Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes? (27 Aug. 1992)

After Homer "wins" a $2000 settlement with the plant for radiation affecting his sperm count, his brother Herb comes to Springfield with an idea that could help him get his fortune back.

Director:

Rich Moore

Writers:

Matt Groening (creator), James L. Brooks (developed by),

Stars:

Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright

Cast

Episode cast overview:
Dan Castellaneta	...	Homer Simpson / Blue-Haired Lawyer / Homeless Man #2 / Newsreader / Gomer Pyle / Barney Gumble / Homeless Man #3 / Baby Representative (voice)
Julie Kavner	...	Marge Simpson (voice)
Nancy Cartwright	...	Bart Simpson / Baby at Park / Todd Flanders / Maggie Simpson / Baby #1 / Baby #2 (voice)
Yeardley Smith	...	Lisa Simpson (voice)
Hank Azaria	...	Body Fat Tester / Sergeant Carter / Carl / Moe Szyslak / Spine-Melter 2000 Salesman / Professor Frink / Father (voice)
Harry Shearer	...	Lenny / Waylon Smithers / Montgomery Burns / Homeless Man #1 / Announcer / Ned Flanders / Tom Brokaw (voice)
Maggie Roswell	...	Kristin Shepard / Maude Flanders / Woman at Park / Mother (voice)
Danny DeVito	...	Herb Powell (voice)
Joe Frazier	...	Himself (voice)

Storyline

During a routine plant physical, it is discovered that exposure to radiation has sterilized Homer. Mr. Burns pays him off with an elaborate employee appreciation ceremony, and a monetary award. Homer's half-brother Herb Powell, now a hobo, reads about it in the paper, and decide's that Homer's wealth can fund his idea for an invention that would transform baby gibberish into intelligible English.

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Plot Keywords:

radiation | half brother | settlement | baby | sperm | 

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Genres:

Animation | Comedy | Family

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 August 1992 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

20th Century Fox Television, Gracie Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Joe Frazier and Barney get into a fight. Originally Barney was going to win the fight but Joe Frazier objected so the script was changed so Barney lost.

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Quotes

Herb: Let me show you this.
[Herb sets a drinking bird mechanism on the table]
Homer: [amazed] It's drinking the water!
Herb: Take it easy, Homer. Now, this device shows how a product, carefully marketed...
Homer: This is the greatest invention in the world! You'll make a million dollars!
Herb: No, Homer, that invention is out already. Anyway ...
Homer: [chuckling] Heheheheh, it's going back for more!

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Connections

References 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

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Soundtracks

"A Mighty Fortress Is Our God"
(uncredited)
Music by Martin Luther

User Reviews

Season 3: Strong season that takes a second to warm up but is soon another overall step up for the show

I was surprised by how dramatic the step up in quality was between the first and second season of this show and in a way it was a little disappointing to find that the third season started out a little show. The first group of episodes included some that were not quite as good as the general quality of the previous season; they were still enjoyable but didn't quite have the spark and wit to them that I had assumed the show had achieved. I was only a little disappointed and this was offset as some classic episodes (Flaming Moe's for example) starting coming in.

From this point on I was surprised by how many "classic" episodes kept coming and how good generally the show was. Lots of smart references, laugh out loud moments, risky moments and generally very smart and enjoyable episodes. There are almost no weaker episodes and to be honest I'm not sure if I disliked the odd one here and there because I was over familiar with them rather than anything else. The animation isn't quite where it will be and some characters still seem a bit variable (Chief Wiggum for example) but I liked the way that side characters started to come more and more to the foreground, with some getting episodes focusing very much on them, while everyone else gets their parts fleshed out a little bit (Frink, Skinner, Willie and so on).

The voice work and delivery is great and rewards the great dialogue with great delivery. The guest stars become more common but are well used and are never once pandering or desperate (in the way it can often be with shows trying to get ratings), instead they add to the show and never overshadow the actual characters themselves. Although I do feel it started a little bit slowly, this was a great season and I really enjoyed how the classic episodes just kept coming. Very much looking to season 4 if it can keep the standard that the majority of this season set.