [dejected] I guess. -- It's not a happy Love Day this year, "Trash of the Titans" % Homer turns the bear on the table around, facing away from him. He then % turns away from it. Bart unwraps his gift; it's a pumpkin with big red % lips attached -- a "Kisses Make Me Boogie-o-Lantern". % He tosses it away. Santa's Little Helper licks it, and it starts % playing cheesy bass-rich electronic music, to which Homer dances. % It's time to clear up. % Outside the Simpsons' house, plastic figures stand, including two % frogs kissing and string quartet of bears playing music. Back in the % kitchen, Lisa packs the garbage can full of Love Day wrapping paper. % Homer shoves the family's presents into the trash can. Lisa: It's full, Dad, that means you have to take out the trash. Bart: Yup, that's the rule. "He who tops it off, drops it off." Homer: Nuh-uh. "It isn't filled until it's spilled." -- King of the code, "Trash of the Titans" % Homer stomps the garbage down. Sir Loves-A-Lot's head pokes % out, saying "I love you...am I ugly?", but is ignored and crammed deeper. % Homer walks off, whistling. Later, after the trash has piled up % considerably (but still hasn't spilled), Bart staples a banana peel to % the side of the can, seeing as there's nowhere for it on top. The next % morning, Homer tries to find a place on the pile of garbage for his "Big % John's Breakfast Log" wrapper, but can't. He instead writes "B+" on it % and puts it on the refrigerator. As he walks out of the kitchen, he trips % on the garbage can, knocking it over and spilling rubbish everywhere. % Marge hears it from upstairs, so it's about time Homer takes it out. % Homer fights with the bag as he takes it out the back door and to the % street. [muttering] Ow, ow, stupid trash, rotten, stinky, hate world, revenge soon, take out on everyone... -- Homer taking out the trash, "Trash of the Titans" % Homer screams. The bag has emptied out some yellow liquid onto his % feet, for which he yells at God. Meanwhile, the garbage truck passes by, % stopping for the Flanders' trash. Homer chases them down the street with % the bag, yelling insults. % The garbage truck stops, its tires screeching. "Uh, oh," Homer says. % It backs up, beeping, until it nears Homer. Two garbage men get out. % Homer has a little talk with them. % Homer comes back into the house, his clothes stuffed with garbage. Homer: Good news, everyone! I got in a fight with the garbage men and they're cutting off our service! Marge: Oh, lord, now what are we going to do? Just let the trash pile up? Homer: Hey, I'd rather live in a dump than in a world run by snooty garbage men. Lisa: Dad, is this another one of those situations that could be solved by a simple apology? Homer: I never apologize, Lisa. I'm sorry, but that's just the way I am. -- You're forgiven, "Trash of the Titans" % At the dinner table, the family finishes pigging out. Marge gets up % to take the plates to the kitchen. Homer and Bart offer to clean up the % table, and throw the leftovers and some fine China through the window % onto the pile of garbage. Later, Ned Flanders walks thorough the Simpsons' % lawn to the front door. Easy, Ned...don't breathe in. -- Flanders, walking through the Simpsons garbage mountain, "Trash of the Titans" % Flanders gets hit by some trash flying out the second story window. % It was thrown by Homer, who hides in the bathroom with Bart. Flanders % explains that Maude's folks are here, so Homer warns him to shut the % windows before the sun hits diaper hill. % A tall pile of Maggie's dirty diapers sit in the front lawn. Rod % climbs on top. Ned shouts him off. % A few days later, the front yard is piled high with garbage. Marge stands % at the door with Bart, Lisa, and a package of bacon. % Marge throws several strips of bacon onto the pile, distracting the rats. % The children run past the pile on their way to school. Later that day, % Marge complains to Homer about the garbage at the dinner table. Marge: Homer, that crazy lady who lives in our trash pile attacked me again. Homer: That's not the way she tells it. Marge: And the school nurse says