Well hey, I liked this. One theme that always works for me is when people assume incorrectly that they have some flaw and project that feeling (shades of 4F04, but it's not just related to the Simpsons)... Homer's quest to be sure Marge stays with him was nice in that regard, as well as bringing out the caring side of his character (without being whiny or schmaltzy or whatever). On the other hand, and I'm aware this is the idea, his appearance kept weirding me out - the thin, non-curvy Homer reminded me a lot of Peter in Family Guy's "He's Too Sexy for His Fat" - and fantasy surgery Homer was just creepy. (I'll admit that I didn't guess it was a dream until shortly before the reveal, about where Marge admitted that she didn't want him anymore.) I've also complained before about endings that suck me out of a moment (see my post for FABF07), but at this point I think Homer-and-Marge endings get a pass, since there are so bloody many of them, and this one was funny anyhow (I don't really read comic books, but I've read Maus and am aware of The Lost Girls). A few miscellaneous things: it was interesting to see CBG lose it, if a little disconcerting; and "mmm...porkpie" was funny but not really enough to justify the placement.
So... is KABF01 next week a given, or what? At what point does the strike affect new episodes?
DYN: ...yet another new sax solo? (That's 5 now, out of 11 straight episodes!) ...new voices in the intro again, though not at blackboard? (I'm not nuts about those.) ...the couch gag is mirrored a bit by the Wolverine popup book at the start of the episode? ...the robot is not in the window of the Android's Dungeon? (Maybe he finally got led to our comic books and baseball cards) ...though typically Ms. Naegle's first name is spelled Lindsey (it appears in print in the credits of the movie too), her star at Shapes is spelled "Lindsay"? ...Sherri and Terri's mom goes to Shapes (is this her first appearance)?
...Homer's hair "M" seems less angular after his stomach stapling, and even his head looks thinner?
Previous episode references 9F05: "What's New, Pussycat?" - and a Tom Jones song in credits (sort of) 1F11 (arguably 7G12): The new comic book store has a t-shirt that says "I didn't do it" 9F19, EABF04: Marge working out HABF22: Opal show reappears 2F11: Comet or meteorite heading for Springfield
Meta-reference corner See "I didn't do it" above
Mostly unrelated The gym Marge goes to is "L.A. Body Works" - note the periods. When I pass one of a chain of gyms called "LA Fitness," where the signs are all in caps and have no periods, so they look like "LA FITNESS," I am always inclined to pronounce it like some sort of cheesy French or Spanish name, and it makes me laugh. Too bad it's not formatted like that in the episode.
Finally I've been seeing this episode title on SNPP and elsewhere for months and months. Am I the only one who is reminded of the "two knives" bit from DABF01?