Not a bad start to the season. We've seen many "Homer gets a new job" episodes, but this doesn't fit the same sort of format (for one thing, he doesn't get the job)... Homer being depressed for one reason or another brings to mind such episodes as 5F21 (The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace) and DABF22 (How I Spent My Strummer Vacation) - both of which had the family try to cheer Homer up (and might I add all three of them used a celebrity to do so, although Stephen Colbert's character, I assume, is not a celebrity in the Simpsonverse), and aside from the obvious detail of revolving around private jets, the overall plot seemed a lot more down-to-earth, realistic, and character-exploring, and significantly less large-scale and Jerkass-Homerish. As you might have guessed, I tend to appreciate the more detailed examinations of such things, and here it was so detailed there wasn't even enough time for a subplot (as with a couple episodes in recent years, I think this rivals 7F10 for fewest lines spoken by Lisa). Some additional interesting points: that the bowling shoes would help Homer psychologically... the not-completely-linear storytelling for finding out (not just at first, but then how) Homer didn't land the job*... the way that technically he didn't seem to have quit SNPP anyhow (and also managed to avoid having to tell Marge he didn't get the job!). I wasn't nuts about some of the sillier aspects (Burns in fountain, driving the car through the house - esp. after the opening, Marge sucking in a tear), but we're in season 19. Stephen Colbert's appearance (which I did not know would be so early in the season!) was fun; I'm a big fan of him and TCR. Finally, I appreciated the special intro (I was aware of the blackboard gag ahead of time from a news blurb, didn't know about the rest) with respect to the movie - interestingly, the movie itself made enough of a step toward acknowledging the "everything will be back to normal" continuity problems that I wasn't even thinking about it! *I know he appeared downtrodden on the doorstep right after we saw the interview start... I had assumed, once he told the family the news, that he was merely still depressed about having to drive back and not fly!
DYN: ...all the exterior plane shots seemed to be done in 3D? ...maybe it's my eyes playing tricks, but Burns' suit seems to be a lot more green now than his usual blue/teal? (The Fox text credits background, incidentally, is also that color, compared to blue last year!) ...throughout the Itchy & Scratchy episode, none of the violence toward Scratchy seems to have a particularly malicious intent? ...Homer hasn't really been bowling in a while? (The last I can think of is FABF19.)
Previous episode references DABF12: Moe^H^H^H Burns gets a cell phone 1F16: Burns dying underwater DABF13, HABF08: Dan Castellaneta appears as himself (only named as such in HABF08 though) at SC theater 3F02: Homer gets wedged in the railing 7G11: Homer's bowling ball ("Homer") 5F06: "At least you tried" cake reminiscent of double-sided sign for Marge's realty exam 7G09, 5F12: Times Homer drove off a cliff (as he said he'd done) - there must be more but they aren't springing to mind 2F08: Homer attempts to fly a plane ??: "You'd think so, but no." I could have sworn I heard that a few times on the show recently - and by recently, I think I mean season 9 or 10 on DVD - but I can't seem to find those particular instances! (I think Grampa said it at least once.) I do come up with BABF01, DABF19, and GABF15, though. Anyone else care to remind me?
Meta-reference corner -The opening? Yeah. -Dan Castellaneta appears at the Second City theater, where he was in fact a member. (The other cast member sounded like a standard Tress MacNeille or possibly Pam Hayden voice.)