Bart has the Plague. Homer: Eh, it's like the measles. Good to get it out of the way! Marge: Homer, this has gone far enough! Will you please just apologize to the garbage men? Lisa: Yeah, Dad, you're always telling me and Bart to apologize. Homer: Yeah, but I'm always secretly disappointed when you do. Anyway, I think those garbage men are starting to crack. Bart: I think you're startin' to crack. Homer: Apologize for that remark! Bart: No way. Homer: Atta-boy! -- "Trash of the Titans" % Homer opens his bedroom window and stretches. % Homer sees his front yard, free of trash, and exclaims "Woo hoo!". Back % inside, he tells the good news to his family as Marge gives him a dirty % look. Homer: This is a very, very proud day for us! Especially me, your father, me, beat City Hall! It's just like David and Goliath, only this time, David won! Lisa's Brain: Oh, I know, I heard it too. Here's some music. [Beethoven's "Fur Elise" plays.] -- "Trash of the Titans" % Beethoven's "Fur Elise" plays inside Lisa's head. Her eyes half closed, % she breaks into a contented smile. Homer: And to think, you wanted me to crawl, Marge. Well, this man doesn't crawl, he stands tall, that rhymes, Marge, and you know it rhymes, admit it! Marge: Aw, Homer, you didn't beat City Hall! They picked up our trash because I wrote a letter of apology to the Sanitation Commissioner, and signed your name. Period. Homer: [hurt] You signed my name? I feel so violated. Marge: You've signed my name lots of times! Homer: But this isn't like a loan application or a will! You've signed away my dignity! And I'm going to get it back. Lisa, do I have my pants on? Lisa: [still smiling dreamily] Yes. Homer: Perfect. -- "Trash of the Titans" % In the office of the sanitation commissioner for the city of Springfield, % Homer talks with the commissioner himself, Ray Patterson. Patterson is a % generally nice guy, but Homer sees it differently, and wants to shake % things up. Homer walks over to a cage in the office, where a green-colored % parrot sits on a perch. He shakes the cage violently. Patterson tries to % stop him, but doesn't succeed. Homer shakes the parrot cage some more. It % chirps in terror. Patterson and Homer fight with words, and Homer leaves. % Homer pushes his way through a line, including Jimmy the Scumbag, Patty % and Selma, and Freddy Quimby. Homer: I want to register to run for sanitation commissioner! And tell the fat cats upstairs that things are gonna change in this town! Man: Okay... but this is where you register as a sex offender. Moe: [walking in] Aw, geez, there's always a line! -- Confessions of a bartender, "Trash of the Titans" [End of act one. Time: ] % Act two. Homer drives his car through the city, while Bart addresses % the passerby through a speaker on the roof of the car. Bart: [over PA] Hey, everybody, vote for my Dad, Homer Simpson. If you don't, he'll beat us. Homer: [over PA] Why you little... er... no one's gonna beat you, son. [quieter, but still over PA] You're gonna get such a beating! -- Where did it go wrong? "Trash of the Titans" % At the nuclear plant, Homer greets his fellow workers as they come through % the gates, encouraging them to vote for him. Lenny and Carl walk up. Lenny: So, Homer, if we vote for you, what are you going to do different? Homer: What am I, the answer man? Just vote for me. Lenny: [walking off with Carl] Heh, you know, I don't know Ray Patterson, but, he's no Ray Patterson! Carl: Yeah, Homer's a great nuclear safety inspector, but I don't know if I trust him with my garbage. Lenny: Yeah, that's a peace of mind issue, you know... -- "Trash of the Titans" % As Lenny and Carl head off to work, Homer decides that educating these % "geezers" is a wasted effort, and declares that it's time to "rock the % vote"...at a U2 concert at Springfield Stadium. At the backstage door, % Homer attempts to gain entry, disguised in a plaid cap, a jacket, and % carrying a big brown sack. He gets inside, posing as potato man. % Backstage, in the control room, a female with a shaven head directs the % camera crew through a headset. Homer wanders in and starts