Bart the General - Donuts on the Couch: Growing Up on Evergreen Terrace S1E5

In “Bart the General,” a confrontation with Nelson Muntz leaves Bart bruised, humiliated, and ready to declare war. Andrew and Thom discuss the code of the schoolyard, Homer’s questionable lessons in fighting dirty, and Bart’s transformation from isolated victim to pint-sized military commander. Along the way, they explore childhood bullying, the importance of grandparents, Herman’s surprisingly elaborate battle strategy, and how the episode balances cartoon warfare with a thoughtful message about the realities of violence.

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:02

Grab a donut and have a seat on the couch. Welcome to Donuts on the Couch, growing up on Evergreen Terrace, yet another Simpsons Rewatch podcast.

SPEAKER_02 0:16

Hello, Andrew. We're back.

SPEAKER_01 0:17

Tom, here we are again. Welcome back.

SPEAKER_02 0:20

We're gonna add our insights and things we find funny and discuss another episode of The Simpsons. And who are you? What brings you here? I don't know. I'm just I'm just some guy. Um my name is Tom. I am a podcast host, Little League coach, uh, dad, father, friend, I don't know, all these things um in the great state of Maine. And I have with me my college roommate many years ago.

SPEAKER_01 0:46

Yes, once upon a time, but then uh subsequently became Dr. Andrew Murray. I am a psychiatrist in private practice in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, which is the northwest side of the state. Um I previously uh held faculty positions at Harvard Medical School and Mayo Clinic. Um and then drifted off into private practice, and now I'm finding some uh enjoyment and being able to catch up with my old friend Tom here as we talk about one of the things that we've loved most and shared most is the Simpsons. And we're talking about it in this frame of uh how we've uh perceived these episodes uh and how they have changed for us over time. We we were both you know eight, nine when these episodes first came out. We're now in our forties, and we've grown and had families and kids of our own, and so our perspectives have shifted, and we thought it would be a fun opportunity to talk about The Simpsons together.

SPEAKER_02 1:46

It is interesting to look back and see the um the episodes from a kid's eye that we remember, and then now as an adult, and uh both being fathers and family men and um and seeing the difference there. But I think um I think it's gonna be really interesting if if this if we keep going with this and we'll be getting to episodes that we never saw as kids. Or, you know, they're still coming out with new ones now, so we will never have the opportunity to see what Simpsons is like for these later seasons as a child.

SPEAKER_01 2:19

Yeah, yeah. I I I sort of sat down and did the math that if we keep doing this weekly, um, it's gonna take about 16 years to get to where it is now, assuming they stop now at episode 800, but they don't seem to be stopping, so we'll see how we'll see how far we get.

SPEAKER_02 2:37

Um, but that'd be that'd be great.

SPEAKER_01 2:39

It will soon become uh theme of like who dies first, us or the Simpsons?

SPEAKER_02 2:44

Right, right. Yes. We'll be we'll be grandparents talking about uh taking the lens of grandpa Simpson. We'll we'll go from Bart to Homer and then to eventually Abraham Simpson. Um but I will say this episode, season one, episode five, that we're gonna talk today, Bart the General, is one of my favorites.

SPEAKER_01 3:06

Yeah, now or as a child?

SPEAKER_02 3:09

I think both.

SPEAKER_01 3:09

Both. I think both.

SPEAKER_02 3:11

It really um I just love it. Although I will say there's one very disappointing aspect right off the bat with this episode.

SPEAKER_01 3:18

What was that, Tom?

SPEAKER_02 3:19

And there's no intro.

SPEAKER_01 3:20

There's no intro. A very brief intro. They do the clouds, the clouds part, you see The Simpsons.

SPEAKER_02 3:25

Unless semi-painless dentistry appears on the side of the city. It like starts to zoom to the school, but then it just goes to the house and starts the episode. So we don't get a chalk, we don't get to see part right on the chalkboard, we don't get a couch gag. Um, you know, we don't get to see Maggie going across the register at the grocery store. Um kind of disappointing. I, for one, like to watch the intros for shows. Now, even nowadays with Netflix and you know, you can skip it.

SPEAKER_01 3:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:55

Right. I just I typically try to watch it, and I think a lot of those shows are making it so the episod the intros are much shorter.

SPEAKER_00 4:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 4:02

And so you can't skip it. But so I I'm just an episode intro purist, and I like to watch the intro. Gets you psyched up for the episode, you know.

SPEAKER_01 4:10

It it does. It really gets you in the mode of what where you're at, what your task is for the next 22 minutes. Uh, I I think it's good. My my kids love to skip intros on shows, and like they will scream at each other if one has the remote, they're like, skip it, skip it, and like like it's life or death for them.

SPEAKER_02 4:27

Right. I mean, it's just it's that instant gratification uh that they need immediately my sketch. For the show. My son will do the same thing. Um, but I don't know. I like to see it. I like to get in that mode and that frame of mind and see where we're going for the next 20 minutes.

SPEAKER_01 4:43

Appear us that way, yes. All right. So, as with uh all episodes, they start out with a first line, which I've found to be interesting during this rewatch. Um, in some ways it kind of can set up the episode, other times it's a bit of a red herring. Uh, but in this episode, I think it's pretty important. You the first voice you hear is Homer saying, Do I smell cupcakes?

SPEAKER_02 5:05

I mean, it's something we've all experienced in our lifetime, and I think it's a great thing to experience. Do I smell cupcakes? What's happening? Like, let's go. It's almost like the do I smell bacon in the morning as a kid? You run down, oh, we're having bacon and eggs. Yes. Yes, what a day. Um, and of course, Lisa is making cupcakes for her teacher.

SPEAKER_01 5:26

Uh it's Miss Hoover's birthday.

SPEAKER_02 5:28

Right, which I believe is the first uh reference to Miss Hoover. It is, yeah. Um we haven't seen her.

SPEAKER_01 5:33

Oh, she calls her Mrs. Hoover, actually.

SPEAKER_02 5:36

Well, you're right. You are correct. Sorry. That was uh that was a misspeak on my end. Um I don't even know if she becomes Miss at any point later than that.

SPEAKER_01 5:43

I think later they refer to her as Miss.

SPEAKER_02 5:45

Oh, weird, interesting. Um but yes, it is Mrs. Hoover's birthday. Um, and Bart immediately can't resist. He is a 10-year-old boy, he wants a cupcake. Um I thought it was interesting because Homer wants one too. Yeah. And and uh they say no, like there's a for these are for school. And uh Homer's just like, okay. Yeah. Just completely maturity there, right? Right, yeah. There's some maturity there, which you know I don't even know if I would have. Um but but yes, he he just deals with it. Uh Bart, however, cannot let go.

SPEAKER_01 6:21

No, it's very disappointing, it's uh infuriating. Uh so Homer tries to take the opportunity to explain to Bart, like why the cupcakes are happening and why they're not for him. Right, right.

SPEAKER_02 6:34

And um yeah, he Bart is name-calling Lisa at this point, too, saying, you know, you're a teacher's pet, an apple polisher, a butt kisser, he says. Um, which Homer immediately interjects that like you're saying that like it's a bad thing. Which is great. It's so good.

SPEAKER_01 6:56

Well, and he gets into like, you know, how do you get by in the world? And there's sometimes there's a greasing of the wheel that needs to happen.

