That was the pick I was looking for, easily the best episode if you understand anything about baseball. I still heckle Mike scioscia to this day at game" Hey Scioscia, your tragic illness made me smile!!!"
#1 episode of all time for me
edit: I got into an argument at work about 18 months ago over who the best British Prime Minister of all time was
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.
