Season 8 is the last of the great series of The Simpsons (though season 9 is still good), with a number of classic episodes, Treehouse of Horror VII, You Only Move Twice, A Milhouse Divided, Lisa's Date with Density, The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show, Homer's Phobia, Brother from Another Series, Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment, Grade School Confidential and Homer's Enemy are some of my favourite episodes of all time, not just in this series. The Homer They Fall is another classic episode from this series and one I love.
After getting beating up Homer discoveries that he has a medical defect that prevent him falling down during a fight. Moe discovers this ability and shows his past as a ex-boxer. He offers Homer a chance in a new career. The problem is Homer lack of physical fitness prevent him from actually fighting so the strategy is to let his opponent trier from over punching. Homer fight some local hobos and he quickly raises up the ranks. This coincides with the release with Drederick Tatum, the Simpsons' parody of Mike Tyson. Homer is offered the chance to contend for the World Heavyweight Championship.
What makes this episode so great is a cleverly written script setting out an organic process about how Homer would have fought against a heavyweight professional. Modern Simpsons episodes would go straight for the jugular loosing both its heart and its head. There are excellent jokes, verbal and physical. The physical humour is Homer getting hurt which is always fun to see. As well as the jokes there is also excellent parody of Boxing as sport and the personalities involved. There is the obvious parodies of Mike Tyson and Don King, and of the sport itself when at it's highest levels. One of the best bits showing this is seeing the Springfield celebrities in the crowd before the fight. There are also parodies of the great boxing films like Raging Bull and Rocky, which was tastefully done. Finally there are subtle little reference the Simpsons' writers themselves with some small background details.
A great Simpsons episode.
After getting beating up Homer discoveries that he has a medical defect that prevent him falling down during a fight. Moe discovers this ability and shows his past as a ex-boxer. He offers Homer a chance in a new career. The problem is Homer lack of physical fitness prevent him from actually fighting so the strategy is to let his opponent trier from over punching. Homer fight some local hobos and he quickly raises up the ranks. This coincides with the release with Drederick Tatum, the Simpsons' parody of Mike Tyson. Homer is offered the chance to contend for the World Heavyweight Championship.
What makes this episode so great is a cleverly written script setting out an organic process about how Homer would have fought against a heavyweight professional. Modern Simpsons episodes would go straight for the jugular loosing both its heart and its head. There are excellent jokes, verbal and physical. The physical humour is Homer getting hurt which is always fun to see. As well as the jokes there is also excellent parody of Boxing as sport and the personalities involved. There is the obvious parodies of Mike Tyson and Don King, and of the sport itself when at it's highest levels. One of the best bits showing this is seeing the Springfield celebrities in the crowd before the fight. There are also parodies of the great boxing films like Raging Bull and Rocky, which was tastefully done. Finally there are subtle little reference the Simpsons' writers themselves with some small background details.
A great Simpsons episode.