Despite appearances, Homer Simpsons is only supposed to be 36 or so years old. The baldness doesn’t help people remember that.
Neither does this episode, where he needs bypass surgery.
While watching Cops profile the total incompetence of the Springfield Police Department, with Chief Wiggum failing to catch a cattle rustler, Homer has the first of a series of heart problems caused by, well, probably his overall diet and lifestyle.
Does that change him? Nope. Marge tries, but she’ll have to do better than oatmeal. Not when there are bacon and eggs present, even if there’s a bug on them.
After nearly dying at work and learning that Nietzsche’s dictum about that which does not kill you making you stronger isn’t true in his case, Homer learns he needs bypass surgery and due to some stupidity at the Plant, the workers there traded health insurance for a pool table. Homer’s attempts to get the money include finding an insurance company that he can almost fool, and trying a variety of local religious leaders for a large financial gift. Considering Homer is told to stop praying at the hospital, this was not a good episode for all things spiritual and the soul of Homer Simpson. The only thing keeping Homer alive at one point is the promise of a free ham, and that got rescinded as soon as Mr. Burns realized Homer wasn’t dead.
The solution, such as it is, is to go to Dr. Nick Riviera, since apparently the family forgot all about him when he advised Lionel Hutz over suing Mr. Burns. That works since Dr. Nick seems to have forgotten the proper way to conduct, well, any surgery at all. He’s lucky Lisa is in the observation lounge and she read up on the whole thing.
So, Homer lives. As he explains, he wouldn’t die because that only happens to bad people.
Just like the awful Abraham Lincoln, who sold poison milk to school children.
Meanwhile, let us all remember the tragic case of Mr. McCraig, with a leg for an arm and an arm for a leg.
Gabbing Geek 