Simpson Tide

Homer gets sacked from work and joins the naval reserves.

This is a strong episode with some memorable visuals and character moments.

There is a good build up to Homer's adventure and his time onboard the submarine has some excellent moments, such as the navy anthem and Homer's Star Trek inspired time with "the conn". Other characters such as Moe and Barney are also used well by the writers.

Probably the best part is the now quite ironic Cold War reemergence visual montage. I found this a hilarious piece of satire back in 1998, but give the way things are in the world now it's become quite a dark concept.

Homer sees a recruiting thing for the Naval Reserve (which isn't held in much of a light), so he and his buddies join. I just couldn't get very interested in it as Homer screws everything up, yet advances. Not a big favorite of mine.

In my opinion, "Simpson Tide" is one of the worst episodes of Season 9, preceded only by the clip show, "All Singing, All Dancing." The episode starts off well with Homer's dream and zany antics, but quickly goes downhill when Joshua Sternin and Jeffrey Ventimilia rely strictly on parody for cheap laughs...this could be why they've only been involved with two Simpson's episodes. I do enjoy the gag with Russia converting back to the Soviet Union, but most of the last 3/4 of the episode I do not care for. I think what bothers me the most is Michael Carrington as the drill sergeant. The voice does not sound like a drill sergeant and sounds annoyingly out of place.

"Simpsons Tide" is a rather peculiar episode in the long-running series. One could argue that its weirdness can be attributed to the fact that it's written by Joshua Sternin and Jeffrey Ventimilia, who aren't regular writers for the show. Despite the departure from the typical style of the series, this episode manages to hold its ground quite well.

The episode brings forth a unique blend of humor that might seem a bit perplexing for The Simpsons. Some of the jokes and gags feel somewhat out of place when compared to the show's usual style. However, this divergence isn't necessarily a bad thing. The humor in "Simpsons Tide" is, at times, strange and absurd, but that's what makes it stand out. If you approach it with an open mind and a willingness to embrace the oddity, you might find yourself chuckling at its peculiar charm.

However, undoubtedly the best part of the episode is its beginning. At the start, they parody the movie "Planet of the Apes," mimicking the impressive film's music, only to reveal that it's actually a fantasy of Homer's in the land of donuts. There's no doubt that the brilliance in parodying movies was still very much alive.