SPEAKER_00 7:04

Right.

SPEAKER_01 7:04

And he starts to explain like a little bit about that. Meanwhile, Lisa's overhearing it and saying, but no, I I I do well in school because I I'm smart and I study hard and I concentrate.

SPEAKER_02 7:16

Right. And Homer completely dismisses her. Um, once again, I mean, we've seen this before with Lisa, she sticks up for herself. Um, and it's starting to become a character-defining trait of hers where she does stick up for herself. She's not afraid to, you know, speak about her experience, about her feelings, about whatever it is she deems necessary to speak on. Uh, but Homer dismisses her, says, whatever Lise. And I thought it was funny because he refers to her as Lee, which we never heard before.

SPEAKER_01 7:46

He abbreviates it, yes. It doesn't even deserve the full name.

SPEAKER_02 7:50

Yeah. Um, you know, and but so yes, so then throughout this dialogue, we get to Homer's uh the three roads to success.

SPEAKER_01 8:01

Three roads to success, yes. Work brains.

SPEAKER_02 8:05

Yes, and yes, uh yes, um and what was hmm right, right. Well uh which I assume means greasing the wheel. Um cupcakes themselves, you know. Um so yeah, it's an interesting um thing. And I'm picturing this entire thing happening, you know. We all my I drive my son to school, always have, kind of always will. It's the extra time we have together. Yeah. Um, because you know, the bus is a 40-minute ride. But I remember as a child for sure, there's that wake up, eat breakfast, brush your teeth, pack your bag, get ready to get to school because there's a time. Like we gotta go.

SPEAKER_00 8:51

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 8:51

Or the bus is gonna be here, or whatever. And this opening sequence is that chaotic period of the of the morning, which is interesting. Um, and shows kind of I don't know. I I remember these times where you know we'd be sitting down eating cereal or doing whatever, getting shoes on, looking outside. I lived at the end of the street, so we could see the bus. Um, and the bus stop was kind of near my house, but like, is it here yet? No, not yet. Okay, I can, you know. Kind of a chaotic moment in the Simpson household here to start this episode.

SPEAKER_01 9:23

Yeah, I had a long driveway growing up. So in elementary school, I took the bus, but I had to go down my driveway, which, you know, it seemed long at the time. It was probably like an eighth of a mile or something like that. Really not that bad, but it was enough that like I had to hike hike down a hill and then take the corner and walk down before I could actually get to where the bus would be able to pick me up. So there were mornings where, like, oh no, I just had to run as fast as I could down that hill, and you know, things are flying out of my bag, and uh, it's such a chaotic moment, and you know, parents trying to get you out of the door, and I just remember having this fear of like, oh jeez, if I miss the bus, I'm never gonna get to school. Like there's no other option, even though like both of my parents were still home at that point and realistically could just drive me.

SPEAKER_02 10:05

But well, just the fear of missing the bus, you know, was always a thing. Um I missed the bus. I missed my bus stop coming home once, and then like the bus driver got to the end. I think I was in kindergarten. Uh or no, I got off with a friend because I was just like, I th I might have fallen asleep. I was kindergarten. Yeah. But my buddy was like, Hey, why are you still on the bus? You know, and I'm like, uh, oh no. Oh no. You know, and I think I think that I think my mom came and picked me up at that kid's house or something, you know. Uh oh, that's hilarious. But back then, you know, he just got off. There was no, you know. Uh if if if my son misses the bus, now the school will call me.

SPEAKER_01 10:43

Yeah, yeah. They get older immediately.

SPEAKER_02 10:46

Right. Yeah. Um, so he and he actually, it's funny, he did he said he did miss it. He takes the bus home um now, but he only goes to his mother's house. Um, and then I usually pick him up when I'm remote right down the street. Just and it was uh it was just to have him have one stop because it's a even though it's like three minutes down the road, it's a different bus. We were like, for the first time ever taking, I mean he's middle school, but the first time ever taking his bus home, taking the bus home, the last thing we wanted to do was be like, okay, on this Monday of the month you'd go this way. On this Tuesday, you always go here, on this Wednesday you go there, on this because Monday and Thursdays rotate and it's just a chaotic. It's complicated. Yeah. So we were like, no, one spot, but he missed it uh this past week. And um, I mean, at his sh his mom lives at like the end of it's a road that goes forever, but it's at the end of a road of the town line, right on the edge of town. So like the bus was doing a turnaround. He's like, I've never done that. I got so he so for him it was interesting because he got dropped off at like the other side of the street, you know. But um given a funny inst kind of kind of funny instance that this happens and um Yeah, I mean that this this episode really does sort of show those two different worlds.

SPEAKER_01 12:02

That is that like, okay, this is the morning routine. I don't know why they didn't make the cupcakes the night before, but anyway. But then it transitions into like the world of the kids on the bus, and that's sort of the next step.

SPEAKER_02 12:14

Um and we immediately go to Bart's like best friend at this point, not even his best friend, yo Auto Man, the bus driver. Um, and Otto obviously responds, you know, Bart dude, which is just great. I love the interaction with them. Um and Bart sees this as an opportunity because he's still been yet to be given a cupcake to reach out to someone close to him.

SPEAKER_03 12:37

An adult.

SPEAKER_02 12:38

An adult that will that he believes will trust and believe in his side of things. And he's like, Yeah, at least it won't give me a cupcake. Uh, she's not giving anyone to anybody. And uh and Otto's response is, oh, that's bad news, man. Yeah. He's just like, again, almost brushing it off, like, yeah, oh well, that stinks.

SPEAKER_01 12:54

So it's true. I mean, you think about how like immediately painful it is at eight or ten years old to not get a cupcake. And it's like the worst thing in the world. And like the almost horrific crime that that Lisa could commit to him. But an adult sort of sees it of like, okay, you didn't get the cupcake. Like, what's the big deal? Right.

SPEAKER_02 13:14

Well, and we I think, I mean, I'm sure you have. I I certainly have at birthday parties been handing out the cupcakes, and you know, the devastation of there's no chocolate left, there's no vanilla left, or whatever. There's no blue frosting, there's no red. It's like, oh my God. Like but this one has a different sprinkle on it.

SPEAKER_01 13:32

They taste the same. I don't know. Close your eyes. Um but then you're managing other kids, other people's kids, and that's just that's a hard task.

SPEAKER_02 13:42

We learned that with uh with Barney that we don't do that last episode. That's right, we don't comment on other people's children.

SPEAKER_01 13:49

Oh no. So uh, but then you know, to to everyone's surprise, Lisa has made an extra cupcake for Otto. Yes, for Otto, yep.

SPEAKER_02 13:58

So um, yes, and he and he responds, uh, oh thanks, little lady. Yeah, not Bart, dude. It's a whole total different dynamic talking to Lisa, you know, which is kind of cool. Oh so they sit down, and we know Bart has sat on the bus before with Wendell. Um, and so on this one, the bus is relatively full here. Um, they were getting on a field trip a few episodes back um when he was sitting next to Wendell. Um, but he pops right next to Lisa, and you can tell that I I don't believe that this is a normal spot for him. Um he's still on the hunt. He wants the cupcake. Um and of course there's a big bump, and he helps save the cupcakes by grabbing them and even offers to Lisa that he should hold them. Yeah, um, and then it begins a whole back and forth with these two, which is one insults.

