Homer the Heretic

Infobox Simpsons episode
episode_name = Homer the Heretic

| image_caption = Homer is visited by God in a dream.
episode_no = 62
prod_code = 9F01
airdate = October 8, 1992
show runner = Al Jean & Mike Reiss
writer = George Meyer
director = Jim Reardon
blackboard = "I will not defame New Orleans"
couch_gag = The sofa swivels round into the wall, and an empty sofa assumes its place.cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season4/page4.shtml|title=Homer the Heretic|accessdate=2008-01-20|author=Martyn, Warren; Wood, Adrian |date=2000|publisher=BBC]
guest_star =
commentary = Matt Groening
Al Jean
George Meyer
Jim Reardon
season = 4

"Homer the Heretic" is the third episode of "The Simpsons"' fourth season, which originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 8, 1992. [cite video | people=Groening, Matt|year=2004|title=The Simpsons Season 4 DVD commentary for the episode "Homer the Heretic"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox] In the episode, Homer decides to forgo going to church and has an excellent time staying home. His behavior quickly attracts the wrath of God, who visits him in a dream. The episode was written by George Meyer and directed by Jim Reardon. [cite video | people=Groening, Matt; Meyer, George; Reardon, Jim|year=2004|title=The Simpsons Season 4 DVD commentary for the episode "Homer the Heretic"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox] The chalkboard gag from this episode was a reference to the previous episode's controversy involving various insults in a musical.cite video | people= Jean, Al|year=2004|title=The Simpsons Season 4 DVD commentary for the episode "Homer the Heretic"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox]

Plot

On a very cold Sunday morning, Marge is gathering the family to go to church. After viewing the weather outside Homer refuses to go. He then proceeds to have the best day of his life. He sleeps in late, dances in his underwear (à la Tom Cruise in the film "Risky Business"), makes his own brand of waffles, wins a radio trivia contest, watches an action-packed football game, and finds a penny under the couch. Homer attributes all his good fortune to skipping church. Meanwhile, Marge and the kids shiver their way through a rambling sermon, only to find themselves trapped at the end since the door has frozen shut. After finally being freed by Groundskeeper Willie and his blowtorch, Marge is unable to start the car because of the freezing temperature. When they finally get home, Marge is horrified to hear that Homer intends to never go to church again. Marge becomes very upset with Homer. She does her best to persuade him, but to no avail. After falling asleep, Homer has a dream in which God personally appears to him. God is very angry at Homer for "forsaking his church." Homer points out that "I'm not a bad guy, I work hard, and I love my kids...so why should I spend half my Sunday hearing about how I'm going to hell?" God agrees with Homer's point and agrees to let Homer worship him in his own way. Homer then starts his own religion tailored to his own personal tastes.

Marge, Reverend Lovejoy, and Ned Flanders all attempt to convert Homer back to Christianity and fail. The next Sunday morning, Homer is once again at home while everyone else is at church. While smoking a cigar, he falls asleep on the couch and the cigar ignites some magazines. Soon, the whole house is ablaze. Homer wakes up but quickly succumbs to the thick smoke. Apu spots the fire, and summons the Springfield volunteer fire department (of which Krusty the Clown is also a member). Meanwhile, Ned Flanders sees the fire and rushes to rescue Homer, pulling him free of the house just as the fire department arrives. After the blaze is extinguished, Homer fears that God was delivering vengeance. Reverend Lovejoy suggests that God was actually working in the hearts of Homer's friends, despite their different faiths. Lovejoy convinces Homer to give church another try. Homer comes to church the next Sunday, but sleeps through the service. God appears in his dreams again and consoles Homer on the failure of his religion. God starts to tell Homer the meaning of life, but the viewers never hear it because God is cut off by the credits. [cite web|url=http://www.thesimpsons.com/episode_guide/0403.htm|title="Homer the Heretic"|accessdate=2008-01-20|publisher=The Simpsons.com]

Production

. This was also the first episode from season four that was read to the production team. The first read of the year is usually a little nerve-racking for the team, but it read very well, particularly some of the visuals in the third act such as the house on fire and Homer being rescued by Flanders.

This was the first episode of "The Simpsons" where the animation was produced by Film Roman. Up until this point, Film Roman had mostly worked on "Garfield and Friends" episodes, and were not used to the breakneck speed with which Simpsons episodes were produced, however they quickly adjusted. Film Roman went on to do the animation for the rest of the series and eventually "The Simpsons Movie". Previously, the animation was produced by Klasky-Csupo. [cite video | people= Reardon, Jim; Jean, Al|year=2004|title=The Simpsons Season 4 DVD commentary for the episode "Homer the Heretic"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox]

The chalkboard gag for this episode, "I will not defame New Orleans", was made as an apology to the citizens of New Orleans after it was musically insulted in the previous episode. [cite video | people= Jean, Al|year=2004|title=The Simpsons Season 4 DVD commentary for the episode "A Streetcar Named Marge"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox]

As with Mr. Plow, this is one of the few television episodes that prominently featured snow outside of Christmas or Thanksgiving. [cite video | people=Vitti, Jon|year=2004|title=The Simpsons Season 4 DVD commentary for the episode "Mr. Plow"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox]

The abrupt cutting off of God's voice before he reveals the meaning of life was intended to be cut off by a voiceover promo for whatever FOX program that aired after "The Simpsons". However, FOX did not pick up on this and so God's voice was instead cut off by the show's credits.

Cultural references

The brand label on Homer's shower radio reads "No Soap, Radio!," so-named for the punch line of a well-known practical joke. The scene where Homer dances in his underwear to the song "Short Shorts" is almost identical to the scene in the 1983 Tom Cruise film, "Risky Business."Homer watches the Three Stooges on television and he mentions that Moe is the leader. In Homer's second dream with God Jimi Hendrix is playing air hockey with Ben Franklin.

Reception

Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, the authors of the book "I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide", loved the episode. They described it as "A brilliant episode, underlining everything that The Simpsons is about. Homer hates church, Marge wants the kids to see Homer as an example, and everyone pulls together in the end. Good stuff, and if God really is like that, he's a groovy kind of guy." In 2004 ESPN.com released a list of the Top 100 Simpsons sport moments, ranking Ben Franklin and Jimi Hendrix's air hockey game, a scene from the episode, at #83.cite news | last = Collins | first = Greg | title = The Simpsons Got Game | publisher = ESPN.com | date = January 23, 2004 | url = http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page3/story?page=Simpsons%20Sports%20Moments1 | accessdate = 2008-04-05]

The writers of the FOX program "King of the Hill" put "Homer the Heretic" among the five best episodes of "The Simpsons", including "Brother from the Same Planet", "Lisa's Wedding", "Lisa's Substitute", and "Behind the Laughter".cite news | last =Staff | title ='King' scribes chime in with best bets | work =Variety | page =A8 | publisher =Reed Elsevier Inc. | date =February 13, 2003] When asked to pick his favorite season out of "The Simpsons" seasons one through twenty, Paul Lane of the "Niagara Gazette" picked season four and highlighted "Brother from the Same Planet" and "Mr. Plow" which he called "excellent", along with "the sweetly funny" "Lisa's First Word", and "Homer the Heretic". [cite news | last =Dzikiy | first =Phil | coauthors =Paul Lane | title =TELEVISION: 20 years - A 'Simpsons' extravaganza | work =Niagara Gazette | date =September 25, 2008 ]

References

External links

*snpp capsule|9F01