messing with the % controls, where he encounters a female technician. She tries to stop him. % Homer kicks her (wheeled) chair off camera as she screams. He then % manages to rig the controls so that his giant head appears on the three % screens behind the stage, interrupting U2's "Pride (In The Name of Love)". % Homer appears on the large screen, and spreads his message, trying to % sound hip. Homer comes out on stage, and the crowd boos him, until Bono % speaks up. The rest of the band decide they'll go to Moes for a pint. % The Edge and Larry stop and look at Adam as they walk off, who whistles % and fiddles with a knob on his bass guitar. Meanwhile, Bono, with Homer at % his side, addresses the crowd. Bono: Why should they vote for you? Homer: That's a good question, Bono. 'Cause I'd be the most whack, tripped out sanitation commissioner ever! Can you dig it? [The crowd is quiet; we hear some crickets chirping. After a few moments, the crowd begins booing again. Homer, unsure of what to do, starts dancing half-heartedly.] -- At the U2 concert, "Trash of the Titans" [into microphone] Wow, look at him go. You're the real Lord of the Dance, Homer. -- Bono, of U2, "Trash of the Titans" % Bono motions to some security guards standing by and points to Homer. % They take Homer off, kicking and screaming, calling to Bono for help. [into mic] Don't worry, folks. He'll get the help he needs. -- Bono, on Homer, "Trash of the Titans" % By this time, the rest of the band is back, and they finish the song. % On the screen above the band, four security guards pummel Homer, punching % and kneeing him repeatedly. Later, in Moe's bar, Homer moans about his % problems. Homer: [melancholy] My campaign is a disaster, Moe. [angry] I hate the public so much! [melancholy] If only they'd elect me. [angry] I'd make 'em pay! [melancholy] Aw, Moe, how do I make 'em like me? Moe: Eh, gee, you're kind of all over the place, Homer, you need to focus here. You gotta...think hard, and come up with a slogan that appeals to all the lazy slobs out there. Homer: [moans] Can't someone else do it? Moe: "Can't someone else do it?", that's perfect! Homer: It is? Moe: Yeah! Now get out there and spread that message to the people! Homer: Woo hoo! [walks off] Moe: Woah, hey, you didn't pay for the beer. Homer: "Can't someone else do it?" [Moe and Homer laugh together. As Homer starts to leave the tavern, Moe cocks and points a shotgun at him and clears his throat.] Moe: Seriously, give me the money. -- Foreshadowing a la Moe, "Trash of the Titans" % The next day, standing by the Jebediah Springfield statue, Homer talks % with the people of Springfield. % Homer stands before a crowd, and explains his "can't someone else do it" % philosophy. Homer unveils a banner with his catch-phrase on it. The crowd % seems to agree. % Later, Homer stands behind a podium on stage. An empty one stands to % Homer's right. Patterson hasn't arrived, Homer says he had more important % things to do, and makes gulping noises and drinks from an imaginary bottle. % The crowd laughs. Suddenly, Ray Patterson bursts through the door, panting. % Patterson arrives late, as Homer jokes with the crowd. % The crowd discusses the matter with themselves. Later, a newspaper % headline informs us of Homer's landslide victory. Homer, seeing the % headline through the window of a newspaper vending machine, says "Woo % hoo!" Lisa: Aren't you gonna buy it, Dad? Homer: Fifty cents? Huh, not likely. -- Homer sees himself on the cover of the newspaper, "Trash of the Titans" [End of act two. Time: ] % Homer whistles as he visits his new office. He sees Ray Patterson, who % is just leaving. Homer tries to make peace with him, but fails. % Ray walks off. Later, Homer, at his desk, is talking on the phone. As % he talks, he motions for the rest of the Simpsons, who have come into his % office, to come closer, as he talks on the phone, and finishes his call. % Homer explains he has a lot of crazy promises to fulfill, and they will. % With a snap of the fingers, Homer appears on top of a garbage truck % and directs it out of the Sanitation