SPEAKER_01 14:49

Uh you know, one of the insults is that I forget who's directing, I think he was directing at her that she's an egg sucker.

SPEAKER_00 14:58

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 14:58

Um, which is an old old insult. It goes back to the 1860s, I think, is the first time it was sort of written down as this like idea of somebody as a contemptuous character. Egg sucker. Egg sucker.

SPEAKER_02 15:12

Um, and then also goes on to refer to her as an honor roll student.

SPEAKER_01 15:16

Yes. Similarly contemptuous.

SPEAKER_02 15:19

The worst thing he could think of just to call her, oh, you honor roll student. Um so, of course, you know, um Lisa's not having it, you know, no, not agreeing with any of that stuff. Um, but you know, and we have a moment here where Art changes tactics. Yeah, he starts to apologize. You know, uh, I said things I didn't mean. I'm so sorry, I regret it. And and you know, going back to our whole premise of like looking at it as a kid, you're like, oh, that's nice, he's apologizing. No, he's not. He's just changing tactics, you know. Looking at him as an old as an adult, you're like, no, he's he's not getting anywhere insulting her. He's like, I gotta I gotta be nice to him to get a cupcake here.

SPEAKER_01 16:08

And you know, there's this theme of this of the war tactic in this episode. So uh it's very important at this age. They are at war, and he's trying to get what he wants.

SPEAKER_02 16:17

Yes, they certainly are. And um so he apologizes, you know, and Lisa all of a sudden is like, oh, you know, butter butter me up. Let's let's hear it. It works. You know, what do you like best about me? Oh, is your generous nature, yes, you know, which is you know, just playing to the fact that he just still wants the cupcake. Um, and then he does the old, I don't know if you ever did this as a kid, but um open your mouth and close your eyes, and I'll give you a big surprise. Um, I feel like never fall for that.

SPEAKER_01 16:51

Don't ever do that. No, don't ever do that. So Bart does it.

SPEAKER_02 16:54

Yeah, yeah. The cupcake falls to the floor of the bus, which is disgusting, I'm sure. And he she pops it in his mouth and he chews it up and he's happy. And it's great.

SPEAKER_01 17:04

Yeah, yeah. Got what he wanted.

SPEAKER_02 17:06

So this is good. This is good.

SPEAKER_01 17:08

And it sets up the next scene where we're at school, and a bully of some sort takes Well, before we get into that, there is a character that they they refer to, and she Lisa comes off the bus and says, Look, Janie, cupcakes. And the girl that she's talking to is not the Janie from subsequent seasons. This is a completely different Janie girl. And I was very confused by that. But so I paused it and like rewound is like, that is that really what she said.

SPEAKER_02 17:36

Well, maybe it's a different Janie, Andrew. You never know.

SPEAKER_01 17:38

It might be. I don't know if that was a common child name at that uh I've had several friends named Andrew in my day.

SPEAKER_02 17:45

That's true. Um only one of them that moved halfway across the country to get away from me and then joined me on this podcast. But so far, only one of them.

SPEAKER_01 17:54

So far so far. Okay, all right. So friends can change. But anyway, so so then a bully steals the cupcakes, right?

SPEAKER_02 18:04

Right, ebully steals one, and this is now again, this is a hilarious visual to see because he's taking the cupcakes, and the cupcakes are this brown, universal color brown, like there's no, you know, there's no none of the cupcake like holder things on it unless they're clear. Um, but the cupcake is brown, the top is brown, and he's just biting the top and throwing it over his shoulder, grabs another one, bites the top, throws it over the shoulder, and after two, Bart intervenes. Yeah. Um steps in. Yep, steps in with a fist, you know, like uh hey, you know, um, you better knock it. I'll knock your block off. Yes, he's furious. Those are my sisters. Um, I'll knock your block off, is what he says. And then Lisa interjects, um, and I'll let you I'll let you say what she says here. But I didn't write that down. No, then I'll do it. Then I'll do it. Um So we're we're about to be introduced to a character, not completely on screen, sure, but the but we're given the name of a character that you can tell is going to be someone in this series, and if not the series, the episode for sure. Dominous, yeah. Yes, and she says, don't bart, you know, because he's got that fist up against this bully. Don't bart. He's a friend of Nelson Munz. You know, the and almost almost immediately as a viewer, you're like, Yeah, oh, who is Nelson Munz? Like, what is happening? We better not mess with this kid because he's a friend of Nelson Munz. Um you know, so the the bully drops the thing, stomps on the box, um, and uh Bart is filled with rage. I don't know where he gets his rage from, maybe his father.

SPEAKER_01 19:52

It runs in family sometimes, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:54

And attacks this kid, and and then we are introduced to Nelson Munz, where you see Bart on top of this other child, you know, swinging, punching. He gets lifted up, and you think it's an adult.

SPEAKER_01 20:08

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 20:09

But it has that look of this this, you know, because when you visualize two kids, two fourth graders fighting, and a hand comes down and pulls one off, that's an adult move. Usually an adult move. Yeah, it's usually an adult move. Um, but no, it's Nelson, and you know, and Bart is still wildly swinging his his arms paying attention and doesn't know what's going on, yeah. Whatever he can. Um, and they per I think they purposely with the visual, they don't show any contact with Nelson, but you can see his arms uh violently moving around. Yeah. And then we hear you you've taught me to listen to for first words with this with this rewatch. So we have Nelson's first words um of this entire series, which is great because it's such an iconic line. Um, and something that I I reference occasionally. Um, you know, someone says, you know, Nelson, you're bleeding, and he goes, Nah, happens all the time. Somebody else's blood splatters on me. And then he audibly goes, because there's some blood dripping down his nose. Um he sniffs and he goes, Wait a minute, you're right. You made me bleed my own blood. You made me bleed my own blood. Yes. Which is great. Um, something that I I I feel like, I mean, as an adult male, I don't other people don't cause me to bleed very often. Yeah, sure. I mean, like, um, and if it does, if it if that does happen, if there's some bump or whatever if I like I do reference this. I was like, yeah, you made me bleed my own blood.

SPEAKER_01 21:45

I think it's hilarious. It is a funny line. It it uh they it gets echoed in the movie Dodgeball. Uh there's something sort of a similar line to that that I think also got sort of scooped up in popular culture and that But but this is really the origin of it. Yes, yes. 1990.

SPEAKER_02 22:04

Yes, which is which is great. Then at that point we see Skinner come along and kind of push them, push them over. Oh, and but Nelson obviously says he's gonna get part, you know, he'll get them or whatever. Um and Skinner is this oblivious. Come on now, kids, let's get to class. Yeah, starting to learn. Um, just has no idea what's happening. Um, and I there was a great line from him uh too, because um because um Nelson says, Uh I'll get you after school, man. And then Bart immediately objects. Is there? Skinner's just like, oh no, he'll get to you after school. Don't you worry, he'll get to it. Like it's fine. Um, which reminded me of did you ever see the movie Fist Fight with Charlie Day?

SPEAKER_01 22:56

Oh, no, I don't think I did.

