7F11 - One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish (January 24, 1991)

Summary: After eating potentially poisonous sushi, Homer learns he has one day left to live.

Episode Timeline:
Thursday:
- The family has meatloaf for dinner, Lisa wants a change of pace
Friday:
- The family goes to the sushi restaurant
- The family orders
- The chefs prepare the food
- Homer likes the sushi
- A guy sings karaoke
- Homer orders more food
- Bart and Lisa sing the theme from Shaft at the karaoke bar
- Homer orders Fugu
- Bart and Lisa continue to sing
- The Master Chef leaves to make out with Krabappel, leaving the sous-chef in charge
- The sous-chef has trouble cutting the non-poisonous part of the fish
- Homer likes it
- The Master Chef notices the Fugu platter
- Homer is told he's ingested poison
- Hibbert tells Homer he has 22 hours to live (he apparently waited in the hospital for 2 hours after dinner)
- Homer makes a list of things to do before he dies, and promises to wake up at 6 am and watch the sunrise
Saturday:
- At 6 am, Homer hits the snooze button and goes back to sleep
- At 11:30am, Homer wakes up
- Homer rushes through breakfast and doesn't get a hearty one like he wanted
- Homer has man-to-man with Bart
- Homer teaches Bart how to shave
- Homer listens to Lisa play her saxophone
- Homer borrows a camcorder from Ned and promises to go to his barbeque tomorrow
- Homer makes a videotape for Maggie
- Homer makes peace with Grampa (after having made funeral arrangements)
- Homer goes fishing with Grampa, so he doesn't have time to go to Moe's
- Homer plays catch with Grampa, so he doesn't have time to plant a tree
- Homer wrestles with Grampa, so he doesn't have time to go hang gliding
- Homer gets pulled over for speeding
- 6:37pm: Homer is in jail
- Homer calls Barney, who has to find $50 for bail
- The family waits for Homer to come home for dinner
- Barney bails Homer out
- Homer and Barney drive by Burns, so he can tell him off. Burns wants Simpson in his office at 9am Monday morning.
- At Moe's, Homer tries to call Marge with no luck, then tells the barflies he loves them and sees that its 7:30pm
- Barney stops to fix a tire, and Homer has crossed all but one thing off his list, so he runs home
- Homer returns home and quickly tells his kids that he loves them
- Marge reads Homer a poem
- After sex, Homer says goodbye to his sleeping family
- Homer listens to the Bible audio book and falls asleep
Sunday:
- 7:00am: Marge wakes up
- She wakes up an alive Homer
- Homer spends the day eating pork rinds and watching bowling on TV

References to Time:
- Lisa says Thursday is Meatloaf Night
- Homer says Friday is Pork Chop Night, which they haven't missed since the Great Pig Scare in '87

References to Other Episodes: None

SLH Presence:
- Lisa has a picture of Bleeding Gums Murphy
- Bart makes a prank call to Moe
- SLH is not present

Minimum Time Spanned: 4 days

Canon: Yes, although the family's themed dinner nights may cause some issue

Favorite Moment: Bart and Lisa singing the theme from Shaft. It's an odd scene, but it makes me smile.

Review: This one delicately walks the balance between hilarious, slice-of-life antics and heart-wrenching drama extremely well. I feel like this would have been a good episode for a later season when we were more familiar with the characters, but it is still great. Larry King as the audio book is a truly inspried guest voice choice. The pain of not being able to complete half of his last-day-on-Earth list really grounds Homer in reality. A

7F10 - Bart Gets Hit By a Car (January 10, 1991)

Summary: Bart gets hit by a car.