Department facility. Music plays, % and Homer sings his song to the tune of "The Candyman Can". % Music continues. % Krusty laughs nervously as two happy garbage man dispose of his "used up % pornography" in their truck, and drive off, waving their hats. For the % next segment of the song, Marge offers one of Maggie's soiled diapers to % Bart and Lisa, who refuse it and hold their noses. % Garbage men rush in and wipe up mustard stains on Chief Wiggum's % tuxedo. At Moe's bar, the band U2 enjoys a beer. % A garbage man mops the bar counter free of spilled beer. Another whispers % to Bono during The Edge's line. It seems that while sitting at Moe's bar, % U2's trousers have sagged a bit. % Outside, a parade of garbage trucks, with Homer at the lead on top of % a garbage bin, get cheered on by people lining the streets. Popping their % heads out of trash cans are Apu, Mel, Ned, and Oscar. % Bart and Lisa run up to Homer's side, who leads the parade into the % Springfield Dump. % When the song ends, we see Homer humming the tune in his office. The % Mayor bursts in angrily. Quimby: Simpson, you idiot! You spent your entire year's budget in a month! Your department's broke! Homer: [panics] Uh...oh no! Wait! I think I've got the perfect solution. Quimby: You'd better! 'Cause those garbage men won't work for free! Homer: D'oh! -- Bright ideas, "Trash of the Titans" % At home, Homer is losing confidence. Marge goes over his expenses while % sitting on the couch with Bart and Lisa. Homer: Oh...Patterson was right! I'm crashing and burning! Crashing and burning! Marge: How could you spend 4.6 million dollars in a month? Homer: They let me sign checks with a stamp, Marge! A stamp! Lisa: You know, Dad, there's a lesson in all this. Many cities have problems with garbage disposal, and it's time we realize you can't just... Homer: Wait! Shut up! I just thought of something! -- Homer think now, "Trash of the Titans" % Homer runs out the door and drives away. The next day, Homer, at his % desk, is confronted by the sanitation workers. One holds a baseball bat % in his hands. They demand their pay. % Homer opens a briefcase full of money on his desktop. Homer: Will cash be okay? Employee #1: Will it! Quimby: [opens office door] Did I hear a, uh, briefcase opening? -- Pavlovian Quimby, "Trash of the Titans" % Homer drives with his family at night. Homer: Okay, before I show you, who wants to guess how I got the money? Bart: Dealing drugs? Lisa: Drugs? Marge: I'll have to say drugs, too. Homer: Close, but you're way off. -- "Trash of the Titans" % Homer pulls the car onto an off-ramp to the "Outskirts" of Springfield. % He shows his family his idea: garbage trucks from around the country are % lined up, and each dumps its contents in front of a mine shaft. A bulldozer % crams the trash inside. % Bart points at a dump truck from the city of New York, which spills various % kinds of drug paraphernalia, as well as guns and grenades, on the ground % next to the mine shaft. Marge: Good God, Homer! You're turning our wonderful little town into America's trash hole! Homer: Marge! Ixnay on the ashhole-tray! -- Ashhole? "Trash of the Titans" % Lisa tells Homer that he can't cram garbage under Springfield forever, but % Homer insists that he can. Later, he plays golf with Mayor Quimby. % Mayor Quimby putts. Underground, a mound of garbage bubbles up and % pushes a section of the green up, knocking the Mayor's putt off its path. % Out of the hole shoots a stream of garbage. Quimby runs over to % investigate. % The Mayor turns to Homer, who is driving off in their golf cart. % Elsewhere in Springfield, Ned, Rod and Todd prepare to say good-bye to % a dear departed pet rabbit, whom they have buried in the yard. % The ground rumbles, sending the rotting corpse of Mr. Bunny up to ground % level, its mouth wide open. Rod and Todd scream. At the home of Cletus % and Brandine, a pile of garbage knocks over their outhouse. Cletus opens % the door and pokes his head out. % On the streets of Springfield, chaos erupts, as fire hydrants explode % garbage water and trash shoots out of mailboxes and