[The long of it]
Tonight's had a crappy beginning, which is why it was really terrific. The middle part of the show wasn't bad at all, so I enjoyed it. Unfortunately, the ending was a disappointment, because it was kind of crappy. Got all that?
"Homer the Moe" does not get off to an auspicious start -- or it doesn't *seem* to. Bart's digging a hole in the back yard, and the family worries about his new compulsion. (I'm thinking maybe they should have kept him on the Focusyn, after all.) Now, I knew in advance the plot had Homer opening a tavern to spite Moe, and I couldn't for the life of me figure how this opening would segue into the "real" plot. The story meanders on for a few minutes, and at the exact moment I'm wondering this is going, the story grinds to a halt and Moe asks, "Homer, is this story going anywhere?" The whole opening, it seems, really *was* a story Homer was telling at Moe's tavern (and given his tenuous grip on reality, you should take the events in it with a grain of salt). The writers have done this self- deprecating, "we know the show's going off the tracks" routine before, but this is one of the best ones I've seen in a while. The annoyance in Moe's voice helps, because now it doesn't seem like the writers are bragging about their shortcomings.
The entertaining main plot, once it gets rolling, suggests that the writers were trying to craft a good show instead of just excusing a bad one. Homer's story was the last straw for Moe -- he's fed up with his job, his tavern, and the customers who park themselves on his stools every night. Moe revisits his old bartending college, after making the questionable decision to leave Homer behind to run the place. This sequence features one of the best scenes in the show, when Bart tries to make one of his patented prank calls. Meanwhile, at the college one of his old professors tells him to shake things up at the tavern, Moe remodels it as chi-chi establishment with suspended video monitors, loud techno music, and even an oxygen bar. Homer remarks that the place looks like "an alien headquarters," and it's almost believable that it is. Old-school and cutting-edge cultures clash when Moe shows Homer and the other barflies around his new digs. The guys' puzzled reactions are a hoot, and Moe has a definition of "po-mo" that is succinct and on-the-nose.
You can probably guess that the new Moe's isn't Homer's kind of place, so he reacts by re-creating the old Moe's in his garage. There are some funny scenes here, like the drinking tune that Homer and the gang come up with. It's too bad that the story starts to deteriorate when Moe tries to get his old customers back. The ending has a rushed feel to it, as if the writers suddenly realized that they had five minutes of plot left, and less than two to show it. So the story bounces around a number of improbably places before winding up in slightly schmaltzy final scene with OFF, Moe, and guest stars R.E.M. Unlike the beginning, though, there's no clever punch line. Oh, well.
Speaking of R.E.M., they put in an okay appearance, but they sound a little flat. (In terms of acting, not singing.) U2, the other �ber- rocker of that era, came off as livelier and more fun, despite being stuck in a worse episode.
The writers take some risks with this story, some of which pay off, and some of which don't. Despite myself, I liked the literal pissing contest Moe uses to decide who will take over the tavern in his absence. (When Homer wins, Carl complains that "it was wind- assisted.") Another scene where Moe's professor meets his maker comes close to, but doesn't cross, the line. On the other hand, I didn't care much for Homer's callous treatment of Bart and Lisa in his makeshift bar.
So, "Homer the Moe" is a little like one of he shaggy-dog stories told by one of Moe's regulars. It isn't always expertly told, but it has its memorable moments. It's worth pulling up a stool and taking a listen.
[The short of it]
"Homer the Moe" had a good pseudo-bad beginning, and a funny middle section, but is let down by a shaky, rushed ending. Until then, it's an entertaining story of what happens when Moe turns his bar into an upscale snob haven. The blue-collar meets tragically-hip aspect of the story is solidly funny, and I liked Homer's retaliatory attempt to turn his garage into the next "old" Moe's. R.E.M. is okay if not spectacular as Homer's house band. Despite some risky jokes that don't pay off, and the weak ending, this is an entertaining bar story. (B)
[DYNs]
... the student juggling a liquor bottle on the Swigmore campus? ... Formica doesn't seem to mind Moe speaking his name?
[References]
"The Time Machine" (novel) - Homer mentions the Morlocks
"Happy Days" (TV series) - Homer imitates the Fonz, including rapping the jukebox to repair it, and using "-mundo" to emphasize words
Formica (building material) - Moe's design consultant has this apt name
M&Ms (candy) - Moe's new logo looks like the "m" printed on this candy's shell - the similarity is reinforced when two searchlights project two m's next to each other in the sky
"Mystery Science Theater 3000" (TV series) - Lenny uses MST3K catch phrase, "not-too-distant future" describing Moe's new bar
"I Love Rock and Roll" (song) - Homer sings his anti-Moe song to the Joan Jett tune
[Previous Episode References]
[AABF22] Bart's unbalanced behavior worries the family
[9F09] Homer gets defibrillated
[4F13] "Sweet Valley High" series of books mentioned
[3F02] Moe reinvents his tavern
[3F15] Signature phrase "not-to-distant" future used to describe
a building
[AABF23] CBG says, "I had a mouse" after being kicked out of a theater
(cf. Homer saying "I had a hat")
[2F01] This might have been the robot Homer was building
[BABF17] The Devil's Advocate pinball machine resurfaces in the garage[FFF]
College clock:
NO
DRINKING 5
5 5
5 / 5
5 \ 5
5 \ 5
5 5
5 BEFORE
5:00[Oops!]
+ Moe didn't seem to know a lot about mixed drinks in "Flaming Moe (8F03)."
[Personal Comments & Observations]
The song that Homer and pals originally dance to is "Woolly Boolly." I don't know what the other tune is, alas.
The band playing at "Homer's Tavern" was none other than R.E.M., one of the most influential alternative rock bands of the late 80s and early 90s (right up until Nirvana took primacy). They are made up of front man Michael Stipe (the bald guy), guitarist Peter Buck (the guy with the dark hair and big eyebrows), and bassist Mike Mills (the blond guy with the glasses). Had the guys gotten around to guest- voicing on the show earlier, they could have brought their drummer Bill Berry, but he took a permanent vacation from the group a couple years ago.
At the garage, the boys were playing a staple of their live show, "It's the End of World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)." When this song came out in 1987, college students the world over put a lot of effort into deciphering the lyrics; Homer doesn't even come close, but it doesn't really seem to matter.
R.E.M., and especially Stipe, always had a strong left-leaning social conscience. The scene where the band swept up the broken bottle for recycling probably isn't that far off from reality. R.E.M. was one of the first bands to invite activist groups (like Motor Voter and the ECO environmental group) along on their tours. Lisa might also be interested to know that Michael Stipe helped start a vegetarian restaurant in the Atlanta area.
The somewhat cynical among us might point out that R.E.M. and "The Simpsons" have something in common: Both peaked about ten years ago and, while they still garner respect, aren't quite as good and hip as they used to be. But that's just what the cynical people say.