I Married Marge Written by Jeff Martin
No director credit
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[$Id: 8f10 1.4 92/05/14 19:01:29 raymond Exp Locker: raymond $]
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> Title sequence
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Blackboard :- `I will not torment the / emotionally frail'.
`I will not torment th' at cutoff.
Lisa's solo:- very bright and happy.
Driveway :- Homer says `D'oh!' when Lisa scoots past.
Homer says `Waugh!' when the car closes in on him.
Couch :- The family (except Maggie) cartwheel into place and
strike a `Ta da!' pose. Maggie hops onto the couch
and joins them, striking the same pose.
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> Didja notice...
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... guest voices included Doris Grau (as the chapel clerk) and
Maggie Roswell (as the old lady and one of Charlie's Angels?) ?
... Maggie fell but once? (When she tried to get away from Homer.)
... Lisa's altitude during her cartwheel? {las}
... Marge's hair wasn't as tall as it is today? {las}
... Marge was wearing her lap belt? (No shoulder belt, since they
weren't standard issue back in 1980.)
... Homer's car has a chain-link steering wheel?
... after the man sinks the `free game' putt, he jumps to the side and
starts doing body punch motions with his right arm?
``The international Guy Victory Sign (tm). All that was missing was a
quick close-up of Marv Albert saying YESSS!!'' {rg}
... the glowing cooling towers of SNPP? (When Homer proposes to Marge.)
... the wedding picture ($50) cost more than the wedding ($20)? {las}
... in the wedding photo, Homer and Marge's pupils were red? {af}
... Homer had the couch to himself, leaving Marge to sleep on a
chair? {las}
... Patty's stationery is titled, `From the Pen of Patty'?
... Maggie cuddles up to Homer and closes her eyes as if to sleep,
but her eyes pop open when Homer approves Bart's lunch request? {klk}
... at Gulp-N-Blow, the rest rooms were labelled `Gulps' for the gals
and `Blows' for the guys? {rc}
... Homer was wearing an `I shot J.R.' T-shirt?
... Mrs. Bouvier originally did not go to the hospital with Marge? {las}
... Marge's labor pains lasted less than a minute?
... that Homer was able to include in his story things that he was
not present at? Okay, Marge could've told him about the stuff she
was present for, but how did he know about Burns' Pac-Man habit?
... NO CROW CALL DURING THE FIRST ESTABLISHING SHOT OF SNPP!
The end of a tradition.
(Though the crow call was there when Homer watches employees going
to work.)
The Dave Hall {dh} report:
- In the couch scene, Maggie fell flat on her face.
(Bart's right leg was in the couch.)
- When Homer walked down the stairs you can really hear the boards creak.
- Death watching over the graves at the local fun center.
- Curtains missing from window as Homer bent down to yell at the kids from
the open space of the window.
- The cute way Maggie sat on Homer's knee.
- The AZTEC theater that Homer and Marge went to appears to be the theater
that closed down in ``Saturdays of Thunder''.
- I'm not sure about this, but I don't recall the ending sound track to
``The Empire Strikes Back'' as sounding like that?
- The young lady standing in front of Homer and Marge `looks like' Krusty's
secretary. (She is seen walking with a young boy after the movie ends.)
- Did you see Princess Cashmere and `what looks like' a young Otto
without headphones and cap?
- As Homer and Marge walk home, the woman (of last couple) waiting in line
appears to be (a future) Maude Flanders?
- The body in the mouth of the dinosaur.
- The outhouse(?) behind the guy putting?
- The broken light-bulb above the `E' in `FREE GAME'.
- Barney's shirt pocket seems to have switched sides.
- This might be due to animator's choice of colors, but while Marge was
on the phone in front of Berger's Burgers, a signal(?) light was left on
on one of the cars.
- Abe's appearance and mental state seems to have deteriorated within
10-11 years? In this episode, he appears to be a man in his early 50s?
- The dirty dishes piled up in and around the sink, or the can of blue
stuff(?) (on the table) in the kitchen of Abe's home?
- The burglar alarm above the trash-can in front of Family Jewels, yet
there `seems' to be no bars or similar anti-burgler device covering
the shop windows?)
- The rather excessive amount of video camera coverage of the `Family
Jewels' shop?
- For the wedding, Marge had worn a heart in the middle of her necklace.
- Aleen(sp?) appears to be the `future mother' of a boy she can't get to
brush proper. [8f01]
- Cletus(sp?) shirt was half tucked in, while most of it was hanging out?
- Intro shot of Shotgun Pete's show Aleen and Cletus sitting apart while
Cletus sat back sucking on a cold one?
- Marge looked really nice(?) in her wedding dress, including the `full'
figured look her belly made.
