Deep Space Homer

Episode without particular moral but very funny and entertaining, to watch to spend some time with extreme lightness and without particular attention because in any case it is followed well.

If you've ever watched 'I'm a Celebrity' or 'Race Across the World' or 'Big Brother' you'll find that reality TV looks for idiots for the audience to relate to (or possibly laugh at) and 'Deep Space Homer' is a great commentary on that. It also has great gag after great gag.

When a radioactive rod beats him out for Employee of the Week, Homer takes advantage of NASA and offers to be an astronaut. Of course, it's a total disaster. But in the process we work through all kinds of SciFi vignettes from Star Trek, Planet of the Apes, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Them, and others. Lots of fun. Don't miss it.

This classic Simpsons episode feels like a full two hour movie and not just a half hour show. It seems as if every Sci Fi Classic of the last fifty years comes in for the hilarious Simpsons treatment.

Some high points: Homer fielding questions at the press conference. "Wait a minute . . . Statue of Liberty . . . that was really our planet. You maniacs! You blew it up! Oh, damn them all to hell!" (PLANET OF THE APES)

Homer and Barney fighting man to man for a slot as an astronaut, gladiator style, while jaded NASA scientists cheer them on and take bets. (STAR TREK: THE GAMESTERS OF TRISKELION)

Homer floating through space, like a vast spacecraft, crunching potato chips in zero gravity. (2001 SPACE ODYSSEY)

And don't forget James Taylor revealing his less-than-mellow vibe, and Springfield TV anchor Kent Brockman preparing for the inevitable. ("Welcome ANTS!")

Classic Simpsons, with Homer becoming a real hero and not one but two ITCHY AND SCRATCHY cartoons.

The reason why this episode is considered a classic is due to its well-directed scenes, being released during a time when the series was well-produced and well-directed, allowing the humor to thrive.

However, unfortunately, I found some flaws. The plot begins with an absurd justification compared to what we are accustomed to, and this time the guest star cameo by James Taylor hinders the enjoyment of the episode. There are many instances where it's done well to not disrupt the plot. Unfortunately, here it has not been done well to avoid disrupting the plot.

With the viewing method I invented, I found a platinum era within its golden age. For me, that platinum era ended in season 4 when the therapeutic value of the series began to decline. From then on, the series experimented with increasingly fantastical or implausible plots. This episode, belonging to season 5, clearly shows that it is outside the platinum era of the series.

It still has great moments of brilliance, but they are characteristic of the golden era, not the platinum era, such as the portrayal of Barney's inner monster wanting to resurface to lead him back into drinking. However, in season 4, this was portrayed in a more masterful way, imitating Spencer Tracy's Dr. Jekyll and with Clausen's music imitating that of the film.

The best part of this episode is the training sequence and Homer opening the bag of potato chips and speaking of it as if it were our Mother Earth.