All's Fair in Oven War

Season 16, Episode 2, Aired

Episode Summary

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7.9
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The house next door is for sale and Marge and Homer go inside to check it out; Marge falls in love with the kitchen. Back at home Marge asks Homer for a new kitchen. Rather than hire someone, Homer decides to do the renovation himself. While demolishing the kitchen, Homer unleashes his old collection of Playdude magazines. He tells Marge he keeps them for the articles; she obliges him by cutting up the magazines, keeping only the articles. Now that they are useless, Homer throws them away, only to have them found by Bart and Milhouse. Using these 1970's era magazines as a model, Bart decides to renovate the Treehouse. After Homer has made a mess of the kitchen remodeling, Marge is finally able to hire a contractor, who completes the job "on-time" two years later for $100,000. Marge's first new dish out of her kitchen gets rave reviews and she decides to enter the Ovenfresh Bakeoff with her Dessert Dogs. At the bakeoff Marge encounters stiff and ruthless competition, so ruthless that Marge resorts to cheating to get even, much to Lisa's dismay. Chief Wiggum and other concerned parents talk with Homer about Bart's spreading the Playdude philosophy to the other children. Homer has a talk with Bart about the facts of life, which a horrified Bart quickly spreads to the other children. Meantime, in the finals for the bakeoff against Brandine, Marge admits to her foul play and Lisa's faith in her mother is restored.moreless
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Fan Episode Reviews (12)

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  • play dude and cheating

    8.0
    "Great"
    By futuramarama, Jul 03, 2010
    marge tries to win a baking contest and resorts to cheating. But when Lisa discovers, will Marge change her ways?

    Bart turns his treehouse into a playboyesque thing. This enrages various parents be cause of the stuff bart is telling and teaching their kids. So Homer decides it is time for the talk.

    It was alright, the subplot was better I think, both in plot and humor. But the main plot also had some funny scenes and was OK with the plot, so I think my overall grade for this will be a B+ or so. IT was good, not greatmoreless

  • This is a fantastic episode.

    10
    "Perfect"
    By ctm723, May 28, 2009
    This episode is really funny and some hillarious parts are when Homer was trying to build Marge a kitchen and he kept getting electicuted and it was extremely funny when Homer lived next door to himself and the two Homers where arguing. also it was hillarious when Homer told Bart how it works and he freaks out and Bart tells all his friends and they all freak out to and it was funny when Lisa says that Homer has to be her role model since Marge cheated and Bart freaking out in the corner of the wall saying not if you no what hes been doing. Overall this an episode I will rewatch many times and an episode that is within my top 10.moreless

  • Season 16 is two for two so far..... The "A" story and the "B" story were both excellente....

    9.6
    "Superb"
    By Iverson82094, Dec 02, 2007
    When the house next door has an open inspection, Homer and Marge venture over to check it out. Marge sees their ultra modern kitchen and persuades Homer that their own kitchen could do with a renovation. To Homer's disgust, Marge hires a contractor to perform the task. During renovations Marge finds all of Homer's old issues of Playdude which she cuts the nude pics from. The magazines land in the hands of Bart & Milhouse who start up their own Playboy mansion in the treehouse. Marge enters her dessert hot dogs into a bake-off contest but when the other entrants sabotage her entry she gets revenge by covering their dishes in ear medicine. When Marge and Brandine are selected as the final two, Lisa persuades Marge to come clean, while Homer feels its time for Bart to be given the birds and the bees talk. Nothing to complain about in this episode; there is no reason to say this episode was disappointing...moreless

  • It's not bad as such, but it's definitely far from good. It's one of the first episodes where humour hasn't really mattered, as long as there's a good plot. Except the plot's not all that good..moreless

    6.6
    "Fair"
    By starman100, Aug 17, 2007
    So, what do I think of the only season 16 episode I've seen so far?

    It could be better. Clever humour is truly non-existent in this episode, and I'm guess it's the same deal for all other S16 episodes..

