Episode Recap: Friend With Benefit

Hey there Gobblers!

Turkey Day has past and we still have a bunch of Gobble Gobblers running around in our silly lil games. Meanwhile, we had another New Simpsons Episode hit our TV Sets that I wanted to look back on.

Let’s dive on into the Episode that aired November 8th, 2015. Friend With Benefit!

The Episode kicks off with a Couch Gag lil Mini-Episode starring Santa’s Lil Helper. Feast… Fat.

Santa’s Lil Helper is sniffing around the Simpsons Kitchen Floor waiting for any scraps or morsels the Simpsons will toss down to them. He is looking quite a Fit and Healthy Dog… at first. They continue to toss “scraps” down to him. Legs of Chicken, full plates of spaghetti, bacon… food comes dropping down to the floor again and again and again. Santa’s Lil Helper grows so Fat he can hardly move. He is finally dropped a can of Strained Prunes and eats one, but it looks like it is too late. Off to Heaven he goes. There he meets the almighty one and is shown Doggy Heaven. Fit Dog Heaven. A Dog Park full of active happy dogs, Frisbees, and fire hydrants. Then he sees Fat Dog Hell with molten lava and… FREE PIZZA!! Of course off he goes to Hell! It is Free Pizza afterall.

On to the Episode…

Homer is sitting at the Simpson’s Couch munching down on snacks of his own. He has multiple TV tables set up with various ones. Potato Chips and Dip, Cashews, Gummy Bears, Beer and Dip, & Cheese and Statins Pills. He is watching TV while snacking on the various items and pills. As he is Channel Surfing he comes across an advertisement that really peaks his interest. Seat-to-Feet Lift Chair. He is in shock and awe at how easily the man on the commerical is raised to his feet with just the touch of a button. It almost brings him to tears of joy… until he sees the cost is $1,100! “ELEVENTY HUNDRED!!” The chair would be a lot better than the way he tries to get up now.

Meanwhile at School, the kids have all set up their “Club” Booths to try and get others to join up with them. Like Jimbo & Shauna’s The French Kissing Club, The Stolen Bicycle Society with Kearney, Children Without Phones with some very sad looking Kids, Club Meds with Milhouse, Golf with Dolph, and the Magic Club with Lisa Simpson. She is desperately trying to get ANYONE to join her. Just then a New Girl walks up to booth and tells Lisa she really would like to join. It is the only Club that doesn’t freak her out… like Ralph’s Hug Club. Her name is Harper and she is trying to make friends.

Back at Moe’s, Homer is asking Lenny & Carl for some advice. Something he really needs for his well being but he doesn’t have the money. Carl mentions that now a days most people are using Crowd Funding. Lots of people can give him lil bits of money to get what he needs. Homer heads home to make a video for his Crowd Funding account, Friend Moocher. His video is getting some popularity as others watch it and feel really bad for him. The Donations start rolling on in. Donations from people like Krusty, Ned, and even The Rich Texan accidentally shoots his Donation in. Homer has enough now to get his Seat-to Feet Lift Chair. He makes a video to show everyone just what they helped him buy, his Miracle. The Crowd does not seem so happy to have funded this purchase.

Homer is even using the Chair to work out, feed himself soup, and get up to answer the door… though with all the ticked of Neighbors that Crowd Funded maybe he should have not. They want to destroy the Chair and begin to tear it apart. They even light it on fire… wait… that’s not the Chair, that’s Grampa Abe. Oops! Homer’s now very sad and mopey. He even lights a candle for his lost Chair. His grumbling continues into bed. Marge hasn’t seen him this distraught before while lying down. Lisa comes in to hopefully lighten him up a bit. Her new friend Harper has given her tickets to a Concert and wants Homer to bring her to it. Sure, he will most likely just get some pitiful nosebleed or obstructed view  seats. That’s all a guy like him ever deserves. Lisa though is very happy at going to see the adorable Australian Boy Band.