SPEAKER_02 22:58

Yeah. Um, it's it it's great. Uh you know, it's uh it's kind of a raucous comedy, but it's it's got Charlie Day as a teacher in his in school, um, you know, as the quiet, calm like English teacher or whatever he is. And and Ice Cube is he's like the mean, angry teacher, and they get into a scuffle or whatever, and Ice Cube says, I'm gonna fight you after school. And it's it's the adult version of like dreading an altercation that's gonna come after school. So he's trying to get through his school day, and he's like, I'm gonna get beat up after after school. And he even calls the cops at one point and they're like, Wait, you're a teacher? Like, what's wrong with you?

SPEAKER_01 23:42

And they hang up, you know, like you know, so that leads to this part of the episode where Well, first, shout out to Charlie Day, also uh an alumni of Merrimack College, where Tom and I went to college for our undergrad once upon a time.

SPEAKER_02 23:57

Yes, I don't he and I believe, you know, famous for always sunny in Philadelphia. Yeah. Um and he wears the Merrimack Lacrosse t-shirt in a couple episodes, which is great. I don't think we ever really crossed paths with Charlie. I think it was a few years over.

SPEAKER_01 24:09

He graduated, I think, a year before us, uh, before we were there. So not not even that far off, but just uh was out of there right before we got in.

SPEAKER_02 24:16

We probably took his dorm room, you know.

SPEAKER_01 24:18

That's maybe how these things work. It's all cyclical stuff through the same fields that he did. But did did you ever have that sort of thing with a bully that like you had to meet them at a certain time or there was a schedule for a thing to happen?

SPEAKER_02 24:32

So I would walk home from middle school and I got into a fist fight on the um way home from middle school, and um it was a weird thing. Like, um, and I was walking with my friend Matt, who you've you've met. Yeah um, and the the fight was very much like they wanted to fight me for some reason. I don't know why. And but they were very concerned that Matt wouldn't interfere. And it was almost like they were like it had to be be agreed upon. Yeah. Um, and and you know, good to his nature, Matt didn't interfere. Yeah, yeah. Um, but didn't have to either. I think I held my own. I was I had never really gotten into a fight, um, but that was my first ever fight. I don't not really a fighter. Yeah. And more of a lover, yeah. Yeah, you know. Um, it's just you can't fight.

SPEAKER_01 25:25

It's fighting is weird. But but as kids, these things do happen.

SPEAKER_02 25:29

These things happen, yeah. And I held my own, um, but I was upset afterwards, and Matt was there, and we, you know, we went home and you know, watched TV or whatever, um, hung out, and I was fine. And it never happened again.

SPEAKER_01 25:39

You could cut this out, but was this also a Merrimack alumni? Am I thinking of the right No, that's a different story.

SPEAKER_02 25:46

No, it's a different story. That one happened, that one happened in fourth grade. Yeah, we like, I don't know, it was that was like in the halls at school. Um and I held on to that for a long time of like, why did we why did he want to fight me? Um and I remember he was wearing purple sweatpants during that fight, um, which I will always remember. But again, that kid, he's a great guy. Like, I don't, you know, there's no ill will there. But it was like a def but like a defining moment as a kid where like, oh, this kid wants to fight me.

SPEAKER_01 26:13

Um, and and these things become, you know, essentially this feeling of life and death and war in these moments. Like these these are a big deal. Like we look at back at them as an adult, and it's just like, okay, it's just a scuffle, not a big thing. But in that moment, like nothing else matters.

SPEAKER_02 26:28

Right, right. Yeah. It's uh you know, you kind of see red and you you want to fight, but I those are the only two fights I've ever had, and I didn't want to have either of them um kind of reluctantly got to a point where I'm like, all right, I guess I have to do this. Um what about you? What you you were off fighting kids? Oh no.

SPEAKER_01 26:48

But I do remember, you know, a handful of times where like there was like the rumor starting to float that like there's gonna be a fight at three o'clock behind the gym. You get everybody has to be there. And it rarely played out that way. I think about one where like it was over by the time I got there. Uh another one happened like later in like high school years, and it was uh when I was working at MVP sports in Hanover, and there was two guys there that didn't get along, also still in high school, went to different high schools, they're from different neighboring towns, and and everybody was gonna go to like a third town's high school so those two could fight. And uh I think it was over pretty quickly as well, actually, if I remember correctly. But uh yeah, you know, that wasn't really my my thing. I was never really, you know, a target for that sort of stuff or uh antagonistic enough myself. I I kept my fights at home. Like me, my sister would duke it out here and there, but right.

SPEAKER_02 27:46

Yeah. Funny. I mean, just you mentioning MVP sports, I worked there as well, just not at the same location. That's right. With my friend Matt. Um just wild. But getting back to the the episode, it's um we Bart has to deal with this impending fight. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 28:06

So this is the first daydream um of Bart. And he has actually a handful of them in this episode, which is really funny because it just sort of reminds us that like he's not paying attention in school. And even on a good day, he's not paying attention. But he's sort of daydreaming about Nelson uh being a giant and sort of chasing after him.

SPEAKER_02 28:25

Right.

SPEAKER_01 28:25

Uh and he throws knives at him and they stick in, and then he just takes them.

SPEAKER_02 28:30

Fire some bullets at him, like in another seat, like which we're seeing a lot of bullets. There's bullets in the last episode. Um, you know, and and another important part of that sequence, too, is that um Bart is running on the staircase to retreat, and the staircase goes to nowhere. Nowhere, yes. You know, and it's just like that's just a that's just a dread of that this this is an inevitability, it's inescapable. Nelson Munz is inevitable.

SPEAKER_01 28:59

Yeah, and then he is going to eat him uh for lunchtime.

SPEAKER_02 29:03

Right, right. And and in the classic transition of these things like, ah, lunchtime, lunchtime, lunchtime, and it's Millen saying, dude, wake up, like it's lunchtime.

SPEAKER_01 29:17

Oh. Uh so they, you know, they come into the the cafeteria and like Bart's just trying to play it low and you know doesn't want to draw any attention to it. He's hoping that he can maybe sneak out at some point and get out of it. But then Lisa shouts out, There's my brother Bart, the bully killer.

SPEAKER_02 29:39

Right, right. Well, and before this, when Milhouse and Bart are walking into the cafeteria, he said he suggests that he should tell Principal Skinner. Oh, yeah, yeah. And Bart mentions no, that would violate the code, the code of the schoolyard. The schoolyard code is important. Yeah, which is an interesting thing, and we're gonna see it again later. Um but you're right, Lisa proclaiming him as the bully killer. Um, and we see um that's when Nelson and his two cronies come like marching through the crowd, and they're like flagpole at 315. And you can, and all these are his like two little buddies, his two little minions, are like be and be on time because he's got four other beatings scheduled this afternoon.

SPEAKER_01 30:36

So it's a tough bully life, I think. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 30:39

And I think we we all had those bullies in school, um, you know, that maybe not bullies directly for us, but those kids that had reputations of being tough and don't mess with. And um what I think is interesting about Nelson Munts is when they show the all these kids and whatever, he is so much like physically taller and larger than all of the other children.

SPEAKER_01 31:02

He is giant compared to the rest of them. So, you know, did he get held back? Is he is he actually much older? I mean, I know they kind of make some jokes about some of the old the other bullies being much older.

