The Simpsons "Homer's Paternity Coot" - The Talkback

[tb4000]

Homer discovers that his mother had an affair with a dashing British lifeguard and that he may be his original father instead of Abe. It had some funny moments, but the storyline has been done before.

[SirLemming]

:sad:

I don't really know what else to say.

[BishopWells]

It was not very funny.

[CyberCubed]

Thank god Abe really is his father. The writers already did this once with Principal Skinner not really being his mother's son, so I was afraid they'd do it again.

The ending was heartwarming, I am a sucker for Grandpa/Homer moments.

One moment of messed up continuity, Bart said he didn't see his grandma in years? Besides the fact that he saw her twice, the Simpsons don't age!

[tb4000]

Anyone catch that couch gag where Homer dies in 2008, the same year the show is supposed to end?

[Hades]

It was a hilarious yet very lame episode. This goes with the halloween special as this season's worst episodes.

[Sr.Infierno]

This episode was great, I just dont get why these new episodes get so much crap from people

Maybe that's just becuase I started watching the Simpsons around '01, and havent seen any of the 90's episodes

[King_of_doom]

Well come on what do you want, there where the episodes of Herbert then with the Simpsons genes and can't remember others, it was kind of pointless doing this episode.

[Doopliss]

It wasn't that bad. There were some good jokes, I'd say that I enjoyed it. Although the plot could've been better.

[Classic Speedy]

This episode was nothing but a big "Screw You" to the audience, just like that awful "Don't Fear the Roofer" episode. How can one enjoy episodes like this when the plot changes its mind more than a schizophrenic on opposite day? I really wish the current Simpsons writers would stop trying to make these lame "long lost secrets" episodes and just focus on the family's daily dilemmas.

Aside from the clever bit with the severe tire damage forcing the drivers to pay the toll booth, this episode was abysmal. GRADE: D-

[Jazman]

Of course a bad one on the one of the few nights I watched. I read here for weeks how the show was getting back to steam, so my curiousity got the better of me, and bam, a bad ep.

It's like the lottery with me, one time I will catch the show on a good night.

It was a weak night overall for FOX, AD coming off as the winner of the night, closely behind is FG. This was a very distant 3rd.

[Quagmire]

and why was the letter delivered to the Simpsons at 742 Evergreen Terrace when they didn't live there 40 years ago? Wouldn't it have been delivered to the farm or wherever they were back then?

[Wussycat]

How could that guy be Homer's real father? Did they forget about Herb?

[Jazman]

I thought about that too. Weird.

[tb4000]

Ususally they acknowledge plot holes like that, but this time they just didn't. I half expected Lisa to mention the fact that the mail was delivered to their house and what about Unkie Herb. Though I assume the letter was sent to the family's house because the old house was gone.

[NeueZielZeon]

The events in this episode did not concern Homer's half-brother at all, as Herb wasn't born from Mona, rather a carnival worker which Abe had accidentally impregnated. So well Abe is indeed Herb's father, his mother is someone completely different.

[MGFanJay]

I loved this ep. It had an early season feel at times, beyond the "screw you" jokes. The animation was really inspired at times, which made up for some of the poor writing.

[Zubby]

Not a horrible episode, better than the last few from this season. It seemed kind of tired at times, but if that's the worst thing about it, it's doing pretty good for the Simpsons these days!

[SirLemming]

Okay, so now I've thought of some things to say about this episode.


I was definitely having some issues with what these various Springfieldians' ages must be (Frink was a scientist in the 1960's? Moe is like 50 years old?) but that's hardly the biggest concern in the episode. I'd say I liked the first act better than the rest of it. I did feel kind of insulted (I'm not completely sure why) by how the writers seem to just LOVE finding the most INSANE way to get to the main plot. I mean, they've bragged about it in interviews and stuff, about how the first act has nothing to do with the rest of the show, but you know what? It just, like, doesn't work well, most of the time. I felt like they were really just shoving it in my face here. But again, that wasn't the biggest problem with this episode either.

