The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson

I am a dedicated fan of the Simpsons, just like some people are fans of the Yankees. (don't get wild, I am not comparing cartoon to real live human athletes, just the loyalty and dedication) Before our tragedy, I saw this episode and I was killing myself laughing. After that horrible morning here in Manhattan, I still watched the Simpsons and after a year or two, I was wondering why I hadn't seen NY vs. Homer Simpson aired. I entered the name of the episode on Yahoo! and saw that Fox was not showing it because of the fact that the episode took place in New York and at the site of our deceased. I said to myself that it should not matter, it's just a cartoon. However, I have to admit that get a lump in my throat when I see movies showing the Towers. I asked myself "at that time, did we think those buildings would ever be gone, for any reason? I worked on the 78th floor of the World Trade 1 in the 80's. I loved those buildings. I loved the elevators. They were so fast it was like being beamed up to the Star Treak Enterprise. Now they are gone. Has enough time passed that we can now laugh at Homer getting ticketed at World Trade One or will a cartoon drawing of the Towers bring all the horror back that we still can't laugh? Fox should show it, with a disclaimer, of course, and see how New Yorkers deal with it. If it still too soon, then Fox can leave it on the DVDs. We have to try to laugh.

This is a really funny episode, one of the better ones in the series. To summarize it, Barney ends up being the designated driver at Moe's Bar since there's complaints about drunk driving traffic collisions. Barney takes Homer and his pals home but forgets to bring the car back. We realize that Barney has Homer's car. He doesn't hear anything until Barney gets back one day and tells Homer that he forgot what happened. Lisa goes through the mail and finds out that it's parked in New York City.

Homer had a bad experience when he was younger and is reluctant to go. After Marge and the kids convince him, he decides to go. They take the bus there and havoc ensues. There are a bunch of parking tickets and a boot attached to one of the wheels. I won't spoil the rest of the episode but it's great. If you're a Simpsons fan, it's worth watching!

Barney goes missing for 2 months with Homer's car.

This is a classic episode with great humour, character moments and artwork.

The set up involving a massive drinking session at Moe's, with a certain designated driver, is hilarious and leads perfectly to a Simpson family jaunt to NYC.

Everything that happens in NY is highly enjoyable, particularly Homer's ordeal that is nicely contrasted by the sightseeing trip of the others. It all builds to the fantastic moment when they meet up together at the end.

The animators deserve a huge amount of credit for the quality of this episode as they not only bring NY to life but produce a tremendous amount of the humour visually. It's all just enhanced by the voice performances, sound effects and music.

For me it's a 9.5/10, but I round upwards.

The mark of a really great piece of writing shows itself subtly in the form of feeling effortless, and that what's this episode did. It took a relatively simple premise, jacked it up with superb writing and its famous satire, creating something unfailingly slick and entertaining.

The episode left us with one of the most memorable pieces of humour in Simpsons' history ("No pizza, only Khlav Kalash!") and more other golden jokes than you shake a stick at.

Despite the higher-res, broadened colour palette and higher levels of consistency of the show's newer animation style, this episode did particularly well in highlighting the beauty of hand-drawn animation and how much more expressive it can be.

This episode has always been a memorable one, especially after 9/11. It took on an entirely new weight after those tragic events. I remember it being banned for airing for over a year after 9/11 because of how it portrayed New York in a negative light. Looking back now, it's not the negativity I remember, but the humor and the nostalgia. The episode is full of great gags, from young Homer's chaotic trip that feels like a British comedy to the hilarious Betty Ford Center musical. And who could forget Bart's visit to the Mad Magazine offices? When I was a kid, the episode seemed a bit boring, but now, it's both a source of laughter and a bittersweet reminder of a different time.

Rewatching it now, the episode feels more like a time capsule. The way it portrays New Yorkers and, of course, the prominent and central role of the World Trade Center towers, serves as a p reminder of an era that felt more innocent and carefree. The humor and the references are still funny, but they're now laced with a layer of sadness. The episode has gone from simple sitcom story to a somber piece of pop culture history.