SPEAKER_02 31:14

Yes, when we get into like uh Carney is one of them and a couple of the other ones, but yeah. Um yeah, it's just an interesting but he's but he's got this, he has this presence in the school of like who he is in you know, what his station is for this school. Um and he is the bully. He is he is Nelson Munz, um, which in my opinion makes him a great, great character and great for this world. Um we go right into next daydream.

SPEAKER_01 31:44

Yes, another daydream. The next daydream is uh Bert at his own funeral. Oh my goodness. Yes. Uh and you know, you immediately hear uh who is I don't know who Skinner was talking to, but saying what a good job the school nurse did reconstructing his face.

SPEAKER_02 32:02

So I thought that was one of the most important things because that was those are the first people that show up at Bart's funeral to say goodbye to him. And it's Skinner and Otto.

SPEAKER_03 32:12

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 32:13

And so Bart's friend, the bus driver, Otto, is the first one there. And I think that's really um, I think that's really interesting, you know. And when when when Skinner does say that the school nurse did a great job patching his face up after the fight, it's because Otto says, Whoa, he looks so lifelike. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:34

I think the the funniest physical gag in this part for me was that as Skinner was explaining this, Otto turns on his walkman before he even finishes the sentence, and he's just like, cool, and he walks away.

SPEAKER_02 32:47

Yes, yes. Um, and when they show Bart in the casket, he has with him um his crusty lunchbox. Oh um, which is interesting because you know, you there's all these stories of, you know, if there's anything with you in the casket as you go to the afterlife, and you know, the Egyptian gods or whatever would have gold and all their treasures and stuff with them. Um Bart has his crusty lunchbox. So he doesn't have his crusty lunchbox.

SPEAKER_01 33:13

Very important to him at 10 years old. Uh at 10 years old, did you have something that you wanted with you if you died?

SPEAKER_02 33:20

Um I don't know. Yeah. No, I don't I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 33:25

I don't think I really thought about that. Uh yeah. I mean I I don't I don't think I specifically had anything.

unknown 33:31

But overall.

SPEAKER_01 33:32

I imagine that like uh getting into that age, that probably either like a Superman comic book or uh baseball card, something to do with the Red Sox probably would have been what I would have wanted at that age.

SPEAKER_02 33:45

True, true. Yeah. Um yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:48

I would versus now, I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 33:52

Right. Yeah, now I don't know. Just I don't want to deal with all this stuff. Somebody else deal with it.

SPEAKER_01 33:57

Yeah, I I've been pretty clear that like my wishes are like whatever the family needs. Like if you guys need to bury me, fine. If you need to fling me into space, fine. Whatever you guys need, I'm up for it.

SPEAKER_02 34:09

If we get to the point where we're doing these episodes when we're 70 years old, because Simpsons still won't go, maybe I'll go with my uh with my blinkies.

SPEAKER_01 34:20

Oh, anyway, so they you know it's sort of a procession of people coming by the casket. Um uh Skinner acknowledging that, like, yes, you were right, Bart, all of that homework was a waste of time. Um then Millhouse is excited that they got a day off from school and so grateful. And Homer's also excited, like, we got a day off from work. Uh but this again, this is Bart's imagination of how this is what character is.

SPEAKER_02 34:49

Bart feels like it would be. But Bart also says his mom, you know, thinks his mom would stop, but oh Homer, you know, uh and then he starts like overly crying at the loss of his son. Um and uh and then Marge is, you know, oh my sweet dear boy, but then even takes Maggie and kind of like holds her up towards the casket, and she just does like she's sucking on the Binky, like yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 35:15

Almost like she's communicating to Bart something uh last words, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 35:19

Which is yeah, which is an interesting little little thing there. And then of course Lisa brings in and gives him what started this whole thing, finally giving him the cupcake. Even though she did give him one on the bus.

SPEAKER_01 35:31

Yeah, that's right. But he still holds it against her that if she had just given it to him in the first place, none of this would have happened.

SPEAKER_02 35:38

Right, which is which is interesting too. I wonder, you know, obviously he's thinking picturing his own funeral and his own death, but he's still harping on this one incident and he still wants the cupcake from today. These things, yeah. There's not these long-term things, it's like what's fresh on his mind um today.

SPEAKER_01 35:56

It takes a lot of development before you can sort of see things that way. Uh in those in those early years, it's a lot of just like what's happening right now. And you know, he's getting into the age where he's a little bit more capable of it, but he's also developmentally a little bit behind his peers. Like they sort of acknowledge that. So I think that's part of what they're saying. But then Nelson sort of comes in, sort of the last one in the procession, takes the cupcake, and then punches him in the stomach. Says give me one for the road.

SPEAKER_02 36:25

I love that. Which is great. Um, so yeah, and then um I think we're brought out of that dream with the bell ringing. Um, and then you know, Bart heads out. Yep. Um, and it's it's an interesting transition because the bell rings, and then um immediately at the fight, Bart gets his bell wrong, basically. Um and we're seeing it from Nelson's point of view, so we're just seeing fixed, you know, Bart's. Now it did uh survive the fight, you know, which is kind of you sure taught me a lesson. Right. You taught me a lesson, let's go. And oh no, Nelson, you know, they throw him in a trash can, they roll him down the street, they say, I'm gonna get you tomorrow. You know, so it's just gonna be a non-stop thing.

SPEAKER_01 37:20

Um but and he comes home and he's upset, and Marge sort of picks up on the fact that like there's something wrong, and Homer just sort of blows it off of like, uh, scuffle, like not a big deal.

SPEAKER_02 37:35

I hope you won. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 37:38

But then so he's up in the bathroom, and you know, Homer comes up and uh sort of says, like, well, your mom wants me to come in and check in on you. She thinks there might be something more wrong. Uh, and Bart asks for help. Damn, I need help.

SPEAKER_02 37:51

Right. He's crying in the tub of all places. Um Yeah, so as that's happening, you know, he says he's gonna dry his tears. He and he brings out the the hairdryer, and there's the comedic, like, ah, you know.

SPEAKER_01 38:10

I remember that sticking out as a child.

SPEAKER_02 38:12

Like, that's a funny gag, yeah. Funny part here, but it kind of is like, oh, geez, like I see Homer's sentiment here, but that's probably not the way to do it.

SPEAKER_01 38:20

Uh oftentimes uh male parents do have a harder time dealing with these sorts of things, these sort of feelings that are attached to this. And uh, you know, even Homer's kind of trying to sh sweep it under the carpet and say, like, oh, we don't want your mom to see you crying.

SPEAKER_02 38:35

Right, right, right. Um, which yeah, which again is that kind of like, you know, be tough, be be strong, don't show your emotions, um, type thing that you know Homer's you know, parents taught him, you know. That's right. Um we referenced last last episode where Homer's mom had said he was a disappointment, you know. Right. Um looking back. So, you know, it's it sounds like Homer doesn't want Bart to be a disappointment here. Don't cry, like let you're fine, like it'll be okay. Like, let's move past this.

SPEAKER_01 39:05

We'll figure out a way to deal with this. But uh, you know, and then Homer uh sorry, Marge sort of makes her way back into the bathroom as well, into the scene, and she's concerned. Um but Homer is worried that she's gonna, you know, make him do something that's against this code of the schoolyard.

