7F16 - Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? (February 21, 1991)

Summary: Homer learns he has a successful half-brother who creates cars.

Episode Timeline:
The past (Over 31 years ago):
- While dating Mona, Abe had an affair with a carny girl
One Year Later:
- The carny girl comes back with a new son
One Year Later:
- Abe and Mona get married
- Homer is born
Present Day, Wednesday:
- Grampa and Jasper watch "McBain"
- Grampa has a heart attack
- Meatloaf night, the family eats dinner
- At the hospital, Grampa tells Homer about his half-brother
- Bart sings about bastards
Thursday:
- Homer looks for the orphanage
- Homer learns Herb lives in Detroit
- Homer calls all Herbert Powells in Detroit
- Herb invites Homer to Detroit
Friday:
- On the way to Detroit, Homer gets pulled over and recognized for his brother
- Herb yells at his employees
- Herb meets the Simpsons
- Herb shows off his house
Saturday:
- The kids play in the pool
- Herb, Homer, and Bart skip rocks
- Homer calls Grampa
- Herb, Homer, and Bart fly in a balloon
- Homer calls Herb's cook at night
Sunday:
- Herb wants Homer to design a car
- Homer meets the engineers
- Bart and Lisa go on a boat/pony ride
- The engineers get Homer out of the room
- Herb tells Homer to get self confidence
Monday:
- Homer starts making demands
- Bart and Lisa play croquet while Herb watches
Tuesday:
- Homer makes more demands
- Bart, Lisa and Herb watch Itchy and Scratchy
Wednesday:
- Homer's build is tested
- Bart and Lisa go to the zoo
- Homer draws his concept
Thursday:
- The Homer is unveiled
Friday:
- Herb loses everything
- Grampa arrives
- Bart thinks the car was cool

References to Time:
- The next McBain movie is called "You Have the Right to Remain Dead"
- The Shelbyville Orphanage was torn down 30 years ago
- Herb worked his way through Harvard as a janitor
- Maggie still has that new baby smell, yet can stand on her own
- The Homer is the car of the 90's

References to Other Episodes:
- Grampa may be watching the McBain movie reviewed in "The Way We Was"

SLH Presence:
- SLH is not present
- Homer meets his half-brother

Minimum Time Spanned: 10 Days, assuming it doesn't take long to design a car. It appears to be summertime.

Canon: Yes

Favorite Moment:
- While the kids play Marco Polo, Homer shouts "Will you kids shut up?" as if they are being rowdy

Review: Another okay episode. Homer's car design is pretty funny and pitiful, and Bart and Lisa enjoying the rich life is nice. Danny Devito does a good job as Homer's brother. This episode could've easily fallen into the trap of having Herb be just another Simpson, but it didn't. However, there were no really memorable, exciting moments. B