Original air date: 9/10/2006
Production code: HABF-15
After Lisa's new friend Michael is revealed to be local mob boss Fat Tony's son, the Simpsons become involved with the mafia.
This episode provides examples of:
- Abnormal Ammo: When gangsters threaten Flanders, Bart pulls out his slingshot... and loads it with the cat.
- Big "NO!": Otto yells this when Skinner suspends him for spanking Bart. With pay.
- Bilingual Bonus: Mangiare, mi amici (literally "eat, my friends").
- Blatant Lies: When Homer goes to Moe's to collect the $50 Moe owes Fat Tony, Moe gets the money by making Homer pay his tab and right after that tells Homer that he's only got half the money. Homer is stupid enough to believe.
- "Blind Idiot" Translation: When Homer's line about Shark Tale being the greatest mob film of all time was translated for Brazilian viewers, it made Homer call the film by a literal translation of the title instead of the film's Brazilian title.note
- Broken Pedestal: Otto idolized Metallica for their music, but upon his failed attempt to impress them (thanks to Bart hijacking the school bus) and being told never to listen to their music again, Otto is upset and takes out his rage on Bart by spanking him, which in turn leads to Otto's suspension.
- The Bus Came Back: This episode marks Lunchlady Doris's first speaking appearance in ten years. She was retired after the death of Doris Grau, and is now voiced by Tress MacNeille.
- Call-Back: Fat Tony having a son named Michael was first mentioned in "The Seven-Beer Snitch".
- Casting Gag: Michael Imperioli and Joe Pantoliano make guest appearances as gangsters.
- Corporal Punishment: Otto does this to Bart when he commandeered the school bus and Skinner suspends him for it.
- Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass:
- After a rocky start (see Blatant Lies above), Homer teaming up with Bart make a decent mafia leader.
- Michael spends most of the episode being a fraidy cat of a child, but he uses his skill as a cook by pulling off a masterstroke of a Mafia assassination, by poisoning all of his father's enemies with the dinner he prepared.
- Deadly Euphemism: Parodied.Fat Tony: The sit-down’s tonight? Again this Palm Pilot has failed to remind me! I believe this needs to be hot-synced. (Louie takes Palm Pilot and shoots it) What are you doing?!Louie: I thought you meant ‘hot-sync’ it. You know how it is with us, everything means kill!
- Dramatic Irony: After Fat Tony is humiliated in front of the other Mafia bosses, Lisa comments that it's better knowing how he feels in the inside about his son. Cue the other bosses riding a helicopter and gunning him down.
- Escalating Punchline: Homer brought a truck that "fell off a truck-truck". Later, Bart brought a truck-truck that "fell off a truck-truck...-truck". Then Maggie brought a truck-truck-truck.
- Everyone Has Standards: As much as Principal Skinner would catch Bart on whatever mischief he's up to and have him punished for it, he is shocked to witness Otto spanking Bart and furiously suspends Otto from bus driving with pay, much to Otto's humiliation. Of course, Skinner is unaware that Bart stole Otto's bus when the latter tried to impress Metallica, but Bart just drove the rest of the kids to school on time without any incidents (other than running over a moose).
- Expy: Fat Tony's son, Michael is an obvious one of Michael Corleone from The Godfather.
- Failed Attempt at Drama: The final scene has Michael and Lisa reenacting the final scene from The Godfather...except the door opens again on its own and we (and Lisa) see Michael is playing a board game inside of his office with his co-workers. Michael has to stop the game and walk to the door and close it again, and it is then that the episode cuts to credits.
- Fell Off the Back of a Truck: When Homer comes home in a brand new truck Marge immediately questions where he got it, he says it fell from a truck... A Truck-truck.
- Honking Arriving Car: The arriving car horn is heard three times in the Fell Off the Back of a Truck gag. Homer honks a horn as he pulls into his driveway in a new pickup truck which he says fell off a truck, "You know, a truck-truck." A deeper truck horn is heard, and Bart pulls up in a car carrier loaded with pickup trucks that he says "fell off a truck-truck-truck." Then, an even deeper truck horn blares as the "truck-truck-truck" loaded with car carriers pulls up.
- "Just Joking" Justification: Upon finding out the boy he's picking on is Fat Tony's son, Nelson fearfully comes up with that excuse.
- Not Helping Your Case: Upon being caught spanking Bart on the butt by Principal Skinner, Otto is too angry to listen as he continues spanking Bart, resulting a furious Skinner to suspend Otto with pay, leaving Otto more upset.
- Oh, Crap!: Nelson recoils when he discovers that Michael is Fat Tony's son.
- Out of Character: Bart making fun of Otto for no reason comes off as this as they had always gotten along in previous episodes.
- Ow My Bodypart: Krusty yelps about his schnoz, his punim, his pupik and his genechtagazoink as the mobsters beat him.
- Pun-Based Title: The episode title is a pun on The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover.
- Remember the New Guy?: We've never seen Fat Tony's son Michael up to this point, but most of the school is afraid of him knowing who his father is.
- Shout-Out: The final scene is a parody of the last scene in The Godfather.
- Special Guest: Joe Pantoliano and Michael Imperioli as Dante and Dante Jr., and Metallica as themselves.
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: Fat Tony runs a group of rival gangsters into a truck of baking soda. A truck of vinegar then crashes into them, spilling it's contents and causing... the baking soda to fizzle up and be mildly irritating at best.
- Throw the Dog a Bone: A rare example for Hans Moleman. In spite of being one of the mistreated citizens of the series, Hans got himself into Metallica's good graces after offering them a ride in his truck; he even admitted to having a love relationship with Lars' grandmother when he was young. Because of this, the band takes a liking to Hans, declaring him to be a better fan than Otto.
- Turn in Your Badge: Otto turned in his beaded seat and his gun.
- Violence Discretion Shot: Krusty's beating is accompanied by a cut to outside of the Krusty Burger.
