Homer's Triple Bypass
| "Homer's Triple Bypass" | ||
|---|---|---|
Couch gag A very small Simpson family sits on a giant couch. | | |
| Commentary | Matt Groening Al Jean Mike Reiss Michael Carrington David Silverman | |
"Homer's Triple Bypass" is the eleventh episode of the
The episode was written by Gary Apple and Michael Carrington and directed by David Silverman.[1]
Plot
One evening while eating dinner in bed, Homer seems to be having heart problems but is not concerned. The next morning, Marge makes him oatmeal for breakfast but he rejects it in favor of bacon and eggs, despite the chest pains he has been feeling. Driving to work, he hears an irregular thumping noise, and is relieved when a gas station mechanic tells him the noise is coming from his heart, not his car.
At work, Mr. Burns observes Homer eating and sleeping on the job, so he berates and threatens to fire him for his gross incompetence. The stress is too much for Homer who eventually has a heart attack. Homer is then taken to the hospital, where Dr. Hibbert informs him and Marge that Homer needs a coronary artery bypass surgery, which will cost $30,000. Hearing this, Homer has another heart attack, and the fee rises to $40,000. Marge and Homer both worry they will not be able to afford the operation. Homer manages to obtain an insurance policy, but has another heart attack as he is signing the contract, which causes it to be immediately revoked. He then approaches leaders of various religious communities, hoping they will give him money, without success.
Finally, he decides to be treated by
Production
The idea for "Homer's Triple Bypass" was pitched by
The episode's production staff decided that David Silverman would be able to make the episode funny, so he was selected to direct it.[2] He went "all out" and did his best to make Homer's grimaces as humorous as possible, to keep the episode at least somewhat lighter in tone. Silverman added some special touches: for example, when Homer has an out of body experience, his foot was still touching his body to signify that he was not dead. A doctor acted as a medical consultant for the episode.[5]
The episode was to have concluded with Homer eating a pizza in his hospital bed following the operation, and with Marge asking a nurse where the pizza had come from. This reflects the earlier flashback scene where
Cultural references
The opening sequence of the episode is a parody of American reality show
Reception
In its original broadcast, "Homer's Triple Bypass" finished 16th in ratings for the week of December 14–20, 1992, with a
Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, authors of I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, called it "a cautionary tale that gives Dr Nick his biggest chance to shine." They also praised the "cloud goes up, cloud goes down" line.[1] IGN noted that the episode "introduced fans to one of the show's more endearing background players, Dr. Nick."[7] Krusty's line "this ain't make-up" is one of Matt Groening's favorite lines from the show.[8]
Nathan Rabin writes "A crisis brings out the best in everyone in 'Homer’s Triple Bypass', especially Homer. The episode’s superb writing, voice acting, and animation don’t just make an animated sitcom about a man on the brink of death palatable; the make it consistently hilarious and ultimately quite moving."[9]
References
- ^ a b c "Homer's Triple Bypass". BBC. Retrieved February 18, 2008.
- ^ a b c Jean, Al (2004). The Simpsons: The Complete Fourth Season Commentary for the Episode "Homer's Triple Bypass" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
- ^ a b Carrington, Michael (2004). The Simpsons: The Complete Fourth Season Commentary for the Episode "Homer's Triple Bypass" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
- ^ a b c Reiss, Mike (2004). The Simpsons: The Complete Fourth Season Commentary for the Episode "Homer's Triple Bypass" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
- ^ a b c Silverman, David (2004). The Simpsons: The Complete Fourth Season Commentary for the Episode "Homer's Triple Bypass" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
- ^ The Associated Press (December 24, 1992). "ABC's Arnolds rate high, but CBS is still no. 1". Sun-Sentinel. p. 4E.
- ^ Pirrello, Phil (November 30, 2007). "OCD: The Simpsons' Mr. McGreg". IGN. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
- ^ Groening, Matt (2004). The Simpsons: The Complete Fourth Season Commentary for the Episode "Homer's Triple Bypass" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
- ^ Rabin, Nathan. "The Simpsons (Classic): "Homer's Triple Bypass". The A.V. Club.
External links