Episode Timeline:
Sunday:
- Bart gets hit by a car, has an experience in Heaven and Hell, wakes up at the hospital, meets Hutz, and is checked on by Hibbert
Monday:
- Homer has donuts at the plant
- Burns tells Homer not to tangle with him and his lawyers, Homer decides to contact Hutz
- Homer visits Hutz's office and is promised a big cash settlement
Tuesday:
- The Simpsons visit Dr. Nick
Wednesday:
- Burns receives the demands for the settlement
- Hutz teaches Bart how to act injured
Thursday and Friday are skipped
Saturday:
- In court, Bart tells his side of the story
- Burns tells his side
- Burns yells at his lawyers
- Homer and Marge meet with Burns at his house and are offered $500,000. Homer doesn't take it and Marge lets it slip that Dr. Nick is a fraud.
Sunday:
- Burns's lawyer calls Marge to the stand, she reveals the truth
- Burns offers Homer $0.00. Homer takes it.
- Homer sulks through dinner
- Homer goes to Moe's, Marge comes, Homer might not love her, but then he does

References to Time:
- Bart sees angels of Aunt Hortense, Great-Grandpa Simpson (strangling a child who must be Abe's brother) and Snowball
- Bart isn't supposed to die until the Yankees win the pennant (nearly a century from now)
- The Simpsons meet Hutz for the first time
- Bart played baseball the morning he visited Dr. Nick
- Dr. Hibbert has been with the Simpsons ever since Marge became a mother
- Marge says Bart missed 3 days of school
- Marge once washed Homer's pants with $20 in the pocket
- Marge and Homer have been married for 10 years

References to Other Episodes: None

SLH Presence:
- SLH is not present

Minimum Time Spanned: 8 days

Canon: Burns says "At last we meet," and Homer, confused, says "Nice to meet you too, sir." Just thought it was worth mentioning. All canon.

Favorite Moment: Burns in court: "I should be able to run over as many children as I want."

Review: The fact that I had trouble coming up with a favorite moment sticks out as a sign to me. The story is alright, and the introduction of Hutz and Dr. Nick is great, but then the episode ends with yet another Homer-Marge conflict/resolution. I'm starting to get tired of those, especially since this one was set up and finished in a minute. B-

7F09 - Itchy & Scratchy & Marge (December 20, 1990)

Summary: Marge gets upset with the violence portrayed on "Itchy & Scratchy."

Episode Timeline:
Monday:
- Homer decides to build Marge a spice rack, the kids watch I&S, Homer begins building
- After finishing the spice rack, Maggie hits Homer with a mallet
- As Homer rests, Marge realizes Maggie learned to be violent from I&S
Tuesday:
- Milhouse suggests Bart watch cartoons at his house
- Homer tells work he won't be in for the rest of the week, Bart watches I&S at Milhouse's, Lisa watches it at Janey's, Marge watches at home, Marge writes a letter of complaint
Wednesday:
- Krusty has trouble reading the letter
- An I&S animator throws the letter away
- Roger Meyer's writes a response
Thursday:
- Marge reads the response
- 4:00 - Marge starts protesting outside the animation studio
- The protest grows
- The family eats TV dinners
Friday:
- Marge and protesters attend the Krusty show
- Meyer's tries to figure out what to do
- As Marge protests outside of the studio, an animator gets an idea
Saturday:
- Marge and Homer watch a cartoon with a Marge-inspired squirrel
- Marge appears on Smartline
Sunday is skipped
Monday:
- Meyers reads hate mail
Tuesday:
- Meyers calls Marge to help him write a non-violent cartoon
Wednesday:
- The kids watch the new I&S and decide to go outside
Thursday:
- No one comes to the Krusty show
- Homer and Marge enjoy their new kids
- In Italy, Michaelangelo's David prepares its American tour
Friday:
- Protesters try to get Marge to help them protest David but Marge refuses
- The protesters appear at the airport
- Marge appears on Smartline again
Saturday:
- Outside is empty of kids
- The kids watch I&S, Maggie imitates them again
- Homer and Marge go to see David

References to Time:
- The schools will soon be taking field trips to see David

References to Other Episodes: None

SLH Presence:
- SLH is not present
- Sideshow Mel is on the Krusty Show
- Dr. Marvin Monroe is alive

Minimum Time Spanned: 13 days

Canon: Yes

Favorite Moment: There were some good lines but the whole "kids playing outdoors" sequence is magical.

Review: It's a nice episode. Not hilarious. I enjoy the message about art at the end and, as I said, the montage of kids playing outside. It makes me want to go play outside. B

7F08 - Dead Putting Society (November 15, 1990)

Summary: Bart and Todd enter a miniature golf tournament.

