Homer's Odyssey

SEASON-1 (Episode- 3)- Original Air Date: 21 January 1990

In this episode Mrs. Krabappel, the class teacher was grouping up students and getting them prepared for the group excursion to the thermal power station. All the students of that class, including Bart Simpson were gathered in Springfield Elementary school. Once the bus chauffeur, Otto pulled up at the road side, all other students got inside the bus to look for their seats except for Bart. Bart was still blabbering away with Otto while standing outside the bus, when Mrs. Krabappel shouted at him so as to make him enter the bus. Bart scampered once he got inside the bus and got to know that the only seat available was next to Wendell, who had vomiting tendency and he managed to throw up during all the bus journeys. Soon the bus ride began and Bart tried his level best to remain in his best behavior. The teacher alarmed Bart that if he made any commotion, he would have to undergo the punishment of singing in front of the entire class. Two girls named Sherri and Terri, who sat right behind Bart, thought of creating more problems for him. So they both kissed Bart on his cheek which resulted in Bart shrieking out loud! Mrs. Krabappel forced Bart to sing in front of the entire class as she had warned earlier. As the bus came to a halt, Bart complimented Wendell for not throwing up during the bus ride and tapped him at the back. As a result, Wendell threw up at that instant.

When everyone got inside the power station, Mr. Smithers switched on a film based on atomic power in the small movie theater. The main actor happened to be a tiny fictional character named Smilin’ Joe Fission who gave all the descriptions about the atomic power. When the movie was over, Mr. Smithers let the children have a look around the power station. The other children participated in the tour when Sherri and Terri explained to Bart about the fact that their father was an employee at the power station. They also mentioned that their father had mentioned to them about Homer Simpson, who happened to be Bart’s father as an inefficient employee!

On that very same day, Homer was chewing on a doughnut by sitting on his motor vehicle. After informing his colleague, that Bart would soon arrive there along with his class, he quickly drove away in order to look for him. The school boys and girls continued their journey along the sidewalk which appeared on the top level of the working field of the power station. Just underneath that, Homer could be seen with his cart. As Bart noticed his dad, he called for him. While waving back, homer was looking in the upward direction and failed to notice what he was heading for. Mr. Simpson accidentally bumped into the air pipe and poisonous gas began to spread out. The team leader was right there when the incident occurred and he immediately wanted to know who had done such a miserable thing! Homer was being pointed by all the employees and the team leader declared him as “fired!” The team leader perceived his two daughters, Sherri and Terri and waved at them. The daughters did the same and a degraded Bart just hid his face in shame!

Next day during breakfast, the Simpson family encouraged homer in getting another job, as he sat there all blue! By hearing all their words, homer found some high hopes and went in search of a job. Soon he found out that the only thing happening to him, through out the day were doors being slammed right on his face. He could no more hope for a new job and he entered Moe’s Tavern in order to get rid of his stress. Moe answered a phone call as Homer started drinking. Actually it was Bart making a phony call at that time. Homer wanted to have another drink and soon he got to know by reaching his pocket that he could not afford to buy anymore. So he just headed towards home.

Later when Homer reached home safely, he discussed about his experiences and thoughts while searching for a job with Mrs. Simpson. His wife, Marge expressed sympathy towards him and admitted that she was ready to work being a waitress, just the way she had been when she was single.

The next morning Marge Simpson left for work and Homer lay on the sofa. Although his children tried their level best to make him happy, he remained sad and did not respond to them. During night time, he saw a Duff beer advertisement and sat upright. He went to the kitchen and after walking about for a while, he looked inside the fridge for a beer. He got infuriated since he could not find any and he went to Bart’s room to get his son’s piggy bank. As Bart slept, Homer stole that bank and went back to the kitchen. After he broke the money bank open, he found out that Bart did not even have adequate amount of money which would allow Homer to buy a can of beer. Once Homer’s realization dawned, he felt how low he had been due to what he had just done. The only solution which came to his mind was by giving up his own life. Hence, he wrote a goodbye letter to his family about the fact that he had no intention of being alive and left his home. The idea of jumping off the bridge crossed his mind and he tied himself up with a huge rock. With tears rolling down his cheeks, he perceived his home for one final time and carried the rock with him while walking along the road.

Lisa Simpson, who happened to be Bart’s sister, went to her mother’s room along with her brother. Both the siblings woke their mom up just because they thought that they had been mugged. Bart found out that his piggy bank was missing and realized that it was stolen but the moment his sister was the first one to observe Homer’s letter, the entire family sighed!

As homer kept on traveling, he reached a junction where no STOP symbol existed and was nearly run down by an approaching car. As he arrived onto the bridge and was just about to leap, the Simpson family which included Homer’s wife and children shouted at him and stopped him from doing whatever he was about to do. When Marge, Lisa and Bart altogether dashed towards Homer, they were also about to get run down by another car. But at that instant, Homer got into the way and pushed away his wife and children in order to save them. He explained to them that the junction was too unsafe and suggested that a “STOP” symbol must be put in that place. A light beam fell on his head and he got to realize that he had a motive for being alive and that was by making the junction safer.

Next morning Homer proposed of putting a “STOP” symbol at the unsafe junction of 12th and D Street. With his proposal being accepted, a rather surprised Homer realized the motive of staying alive and wanted to do a campaign where he could make the entire Springfield safe. A montage of newspaper headings resulted in recording down of Homer’s new ideas, symbols as well as increasing support of the general people. During the following week, the whole city was full of safety symbols but still Homer felt as if he should have done more and he thought of making the thermal power station safer, than it ever has been. Afterwards, Homer stood in front of the volunteering crowd in the power station and declared about the fact that the power station lacked safety. Mr. Burns scowled down his office window in order to look at Homer and commanded Smithers to bring Homer to his office so that he could talk to Homer Simpson in person. Smithers did as he was told to do so and sent Homer to Mr. Burn’s office. When Homer met Mr. Burns, he was offered a job as the safety inspector of the power station. After thinking for a while, Homer approved of it. Mr. Burns told homer that his first task was to go to the terrace and lie to people by declaring them that the nuclear power station was completely safe. At first Homer hesitantly went up to the terrace but when he was about to lie, he changed his mind and went back inside, confessing that he could not perform the task of lying. Mr. Burns got to realize that Homer was a very loyal worker and he had a passion for safety, and thus kept him as the safety inspector. Homer became happy and went back to the terrace in order to declare about his new job. The entire crowd greeted him while he started dancing like a celebrity on the terrace surface. While doing that, he got so excited that although he was the safety inspector, he fell off the terrace! The crowd managed to catch him from underneath and carried him along while they kept on chanting the word, “Homer.”