SPEAKER_02 39:23

Right, exactly. Um and then he gives his this is interesting because it's the second time we're seeing this in this episode. Um, but uh Homer then says he's got rules that teach a boy to be a man. Yeah. Um and the first one is don't tattle.

SPEAKER_01 39:39

That's right, that's important.

SPEAKER_02 39:41

Um and the second one is to always make fun of those different than you.

SPEAKER_01 39:48

It's like probably not the message we want to be saying. Um it's not, but I you know, thinking back to like eight, ten years old, like, yeah, I can I kind of get that. Like, right.

SPEAKER_02 39:59

Um and then uh number three is never say anything unless you're completely sure that absolutely everyone agrees with you. That's right. You know, which is you know, that's that seems to be the way of the world today, almost. If you say anything divisive, then you get thrown out online or um canceled for this and that, you know.

SPEAKER_01 40:22

It's definitely a sticky territory.

SPEAKER_02 40:24

So very sticky territory.

SPEAKER_01 40:26

We're doing our best here, but yes. But but uh uh to go against the code, again, is like the ultimate sin. And Homer would rather Bart die than than go against the code.

SPEAKER_02 40:38

Right. This code of the schoolyard is something that like is something that's cross-generational at this point. You know, they both kind of agree to it.

SPEAKER_01 40:47

Well, it also speaks to Homer's like level of development development as well, where you know, part of his mind is still in the schoolyard, and that's how he's gonna deal with his conflicts and his things, right? Which is a little bit different than a maybe fully matured adult would deal with it. Right. Um but but it is so so important and and such a uh so important to Homer that he can be able to share this, convey this, help him. And so Homer wants to teach him how to fight and he be used in how to fight dirty.

SPEAKER_02 41:20

Right, right. Which, you know, um he gets out the old uh like punching bag. Baby bag, yeah. You know, and he just scratches, claws, bites, you know, um all of those things to basically teach Bart to fight dirty, throw mud in his eyes. Which kind of reminded me of the movie Blood Sport when he throws the when he throws the sand, you know, um and he has to fight kind of blind. Um and of course the next day we see that Bart tries these tricks. Tries that move, yes. And they do not work at all.

SPEAKER_01 41:53

Yeah, yeah. Well well, the the reserved move is the Simpsons uh what does he call it?

SPEAKER_02 41:59

The Simpsons Um oh yes, uh going after the family jewels.

SPEAKER_01 42:05

Yes, yes, a very important family move to go right in the family jewels.

SPEAKER_02 42:09

Yes, it's a uh it's been a Simpsons trademark for generations. Yes. Um which I actually read the um Fox didn't want that on the broadcast. They didn't want them mentioned, yeah, they didn't want them mentioning family jewels. And the Simpsons later in this episode make fun of that in alluding to you know when we see Grandpa Simpson. We'll get to that. Yeah. But it's interesting how they were just like, no, we don't care. We're gonna we're gonna make our show the way we're gonna make our show.

SPEAKER_01 42:39

Which is they carved themselves out uh into a niche that really has worked for them, it seems.

SPEAKER_02 42:45

Right. So um, yeah, so fast-forwarding just a little bit, it's Lisa who tells um Bart to check in with grandpa Simpson. Lisa Grandpa, yeah. The toughest Simpson alive. Yes. Um, and uh Bart is kind of confused by that, and her reference to that being the toughest Simpson alive is that he put up such a fight when they put him in a home. Which brings us brings us to the Springfield retirement community.

SPEAKER_01 43:12

The Springfield retirement home. Another introduction there, the Springfield retirement home as a place, and you know, almost like a character of its own. But uh Bart goes in and asks for Grandpa, and you know, the the nurse sort of points out, well, that that's half the people here. Grandpa Simpson. All of the old men sort of poke their heads out the door, and you do see a couple of then uh subsequently referring uh recurring characters like Jasper and uh a couple other of the old folks.

SPEAKER_00 43:40

Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_01 43:41

But then they're disappointed when he asks for Grandpa Simpson. But uh so then it pans to Grandpa Simpsons up in his room writing a letter on a typewriter, uh, complaining about how old people are depicted on TV. And this sort of transitions into words that he doesn't want to hear again on TV.

SPEAKER_02 44:00

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 44:01

Yeah, go ahead. No, you go ahead. You go ahead. Well, the word choices are bra, horny, and family jewels.

SPEAKER_02 44:08

Yes, yes. And it says it almost looks like this is the letter to Fox that the writers have put together. And they want to go, you know, and Abe Simpson, Grandpa Simpson is referring to, he remembers when and the good old days of entertainment when it was bland and inoffensive. Which is kind of like, okay. Right, which is interesting because I think of Fox, you know, back growing up when we had like, you know, NBC, ABC, CBS, and Fox, and then like the WB and other ones. I remember Fox as being kind of like the more intense station.

SPEAKER_01 44:48

It was like adult programming, married with children, things like that.

SPEAKER_02 44:53

Exactly. So it's funny that they didn't want these words on there when they kind of shifted and said, you know what? Maybe having a little bit of maybe bending the rules on the you know what you're allowed to put on the air is is a good thing. Um probably help springboard them to success. I mean, they still they're still going since they are, yes.

SPEAKER_01 45:12

This is way later. As of 2026, yes, they are still going. Um yeah, so it's a funny sort of meta commentary within all of that. But uh as as uh Bart's coming in, uh we also get to see Jasper, who's a character that gets introduced, uh, one of the other old old characters in the home, who's actually the bully of the retirement home. Yes, yeah. He's subsequently not really portrayed at the as that, uh, but in this episode, it's very clear that that's what he's meant to be.

SPEAKER_02 45:44

Right. He steals the uh newspaper from uh Grandpa Simpson because he wants to do the crossword. Crossword, yes.

SPEAKER_01 45:50

So uh then it sort of transitions to the the sort of military shop. I don't know, what do you call that?

SPEAKER_02 45:57

Um yeah, uh Herman's military antiques, yes. Uh yes, okay. One last part about um Abe's retirement um home, I don't know if you noticed, at least I did. Um in looking at the background, he has a photo of Bart um behind him when he's typing. And then when when uh when Bart comes in, next to the door, there's a picture of Maggie. Oh, really? Um right. And I I would I think I'd have to double check. I didn't see a picture of Lisa, and I wonder if that was accidental, if that was on purpose. Like, why why Grandpa Simpson would have photos of two of the children and not the third? Um Yeah, I don't know. It's interesting. And I and I usually you'll see family photographs with people that have many children. I'm I don't know if you have this in your house, but you have like individual shots of all the kids. Yeah. Um, one, two, three. You know, I just have the one son, so there's photos of him around. Um, but I feel like whenever you would go to a friend's house as a kid or whatever, you'd see the f the photo shots of everyone on the wall. Yeah, I thought it was very interesting that well, and you'd see them typically in the same place or on the same wall. One, two, three, here they are. Like it's not like this kid's in the kitchen, this kid's in the living room, this kid's in the s in the hallway. Um, but interesting decor suggestions, I guess, for Abe's room. But I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 47:17

Yeah, we start to question like what's the relationship and you know that what's his role within the family? How does he feel about the different people that are in the family? And that that sort of plays out a little bit as it goes. But we we transition to the the military shop. We meet Herman for the first time.