So what was the biggest problem? .......I dunno. I just didn't like it very much. It really had that old show smell. Like there was nothing particularly wrong with it but there was just a serious lack of interest or enthusiasm. Not very engaging. I really didn't care about who Homer's real father was.

Of course, the plot and resolution were both very clichéd. You know, who's his real father, maybe this guy is, but aww, Abe raised him so he might as well be his father, OH he is! But once again that probably wasn't the main problem.

[KefkaFloyd]

The only laughs I got in this ep were, oddly enough, the ones about roads.

[90'sCartoonMan]

Well come on what do you want, there where the episodes of Herbert then with the Simpsons genes and can't remember others, it was kind of pointless doing this episode. Yeah, I had that in the back of my mind, Abe had to be Homer's real father. An all right episode. Not as strong as some this season, and there weren't really any memorable lines. Although I did like Jimbo, Dolph, and Kearney's show.

[Peter Paltridge]

Wwwwwwell! Toniiiiight's Simpsons was reeeeeeally surpriiiiising! Who would have thouuuuuught that Abe might not be Homer's daaaaaad? And NOOOOW, I'll say a bit about overaaaacting! You see, when you overaaaact, you talk reeeeal slow, and EMPhasize areas that are COOOONtrary to natural speeeaking! Going through the Seeeeason SEVEN DVD's, I noticed the voice aaaacting was a lot more natural, and less haaaaammy!

I think I'll go find Julie KAAAAVNER and follow her around TAAAAALKING like this until she gets the POOOOOINT!

[Treadwell]

The events in this episode did not concern Homer's half-brother at all, as Herb wasn't born from Mona, rather a carnival worker which Abe had accidentally impregnated. So well Abe is indeed Herb's father, his mother is someone completely different.

Right, but he looks just like Homer (except for a little less...and a little more...), demonstrating that they have the same father.

Not that it bothers me.

[Neo Yi]

I didn't really hate the episode, but I didn't really cared much for it. I knew right form the start Abe was and still is Homer's father. That said, I did enjoy Jimbo, Kearney, and Dolph's show. Pretty durn hilarious and I DID like the heartfelt moment when Abe realized how happy Homer was with with his "new" father and so, switched their names on the cotton swap samples. Very touching.
~Neo

[Redi]

Everything was great until the real plot kicked in.

[Kanzel]

I thought everything was going well, until the show started.

[Narselon]

Was I the only one who thought about the Spiderman clone saga with the switching of the test results?

[John Pannozzi]

Happy 20th anniversary, Simpsons! (The Simpsons were created in 1986)

And I liked this episode.

[Master Moron]

I was definitely having some issues with what these various Springfieldians' ages must be (Frink was a scientist in the 1960's? Moe is like 50 years old?) but that's hardly the biggest concern in the episode. I'd say I liked the first act better than the rest of it. I did feel kind of insulted (I'm not completely sure why) by how the writers seem to just LOVE finding the most INSANE way to get to the main plot. I mean, they've bragged about it in interviews and stuff, about how the first act has nothing to do with the rest of the show, but you know what? It just, like, doesn't work well, most of the time. I felt like they were really just shoving it in my face here. But again, that wasn't the biggest problem with this episode either.


But, it does work. See, the thing about the Simpsons is if you catch an episode in syndication, chances are you won't even remember what the episode is about at first, because the first act will have nothing to do with the rest of the episode. So, you'll be more likely to watch to see what happens.

[SirLemming]

But, it does work. See, the thing about the Simpsons is if you catch an episode in syndication, chances are you won't even remember what the episode is about at first, because the first act will have nothing to do with the rest of the episode. So, you'll be more likely to watch to see what happens.
That means good marketing, not necessarily good writing.

[Treadwell]

Moe was a child actor in the "Our Gang" (aka "Little Rascals") shorts, so he would be in his eighties.

...if ya cared about that stuff. Bart's been a ten-year-old for 16 years, and graduated the fifth grade in the second season only to stay there (along with the rest of the students) afterward.

Ya just can't let yourself worry about it. ;)