...Bart commanded his Game Boy to "stab stab stab," but in the game Itchy was using a mallet on Scratchy? ...Skinner brings the Springfield Elementary Photography Club sign to the mall for their meeting? ...the sinful protagonist ("Mr. Thompson") of "Left Below" is behaving quite similarly to Homer in "Homer the Heretic"? ...Homer makes his first prediction of the Rapture on Wednesday, May 11, three days after this episode's first airing (aired on 5/8; the Rapture is on 5/18, "one week from today")? ...Ron Howard, Rosie O' Donnell, Joan Collins, and Bette Midler (?) on the celebrity Duff blimp? ...Flanders is on the "Heaven or Bust" bus, even though Homer lied to him about his "Pre-Rapture party"? ...it appears that Carl's Rapture buddy is Moleman (they sit next to each other on the bus)? ...Moe believes Homer's predictions, even though he's a snake handler (9F01)? ...Lenny and Carl believe in the Rapture event though they're practicing Buddhism in "She of Little Faith" (although they are admittedly bad at it)? ...Homer's second predicted Rapture takes place at 3:15 AM on 05/19? ...the vines creeping around the pillars in Heaven? ...leprechauns exist (at least as laborers in Heaven)? ...anything can be had in Heaven by wishing, but they still have to _build_ the waterslide? ...Satan walks on the lava? ...God's office chair has no base (it just floats)? ...Heaven has its own time? ...God apparently doesn't know what happened to Jesus on Earth? ...there's trash in Heaven (and it doesn't look like they recycle)? ...Homer's second request of God actually _aided_ his alcoholism? ...there are only 9 people in Homer's "Last Supper" at Moe's?
- How did Homer know his prediction date for the Rapture was for _this_ year? - For that matter, how did he know if the Rapture time was AM or PM? - Why would the blimp open up and drop all the stars just because it was hit? - While the town is waiting for the Rapture, their balloons deflate, yet they are still floating high - When God asks Homer "what's wrong," a sixth toe (next to His big toe) vacillates in and out (I guess it fits well with His 3 eyes and 5 thighs from DABF08) - Do I even have to say it? Homer's watch disappears after he wakes up on the mesa. - So God turned back time to prevent the Rapture, but in the case of Moe's, turned back time even more to prevent Moe from selling to the Japanese businessmen? So Moe's is now in a time warp?
Doomsday for Springfield: 8F04: Near-meltdown at the Nuclear Plant 8F02: Alien invasion* 9F04: The dead walk* 2F11: Comet heading straight for town 3F04: Billboard characters come to life and ravage Springfield* 3F08: Nuclear weapon detonated 4F02: Kang elected as U.S. President and enslaves humanity* 4F07: Destructive hurricane 4F14: Springfield Dam collapses 5F02: Springfield destroyed in French nuclear attack* 5F05: Doomsday prediction written on the skeleton of an "angel" AABF14: The Rapture/Apocalypse comes BABF01: Global Y2K meltdown* BABF21: Dolphins take over* EABF06: Flood DABF19: Zombies rise to take over an unarmed Springfield* FABF23: Nuclear Plant catastrophe destroys Springfield* GABF14: Homer predicts the Rapture * THOH episodes
8F17: Bart gets a haircut 9F02, 3F18, EABF20: Lisa gets a haircut ("I finally look like a real person!") 9F08: Bart shaves Lisa's hair 9F01: The character "Mr. Thompson" from "Left Below" has a similar attitude as Homer the heretic 2F02: "It's the Rapture! Quick, get Bart out of the house before God comes!" 1F15: Mistaken signs of the Apocalypse 3G01: Whale being transported by unorthodox means 1F04, BABF14: Dogs Playing Poker painting BABF22: Homer uses math to figure out religion 5F05: Doomsday prediction 3F13: Homer uses a bell to spread news 2F11: Homer makes a prediction that is actually correct GABF04: Someone alludes to Lenny and Carl's possible homosexuality 5F05: Lisa is skeptical about the coming of Judgment Day EABF01: Jimbo, Kearny, and Dolph affirming their interest in Christianity FABF09: Homer claps his hands like a sea creature 9F01, 9F09, BABF21, FABF23: Homer in Heaven 3F24: Homer has a mysterious dream voyage DABF07: Farrah Fawcett poster (with Homer posing as Farrah) EABF19: Inanimate bears attack 7F10: OFF member takes an escalator to Heaven 9F01, EABF06: God appears GABF07: Jesus appears AABF14: The Rapture/Apocalypse EABF06: Doomsday disaster
"Who Let the Dogs Out" (song) "Who Wants Their Hair Cut" has similar lyrics and beat
"Left Behind" (book series) "Left Below" movie refers to this popular book series about the Rapture and the tribulations of those left behind
In-N-Out Burger In 'N' Out Devils' Food Cakes
iPod (digital music player) iGod poster in Christian Bookstore featuring the famous iPod dancing silhouette
"Charlie's Angels" (TV show) Krusty thought he was getting Charlie's Angels; Farrah Fawcett picture in Homer's room in Heaven
Nostradamus (famous French prophet) CBG calls Homer "Nostra-dumbass"
"Superman" (movie) Superman turns back time in this film
This episode was a 180 from "Homer the Heretic" and still good. I loved the haircut templates, the number of Filipinos in the Bible (zero), Jesus on the swing, and The Last Supper at Moe's. Homer was not "crazy jerkass Homer," kind of like he was when spouting his revelations in "The Computer Wore Menace Shoes," or "abusing religion Homer" in "Pray Anything." He had a good reason for getting interested in the Rapture (wanting to get into Heaven by saving others), and the writers did a great job of wrapping up "The DaVinci Code" and "Left Behind" phenomena in one episode. Great pacing and great gags, despite the continuity error with turning back time and Moe selling the bar. This season is ending with a string of great episodes. Grade: A-
Heaven-Time Assuming that the clocks in God's office are arranged right to left/west to east (New York, London, Tokyo, Heaven), then Heaven is on the same time as New Zealand and Fiji (UTC/GMT +12 hours). I guess the Australians (or at least their neighbors) are finally getting the last laugh on The Simpsons.
- Many socially conservative people thought 1989 was the "The Year of Armageddon" - it's the year The Simpsons premiered.
- Tonight, both The Simpsons and American Dad featured characters wearing wigs.