SPEAKER_02 47:33

Yes, yes. Um, and um immediately uh Herman has no left arm, at least. No right, no right arm, I forget which side. Um and as a 10-year-old boy, Bart has to ask about this.

SPEAKER_00 47:47

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 47:47

You know, it's we no one has this filter, you know. If we you and I see someone with a disfigurement or missing a limb, we don't immediately go up to a stranger and say, hey, what is what's the deal with this? Um as a 10-year-old, absolutely. Did you and he assumes that he lost it, you know, because it's a military story, he's wearing military garb. Um, did you lose it in the war? Um and I don't know what war he'd be referring to at this time. Um, but I think this is a great line. Herman's just like, he doesn't tell him exactly, but he's like, but keep your hands inside the windows of the bus.

SPEAKER_01 48:23

Of the bus, yes. Which is also uh uh a reference that uh Mrs. Grabopel makes in an earlier episode.

SPEAKER_02 48:30

Yes, yes. So um, and that's uh that's a neat connection there. Um and of course we know Bart loves the bus. He loves auto, he loves, you know.

SPEAKER_01 48:40

That's right. So Herman starts to lay out a plan of like what we can do about this bully, right? Uh and you know, there it really hinges on uh Elm Street. Elm Street's important for owning Springfield.

SPEAKER_02 48:54

He pulls out this map of Springfield like he's been preparing for the war of Springfield for years. And and he's like, oh, Elm Street, the key to Springfield is Elm Street, which I think is great.

SPEAKER_01 49:06

I love that, yeah. Um and then uh he wants to basically declare war to make everything that happens nice and legal.

SPEAKER_02 49:15

Right. He's very smart, he knows how to do war. He like you gotta declare it, you gotta make sure this is legal.

SPEAKER_01 49:21

Um takes out a copy of the declaration of war from the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, erases Otto van Bismarck's name, and writes Bart. Uh the background music starting to become apparent in this is the soundtrack to the movie Patton from 1970 about George Patton. Yeah. Um this like echoing uh trumpet sound of that. Uh it sort of stays with the episode through the rest of it. Uh there's a lot of allusion to that. Uh, but he has to you know start recruiting an army, and it becomes a montage of that.

SPEAKER_02 49:56

Right. He tip he right off the bat asked Bart, How many men do you have? You know, and and Bart's like none. He's like, Well, you're gonna need more. You're not gonna be able to do this alone. Um, Bart kind of thinks that this whole idea is crazy. Uh, like, what are we talking about? And Grandpa Simpson's like, Well, they said George Patton was crazy. That's right. Like, there's no way we're gonna lose with this guy. Um, and you kind of feel it because this guy's intense. He, you know, he's ready to go to war against this 10-year-old.

SPEAKER_01 50:22

Um I remember that like really sticking as a kid of just like, oh, there's adults involved. Like, this is a big deal.

SPEAKER_02 50:30

Right, right. Um, so um Bart invites all of his friends through through like handwritten notes, you know, to come to his treehouse, and a lot of kids show up. That's right. So and I think that goes to um the this idea that Nelson is this big bully and this big problem. Um so yeah, so like that's where you know um oh, so and Bart Bart gets rolls in late, obviously, because he's just been beaten up by Nelson again.

SPEAKER_01 51:02

Um spits out his hat again.

SPEAKER_02 51:04

Right. And uh yes, that kind of funny gag where they make him eat his hat. Um but he he starts off diplomatically and he says, you know, I can't promise that this is gonna be fun, I can't promise victory. And everyone's just like, all right, let's get out of here. Like this is stupid. Um, and then immediately is like, okay, okay, I promise hyper, I promise this will be fun.

SPEAKER_01 51:26

Um like a social emotional development, uh, you think about how Bart actually tunes into the people around him, and he does it in a fairly manipulative way, but he's able to recognize like what do these people need need to hear from me?

SPEAKER_02 51:42

Well, and I think you see that. Um I I was immediately thrown back to sixth grade when we had like um class president elections. Um I remember like they were it everyone was able to give a speech. I think it was over the loudspeaker, like during morning announcements. And there was this kid in sixth grade that promised all of us that he would get fruit punch in the water fountains, you know, and he said he had a and he had a plan to do it, and he won by a landslide. He won class president by a landslide. And by the end of the year, people were like, Where's the fruit punch? Yeah, like what's happening? Um and and I think I think it I think at some point he resigned. He didn't even really want to be class president, you know, like just nonsense. But it is, it's an interesting thing. Of you know, you make promises as a kid to other kids. It's like, oh, uh you believe them. You know, you say, okay.

SPEAKER_01 52:41

Yeah, kids uh on a have a hard time understanding that other kids lie.

SPEAKER_00 52:45

Right.

SPEAKER_01 52:45

Um and it's that's again another sort of developmental achievement to be able to understand a little bit more about what's going on in somebody else's mind. Not everything is at the surface. Uh right.

SPEAKER_02 52:56

Not everyone's your friend, not everyone's, you know, telling the truth all the time. Everyone has different motives and ideas and you know, but um and then yeah, we jump we jump into the training montage.

SPEAKER_01 53:07

Training, they they referenced the quickie mark, um, but they spell it with a Q, which later transitions to spelling it with a K. Um But anyway, that stuck out to me. They had balloons that say happy birthdays, wondering, you know, are these okay? And mommy wants them to say death from above. Death from above would be better, but that's what we have. Um and then they they sort of commence their plan. Right. They do a uh what they call a saturation bombing. Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_02 53:34

Um, I thought in in the in the training, I thought it was interesting. Um one point um Bart smacks a kid. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And and Grandpa Simpson pops in and just like, oh no, you can push a kid out of a plane, they can push these kids out of a plane, send them off a cliff, send them to die in a war, but you can't slap them for some reason. For some reason.

unknown 54:01

Right.

SPEAKER_02 54:01

And not much other not much further discussion is there, but then uh Bart apologized to the kid, and he's like, that's cool. Whatever. Um but yeah, so it's uh it's an interesting little training montage. Um I thought personally the toughest and interesting thing during that training montage is he's having them run past a fence that has a mean dog barking at them. Um and that's what gets him to slap this kid because he's like, I just can't I can't run by the dog anymore. It's scary. And as someone as a 12-year-old that had a paper out, dogs were, and I have a little bit of a fear of dogs growing up because I got attacked when I was younger. But dogs were are scary things, um, you know, to certain kids. And I thought that was kind of interesting. It stuck out through his training boot camp that you gotta be able to run past these fences that have mean dogs behind them.

SPEAKER_01 54:56

Be able to show how strong and brave you are, you've got to be able to do this. Right. Yeah, that's definitely a scary uh it's a bit of a trope in that. I mean, they they have the dog in uh uh the movie Stand By Me, uh the Stephen King novel, uh Rob Reiner movie. Um but the the the junkyard dogs and they're they're gonna sick balls. That's sort of the idea of like the dogs were trained to do this thing where they would bite your testicles. Right. Um So there's uh there's something about that. And again, for that age group in particular, between eight and twelve, like that's a scary thing. Very scary thing, yes. Um not not to mention like the castration anxiety that comes with that.

unknown 55:39

Right.

