Revenge Is a Dish Best Served Three Times

Infobox Simpsons episode
episode_name = Revenge is a Dish Best Served Three Times
episode_no = 389
prod_code = "JABF05"
airdate = January 28, 2007
show runner = Al Jean
writer = Joel H. Cohen
director = Michael Polcino
guest_star =
blackboard =
couch_gag = All of the Simpsons are infants who crawl to the couch while "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" plays in the background (replacing the normal music). When they reach the couch, everyone grows up to their normal ages (save Maggie, who is already a baby).


image_caption = Bartman Begins.
season = 18 "Revenge is a Dish Best Served Three Times" is the eleventh episode of "The Simpsons"' eighteenth season, which originally aired on January 28, 2007. It was written by Joel H. Cohen, and directed by Michael Polcino. 8.1 million people watched this episode.

Plot

After the Simpsons' car is cut off by the Rich Texan, Homer's lust for revenge prompts his family to tell three stories of vengeance, hoping to convince Homer that pursuing revenge is not a good idea.

The Count of Monte Fatso

Marge offers a cautionary tale of revenge from 19th-century France, loosely based on Alexandre Dumas's "The Count of Monte Cristo".

Moe breaks up Homer and Marge's marriage by framing Homer as an English traitor. When Moe marries Marge, Homer, now in a French prison, swears revenge. His cellmate, Mr. Burns, tells him to find treasure through a tunnel he dug. Homer finds the riches and becomes the Count of Monte Cristo. Five years later, Homer invites Moe and Marge to a party at his mansion, where Homer kills Moe in a home-made revenge machine. However, Marge angrily rebuffs him for killing her husband. It is revealed that Bart and Lisa also loved Moe, and that he and Marge had had triplets. Back at the present, Marge tells Homer that revenge can lead to misery, but finds that Homer has been listening to a Jamaican music station instead of her story, and all he got from it was a reminder that he had a revenge to carry out. In a throw-away line, Homer also claims that he shot Mr. Burns and placed the blame on Maggie, although this is most likely a joke by the writers, since Mr. Burns himself identified Maggie as the shooter.

Revenge of the Geeks

Titled as an parody on the movies "Revenge of the Nerds" and "Revenge of the Sith", Lisa's story revolves around Milhouse's campaign to fight back against the school bullies, and the consequences when he goes too far.

Tired of being bullied by Jimbo, Dolph and Kearney, the geeks plan their revenge. In the science lab, Martin reveals his latest creation, The Getbackinator, an awesome weapon of mass destruction. Milhouse—the only geek with any hand-eye coordination—uses the weapon on the bullies, but then begins attacking anyone who has ever wronged him, including Martin (for accidentally hitting him with a shuttlecock), Richard (for being more popular with girls), and Wendell (for not giving him "Chinese cuts" in the lunch line). Milhouse even shoots a kid who had never done anything to him, claiming it is 'prevenge'. Milhouse gives Groundskeeper Willie an Ultimate Noogie which cuts his head off, killing him. Lisa eventually convinces Milhouse to stop, and he reluctantly throws the device away. Nelson then returns from an absence due to mumps, finds the weapon and turns it on the geeks. Homer likes the story because it has what he likes in a story: an ending. Lisa says the moral is that revenge can make you as bad as the person who harms you. Homer argues the moral should be "never put down your weapon".

Bartman Begins

Bart recounts Bartman's "origin story", based on Batman's origin as revealed in the film "Batman Begins".

After leaving the Gotham City Opera House, Homer and Marge are killed by Snake Jailbird in a dark alley. Homer pleads Bart to avenge him in. Bart does as his father says and swears revenge on Snake, giving birth to his superhero ego, Bartman with the help of his grandpa (who was the Crimson Cuckatoo and suggested Bart being The Crimson Cuckaboy). He flies around Gotham City, defeating enemies on his way for justice. The villain's Springfieldians identities are Otto Mann (The Toker), Ned Flanders (The Diddler), Hans Moleman (Mr. Mole), Patty and Selma Bouvier (Sugar and Spice), and Lenny (Poison Lenny), who was a transvestite. When Serpent, Snake's alter ego, attempts to steal the "Stealable Jewels of the Orient" from the Gotham Natural History Museum, Bartman arrives, saves the Jewels, and kills Serpent by impaling him on the fangs of a snake statue. In the end, a reporter (played by Lisa), reminds Bartman that the Serpent's death will not revive his parents. Bartman agrees, but adds that he now feels better and has gained zillions of dollars and freedom from his parents. Unlike the first two segments, this story implies revenge is satisfying; nevertheless, while Bart was telling the story Homer reconciled with the Rich Texan after discovering they are both from Connecticut.

End Credits

At the end, the credits read "Dedicated to all who died in the Star Wars films". The list includes: Darth Vader, Darth Maul, Greedo, Uncle Owen, Storm Trooper #5, Jango Fett, General Grievous (Droid), Storm Trooper #22, Dak, Obi Wan (Ben) Kenobi, "Whoever Jimmy Smits Played" (Bail Organa), Hutt, Jabba the, Sy Snoodles, "Unfortunately, not Jar-Jar Binks," and "everyone on both Death Stars when they blew up".

Cultural references

*The title is a play on the phrase "Revenge is a dish best served cold".
*At the Springfield Elementary School's library there's a cut out of Adolf Hitler holding Mein Kampf with a talk bubble saying "Before I was a Nazi leader, I was a Nazi reader."
*Willie asks "Hey Milhouse, what's with the Power Glove?"
*Lenny and Carl's comments on the "rat helmet" is an allusion to the "George Orwell" novel "Nineteen Eighty-Four".
*Bart's story, Bartman Begins, is a parody of the movie Batman Begins.
**The Bartman in this episode is different than the one in Three Men and a Comic Book, and the comic book series. In that episode Bartman was simply Bart wearing a purple mask around the top of his head. This Bartman is Bart in a complete Batman outfit, sans Bat-emblem.

External links

* [http://www.tv.com/the-simpsons/revenge-is-a-dish-best-served-three-times/episode/914677/summary.html?tag=ep_list;title;10 "Revenge Is A Dish Best Served Three Times"] at TV.com

References