On some days it’s my favorite episode. Another one that’s just wall-to-wall jokes and never a missed opportunity. Some people think the turn to having Homer go on wackier adventures marked the downturn of the show, but in season 5, they still had it:
"Deep Space Homer"
There isn’t a moment missed in this episode:
- Burns’ opening speech-- “And remember, a shiny new donkey for whoever brings me the head of Colonel Montoya.” whisper whisper “What? Oh, yes, and by that I mean it’s time for the worker of the week award”-- and Homer’s reaction to losing to the carbon rod (“Inanimate?! I’ll show him inanimate!”)
- The space launch (“And we laugh legitimately. There’s a mathematician, a different kind of mathematician, and a statistician”) and Homer and Bart’s panic at nearly watching it. (“Oh my god, we’ve been beaten by A Connie Chung Christmas!”)
- “Al, let’s have sex!” “Duh, no, Peg.” flush
- “Maybe we should tell them about the monkeys who came back super-intelligent.”
- Homer’s prank calls to try to find Tang
- “Check with the FBI! I have a file! I have a file!”
- The NASA scientist with the blackjack
- The press conference (“I have a question for the barbecue chef.” “I’ll field this one” and Homer’s Planet of the Apes meltdown)
- Barney sobering up and immediately becoming highly competent, and Homer trying to match him (“There once was a man from Nantucket, who-- OW!”)
- Homer trying to see what Bart’s written on the back of his head, the family giggling and then getting deeply worried
- “I don’t understand. That was non-alcoholic champagne.”
- “De-fault! De-fault! De-fault!”
- “Second comes right before first!”
- “Listen, Buzz, if that is your real name…”
- The Itchy & Scratchy short that completely terrifies Homer
- Homer’s phone call to Marge, between the Mr. T story and “Homer, you already dialed,” might be my favorite scene in the series.
- “Former president James Taylor?!”
- “Listen Aldrin, I’m not as laid back as people think. I’m gonna play, and you’re gonna float there and like it.”
- “Sweet dreams of flying machines, in pieces on the ground-- uh… sweet dreams of flying machines, flying safely through the air”
- “Wait a minute, this unkempt youngster might be on to something!”
- Homer saving the day with an inanimate carbon rod, bringing the story full circle.
- “Maybe I do have the right… what’s that stuff? Anyway,”
I didn’t even get to everything funny about this episode; it’s just wall-to-wall great jokes and scenes. Maybe the most consistently funny episode they ever did.
In conclusion,