- The old lady Homer calls on could be Mrs. Quick. [7f21]
- I wonder where Homer placed his clothes before hitting the couch? (I don't
see them anywhere in the living room.)
- The really cute way Maggie looked as she felt asleep on Homer's belly.
- Homer sent what seems to be a lot(?) of money through the mail system.
(Actually, I think Homer sort of gave that money to one of Marge's sisters
as I don't see the stamp on the letter being cancelled. This would give
reason for lack of address on the letter.)
- As Marge spoke to Homer through the intercom, at the Gulp-n-Blow, the menu
states that they serve beer.
- Homer didn't have a shirt pocket until the cigarette-lighter appeared in
it. (Since Homer doesn't smoke, how come he has a cigarette-lighter in the
first place? Maybe to had out cigars?)
- When Homer dumps the kids on the floor, slow-motion shows a funny (cool)
expression on Maggie's face before she hit the floor face first.
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> Reviews and favorite parts
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John J. Wood {jjw}: I thought it was excellent. The 80s references were
hysterical, as was the overall writing. A great complement to `The Way We
Was' [7f12].
Karen L. Klein {klk}: ``Repossessing stuff is the hardest part of my job.''
Larry Schwimmer {las}: Overall, an entertaining episode which filled in
family history. Favorites: Slash-O knives, the close up of Maggie when
Homer picks her up, the donut man, ``Simpson, eh? I'll remember that
name.''
Ron Carter {rc}:
``Bart, Cart, Dart, Eart... Nope, can't see any problem with that!''
``As long as he's got eight fingers and eight toes...''
Yours Truly {rjc}:
When the music swelled up as Marge read the card, then suddenly stopped.
``Dear Marge. Ex. Ex. Ex. Homer.''
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> Movie (and other) References
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I Married Joan (1950's sitcom)
- the title {jc, jdb}
~ Busting Loose
- the trapezoid scheme {ks}
+ Charlie's Angels
- Homer and Barney are watching it when Marge calls
~ Raising Arizona and no doubt others
- `By the time you read this, I will be gone.' {ajr}
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> Freeze Frame Fun
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As usual all items tagged with a `-' are due to Ron Carter {rc}.
>> The AZTEC (movie theater)
[now playing] Empire Strikes Back
Coming soon... Space Mutants
[The first of the `Space Mutant' film series.
Cf. also the `Bart vs. the Space Mutants' video game.]
>> Homer's car
- license plate 795 DVI
- DISCO SUCKS bumper sticker
- one tail light is burnt out
>> Barney's place (courtesy of Dave Hall {dh})
as Homer and Barney share a `cookie dough' while watching `Charlie's Angels'
in their slippers:
* Old couch
* Pink(?) underwear with hearts on couch arm-rest
* Sock on other arm-rest
* Table with rotary dial telephone
* Springfield high-school fanfare(?) flag above table
* Small 10" B&W(?) TV on (telephone wire cable?) spool
* Banana peel next to the TV
* Wall clock (from bar?)
* Poster (of Farrah Fawcett?) covering a crack on wall?
* Old golf clubs in corner of room
* Records in milk-carton(?) crate.
* Bat and ball
* Some things on the floor:
* Empty beer(?) can
* pennies or loose change
* Ace of spades playing card
* Bowling ball (to go with Barney's bowling shirt?)
>> Dr. Hibbert's office
- Hibbert has an Honorary Degree
- `So You've Ruined Your Life' (To make Marge and Homer feel better...)
>> Shotgun Pete's 24 Hour Wedding Chapel
- Wedding Photos $50 / Please Pay First
- No Shoes / No Shirt / No Service
- Dice clock
>> Springfield Nuclear Power Plant
- `Fission Illustrated' (read by one of Smithers' frat brothers)
- Rolling Donut (all the colors of the rainbow)
- Security Checkpoint / Must Show I.D. / Absolutely No Visitors
[The guard is busy watching TV.]
- In the hall, through the Personnel Dept. door
- Accounting, Lounge, Time Schedule
>> The letter to Marge
was addressed simply to ``Springfield, USA.'' Not even a street address.
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> Animation and continuity goofs
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The first shot of the parked car over Springfield shows the car facing the
nuclear plant. The last shot shows it perpendicular to the plant. {thf}
Burns was playing Ms. Pacman, though it was only 1980 or 1981. {thf}
Compare `War of the Simpsons' [7f20], when Homer mentions ``that big bash
we had with all the champagne and musicians and holy men and everything.''
Marge points out that it was their wedding. {ar} [Or maybe Homer and
Marge held a second wedding ceremony to renew their vows? This might
rationalize a lot of the inconsistencies... --rjc]
Dave Hall {dh}:
The scene showing Homer approching the window depicts a couch just behind him
(or something brown), yet inside shot doesn't show a couch or anything brown
being behind him.