manholes. Outside City % Hall, where a town meeting is in progress, the statue of Jebediah lies % overturned in a pile of rubbish. "Aye!" the crowd shouts at Quimby and % Homer, standing on stage at the meeting. Quimby suggests re-electing % Ray Patterson. The crowd lets out a cheer. A triumphant Mr. Patterson % strides out onto the stage and stands at the podium while a band plays. Oh...oh, gosh...you know, I'm not much on speeches, but it's so gratifying to leave you wallowing in the mess you've made. You're screwed, thank you, bye. -- Ray Patterson, "Trash of the Titans" % Mr. Patterson walks off as the band plays the same song used to introduce % him. The crowd stares silently. Quimby reassures the crowd. % At that very moment, the Mayor's podium explodes, shooting trash into % the air and soaking him. It seems the town will have to use... Plan B. % Quimby reaches into his jacket and extracts a large yellow envelope, % breaking the "B" seal. He opens it. Later, Homer eats potato chips at % the front door of his house. Marge: I can't believe it's come to this. Homer: Come to what? Marge: Moving the whole town five miles down the road, it's crazy! Homer: Yeah, it's something all right. -- "Trash of the Titans" % Lisa argues that they'll just trash the new Springfield. % Homer jumps out the front door, and hops over to Moe's bar, which is % being driven down the street right next to the Simpsons' house. As the % houses pass, Homer throws the empty potato chip bag out the window, which % floats through the air. It lands at the feet of a lone Native American, % standing at the side of the road. A tear wells up in his eye. Another % Indian approaches him and says, "Do yourself a favor; don't turn around," % for behind him sits the remains of the old city of Springfield, covered % in garbage, at which we take one last look. After a brief pause, a four % second off-camera scream is heard, followed by the second Indian's voice. % "I told you not to turn around." he says. [End of act three. Time:] % Over the credits, the members of U2 sit on an aeroplane. The Edge, % seated to the left of Bono, strums his guitar. Adam pokes his head over the % seat in front of Bono, and takes a spoon out of a paper bag. Adam: Look, guys. I got a Springfield spoon for my spoon collection. The Edge: Aw, 'ere we go... Bono: How many spoons have you got now, Adam? Adam: Nine. If I didn't have my spoons, I'd go insane. Bono: Can I see it? [Adam hands him the spoon; Bono promptly throws it behind his head.] Adam: My spoon! [the spoon lands on the head of Charles Montgomery Burns, who sits in the seat directly behind The Edge.] Mr. Burns: [muttering] Wankers. -- Stop saying spoons, "Trash of the Titans" ============================================================================== > Contributors ============================================================================== {ad} Anthony Dean {af} Alex Foley {ag} Andrew Gill {ar} Anthony Regina {bjr} Benjamin Robinson {ddg} Don Del Grande {df} Daniel Frank {hl} Haynes Lee {je} Jordan Eisenberg {jo} John Ogan {la} Lady Ann {nmd} Nathan Mulac DeHoff {th} Tony Hill ============================================================================== > Legal Mumbo Jumbo ============================================================================== [5F09] capsule copyright 2000, Hari Michael Wierny, and The Simpsons Archive. (The quotes remain the property of Fox, and the reproduced articles remain the property of their respective authors. I'm just taking credit for the compilation.) Not to be redistributed in public forum without the permission of the author. Quotes and Scene Summary copyright 1998, John Ogan. Uncredited material is the work of yours truly. My thanks go to Benjamin Robinson, who provided me with the a.t.s. archives when needed. Revision history: A) 10-Jun-2000 Hari's final thought: Bah. What can I say? Homer had the chance to make Springfield's sanitation grand, but blew it because of the almighty dollar. My advice is to think about what you've got, and use it wisely, because it could be gone in no time. Take care of yourself, and each other.