Difference between revisions of "The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace"

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"The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace" is the second episode of the tenth season of The Simpsons. The episode's title is an allusion to Thomas Edison's nickname, "the Wizard of Menlo Park".

Plot

Homer is shocked to hear on the radio that the average life expectancy for men is now 76.2 years, which makes him realize that at 38.1 years old , his life is half over. When he tells Marge this, she informs him that he is actually 39. Homer realizes that with time running out on his life, he hasn't accomplished anything, and this causes him to fall into a severe depression. Later when the family has a party to honor him, Lisa mentions that Thomas Edison invented the film projector as well as many other inventions Homer uses. Homer learns more about Edison and eventually idolises him. And so in an attempt to follow in Edison's footsteps, he quits his job at the power plant to become an inventor.

Homer gets to work and develops several inventions, such as an alarm that beeps every three seconds when everything is OK, a shotgun which shoots make-up onto women's faces, a very difficult to control electric hammer, and a reclining chair which has a built-in toilet. But none of these inventions is well received. Feeling despondent over his failure to invent anything useful, his invention career is saved when he reveals he added two hinged legs to a chair making it impossible to tip over backwards. However, his hopes are dashed when he notices his poster of Edison shows his idol sitting in the same type of chair, which indicates Edison has already invented Homer's untipable chair. But Homer also finds out no one else has seen the extra legs on Edison's chair, and thus Edison has never received public credit for inventing it. So he sets out with Bart and his electric hammer to the Edison Museum in New Jersey to destroy the chair. Before he smashes the chair, Homer notices a poster of Edison's which reveals that Edison idolized Leonardo da Vinci in the same way Homer idolizes Edison. It also shows that Edison was never able to match da Vinci's accomplishments, just as Homer can not match Edison's. Feeling a renewed connection to his hero Edison, Homer decides not to destroy the chair after all.

Unfortunately for Homer, he accidentally leaves his electric hammer at the museum. Later on the news, Kent Brockman announces that the chair and the electric hammer, have just been discovered in his museum and is expected to generate millions for Edison's already wealthy heirs. Then Bart says to Homer "Wow dad I have to say your taking this rather well." Then Homer says "lets just say I'm sitting in the right chair", While he sits on his Lazy man toilet seat.

Cultural references

• A Child's Garden of Verses: Homer reads A Child's Garden of Edison
• Gremlins: Homer invents an electric hammer
• Knight Rider: KITT makes a cameo
• Cornball 2: Homer runs over Edison in a dream
• The Curious Tale of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: Homer has dillusions of an alter-ego

Quotes

• Homer: They won't let me in the big people library downtown. There was some...unpleasantness. I can never go back.
• Marge: I brought you a tuna sandwich. They say it's brain food. I guess because there's so much dolphin in it, and you know how smart they are.
• (Bart, visiting Homer in the basement)
  Bart: Hey Dad, heard you swearin'. Mind if I join in? Crap, boobs, crap!
• (Kent Brockman, delivering his nightly broadcast)
  Kent: Authorities say the phony pope can be recognized by his high-top sneakers and incredibly foul mouth.
• Homer: Marge, that's it! That's why I haven't done anything with my life! I need to be more like Thomas Edison!
  Marge: Whatever.
  Homer: And I'm starting right now! No more damn pajamas!
  (Homer gets out of bed, takes off his pajamas, and throws them out the window. Homer stands naked, calling out)
  Homer: From this day forward, I am an inventor!
  (A man walking his dog calls up to Homer)
  Man: Do us a favor. Invent yourself some underpants.
• (Homer sits at a card table in the basement, smoking a cigar, trying to think of inventions)
  Lisa: You started smoking, Dad?
  Homer: Yes, Thomas Edison smoked several cigars a day.
  (Bart holds up Homer's empty notepad)
  Bart: Yeah, he invented stuff, too.
  Homer: Shut up.