History Recap / TheSimpsonsS2E20TheWarOfTheSimpsons

* EarlyInstalmentWeirdness:

* EarlyInstalmentWeirdness: This is the first use of Nelson's heckling laugh, though here it is ''three'' long drawn "Hah's" instead of two.

* OffModel: This episode contains the infamous animation error where [[https://frinkiac.com/video/S02E20/XIaZ2uwnlec6j3E21ugtr1N1nMY=.gif Ned's nose disappears, his shirt collar overlaps his neck, and part of his neck disappears]].

* BreakTheMotivationalSpeaker: Downplayed example, but still there. Lovejoy's couples retreat is mentioned to work well, and to provide an example the Reverend manages to help a couple (an {{Expy}} of [[Film/WhosAfraidOfVirginiaWoolf George and Martha]], to boot) in a few seconds. Marge drives the whole group to despairing boredom in the first day of the retreat by giving off the absurdly LongList of flaws Homer has, and in the only scene taking place with the group afterward, Lovejoy is pretty glad Homer isn't around because he doesn't want to know what would happen if the group had to deal with his immense obesity in trust-building exercises.

* ItsAllAboutMe: Marge is right to be upset with Homer for his behavior at the party, but she makes no effort whatsoever to accommodate his interests during the retreat and hijacks the entire first day listing everything she finds even the least bit difficult about Homer. It works out in the end, but she'd have likely gotten a much more cooperative Homer had she told him that he was free to go fishing in the morning (when Homer would most likely want to go fishing anyway) as long as he made sure he was back in time for the retreat activities (considering he did wind up going fishing anyway and forgetting about the retreat, Marge's paranoia wasn't unfounded).
** Homer as well as he felt he didn't need marriage counselling as he tried to stop Marge from signing them up (either because he genuinely believes he doesn't need it or is just plain lazy to bother doing so). He also tried to use the retreat as an excuse to go fishing. When he gets caught, he lamely tries to make excuses.
* JerkassHasAPoint:
** Marge is right to be mad at Homer for his idiocy. She rightfully explains why he's a terrible husband.
** Marge had no reason to object to Homer going fishing at 5 AM, as there were no retreat activities scheduled that early, and Homer planned to be back by 7. In fact, the only reason he felt the need to sneak out was because Marge was being unreasonable. Although Marge tells him he can go fishing anytime, but he should be more focused on fixing their marriage first.
** A minor example for Homer, but during the first group therapy session at the couples retreat Reverend Lovejoy asks the Flanders' why they are there and the reason that Ned gives is that Maude underlines passages in his bible because she can't find her own, to which Homer makes a [[SarcasmMode sarcastic]] comment that it's lucky that they don't keep guns in their house. While Homer was being rude, he is right that the Flanders' are [[SeriousBusiness taking such a small issue and making it out to be worse than what it is.]]

* DoubleStandard: Homer says the thing he dislikes about Marge is that she's annoying and Marge gets angry, and she belts out a LongList of things she hates about Homer that ''takes the whole afternoon'', and she only stops because she can't recall any more things at the moment. There is truth that Homer is being a crappy husband and human being, but it also goes to show who has placed who on a pedestal in this marriage.

* {{Hypocrite}}: Marge gets annoyed at Homer for mentioning a single, minor thing about her that he doesn't like, but has no problem launching into a list of things she hates about him several hours long.

* TheUnfairSex: This episode is full of unfairness towards the male gender due to the fact that it depicts Marge as fully in right and Homer in the wrong for everything wrong with their marriage. While Marge and Homer are both shown to be selfish in the episode, it chooses to blow off Marge’s selfishness and tries to justify her behavior while it condemns Homer’s incidents of selfishness. Even Reverend Lovejoy blames the dysfunction of the marriage as 100% Homer’s fault.

When Marge throws a dinner party, Homer gets drunk and makes a fool of himself (even going as far as tricking Maude Flanders into digging for nuts so he can ogle her cleavage) and Marge forces Homer to explain to Bart what he did and go on a marriage retreat (which Homer wants to abandon so he can go after a legendary catfish). Meanwhile, after their regular babysitter freaks out over memories of Bart trying to run her over with the family car, Grampa Simpson steps in to care for the kids -- and Bart and Lisa take advantage of the old man by making him do whatever they want (eat ice cream instead of dinner, smoke cigars, drink coffee, and have a wild party).

* BabysittersNightmare: Homer and Marge try to hire a babysitter while they go to a couples retreat. She runs off screaming at the sight of Bart ("Back for more?"), so they decide to have Grampa babysit instead.

* ShroudedInMyth: Homer becomes a local legend for almost catching General Sherman, and starts getting this treatment.

* CharacterizationMarchesOn: It's odd to see Grampa with so much self-awareness; he regularly shows suspicion about the kids' intent. Within a season or two he'd be [[{{Flanderization}} flanderized]] to the point of being almost 100% senile.

* AbsoluteCleavage: Maude Flanders sports good-looking cleavage in her red dress. Indeed, a drunk Homer tricks her into digging for nuts so he can ogle her cleavage. The next day, in church, when Maude sees Homer looking for Marge, she hastily checks to make sure her blouse is fully buttoned.

* CharacterizationMarchesOn: It's odd to see Grampa with so much self-awareness; he regularly shows suspicion about the kids' intent. Within a season or two he'd be [[Flanderization flanderized]] to the point of being almost 100% senile.

* DoubleStandard: Homer says one very minor thing he dislikes about Marge and Marge gets angry, and she belts out a LongList of things she hates about Homer that ''takes the whole afternoon'', and she only stops because she can't recall any more things at the moment. There is truth that Homer is being a crappy husband and human being, but it also goes to show who has placed who on a pedestal in this marriage.

* ItsAllAboutMe: Marge is right to be upset with Homer for his behavior at the party, but she makes no effort whatsoever to accommodate his interests during the retreat and hijacks the entire first day listing everything she finds even the least bit difficult about Homer. It works out in the end, but she'd have likely gotten a much more cooperative Homer had she told him that he was free to go fishing in the morning (when Homer would most likely want to go fishing anyway) as long as he made sure he was back in time for the retreat activities.

* CharacterizationMarchesOn: It's odd to see Grampa with so much self-awareness; ge regularly shows suspicion about the kids' intent. Within a season or two he'd be [[Flanderization flanderized]] to the point of being almost 100% senile.

''[drops Homer in annoyance, who then passes out]''

** A minor example for Homer, but during the first group therapy session at the couples retreat Reverend Lovejoy asks the Flanders' why they are there and the reason that Ned gives is that Maude underlines passages in his bible because she can't find her own, to which Homer makes a [[SarcasmMode Sarcastic]] comment that it's lucky that they don't keep guns in their house. While Homer was being rude, he is right that the Flanders' are [[SeriousBusiness taking such a small issue and making it out to be worse than what it is.]]

** A minor example for Homer, but during the first group therapy session at the couples retreat Reverend Lovejoy asks the Flanders' why they are there and the reason that Ned gives is that Maude underlines passages in his bible because she can't find her own, to which Homer makes a [[DeadpanSnarker snarky]] comment that it's [[SarcasmMode lucky that they don't keep guns in their house]]. While Homer was being rude, he is right that the Flanders' are [[SeriousBusiness taking such a small issue and making it out to be worse than what it is.]]