Milhouse Doesn't Live Here Anymore
"Milhouse Doesn't Live Here Anymore"
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Episode Information
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Plot
During a school field trip, Bart notices a change in Milhouse's behavior. Milhouse talks back to Mrs. Krabappel, wanders away from the group and causes mischief with Bart, and tells Bart he doesn't care what anyone thinks of him anymore. Finally, Milhouse reveals that he is moving to Capitol City with his mother.
At Moe's Tavern, Apu and Manjula are celebrating their anniversary, and Homer realizes he does not have anything for Marge for their anniversary. After being thrown out of the bar, Homer sits on the street and people give him money. He dances and earns enough money to buy Marge some flowers.
Bart visits Milhouse in Capitol City, only to find that Milhouse has dyed his hair blonde, is wearing fashionable clothes, and is cultivating a "bad-boy" image, even going so far as to give Bart a wedgie in front of his new Capitol City friends. At home, seeing how depressed Bart is, Marge suggests he spend more time with Lisa. The two begin to bond by washing the car and riding bikes, and after they discover an Indian burial mound together, they become best friends.
Homer continues his panhandling, and eventually makes enough money to buy Marge a pair of diamond earrings. When he continues panhandling afterward, angry bums bring Marge to see what Homer is doing. Marge is mortified and angry, but can not bring herself to throw the earrings away.
Milhouse returns to Springfield when his father wins custody of Milhouse via court order. After she finds out Bart told Milhouse about their secret Indian burial mound, Lisa feels that Bart is acting like their friendship never existed and that he has been using her to fill a void. Bart, however, shows her that he still values her as a sister by giving her a set of cards with nice things he will do for her on them, and the two hug.
The episode ends with Isabel Sanford at the TV and Radio museum, pointing out how sitcoms usually resort to using sappy endings for their episodes, and finally begging George Jefferson to come back.
Cultural references
- The episode's title is a pun on the 1974 film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore.
- When Homer, Lenny and Carl ride on top the rolling containers of radioactive material, they sing a revised version of TV series Rawhide's theme song.
- Mr. Burns refers to Lenny, Homer, and Carl as "Snap, Crackle, and Pop".
- The idea of Homer panhandling for extra cash is similar to the Sherlock Holmes short story The Man with the Twisted Lip.
- While Homer dances in front of Moe's Tavern, the rhythm Homer is humming is "The Streets of Cairo" by Sol Bloom. Later, he sings a butchered version of the song "Mr. Bojangles".
- Among the statues of nosy neighbors in the TV Museum are:
- Mrs. Kravitz from Bewitched
- Mr. Roper from "Three's Company" and the short-lived spin-off The Ropers
- Ned Flanders.
- The car KITT from the TV series Knight Rider is featured in the TV Museum in an exhibit tilted "Things that shouldn't talk... but do". This is one of the two appearances of the car in a Simpsons episode, the other being in the episode The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace.
- In the Itchy and Scratchy cartoon, the name of the restaurant, Micky Mao's, is a reference to Mickey Mouse.