At the Springfield Sports Arena, Homer is still grumbling as they make their way to Will Call. Homer is quickly shocked back to reality. V.I.P. AND Platinum Wristbands?! He won’t ever take this off, just like the one from the last great day in his life. Pechanga Casino Buffet. MMMMMMmmmm all those Muffins! This is all thanks to Harper’s Dad. Homer starts to wonder who this guy is?

They make there way into the V.I.P area, starting out with the Silver Room. There you can see Characters like Cookie Kwan and Dewey Largo, Dr. Hibbert and his wife, Blue Haired Lawyer and Lindsey Naegle, Chalmers, The Nahasapeemapetilons, Bumblebee Man and Sideshow Mel, and more.

Up next, the Gold Room. This is a more high society type and sophisticated room. Drederick Tatum and Wolfcastle are hanging out in here. Drederick is jealous of Homer’s Platinum Band as the only one he has is holding his skull together. He motions Homer to keep on going on up. Too bad for those guys. Wolfcastle has to go get drunk and say those things he really meant.

Platinum Room is next. Lisa is squealing the room has the 4 “Doe-Eyed Boys” in it. AAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh! It’s them! The Australian Boy Band! Homer figures this is where they stop… but it is not. They have Platinum WITH Stripes. One more door for them to go through. The door opens into a private booth seated right above the stage overlooking the audience. Harper is there with her Dad. He is SO STOKED TO MEET THEM!! Who is this guy? Well, the announcer for the Concert is gonna tell us now. The New Owner of the Springfield Sports Arena, CEO of J-Cloud, Mike Jambowski!! He is SUPER pumped! Even offers Homer to fire a Confetti Gun. I think Homer is in love.

The Concert is in full swing as the Doe-Eyed Boys croon away melting lil girls hearts all over the Arena. They even toss in a “JOIN THE NAVY” Oops I mean… “YVAN EHT NIOJ” ad similar to Bart and his Boy Band days. Remember that episode? Harper’s Dad moves them closer to the Band so Homer can really hear them. Right onto the stage behind them in fact. Then he asks Homer to take off backstage with him to grab a beer while the girls melt into dreamland. Homer and Mike are backstage now grabbing their drinks. Mike all of the sudden hits his head into the wall and makes a hole. This concerns Homer. He doesn’t want him to hurt himself. Mike explains when he is happy, he makes a hole. When he is sad, he buys a Hockey Team. They cost like nothing, I mean Mike made like 80 million dollars today. Away he goes making more holes. BAM BAM BAM!! He offers Homer to give it a try. Homer just cracks the wall, cracks his head, and blacks out. Homer asks if he made 80 million dollars now, Mike tells him “No, but you made a fool out of the Doctor that said you were gonna die!”

On the way home, Homer tells Lisa how much fun he had. Lisa on the other hand seems upset. Harper confuses her. First Harper is really sweet and kind, but when the Boy Band came over to talk to them Harper wouldn’t let Lisa say a word. Homer tries to explain to Lisa that no matter what this girl does to her, she must remain her Best Friend. Lisa is a bit annoyed by this. She then gets a text message from Harper inviting them to go see David Copperfield. Homer is really excited now, that’s something only tourists in Vegas get to do.

Cut to the Magic Palace, with David Copperfield and the two girls on stage. Homer is asking Mike if he EVER sits in the back of anything. Mike states the Space Shuttle… he was too drunk to drive. On stage, David Copperfield asks the girls to tell him their favorite TV Show and dessert. Lisa tries to say it is the Happy Little Elves, but is quickly cut off by Harper saying Krusty and Cotton Candy. Lisa again tries to speak, but is taken out of the spot light… literally. David lifts the cloth from the Glass Tank on the stage to reveal Krusty bound in a straight jacket, tied up, and hanging upside down in Cotton Candy. David then asks Harper what is her favorite starving wild animal. A crocodile! Two assistants drop one into the Tank with Krusty. “What’s the Trick here??!!”

