I liked Homer's arc. It reminded me of the "impressionable Homer" plots of a decade ago, but funnier, more bearable, and less jerk-assy (actually that last one was kind of the point, wasn't it). Bart's nuclear secrets thing was serviceable... I did wonder how it would be resolved, and I am intrigued that it wasn't made clear whether Homer's shoddy plant (after he jumped in to save Bart) was an intentional gambit or not.
DYN: ...the old shows are properly pillarboxed on the new widescreen TV? (Usually such care isn't taken to keep the aspect ratio period- accurate. But on the other hand, when we see it being watched, it seems more like a square than 4:3, which is just odd.) ...Homer doesn't want to kiss in front of the refrigerator, but casts a guilty glance at a corner it's not in? ...Moe, or a lookalike, is transformed by the alien's ray in the Fresh Prince alien show? ...the "CIA" (Chinese Intelligence in America) gag is pretty predictable, especially since the light coloring of Asians on the show cements it early on? ...the vacuum cleaner in the I&S episode goes from Suck to Blow (was someone watching Spaceballs recently)?
Previous episode stuff 5F22: Title MABF17: It's funny that that episode should rerun tonight, with Milhouse getting his bike worked on to impress a cute girl (his nana) - and of course it breaks; tonight, he talks about him and his nana "taking a break" (as a couple would), followed by the chain falling off. DABF06: Steven Soderbergh directed an episode of Thicker than Waters - he's also directed an I&S DABF14: James Lipton reappears 7G13: Nuclear secrets!
Goof -Wouldn't ironing a plastic trash bag melt it?
Meta-reference large portion of room There sure were a lot, mostly because of the 80s sitcom channel plot. But that doesn't explain them all. -Moe runs into the M in the Simpsons logo (see also MABF14's Fox satellite - same couch gag too!) -Homer comments that everyone in that studio audience is dead now. Maybe not for an 80s show, if it's a real studio audience - but it is true that some canned laughter tracks came from much earlier TV/radio audiences. Who are dead. -Homer makes yet another act break joke, but with a twist that he needs a button (which he fails to come up with). -He also mentions that "you still see that crow on shows sometimes!" Hmm, I know a show that uses a crow a lot. We don't see it, but we do hear the traditional caw at the power plant later on. -It's become more frequent recently, but still rare for this show: a string of bleeped "fuck"s in the Mamet scene. -Homer fools the retina scanner by drawing a circle and dot on a piece of paper. (Never mind that that's not the retina.) -When Marge refers to a "30 year old TV show that only got created because the creator had evidence the network president ran over a guy" she says it in a really scratchy voice... a little closer to the Ullman days. I wonder if that was meant to be a subtle Simpsons joke. (There wasn't any other reference to this show's longevity or the fact that it technically began in the 80s, whether or not you count the Ullman shorts.) -The CIA knows they will be subtitled and asks Homer not to read them. -The end of this show, with a fake producer credit and someone (was that Garry Marshall?) running out to play tennis - plus the ITAS scene. (I don't really watch ITAS, but I did see the Simpsons installment, and I couldn't help but be reminded of the way Julie Kavner was annoyed for a while and then mysteriously absent halfway through.)
Also: Bart's line about kids not delivering newspapers anymore is obviously not the original. I wonder what it was.
Homer tries to send away for the TTW plates, addressing an envelope to TV Guide Offer, 1 World Trade Center. Wow. I wonder if that line makes it to repeats.
Tonight's American Dad episode (5AJN13, Stanny Boy and Frantastic) also had a "hey HEY hey" What's Happening! joke.