7F13 - Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment (February 7, 1991)

Summary: Homer acquires illegal cable television and Lisa worries that the family will go to Hell for stealing.

Episode Timeline:
1220 B.C.
- At Mt. Sinai, Homer the Thief sins with his friends, until Moses reads the 10 Commandments
Saturday
- Flanders throws a sleazy cable guy off his property, and Homer chases him down
- The cable guy hooks up illegal cable for Homer
- Homer shows off the cable TV to his family. Marge brings in a baby plant.
- Homer and Lisa watch Mexican wrestling. The plant grows a bit.
- The family watches Jaws. The plant grows.
- The family watches Die Hard. The plant grows.
- The family minus Lisa watches Wall Street. The plant grows.
- At night, Homer switches from C-SPAN to cockfighting.
Sunday
- Homer watches Davey and Goliath. The plant is dead. It's time for church.
- The parents sit through Lovejoy's sermon.
- The kids learn about Hell in Sunday School
- The family drives home.
- The family watches an infomercial. Lisa imagines her family in Hell.
- At the grocery store, Marge eats two grapes.
- Marge gets a price check on two grapes.
- Lisa and Homer discuss stealing. A boxing match is advertised for Friday.
Monday
- Homer invites his co-workers to watch the big game at his house. Burns decides to stop by.
- At Moe's, Homer invites his buddies to come watch the game.
- Homer invites Apu
- Lisa speaks with Reverend Lovejoy about stealing cable
- At night, Bart tries to watch the adult channel, and Lisa announces her abstinence from watching cable
- Marge asks Homer to cut the cable, Homer refuses
Tuesday
- The cable guy stops by the house to sell more illegal wares and possibly rob Flanders
Wednesday
- Homer installs multiple locks and window bars on the house
Thursday
- Bart invites the neighborhood kids over to watch the adult channel
Friday
- Homer's guests start arriving, they watch the pre-show entertainment, Moe arrives, Burns arrives, and the police arrive
- Lisa non-violently protests outside, Homer's guilt catches up with him, and he takes Bart to go join Lisa
- Tatum wins the fight, the guests leave, Homer cuts the cable

References to Time:
- Tatum was in prison for 5 years for manslaughter, and was recently released for the fight
- Burns once watched a fight that lasted 113 rounds, but back then, fights usually lasted over 50 rounds

References to Other Episodes:
- One of the cable channels is showing the wholesome, lemonade Itchy and Scratchy episode from "Itchy & Scratchy & Marge"

SLH Presence:
- SLH is present

Minimum Time Spanned: 7 days, Saturday - Friday, assuming Marge bought one of those fast-growing magic plants. If not, the montage of cable watching could last days, weeks, or months

Canon: Yes, although, once again, Homer and Apu's relationship is presented as being casual acquaintance. Also, Tatum appears much different in future episodes.

Favorite Moments:
- When Lisa and Lovejoy discuss when it is okay to steal, and a hypothetical situation involving a loaf of bread for a starving family. When Lovejoy asks if Homer is stealing bread, Lisa wouldn't put it past him.
- Watson and Tatum both dedicating the fight to Watson's deceased manager
- The whole scene of Homer hiding his stolen items as the guests arrive and Lisa constantly staring at him in her non-violent protest is excellently directed

Review: A pretty good episode. Lisa's moral plotline is classic, and there are some wonderful moments of humor along the way. The cable TV aspect kind of loses its punch in today's digital age, so it's hard to imagine a whole community bonding over the illegal cable hookup of one man. But it just sets this episode in a certain time, when cable channels were still new and impressive. The dated feel lowers my overall score of the episode, though. B+