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"Homer's Triple Bypass" is the eleventh episode of The Simpsons' fourth season.

Synopsis

Template:Spoiler

One night, while watching TV, Homer — shortly after Marge warns him against his dietary habits — begins feeling chest pains, which return the next morning at breakfast. After refusing Marge's "special surprise" (oatmeal), he eats a cholesterol-laden breakfast of eggs and bacon. While driving to work, Homer's chest pains worsen, but he chalks the irregular thumping to a problem with his car's transmission. The mechanic tells him it is probably his heart, and a relieved Homer drives away.

At work, Mr. Burns calls Homer in to reprimand him for his poor work performance, taunting him with dismissal all the while. Homer's chest pains get worse, and when he is told he is fired, his heart stops. When Smithers tells Burns that he thinks Homer is dead, Burns asks him to send a ham; at that moment, Homer regains consciousness and the ham is cancelled.

Back at home, Marge gets a phone call from the hospital, telling her Homer has suffered a mild heart attack. When she quickly leaves, a visiting Patty and Selma continue cutting coupons, as though nothing is wrong.

Later, Dr. Hibbert advises Marge that Homer needs triple bypass, but Homer suffers another heart attack when he is told the price — $30,000 (which is upped to $40,000 after his heart stops); no wonder — the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant doesn't offer health insurance, and the family has less than $100 in their savings account. Homer suffers a third heart attack at the health insurance office and is denied because of his poor health.

Left without options and sure he'll die before he gets some much-needed surgery, Homer and Marge see a TV commercial for Dr. Nick Riviera, who performs bargain-basement surgery for $129.95. Despite Dr. Nick's obvious gross incompetence — thanks to not-too-subtle hints such as being called to the morgue (Dr. Nick sarcastically reacts, "The coroner? I'm so sick of that guy!" before being greeted by the media) — Homer sees the good doctor as his only chance to have the surgery done an affordable price.

Just before the surgery, a nervous Dr. Nick tries to review the basic procedures of the surgery he is about to perform, but the instructional video he rents was taped over. On the day of the surgery, Nick proceeds with the surgery but quickly realizes he doesn't know what to do. Fortunately, Lisa — who has studied cardiology — is in the operating room amphitheater and guides Dr. Nick through the procedure. Amazingly, the surgery is a success, and Homer makes a full recovery.

Deleted Scenes

The following listed scenes were cut and can be viewed, as a bonus feature, on the DVD:

Cops at Diner: Before Marge warns Homer about eating, there was one scene where Chief Wiggum and his friends appear at a diner. The waitress bills them for the "coffee and donuts" they ate. Instead, Wiggum rips the bills and places it in her front pocket.

Homer in Ambulance: A brief scene of the driver telling Homer he needs to stop at the Kwik-E-Mart to get cat food. Homer responds by telling him to get beef jerky for himself.

Sideshow Mel in Cannon: Krusty has a line after they try to blast Sideshow Mel out of the cannon, "You know who I feel sorry for? Sideshow Phil. Mel is standing on his shoulders."

Alternate Pizza Ending: Originally the episode was going to end with Homer eating a pizza in his hospital bed after the operation, before Marge asks a nurse where he got the pizza from. This would reflect the earlier scene where Homer's father watches him as an infant chewing on a slice of pizza in the hospital. The scene was deleted and replaced with the scene where Homer's family cheer him on while he's in intensive care.

Cultural references

• COPS – The opening gag, "COPS: In Springfield" spoofs FOX's police-reality series. Instead of highlighting police officers' work, this parody showcases Chief Wiggum's incompetence. Also spoofed is the theme song (as "Bad Cops").
• Life in Hell — The puppets Homer uses to describe his upcoming heart surgery to Bart and Lisa are Akbar and Jeff (minus their fezes), from Matt Groening's comic strip.
• Starsky and Hutch – In the COPS gag, Chief Wiggum calls himself "Papa Bear," an allusion to Huggy Bear on the 1970s police drama.
• The Restaurant at the End of the Universe - Homer's fantasy of eating a roast pig, which speaks, recommending the rump, is inspired by a similar moment in Douglas Adams' novel, with a cow that's been raised to want to be eaten.

COPS! in Springfield

Lyrics (Sung to the identical tune to the theme of COPS).
Bad cops, bad cops...
Bad cops, bad cops...
Springfield cops are on the take
But what do you expect for the money we make?
Whether in a car or on a horse
We don't mind using excessive force!
Bad cops, bad cops...
Bad cops, bad cops...

