| "The Computer Wore Menace Shoes"
|
| Episode Information
|
Homer is the only one to show up to work. Everybody received an e-mail letting them know the nuclear plant was closed for the day, but as Homer tells Lenny and Carl, he has never owned a computer. Feeling left behind in the technological dust, Homer decides to purchase a computer, but quickly throws it away when it is unable to assassinate Ned Flanders. Eventually Lisa helps Homer learn how to use the computer, and in the following days Homer creates a website filled only with spam and internet memes borrowed from other sites. He is upset nobody has visited his site, so Lisa suggests that he should offer something society needs or wants. After Bart dishes some gossip he heard about the pothole repair money being used for Quimby's swimming pool, Homer decides to create a "news" website, calling himself Mr. X so that anonymity could protect him from any angry citizens he may write about. Subsequently, Mayor Quimby is exposed and the pothole repair funds are returned. Mr. X (Homer) is heralded as a hero and winds the Pullitzer Prize Award (finally). Soon enough Homer runs out of real news and begins making up wild stories and accusations. One of his wild stories state that flu-shots are given only as a form of mind control, and, without him know, this turns out to be true. A group of people kidnap Homer and keep him on an island as part of a massive cover-up so nobody finds out about the flu-shots. Other people are on the island being held for other strange secrets or inventions they have discovered. Meanwhile Homer is replaced with an identical clone who speaks in a Austrian accent. Homer escapes the island on a crudely made boat he stole from one of the island captives, after running into an anti-escape orb. This episode marks the first of several appearances for the anti-escape orb. Once home, Homer defeats his clone and re-unites with his family.
