The reason why this episode is considered a classic is due to its well-directed scenes, being released during a time when the series was well-produced and well-directed, allowing the humor to thrive.
However, unfortunately, I found some flaws. The plot begins with an absurd justification compared to what we are accustomed to, and this time the guest star cameo by James Taylor hinders the enjoyment of the episode. There are many instances where it's done well to not disrupt the plot. Unfortunately, here it has not been done well to avoid disrupting the plot.
With the viewing method I invented, I found a platinum era within its golden age. For me, that platinum era ended in season 4 when the therapeutic value of the series began to decline. From then on, the series experimented with increasingly fantastical or implausible plots. This episode, belonging to season 5, clearly shows that it is outside the platinum era of the series.
It still has great moments of brilliance, but they are characteristic of the golden era, not the platinum era, such as the portrayal of Barney's inner monster wanting to resurface to lead him back into drinking. However, in season 4, this was portrayed in a more masterful way, imitating Spencer Tracy's Dr. Jekyll and with Clausen's music imitating that of the film.
The best part of this episode is the training sequence and Homer opening the bag of potato chips and speaking of it as if it were our Mother Earth.