Episode Timeline:
Saturday, November 4:
- 1:00pm - Homer mows the lawn, Bart's potatoe is still just a potatoe, Flanders invites Homer in for a beer
- Homer gets his first look at the Flanders household, storms out when it's clear that his family is worse than Ned's
- At night, Homer gets upset that Marge thinks Ned is perfect
- As Homer takes a walk, Ned gets upset for throwing Homer out of his house, calls Reverend Lovejoy for advice
- Ned writes Homer a letter of apology
Sunday, November 5:
- Homer reads the letter to the family, then decides to go miniature golfing with Bart and Maggie
- At the first hole, Homer's put ends up in the parking lot
- Maggie walks around the course, and passes by Flanders and Todd
- Homer can't make it in the ape's mouth, Flanders and son join up and Todd makes it
- Homer and Ned decide to pit their sons against each other in the upcoming tournament
- While having milkshakes, Homer tells Bart he can't lose
Monday, November 6:
- Bart and Homer practice in the backyard
- Bart names his putter and has to start hating Todd
- Marge and Homer discuss putting Bart in the competition
- Lisa decides to help Bart
Tuesday, November 7:
- Lisa takes Bart to the library
- Bart and Lisa meditate
- Lisa asks Bart unanswerable questions
- Bart makes a hole in one on the dinosaur hole
- Bart hits the ball through the sphinx hole
Wednesday, November 8:
- On a rainy day, Bart practices on the alligator hole
- Bart practices on a billiards table, Krusty kicks him off
Thursday, November 9:
- Bart sinks a put blindfolded
- Homer and Ned make bets
- Marge puts their bet in writing
- Ned has regrets
Friday, November 10:
- Homer joins Bart and Lisa on their next golf practice
- Homer picks out which dress he'll have to wear
Saturday, November 11:
- After watching Bart sleep all night, Homer wakes him up in the morning
- Lisa complains about Bart's breakfast
- The golf course prepares for the big day
- At the end of the matches, it is down to Bart and Todd
- Homer and Ned get competitive
- Bart and Todd both get holes-in-one on the alligator hole
- Bart hits the ball through the windmill
- Todd doesn't quite make it on the graveyard hole
- Bart hits it through the Itchy and Scratchy hole
- Todd makes it in the Nuclear Power Plant hole
- On the Abe Lincoln hole, Bart and Todd call it a draw
Sunday, November 12:
- Homer and Ned mow the lawns

References to Time:
- Bart started his science experiment at 11:00am
- Homer says he's only been Ned's neighbor for 8 years
- Lisa needs to study for the upcoming math fair
- Todd is 10 years old
- The prize checks say Nov. 11, 1990
- Ned was in a frat

References to Other Episodes: None

SLH Presence:
- SLH is present

Minimum Time Spanned: 9 days (November 4th - 12th)

Canon: Hopefully future episodes won't contradict the definite time set in this episode

Favorite Moment: "Wow, free balloons for everyone who enters!" Or the whole naming of the putter scene.

Review: Before watching this episode, I remembered it as being very good. Now after watching it, I realized that there are only three good scenes: the putter-naming scene, the one-hand-clapping scene, and the letter-reading scene ("bosom"). Everything else seems very bland, and the neighborhood's reaction to Homer and Ned mowing lawns in dresses seemed as weird as the "Homer's Night Out" photo debacle. B-

7F07 - Bart vs. Thanksgiving (November 22, 1990)

Summary: Bart ruins Thanksgiving and runs away from home.

Episode Timeline:
Thursday (Thanksgiving):
- Maggie walks around observing the family, Bart and Lisa fight over glue, Bart and Homer watch the parade, Lisa shows the centepiece she is making
- Bart helps his mom with the cranberry sauce
- Homer and Maggie watch the Dallas Cowboys, Patti and Selma arrive
- Homer picks up Grampa
- Marge's mother arrives
- Maggie watches the rest of the halftime show
- Homer tries to make a fire, dinner begins, Lisa presents her centerpiece, Bart needs room for the turkey, Bart ruins Thanksgiving
- Homer says grace, Lisa plays some blues, Bart runs away
- Bart and SLH end up at Burns Manor
- Lisa writes a poem about Bart
- Bart crosses the tracks and sells some blood
- The family waits for Bart to apologize
- Bart passes out, some homeless folk take him to a rescue mission for food, Kent Brockman is doing a story on the homeless, Lisa wants to read her poem, Bart's on TV
- Bart gives his money to the homeless
- Homer and Marge talk to the police about Bart
- The relatives leave, Grampa must be back home by 9 or else he'd be considered legally dead
- Bart returns and considers the negative consequences
- Bart climbs on the roof, Lisa meets with him, Bart apologizes
- The family eats turkey sandwiches