    The only thing I'm in love with in this episode, is the animation. It's absolutely perfect. It's so damn irresistible.

    To me, this is the kind of episode I have been talking about for ages; it's a typical "new" episode. Absolutely nothing but dumb humour and nonsensical plots.

    Thankfully for me, it's slightly entertaining..

    There were some scenes in this episode, that I think the episode could of done without..and there were others that just shouldn't of been in there at all.moreless

  • One of the worst episodes.

    3.1
    "Bad"
    By Darkside2501, May 26, 2007
    This is one of the worst episodes as of yet.

    The Simpsons was once a great show, but it has declined dramatically over the past few years. During the 90s it had to be my favourite show, it was orginal, funny, witty and clever, but now it's just stupid.

    Alot of the plots have either been done before or are just boring and the jokes are awful and usually just play up on certain characteristics rather then be as clever as they used to, especially all the jokes about Homers weight.

    I once loved this show but it has declined to a point of unwatchability (no, you can't use that word. It's mine). I'll still watch the repeats though.moreless
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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • TRIVIA (2)

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    • The headline "Father of eight missing" and a picture of Apu appears on the front page of the news paper that Marge is reading. This happens shortly after Apu "jokes" about leaving his family and changing his name.

    • The song being played as Homer imagines living next door to himself is "Separate Ways (World Apart)" by Journey.

  • QUOTES (21)

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    • (After Marge confesses that she cheated) Moe: Looks like me and Marge are both going to Hell. That's when I'll make my move.

    • (After Marge lets Lisa down) Lisa: I guess Dad has to be my hero now. (Bart is seen huddled in the corner) Bart: Not if you knew what he's been doing.

    • (All the parents in the neighborhood confront Homer) Chief Wiggums: Listen hear, Simpson. Your son has been exposing our kids to adult themes, unabashed dictionaries, and the lesser short fictions of John Cheever! Homer: Adult themes? What are you talking about? Ned: My Roddie told a joke about an octopus and a set of bagpipes and the punchline implied that they fornicated! Chief Wiggums: Ralphie wants to go on the pill! Homer: Stupid Bart! (Laughs) Bagpipes getting down with an octopus! That's classic!

    • Marge: (Reading a note from Lisa) I look up to you... because you let me down. That's clever. And devastating.

    • Marge: I stretch out your father`s meat loaf with sawdust.

    • Homer: A contractor? Those guys are the biggest crooks around. They charge for materials AND labor. Pick one, jerks!

    • Marge: Wow, a breadmaker maker.

    • Marge: Oh my God! Someone somewhere says I'm better then someone else.

    • Homer: Blood for cream! Blood for cream!

    • Homer: Would you excuse us, Milton? Milhouse: It's Mil-HOUSE. Homer: Yeah, and your father's no-HOUSE. Now scram.

    • Homer: Why do you think your mother and I sleep in the same bed? Bart: Because we're poor? Homer: Exactly. And we're poor because we have kids. And the biological method by which children are created by a man and a woman is… (outside view of the treehouse) Bart: AAAAAHHHHHH!!

    • Bart: I'm just spreading the Playdude philosophy… hi-fi's, Norman Mailer, gettin' some. Homer: Um… what do you think "some" is? Bart: Uh… toys?

    • Host: And now, let's hear from the former Mrs. Ovenfresh! Former Mrs. Ovenfresh: Awards and trophies are no comfort on your death bed.

    • Ralph: (crying) I wanna be in the bake-off! Wiggum: There, there. I think your grilled crayon sandwich was delicious! Ralph: You only had a pretend bite! Wiggum: No, I'm eating it. Look. (reluctantly takes bite) Ralph: Can you taste the thumbtacks? Wiggum: Ah, crap.

    • Bart: Ah Nelson, your debonair wit reminds me of a young Mort Sahl.

    • Homer: Now Bart, do you know what a boob is? Bart: Oh yeah. Homer: Good that will save us some time.

