New Kid on the Block

"New Kid on the Block"
The Simpsons episode
File:New Kid On The Block.jpg
Episode no.	Season 4
Directed by	Wes Archer
Written by	Conan O'Brien
Original air date	November 12 1992
Episode features
Chalkboard gag	"I will not bring sheep to class."
Couch gag	The couch falls through the floor.
Commentary	Matt Groening Al Jean Mike Reiss Conan O'Brien David Silverman

"New Kid on the Block" is the 8th episode of The Simpsons' fourth season.

Plot

When the other neighbors, the Winfields, decide to move away because of Homer's constant embarrassing behavior, Bart and Lisa explore the abandoned house and go into the basement. Bart scares Lisa away, but a beautiful girl surprises him, and he knocks himself unconscious. When he wakes up, the girl says her name is Laura Powers, his new neighbor. Meanwhile, Homer watches an advertisement on television about "The Frying Dutchman," an all-you-can-eat seafood restaurant run by Captain Horatio McCallister and wants to go.

Bart develops a crush on Laura. Meanwhile, Homer and Marge visit Ruth Powers at the house that she and Laura moved in. Ruth tells them she is divorced. Meanwhile, Laura taunts Dolph and Kearney, two of the bullies. Laura looks at Bart's palm and predicts that he is going to be rich. She spits in his hand and says, "And there's the swimming pool." Bart says he is never going to wash that hand again.

Homer cannot find a babysitter, so Bart suggests that Laura should babysit them, to which Homer agrees. Bart then takes a bath and dresses up to impress Laura. When she arrives, they share dinner and Bart even accepts a dance with her.

Meanwhile, Homer goes to the restaurant with Marge, but Marge is allergic to fish. Homer orders the all-you-can-eat and eats everything. Captain McCallister kicks him out after midnight. He goes to trial with his lawyer, Lionel Hutz, claiming false advertising. Homer and the captain make an agreement: Homer is put on display as "Bottomless Pete; a remorseless eating machine", or "nature's cruelest mistake". After a meeting in the treehouse, Laura tells Bart she is dating Jimbo Jones. Bart feels instantly heartbroken when he hears that.

While Laura and Jimbo kiss, Bart makes a prank call to Moe's Tavern, posing as Jimbo. Moe then comes over with a rusty dull kitchen knife, causing Jimbo to burst into tears, resulting in Laura dumping him. Afterwards, Laura tells Bart that she would not doubt in dating him if he were a bit older. Finally, they make another prank phone call to Moe's and end up laughing.

Trivia

• According to the DVD commentary for this episode, the all-you-can-eat restaurant sidestory was added to the show after a planned sidestory involving a guest shot by Don Rickles fell through due to miscommunication with the Simpsons staff (someone had told them that Don Rickles wanted to do the show, and he did not.) There was also another planned sidestory, before the restaurant sidestory, that involved Homer becoming a talented barber, but it was rejected.
• This episode features the first appearance of Captain Horatio McCallister, and the only mention of his real name. This episode also reveals that he is not a real captain.
• Clothespins are given to Ruth Powers as a Welcome gift because Springfield has a smell that newcomers aren't used to. This was mentioned in the episode Bart's Friend Falls in Love.
• This was the first episode written by Conan O'Brien.
• Mr. & Mrs. Winfield, the Simpson family's little seen neighbors, move away in this episode. They are first seen in episode 3, "Homer's Odyssey", commenting on Homer taking his boulder out for a walk. Mrs. Winfield was seen (and voiced by Tracy Ullman) in "Bart's Dog Gets an F". Marge also mentions Homer getting drunk and making a fool of himself at the Winfields' party in "War of the Simpsons". They were also seen in Simpson and Delilah.
• This episode is about one minute shorter than most other Season 4 episodes, at 22 minutes and one second long.
• After the court case when Homer is eating on display a man in the background says "I hear they shaved a gorilla". Dan Castellaneta voiced him with his normal speaking voice.
• The address given in the episode is the non typical 1094 Evergreen Terrace, instead of the known 742 Evergreen Terrace.

Cultural references

• The music where the moose was eating the Simpsons' garbage is based on the opening theme song for the hit TV series Northern Exposure.
• The scene in which numerous sacks of letters to Santa Claus are delivered to court is a direct parody of Miracle on 34th Street ("You want the People of Springfield vs. Kris Kringle, that's next door").
• The pornographic film given in the housewarming basket spoofs Wolfgang Petersen's classic movie, Das Boot. There really is a pornographic film called Das Butt directed by Casey and Peter O'Brian, but it was released in 1996, four years after this episode.
• Lionel Hutz tells Homer he considers "The NeverEnding Story" false advertising.

See also

• New Kids on the Blecch

External links

• "New Kid on the Block episode capsule". The Simpsons Archive.