Opening montage

• "COPS: In Springfield" title card
• Wiggum fails to prevent a suicidal man from jumping; after the man plummets to his death, Wiggum makes a cuckoo sign with his finger.
• A cop pursues a crook by jumping across buildings. Zoom back to reveal Wiggum, Lou and Eddie watching TV.
• The officers attempt — without success — to shoot a mummy; Wiggum throws his gun at the creature, which doesn't faze it.
• Eddie and Lou pull various weapons from Jasper's beard.
• Wiggum and his officers watch the Itchy & Scratchy cartoon "Field of Screams."
• The officers use a helicopter to sneak into a local drive-in, which is playing "Space Mutants."
• "COPS: In Springfield" (with voiceover)

Story

Chief Wiggum investigates a cattle rustler and uses a tank to knock down the suspect's door, only to find he has the wrong house.

The occupant, Rev. Lovejoy, is very angry ... especially since the cattle are in the neighbor's yard. Snake, the suspect that Wiggum is after, is able to make a clean getaway. Wiggum is unable to give a coherent description of the car; he describes the vehicle as "a car of some sort" and "heading in the direction of that place that sells chili." However, he does point out that the "Suspect is hatless! Repeat, hatless!"

Goofs

• In the beginning of the episode, the house which Snake drives out of is "742 Evergreen Terrace", which is the same address as the Simpsons, which is impossible, since the house looks completely different, and Reverend Lovejoy is living next door (although some earlier episodes do change the Simpsons' address to something other than 742 Evergreen Terrace).
• The day Homer has his heart attack, when Bart says there is a bug on Homer's bacon and eggs, they have switched color.

Quotes

• Dr Nick: Now if anything goes wrong, let's not to get the law involved. One hand washes the other. Oh, that reminds me. (Washes his hands)
• Dr. Nick: These gloves came free with my toilet brush!
• Dr Nick: (The last thing Homer hears before the anesthesia kicks in) What the hell is that?
• Homer (explaining his operation to the kids): Kids, kids, I'm not going to die. That only happens to bad people.
  Bart: What about Abraham Lincoln?
  Homer: He sold poisoned milk to schoolchildren.
  Marge: Homer!

• Marge: Homer, I made something very special just for you!
  Homer: It can only be one thing!
  Homer imagines a whole roasted pig.
  Imaginary Pig: Psst! The best meat's in the rump!
  Marge hands Homer a bowl full of gray-colored mush.
  Marge: Here you go!
  Homer: What the hell is this?
  Marge: Nice, healthy oatmeal!
  Homer: (sarcastically) Oatmeal! What a delightful treat! Oh, there's a bug in it.
  Homer washes the oatmeal down the sink.
  Marge: No there isn't.
  Homer: Trust me.
  Homer eats his normal breakfast of bacon and eggs. Bart looks on.
  Bart: Dad, there's a bug on that.
  A beat.
  Homer: Eh.

• Moe: Now let's have a minute of silent prayer for our good friend, Homer Simpson.
  Barney: How long has it been?
  Moe: Six seconds.
  Barney: Do we have to start over?
  Moe: Hell no.

• Homer: (to gas station owner) I keep hearing this horrible, irregular thumping noise.
  Gas station owner: It's your heart, and I think it's on its last thump.
  Homer: Phew, I was afraid it was my transmission. (drives away)
  Child: Hey, where's he going?
  Gas Station Owner: Jimmy… remember that old Plymouth we just couldn't fix?
  Child: …We're gonna sell him to Mr. Nikapopolus?
  Gas Station Owner: You're a dumb kid, Jimmy.

• Marge: (to Homer) Honey, did you have any luck?
  Homer: (is spinning a dreidel on the coffee table) No, but the Rabbi gave me this.
  Bart: What is it, dad?
  Homer: Son, they call it a "droodle." (spins dreidel) Whoo-hoo! Look at it go!

• Dr. Nick Riviera (during surgery): "The knee bone's connected to the... something,
  the something is connected to the.. red thing,
  The red thing is connected to my.. wrist watch -- Uh oh."

• Homer (after being teased by doctor Hibbert): Remember your Hippopotamus oath. (Referring to the Hippocratic Oath.)

• Homer (re-assuring Marge, in bed): "Don't worry, Marge. America's health care system is second only to Japan, Canada, Sweden, Great Britain, well, all of Europe, but you can thank your lucky stars we don't live in Paraguay!"

External links

• "Homer's Triple Bypass episode capsule". The Simpsons Archive.

• The Simpsons episodes, season 4