G.I. (Annoyed Grunt)

"G.I. (Annoyed Grunt)", i.e., "G.I. D'oh!", is the fifth episode of the eighteenth season of The Simpsons. It was written by Daniel Chun, directed by Nancy Kruse, and guest stared Kiefer Sutherland as a stringent Army Colonel

Plot

After two Army recruiters fail to recruit Jimbo, Dolph and Kearney, they realize that no teenagers of Springfield want to join the army, so they visit Springfield Elementary School to enlist kids into the Delayed Entry Program so that upon reaching the age of majority, they will automatically be enlisted.

An excited Bart comes home from school and shows Homer and Marge his pre-enlistment form. Marge is instantly appalled at the idea of Bart joining the Army when he turns 18, so she sends Homer down to the Army Recruitment Center to make them cancel Bart’s pre-enlistment. Homer forces the two Army Recruiters to tear up Bart’s pre-enlistment contract, but in the process, the Army Recruiters convince him to join the Army instead.

At the post Homer infuriates the colonel. While the majority of recruits are assigned to the infantry, Homer is assigned to OPFOR during the Army's war games along with the other recruits considered too stupid to be cannon-fodder. At the war games, when live ammo is to be tested on them, Homer, thinking it was Chinese New Year, accidentally exposes his unit's location by launching a flare. The flare blinds the soldiers, who were all wearing night vision goggles. Homer and his unit soon escape into Springfield with the Army close behind. The Army declares martial law in Springfield. Homer's unit hides in Moe's Tavern, but Moe betrays them in exchange for a large wad of cash. Homer escapes through a hole in the floor of the basement and makes his way to his own home, although the rest of his unit is captured. Soon, he is pursued through the house by a UAV until (in a scene reminiscent of the Looney Tunes gags) he blows it up. Homer hides out at the Retirement Castle.

Marge rallies the Springfield community with a phone tree to coordinate resistance to the occupiers, in order to make a plan. The citizens spike the town reservoir with alcohol, intoxicating the occupying force. The colonel's resulting hangover is so great he reluctantly surrenders to the townsfolk, stipulating only that Homer finish his enlistment. Homer does so by becoming a recruiter at the Springfield Mall.

Cultural references

• The title is a reference to G.I. Joe. "Grunt" is United States military slang for an infantry soldier. 'Annoyed grunt' is the script notation for Homer's favorite exclamation, D'oh.
• When the colonel has the recruits do push-ups while Homer eats donuts, it is referencing a scene in the movie Full Metal Jacket. The movie is again referenced when Homer wonders if the drill sergeant will ask him "what his major malfunction is".
• The Army recruitment film shown at Springfield Elementary uses "Arise, Ye Russian People" from Prokofiev's soundtrack for Alexander Nevsky before switching to Led Zeppelin's "Communication Breakdown."
• Milhouse asks about The Doodlebops, a popular children's show.
• The music playing during the assault course is the song Toy Soldiers by Martika.
• When the mini-helocopter blows up, "That's all Folks" appears in the enemy screen

Reception

Robert Canning of IGN.com hated the episode, calling it "painfully unfunny", and "the show's attempt to satirize the state of the U.S. military simply crossed the line of good taste". He concluded that it was "by far" the worst episode of the season, and "quite possibly" the worst episode in the entire of The Simpsons history.