    • Marge: Homer, I've had your scrambled eggs, the secret ingredient is whiskey. Homer: (shrugs) It keeps the kids quiet.

    • Bart: Be there or be square. Ralph: I wanna be a triangle.

    • (Bart and the other kids are running around the neighborhood in terror) Homer: Well, better they hear it from me now than from their parents when they're old enough.

    • Lisa: I guess dad has to be my hero now. Bart: (Rocking back and forth in the corner) Not if you know what he's been doin'. (Shudders)

    • Moe: Looks like me and Marge are both goin' to Hell. That's where I'll make my move!

  • NOTES (1)

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    • Blackboard Joke: None. Couch Gag: The couch is outdoors but mounted on the end of a catapult. The family members sit in their usual places on the couch, which is then launched by the catapult sending the family off into the distance.

  • ALLUSIONS (9)

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    • Sign outside the First Church of Springf: "Church Potluck. What a Friend We Have in Cheese Puffs"
      The sign outside the church, announcing the church potluck, is a play on the gospel hymn "What a Friend We Have in Jesus."

    • Plenty of references to Playboy magazine:
      • Playdude magazine – Homer's old magazines found when the kitchen remodeling commences.
      • The Playdude Mansion – Bart turns his treehouse into a girlie hangout, and Bart and Milhouse dressing a la Hugh Hefner. Don't forget the parties and special guests.

    • Plenty of food mascots in Homer's dream, including: • Planters Peanut's Mr. Peanut (Homer identifies as Mr. Cashew)
      • The mustached-Pringle's Chip.
      • Charlie Tuna of Star-Kist Tuna.
      • The Keebler Elves (the Simpsons' equivalent being the Koobler dwarves).
      • Rice Krispies' Snap, Crackle and Pop (or, in the world of Sprinfield, Snip, Krinkle and Poof).
      • The Pillsbury Dough-Boy.
      • The Indian Maiden from Land-O-Lakes butter.
      • Toucan Sam from Froot Loops cereal.
      • Count Chocula from his eponymously named cereal.
      • The Jolly Green Giant (of Green Giant frozen vegetables).
      • Twinkie the Kid (Homer bearhugs "Twinkle the Kid," crushing him and causing the angry mascots to stalk Homer).

    • The Godfather James Caan getting ambushed by gunfire at the toll booth in the closing scene – by slack-toothed yokel variants, Cletus' revenge for Caan's stealing Brandine's heart – and being shot repeatedly, even after suffering the fatal wound, is reminiscent of the 1972 film The Godfather. Caan was shot more than 60 times as he tried to escape his car, and his body took at least a dozen more bullet wounds after he collapsed to the ground.

    • :
      Oven Fresh Bake-Off sponsors:
      • Little Fatso Cupcakes (complete with fat boy gorging himself) spoofs Little Debbie snack foods.
      • Drizzler's Gravies logo and slogan are similar to house paint manufacturer Sherwin-Williams.
      • Quetzalcoatl's Choice Mexican food is inspired by Taster's Choice coffee.

    • Marge: I'd like to give those Betty Crookeds a taste of their own medicine. Marge was using a play on Betty Crocker's name, just before lacing the cheating contestants' bake-off entries with baby ear formula. Also, the Auntie Ovenfresh woman is similar to Betty Crocker.

    • Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest The Ovenfresh Bake-off contest Homer and Marge enter spoofs the annual Pillsbury Bake-Off contest. Like the contest it is inspired from, Springfield cooks hope their favorite recipes will win cash and prizes.

    • Episode Title:
      The title is a reference to the phrase: "All's fair in love and war".

    • Thomas Pynchon: These wings are "V-licious"! I'll put this recipe in the Gravity's Rainbow cookbook, right next to "The Frying of Latke 49". Thomas Pynchon is an enigmatic American author who is known for being secretive about his personal life, which is why he wears the paper bag with the big question mark over his head in the episode. Three of his most famous books are: V, Gravity's Rainbow and The Crying of Lot 49.

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