Back in the Simpson’s Kitchen, Homer is in heaven going on and on about how happy he is while Lisa looks quite sad trying to eat her cereal. Homer asks Marge if she knows what it is like to have a Man take care of her every need. “I’ve thought about it a lot… but NO!” Lisa just can’t shake the way that Harper continually cut her off. It is just so weird. Homer then gets a text from Mike inviting the entire family to his Private Island. Marge is concerned the kids will miss too much school and become spoiled. Homer gives in and texts back Mike the kids can’t miss school. Within seconds Skinner randomly calls to tell Marge school has been cancelled next week. Marge thinks he’s been bought off by the “Rich Dad”. Skinner claims he is not for sale and hangs up… to see his TEN WHOLE DOLLARS deposited into his account. Lol.

At school, Lisa is leaving on her bike when she is approached by Harper. She is so glad Lisa and the family is coming with them. She even got Lisa a Friendship Present. A very very very very very expensive custom bike. Lisa doesn’t know how to react other than to say that was nice of her. It is just too much for Lisa. She can’t accept it. Harper doesn’t get why she wants to keep her crappy bike. Lisa explains it may be crappy, but it is HER crappy bike. She loves it. Harper still doesn’t get it and keep interrupting Lisa when she tries to explain. Milhouse eyes the bike during the fight and the girls toss it at him to keep.

At home Lisa storms in and tells the family to stop planning for the trip. The trip is OFF! D’OH!

Homer is sadly unpacking the luggage and is trying to understand just why. Why did Lisa get in a fight with a girl because she wanted to give her a new bike? Lisa kicks them out of her room. Mike is later in the parking lot trying to sweet talk Homer into still going to the island and let the girls keep working out their differences. Homer is confused, he still wants them to go? Mike explains that the kids will be kids and they just can’t think like the adults. He then remarks on the Amazing sunset and bashes his head through the front windshield. He tells Homer he will meet them on the island.

The Simpson’s arrive at Jambowski island. Homer is really happy. Harper makes an attempt to apologize to Lisa and Mike shows Homer the surprise he got him. A Beach Lift Chair. The Family seems happy again. Harper, Lisa, and Bart take off to the many activities the island offers. Like Swim Lessons with Michael Phelps, Be in a Movie with Adam Sandler, or Making Your Decision with Doctor Phil. Lil Maggie is having fun at the Mermaid Petting Zoo. Homer is ecstatic at the Buffet Island and Dessert Island. There’s even a complete realistic Pirate Ship fight letting Bart blow up another ship and have the sharks eat the survivors. Homer and Mike even enjoy singing “Under the Mango Tree” while Mike strums the ukulele. Just when it seems all is well, Lisa storms over to tell on Harper. She flipped a Sea Turtle onto its back and Lisa is not happy. Harper states it is HER Beach and HER Turtle, so she can do what she wants. Lisa has had it. Harper wants everything HER way instead of the right way. Mike tells Homer to help him out. He wants Homer to tell Lisa to let Harper have her way. Lisa is crying now. He has to make a choice. Lisa or luxury. Homer raises himself out of the self lifting chair and tells Harper she is kinda spoiled. She doesn’t deserve Lisa. Time for the Simpson’s to go home! Though Homer tends to drag the chair along with him.

As the plane flies over the island, Homer says goodbye to all things on the island. Like the Crystal Clear Lagoon, Pink Sand Beach, Swim Up Movie Theater that was gonna show Back to the Future, Sweet Liquors that didn’t let Marge know he was drunk, Snorkeling, Jet Skiing, and other things Homer never tried, Obese Natives that made Homer feel fit, and Bart…. errr… BART??!!!

There you have it. A New Friend that seemed like a dream to Lisa and Homer was more a Dream for Homer, but a Nightmare for Lisa.

What did you think of the episode? Wish you had access to Platinum VIP WITH Stripes? Wish you had a private Island? Any Clubs you would join if you had the chance? Got the YVAN EHT NIOJ song stuck in your head now? Want to go see a Doe-Eyed Boy Band? Let us know.

~Bunny