References to Time:
- The security guard says Bart appears to be age 9 - 11
- According to Grampa, Homer was never stubborn and folded instantly to everything
- Brockman's dating the weather girl

References to Other Episodes: None

SLH Presence:
- SLH is present

Minimum Time Spanned: 1 day

Canon: Lou and Eddie's voices are switched

Favorite Moments: Where to begin?
- Radio personality Bill talking about the parade and saying how Bullwinkle got taste of his own medicine when his balloon sprung a leak, then saying he knows how the Pilgrims felt when he realizes his first sentence didn't make sense
- Maggie scribbling on Lisa's centerpiece
- Bart "helping with" the cranberry sauce, although Marge does all of the work
- Maggie sitting on the couch, watching TV
- Marge's mother: "Leave me alone."
- Maggie: "It's your fault I can't talk"

Review: This is my favorite episode of all time. I have a lot of favorite moments, especially from the first act, because the whole episode feels so real. The family does not act in a cartoonish way. And I like how the conflict of Bart running away doesn't occur until the second act. Until then, we are just allowed to see a typical Thanksgiving with the Simpsons. The whole cranberry sauce scene feels especially real, with a child wanting to help make dinner, yet not really knowing what to do, and singing "Mom, it's broken" when he can't work the can opener. The pace is slow, and there is no need for a joke every second. I put Maggie sitting on the couch as one of my favorite moments because it's just so simple. Nothing particularly funny happens; it's just a little slice of life. No other episode has the heart and soul of this episode, in my opinion. A+

7F06 - Bart the Daredevil (December 6, 1990)

Summary: Bart wants to become a daredevil.

Episode Timeline:
Friday:
- The kids watch wrestling on TV at home while Homer watches it at Moe's bar
- A commercial for the Truckasaurus airs
- Homer rushes home to celebrate with Bart
- At dinner, Homer proposes the family goes to the monster truck rally and learns about Lisa's recital
Saturday:
- 5:00 - Lisa's recital begins
- 7:23 - Todd has a solo
- The family leaves the recital and drives fast to the rally, where they nearly get crushed
- The family gets paid for the damage done to their car
- The family watches a female monster truck driver and Homer gets concessions
- Lance Murdock performs his death-defying stunt
- Bart falls asleep on the car ride home and wants to be a daredevil
Sunday:
- Bart attempts to jump a car on his skateboard
- Bart winds up in the hospital with stitches
- Dr. Hibbert shows Bart children who have been injured by imitating television stunts
Monday-Friday:
- Bart jumps a car
- Bart jumps a swimming pool
- Bart jumps a line of dogs
- Bart jumps his sleeping father
- On a field trip to Springfield Gorge, Bart gets inspiration to jump it
- Bart announces his plans to jump the gorge while on the bus ride home
- Lisa takes Bart to see Murdock in the hospital, who approves of Bart's stunt
Saturday:
- At breakfast, Homer forbids Bart to jump the gorge and makes him promise he won't
- Noon - Bart arrives at the gorge
- Homer arrives to stop him and jumps the gorge himself
- Homer falls down the gorge a second time
- Homer winds up sharing a hospital room with Murdock

References to Time:
- Lisa's recital is the first in a series of Saturday evening concerts

References to Other Episodes: None

SLH Presence:
- Moe's TV is black and white
- SLH is present
- Bleeding Gums Murphy is alive

Minimum Time Spanned: 9 days

Canon: Yes

Favorite Moment: Homer falling down the gorge is a Simpsons classic, but I really enjoy Otto humming/beat-boxing into the bus microphone

Review: Okay episode. Everyone regards it as one of the best, especially for the gorge moment, but I feel it isn't as amazing as everyone says. Still, the whole episode is full of classic Simpson charm. B+

7F05 - Dancin' Homer (November 8, 1990)

Summary: Homer becomes a baseball mascot.

