[The long of it]
Family psychologists say that one thing you can't choose in life is who your parents are. Better not tell that to Homer. He does exactly that in "Homer's Paternity Coot," which sets up a fun contest between "Same Ol' Grampa" and "Suave New Stranger."
"Same Ol' Grampa" is the Abe Simpson we know and more or less love. The "Suave New Stranger" is Mason Fairfield, a lifeguard who had an affair with Mona Simpson long ago and, according to a forty-year-old letter, might very well be Homer's real father. (He's voiced by Michael York, sounding a bit like Moe's bar college professor from "Homer the Moe (CABF20).") With much of the show's attention focused on Mason and his relationship to Homer, The success of "Paternity Coot" hinges upon how well the father-come-lately character is drawn. He certainly has appeal. After his affair with Mona ended, Mason went on to become a successful treasure hunter, lining his palatial seaside home with interesting bric-a-brac from his salvage dives. He's debonair, witty, and travels in heavyweight social circles. While the Simpsons pay a visit, Mason says he's had lunch with, "The Prince of Wales and killer whales, and only the latter knew how to chew without humming."
That's one of Mason's few funny lines, though. He's a deliberately subdued character, acting as a catalyst for humor rather than throwing a lot of punch lines himself. When Homer meets him for the first time, he tries to keep is possible relationship a secret by telling Mason he's a reporter. We get laughs watching him bumble through his "cover story" while Mason calmly acts like a person normally would. In comparison to Mason, Abe looks especially cantankerous, highlighting the contrasts in Homer's "choice" between the two. It's a pity the writers couldn't give him more clever lines like the "Prince of Wales" remark. It would have made his character more amusing without undermining the suave-vs.-coot dynamic the script was going for.
I normally am not a big fan of openings that segue in from an unrelated topic. The connection between the opening scenes and the rest of the episode was really tenuous in this show, but somehow it worked for me. Marge's reluctance to pay tolls resonated with me, and I liked Sideshow Mel's reaction to the "severe tire damage" sign. The snippet of "Ring of Fire" was a nice touch, too.
Other humor highlights include Kent Brockman's report from the mountaintop, Joe Frazier's appearance in a store commercial, and the "outtake" that runs under the closing credits. I also loved the awkward conversation between Lisa and Abe at the retirement home.
To be honest, "Homer's Paternity Coot" didn't have as many laugh-out- loud moments as episodes like "The Italian Bob (HABF02)," but it makes up for it with a good human-interest tale and balanced characterizations. I'd choose it for a night of enjoyable "Simpsons" fun.
[The short of it]
The success of this show hinges upon the portrait of the man who could be Homer's true father. Mason Fairfield is up to the task. He's witty, debonair, and has an interesting career. By design, he isn't that funny but makes an effective catalyst for humor, allowing the rest of the cast to get laughs by reacting to him. The opening scenes were especially disjointed, but somehow they clicked with me, as did Kent Brockman's report and the family's awkward visit to Abe in the retirement home. Not that many laugh-out-loud moments, but this episode makes up for it with balanced characterizations and a good human-interest plot. (B+)
[DYNs]
... in the sequence of family portraits, Maggie keeps her pacifier for the next four years (until 2010)? ... a man wheels a grandfather clock with a $2 price tag out of the store? ... nobody seems to wonder why the mailman was on the top of the mountain forty years ago? ... Jasper has been issued a last name (Beardly)?
[References]
President George W. Bush - one of the knocks against him is that he doesn't come off as being very bright; Bart shares this opinion, if this week's blackboard gag is any indication
"stop, drop, and roll" (fire-safety advice) - announcer in commercial says, "stop, drop, and save!"
"Playboy" (magazine) - tollbooth worker reads "Playbooth"
frozen caveman - 5,000-year-old (or older) body found frozen in Italian Alps, similar to the way Springfield's mailman was found
"Star Wars" (movie) - Ralph likens himself to "C3-D2," a mashing of "C-3PO" and "R2-D2"
"The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou" (movie) - the shot of Homer and Mason on the deck of the ship, in front of the submersible vehicles, reminds me of the way one scene in this movie was staged (I'm going by the trailer, since I didn't see the actual film)
[Previous Episode References]
[3F08] Simpson wagon runs over tire-damage spikes the wrong way [4F16] Frozen body on a mountain [7F16], [EABF22] Long-lost relative of Homer and Abe appears [7F14], [3F03] Point-of-view shot from inside the mouth
[FFF]
Store sign:
SMOKE DAMAGE
OUTLET STOREStore banner:
MEET
SMOKIN' JOE FRAZIERRoad sign:
THE OL'
CHEAPSKATE
TRAIL
------->Booth worker's magazine:
PLAYBOOTH
Prophetic sign:
DO NOT BACK UP
SEVERE
TIRE
DAMAGETire yard sign:
SPRINGFIELD
TIRE FIRE NOW SMELLED
+--+
IN |46| STATES
+--+Mason's letter (as seen when Homer reads it):
you're
carrying is mine, not Abe's.
Meet me tomorrow
at my lifeguard stand.
If you do, we'll be together
forever. If you don't
I'll know you've chosen
your husband over me.M
Books Homer reads:
SPRINGFIELD SPRINGFIELD NIGHT SPRINGFIELD
LIFEGUARDS WATCHMEN OF THE FRY COOKS
OF THE 20TH CENTURY A - E
20TH CENTURYHomer's notes:
Daddy
Smell Good Too Soon
For Hug?Mason's ship:
"THE SON I NEVER KNEW"
DNA sample vial labels:
Same Suave
Ol' New
Grampa StrangerHibbert's T-shirt:
{front} (back)
#1 WORLD'S
SON BIGGEST
BASTARDOxygen warning lights (top to bottom):
+---------------+
| OXYGEN | [green]
|SLIGHTLY HIGHER|
+---------------+ +---------------+
| OXYGEN | [yellow]
| LOW |
+---------------+ +---------------+
| OXYGEN | [orange]
| LOWER |
+---------------+ +---------------+
| OXYGEN | [red]
| GONE |
+---------------+Heart transplant list:
H E A R T
R E C I P I E N T S Abe Simpson <- written in, using red ink
Montgomery Burns
Jasper Beardly
Old Jewish Man
Jebediah Springfield IV[Personal Comments & Observations]
As the workers stack the blown tires on the tire fire, we hear Johnny Cash singing, "Ring of Fire."
Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" plays as Homer fantasizes about his mystery dad.
The car following the Lovejoys' wagon looks like a 1967 Ford Fairlane.
M Night Shyamalan -- Director of "The Sixth Sense," "Signs," and "The Village." The most prominent feature of his films is the surprise twist ending, a device he used most successfully in "The Sixth Sense." His work is also elegantly choreographed and quietly paced; they don't hit you over the head with suspense but instead creep up on you. Many critics, like Homer, feel he peaked with "Sixth," an early film, and has been going gradually downhill ever since.