The green hallway mat is missing from the front door.
Homer lifted up the window and stood up with his head sticking out, while
inside shot shows a stereo up against the window. The background behind
Homer depicts an impossible view of the TV room from back yard. The
background is more likely to be seen from the side-view of house. Probably
reused from ``When Flanders Failed''.
Close up shot of Marge and her sisters show a shelf directly over Marge's
head, while wide shot shows three shelves over (all) the sister's heads.
The picture of the sisters that start this flash-back doesn't appear
in the TV room for rest of episode.
During the ``Million$ for Nothing'' seminar, the overhead projector didn't
have a power cord. Also the shady seminar speaker's head blocked most of
the projector, yet the viewing screen wasn't affected.
Attention to detail: The repo man placed the pencil in the clipboard rather
than simply have it disappear when he reached out to take the ring from Marge.
Although Homer wrote his name directly under Patty's name, his name appears
off to one side when Marge read it. (Cool observation: Just watch Homer's
hand while he writes...it seems Homer is only watching a body-less hand
write his letter for him.)
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> Comments and other observations
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>> Cultural background for non-Americans
The `I Shot J.R.' T-shirt is a reference to the TV prime-time soap
`Dallas', in which a season ended with J. R. Ewing being shot by
an unseen assailant. The big question during the summer was,
``Who shot J.R.?'' The question was resolved in Fall 1980.
>> Music
Supertramp, `The Logical Song'
Dolly Parton, `Nine to Five'
>> References to previous information
>>> Past episodes
[7f08] The ape at the miniature golf course.
[7f17] The kids playing croquet.
[7g03] Marge working as a roller-skating waitress at ``Mr Burger'' {cjb}
[7f12] Dr. Hibbert informing Marge that she's pregnant.
[7f06] Captain Lance Murdoch is in a body cast, again.
[7f15] The Family Jewels store.
[7f18] The Rolling Donut. (See the [7f18] capsule for an explanation.)
[7f12] Pour vous.
[7f13] Homer stands up while the kids are in his lap.
Inconsistencies with everything we've seen so far:
Homer's letter to Marge was written in script!
Up to now, Homer has always printed. {las}
>>> Simpsons Uncensored Family Album
Barnacle Bill's Home Pregnancy Test.
Dr. Hibbert delivered Bart.
Newborn Bart playing with a lighter.
``Four toes on each foot, four fingers on each hand.''
Inconsistencies with the UFA:
Bart and Lisa's reaction to learning that Marge might be pregnant
is vastly different from their reaction when they learned Marge
was pregnant with Maggie.
Homer and Marge were married at the Lucky Seven Wedding Chapel
in the UFA.
Newborn Bart had less hair in the UFA.
Homer's SNPP ID card is dated 1976 in the UFA. {las}
Homer's job evaluation sheet was stamped `APPROVED' in the UFA. {las}
>>> Simpsons Illustrated, Fall 1991, Homer's Job File
On the job application, Homer listed his previous job as
Deep fat fryer trainee, Gulp n' Blow fast food restaurant
and his penultimate job as
Crank turner at windmill hole, Sir Putt-a-Lot's Merrie Old Fun Center.
[Apparently, Homer didn't think working as a Slash-Co salesman was
worth mentioning.]
Inconsistencies with SI:
This episode gives Smither's first name as Wayland, but the job file
lists the name as `J. Smithers'.
The Springfield Shopper in SI#1 also mentions a `J. Smithers'. {cjb}
Homer's job file says he was hired on 7-12-81. This episode takes
place in 1980/1981, and Homer was hired the day Bart was born,
which would make it 1 Apr 81, if we are to trust Bart's birth
certificate in the UFA.
Of course, Homer's job file is itself internally inconsistent.
His employee number changes from form to form, and he filed
an accident report on 2/11/79, over two years before he started
working at SNPP! And the SI job file is inconsistent with the
UFA identification card. Moral of the story? It's too funny
a joke to have only one version of!
>>> What's it all mean?
Stephen P. Henrie (henrie@cbnewse.cb.att.com) suggests:
Perhaps the writers intended to have many conflicting ``facts'' between
the two episodes, to show that Homer's recollection of their life is so
much more different than that of his wife's.
>> Cars
George Harris {gh} observes that Homer is driving the same car as in `The
Way We Was' [7f12]. Six years, no trade-in. It also sounded like it was
running rougher this time.
For additional discussion on automobiles, consult the [7f12] capsule.
>> 80's stuff
George Harris {gh} is surprised that Homer remembers John Anderson.