Episode Timeline:
Sunday:
- One the Nuclear Power Plant Baseball Night for Families, Otto drives the families to the stadium, evading the police
- The family walks through the stadium, discussing baseball
- Burns greets families as they find their seats
- Bart wants Flash Bailer to sign his baseball, Homer gets caught with his fly down on the Jumbo-Tron, Burns fails to throw the first pitch, Bleeding Gums Murphy sings the National Anthem from 7:30 - 7:56, the announcer starts the game, Burns sits next to Homer, Burns orders two beers for Homer and himself
- At the fourth inning, Burns and Homer shout at the players and order another large beer
- At the sixth inning, Burns and Homer do another wave
- Homer riles the crowd up by dancing to Baby Elephant Walk, and the Isotopes win the game
- Burns bans Homer from all company outings
- Homer gets offered to be the Isotopes mascot
Monday:
- Homer shows off his new costume at home
- Homer dances at the next ball game, 'Topes win
Tuesday:
- Springfield vs. Burlington game
- Bart dances with Homer, Marge comments on the Dancin' Homer t-shirts
- Homer tries to psyche out a player
- 'Topes win
Wednesday:
- Springfield vs. Salem game
- Homer asks for a reggae Baby Elephant walk from the organ player
- The Jamaicans approve
Thursday:
- Springfield vs. Shelbyville game
- Homer spells SPRINGFIELD with his body
- 'Topes lose
- The owner of the Isotopes tells Homer that he's been asked to fill in for the Capitol City Goofball for a few innings
- Homer discusses the move to Capitol City with his family, they finally approve
Friday:
- Homer's supervisor at the plant allows him to leave for 4 or 5 years
Saturday:
- The Simpsons have a yard sale, Flanders says goodbye
- Bart and Milhouse become spit brothers
- Lisa says goodbye to the girls at the playground, except they all agree that they weren't really friends
- Marge says goodbye to her sisters as the family is ready to head out
- Homer makes a goodbye speech at the stadium
- The Simpsons reach Capitol City
- Homer stays up nervous about the big game tomorrow
Sunday:
- Homer checks out the stadium and meets the Goofball
- Homer and the Goofball discuss the night in the locker room
- The family sits with the players' ex-wives
- Homer ignores the game, too worried
- Homer's dance does not win the crowd over
- Homer gets fired
- The kids don't want to go home, but they have to support their dad
Monday:
- Homer begins his story about Capitol City at Moe's Bar at night
- Homer continues his story and says he should've listened to his kids
- Homer finishes his story, and the barflys want to hear it again

References to Time:
- Lisa mentions that it's a summer night at the ball park
- At last year's Family Night, Homer got drunk and mooned the umpire
- Burns calls Maggie "Expecting," because his note cards are out of date (but they were up to date in There's No Disgrace Like Home)
- Burns used to "rile Connie Mack at old Shyde Park"
- Homer apparently ruined 2 company luaus, 2 company picnics, 4 company banquets, and 3 company baseball games
- Lisa says that everyone in Springfield knows the family and has forgiven them
- The Duff Brewery is in Capitol City, and Homer sees it for the first time

References to Other Episodes:
- I think I recognized the guy who got fired at Burn's picnic back in There's No Disgrace Like Home. I'll need to check this.
- Lisa remains alert throughout Bleeding Gums's entire performance, implying she remembered him from Moaning Lisa

SLH Presence:
- Bleeding Gums Murphy is alive
- SLH is present

Minimum Time Spanned: 9 days

Canon: Sure, although I feel it'll be hard to place

Favorite Moment: I love every line in Tony Bennett's Capitol City song

Review: I'm not a huge fan of this episode. It seems like a story that has been redone again in future, funnier episodes (Homer gets famous for some reason). The plot feels a little silly, and there aren't a lot of hilarious moments. The first baseball game is nice though, and has some good "family at a baseball game" moments. C+