SPEAKER_02 55:40

Good God. Um Yeah. So then they plan the war. Herman's got it all planned out. They're gonna, you know, they're gonna they're gonna bombard them with balloons and from this angle at this time, you know. Yeah. And they're in they're in Bark's Treehouse, what they've turned into the war rooms. That's right. Um reminded me of going to London and seeing the Churchill war rooms. I don't know if anyone's ever been to that. But you've got the maps on you know on the wall and the table map and everything, um, which was kind of an interesting look. And and they get them. They uh They do, they soak them. They soak them. I did, I paused it um because you know, um Bart kind of says, like, we've had enough, and he we're standing up to you, and he's like, Nelson's like, you and what army, and it pans out. And I paused the screen.

SPEAKER_00 56:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 56:29

And I counted. I was like, how many, how many kids are here? Uh there's about a hundred. Yeah. So you gotta think every kid in school that's right, all right. Or the grade, depending on how I mean March said last episode, maybe they should move to a bigger community. Um like a hundred kids in this grade would be a lot. Um everyone has shown up again, just adding to who Nelson Munns is. Um, and they rain hellfire down. Like it's he gets soaked. The other bullies immediately abandon.

SPEAKER_01 57:03

Well, I like how like overall innocuous it is where like they're just getting him wet, and it's not that big of a deal. Right. Uh, but they're really slaughtering him, so to speak, here. Um, Homer sees it's going on, sort of comes out to yell at the commotion in the yard, and he sees a tall gray-haired kid up in the treehouse that's throwing water balloons at him, which is grandpa. But also makes me wonder. Yeah, it makes me wonder about his vision or other issues that Homer might have that we're not really aware of at this point. Right.

SPEAKER_02 57:32

Or how long has it been since he saw his dad? Yeah, you know.

SPEAKER_01 57:35

Maybe that was the joke they were going for.

SPEAKER_02 57:38

Right. And but I would say, uh, what an arm on Abe Simpson. Yeah, he hits a solid, he runs Homer runs in the house, he hits for a couple more, they're strong throws, and you're like, oh, all right. Um there, I think, with the with the uh with the binoculars, checking out the the f the fight that's happening.

SPEAKER_01 57:58

The whole scene, making sure it's playing out. But it's also funny thinking about like the playhouse. The tree house in this scene is clearly in the front yard. Uh it's in the side yard at other times and in the backyard at times. So it sort of moves around as the season goes. It's all over the place. Okay. So they they tie Nelson up. Nelson says, you know, okay, you tied me up, but the second I get out of this, I'm gonna beat you to death. So they think, you know, what do we do about this?

SPEAKER_02 58:26

Herman has a plan. He does. Yeah, yeah, we've got to sign a peace treaty, um, which is great, you know. Um, and I think the um one of the best parts of the peace treaty is that um Nelson has a sign that though he has no official power, he will remain a figurehead of menace in the Springfield neighborhood, like um, which is great.

SPEAKER_01 58:52

Like we can still have a presence, right?

SPEAKER_02 58:55

Because you couldn't completely neuter him, you know, like from being the menace um for future episodes because he has a role to play in this community, but he's got to stop actually beating kids up. That's right. So, but he can still be a scary menace. Um you know, and Marge, of course, comes in. Oh, are you boys done playing war because she's made cupcakes, which brings us a kind of a full circle moment to where we started with this. Um reminded me of the book like if you give a mouse a cookie. Yeah, yeah. It just the whole thing happens and we get back to cupcakes.

SPEAKER_01 59:27

Oh that's a good way to circle around to it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 59:30

So yes.

SPEAKER_01 59:31

Well, but then there is a disclaimer at the end of the episode uh about hot war not being glamorous or fun. Yes, yes. I I don't know if that was something that they got strong-armed into having to do or what.

SPEAKER_02 59:44

Right. Or maybe it was kind of uh making fun of the fact that a lot of shows back then would have these public service announcements. I feel like you remember watching, like, say by the bell or something, and they'd be like, remember, kids' drugs aren't good. Like you shouldn't take caffeine pills and all these things. Um it was a common theme back then, you know. We were because we were trying to watch TV, and they also were like, well, we should teach these kids a little bit too.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:07

Um still an idea that they had a social responsibility.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:10

Uh right. Seems to have gone completely by the wayside nowadays. No public service announcements.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:17

Um it's left to just a few shows, but not much. You're right.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:22

Yeah, but you remember that like the little rainbow thing that was like the more you know. Yeah. Um yeah, you don't see that these days. Yeah, and G.I. Joe always had a lesson for us. Yeah, yeah. Um wartime show. Yeah, also a wartime show.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:37

Yeah. So, you know, a fun episode. I remember it being like really meaningful as a kid, and like this wo this idea of like the collective getting together against the bully and what it takes to do that. Um as an adult, again, it sort of just makes me recognize that there's these different worlds that adults and kids sort of populate, but there are some people that are able to you know go through both worlds to be a little bit a part of both. And you know, we see that with Herman, with Otto, uh Grandpa a little bit.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:10

Yeah, yeah. It's um I I yeah, I I think this episode is great. You know, you get to you get to see a lot more with um a lot more of the dynamics of Barton's school, um, a lot more with his with his sister, the the bickering that happens. Um and you see a lot of grandpa Simpson, you know. This is part of he's part of the family. Um who we saw in the Christmas special, I believe.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:34

Yeah, just just sort of in the background or playing the piano, but yeah, not not really too much as a character.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:40

Yeah, and grandparents play a role in our lives, typically, you know, for most people. Some people obviously um don't have the experience of having grandparents. Um I've lost all of mine at this point in life, but um, you know, it's those those times with grandparents are important. Um and I always try to make sure that my son has time with my parents and um with his mother's parents.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:01

They give different lessons than we can give them directly.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:04

Right. So it's it's good to see that kind of that side of of everything, which is nice. Um and we talked at the end of the last episode. This this episode got a pretty high rating on IMDB, and I agree with it. I I think it was great. Yeah. Um so yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:21

A classic. It really sets the stage. It you know, it informs the geography of Springfield. You really learn a lot in this episode.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:28

Right, Elm Street. Let's keep an eye out for Elm Street. That's the center of Springfield, according to Herman. Uh so what do we got next, Tom?

SPEAKER_01 1:02:36

What's uh what do we have coming up next week?

SPEAKER_02 1:02:38

Next next week is I don't have the rating for next week's episode, but next week we're gonna um learn a little bit more about Lisa. Um, with season one, episode six, Moaning Lisa. Oh, which I believe that's the Bleeding Gums Murphy episode. Yeah. Um, which that that stands out to me as a classic as well. Um which is kind of interesting because this is this this episode, I believe, was kind of a classic first season episode for Bart, and we're gonna transition to a classic first season. Fleshing out Lisa a little bit of a episode for Lisa, yeah. Um who we haven't really seen much. We we know who we kind of know who she is.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:13

Um she's the sister, she's not really like an active character yet.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:17

Right, right. So we're gonna get an episode kind of dedicated a little bit more to her, and we'll have to see how that plays out and what we what we like about it.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:25

Yeah. Awesome. Well, great getting to talk to you again. Uh, I look forward to exploring more Simpsons with you next week.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:32

Yes, absolutely. Thanks, everyone, and we'll see you next week.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:37

Thanks for listening to Donuts on the Couch, growing up on Evergreen Terrace. Yet another Simpsons Rewatch podcast.