Especially since in [8f01], when asked if he is interested in politics or
government, Homer merely shrugs his shoulders. And remember that absentee
ballot [7f24].
(For those with short memories, John Anderson was the third party candidate
in the 1980 presidential election. He got around 5% of the popular vote.)
>> Shotgun Pete's
J. D. Baldwin {jdb} writes:
I think the writers had a consultant who had actually been married in Las
Vegas (another DYN: the ticket that the ``Shotgun Pete's'' lady punched said
``Official Marriage License'' on it). This sequence was so realistic it was
kind of scary--right down to the cheesy red-eyed snapshot wedding photo and
the ``move 'em in, move 'em out'' attitude on the part of the staff.
Yes, I am a veteran of such a wedding (at the ``Graceland'' chapel on the
Las Vegas strip). As if that weren't enough of a coincidence, less than
twenty-four hours after we watched this episode together, my wife delivered
our first son--who, I swear it, ``mooned'' us on his first sonogram. I
thought this episode was just short of true greatness, but I have a special
place in my heart for it.
Anneliese Lilje {al} adds:
For those readers in the east, it might be nice to point out that the name
Shotgun Pete's is a clear take off on a very large casino called ``Whiskey
Pete's'' which is on the California / Nevada border (Stateline Nevada).
Many years ago it was just as small as it was pictured in the Simpsons but
now it is a HUGE casino buzzing with all the flair of most large Las Vegas
casinos.
>> Slash-Co Knives
Adam J Weitzman {ajw} writes:
At one time in my life, I was offered a training course to become an
in-home-demo salesman for a knife company called CutCo. I know CutCo has
been around for a long time, definitely since before 1980, and while they
don't strictly do door-to-door (you get referrals and make appointments to
do demos instead), this seems like too much of a coincidence to me.
>> Inside jokes
``Well, you're not Ted Bessell. But you're just as nice.'' Ted Bessell
was a director for the Tracey Ullman Show.
>> Miscellaneous
In `The Way We Was', Marge quickly changed the subject when Lisa asked
them how Homer proposed. In this episode, since Marge was out of the
house, Homer could tell the story without fear of interruption.
One of the raciest Simpsons episodes so far. The miniature golf castle
scene? Gulp-N-Blow? The things they let air at 8pm nowadays...
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> Quotes and scene summary
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% In the kitchen, Marge studies the instructions on a home pregnancy test.
Marge: Barnacle Bill's Home Pregnancy Test? Homer, shouldn't we have gone
with a better-known brand?
Homer: But Marge, this one came with a corn-cob pipe!
-- And smoke it, ``I Married Marge''
Ahoy, Maties!
If the water turns blue, a baby for you!
If purple ye see, no baby thar be!
If ye test should fail, to a doctor set sail!
-- Barnacle Bill's Home Pregnancy Test, ``I Married Marge''
% It's pink.
Homer: Do you really think you're pregnant?
Marge: Well, I have the same nausea and craving for pancake mix I had with
the other kids.
Homer: Yeah, and I have the same tightness in my chest and profuse sweating
I always did.
-- Simple Simpsons symptoms, ``I Married Marge''
% Marge leaves to see Dr. Hibbert.
Bart: Hey, Homer, how come Mom's going to the doctor?
Lisa: Is anything wrong?
Homer: No, everything's fine. Your mother uh just... broke her leg.
Lisa: What!?
Bart: I smell a bun in the oven...
Lisa: Is Mom going to have another baby, Dad?
Homer: [fierce internal struggle manifests itself in wiggling fingers]
Maybe.
Bart+Lisa: Whoa, awright! Way to go! [exchange high fives]
Bart: You're a machine, Homer!
-- Cheer and cheer alike, ``I Married Marge''
Lisa: Did you hear that, Maggie? Another baby in the house.
Bart: Oh, cool! We can race 'em!
-- Marge might be pregnant, ``I Married Marge''
Homer: Yeah, sure, for you, a baby's all fun and games.
For me, it's diaper changes and midnight feedings.
Lisa: Doesn't Mom do that stuff?
Homer: Yeah, but I have to hear about it.
-- The duties of fatherhood, ``I Married Marge''
% Bart asks what it was like when Marge was pregnant with him, and Homer
% decides to tell them a story.
It all happened at the beginning of that turbulent decade known as the '80's.
Those were idealistic days... The candidacy of John Anderson, the rise of
Supertramp, it was an exciting time to be young...
-- Homer tells a story, ``I Married Marge''
% Homer had been dating Marge for several years and working at the miniature
% golf course. Homer's job is to sit inside the windmill and crank the
% blades. His boss stops by to tell him to slow it down; the golfers are
% complaining. Homer slackens the pace.
Boss: Keep this up, and someday
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