Crook and Ladder

Season 18, Episode 19, Aired
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Episode Summary

Maggie goes on a path of destruction in the Simpson home after Marge follows advice in Smothering Mother magazine and throws away her pacifier. Marge finally gives in and sends Homer to get Maggie a new pacifier, but when he can't find the right brand, Maggie comes up with her own substitute: an especially squeaky dog toy. Homer can't sleep through the toy's incessant squeaking and is driven to take sleeping pills, which turn him into a sleepwalker with a penchant for mischief. When one of Homer's sleepwalking schemes leaves the entire Springfield Fire Department debilitated in the hospital, Homer and some of his fellow Springfieldians become volunteer firefighters. They extinguish several fires and are rewarded with gifts, but when the gifts stop coming, they seek other forms of compensation for their heroic acts.moreless
8.5
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Fan Episode Reviews (13)

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  • Fire Sale!

    6.5
    "Fair"
    By GeorgeJobson, Sep 29, 2011 Report Abuse
    The episode got off on the wrong foot with the Maggie's Pacrifer segment. If Maggie is ever going to give up her pacifier, is the day that she will talk. That's the only major change inb the series. She's been a baby too long and she must start to grow up. "the Rugrats" knew thaeir days are number when they ran out of dirty diper jokes. I'm giving it a 6.5 despite the drugs and joining the fire department. I would love to give it a 9,0 or better but the Maggie pacifier thing didn't gell so it's a 6.5.moreless

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    0 3

  • Another good ep from season 18.

    10
    "Perfect"
    By Sami5118, Aug 11, 2010 Report Abuse
    One of my favorites of season 18. Homer takes out the whole fire department when he takes sleeping pills and goes driving in his sleep. Homer then decides to volunteer for the fire department along with Moe, Apu, and Skinner. They put out alot of fires and are rewarded with stuff, but when the rewards stop coming, they decide to seek other forms of compensation for their work.

    What I liked:
    * Homer's new job
    * When Homer says " Why can't I have no kids and three money?"
    * When Homer says to Moe " Moe, Can we talk?" and Moe says " Are you kidding? It's 500 degrees in here (looks at thermometer) Oh, wait, it's only 495. What's on your mind Homer?"
    * When they were stealing stuff from the fires.

    What I didn't like:
    * The whole Maggie thing. I felt that it was all just filler and it really had nothing to do with the rest of the story.

    Overall, I think that this was an excellent episode and I would recommend that you see it if you haven't yet.moreless

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    1 0

  • Homer becomes a firefighter.

    8.5
    "Great"
    By Hornets3, Sep 04, 2009 Report Abuse
    Marge, following the advice of a parenting magazine, throws away Maggie's pacifier, leading to Maggie destroying the inside of the Simpson home. Marge decides to get Maggie a new pacifier, but can't find the right brand. Maggie finds her own substitute - a squeaky toy that leads to Homer being unable to sleep. He takes sleeping pills and starts sleepwalking. One of Homer's escapades leads to the entire Springfield Fire Department being sent to the hospital. As a result, Homer and several other Springfieldians become volunteer firefighters. Another well-rounded episode for the Simpsons. Found this episode hilarious. Maybe not the best of the season or a must see, but I thought it was a great episode. Give it a watch.moreless

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    0 0

  • This had some pretty good jokes, and good action, and alot of other sutff.

    10
    "Perfect"
    By AangPhantom777, Mar 03, 2008 Report Abuse
    This episode was my favorite in Season 19, excluding Marge Gamer. I mean, Moe was hilarious, it was great to see him as a main character in an episode. Then, my favorite quote from the episode:

    Homer: Moe, can we talk?
    Moe: Are you kidding? It's 500 degrees in here! (looks at thermometer) Oh, wait, it's only 495. What's on your mind, Homer?

    I can just say that might be one of the best lines of the episode, if not one of the greater one's in the series. It's these episodes that prove that the Simpsons is staying on top, and isn't going downhill- anymore. It's rising back up, and this episode is one of the one's that helped it do so.

    10 out of 10.moreless

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    0 0

  • Good but could get sorta boring

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By Iverson82094, Dec 31, 2007 Report Abuse
    Homer volunteers as a fire fighter (with Moe, Apu and Skinner) when Springfield's real fire dept becomes injured. Getting used to people's gratitude toward them, Homer's team abuses their authority and starts to steal items from places that are deemed "fire damaged." Marge and the kids find out what Homer's doing and make him feel guilty for his acts. In the end, through courageously saving Moe and Apu from a burning building, Homer convinces them to stop stealing as well. This episode was funny at time, but it could get a little boring... So far Season 18 has had really high highs and really low lows...moreless

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    0 0
 

Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

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    • Music From This Episode: "Frankenstein" by The Edgar Winter Group "Sad Eyes" by Robert John Edit
    • While Mr. Burns lies on the power lines near his mansion he states, that he attended Yale. After that he starts singing Boola, which was written by Allan M. Hirsch, from the Yale Class of 1901, and sung by the Yale Glee Club. Edit
    • Moe's business card first reads "villain" as his profession, he printed a new version on the back of his old ones which reads "hero". The villain is the bad guy or heavy, the characters who strive against the hero. As a villain Moe looks like the most bad guys in old silent movies, having a typical Victor-Emanuel-Beard and a face showing his insanity. Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • Blackboard Joke: I will not look up what teacher makes. Couch Gag: After the family sits on the couch as usual the TV slides out of the way and the couch starts moving forward. As it moves forward the family is subjected to the phases of a car wash. Edit
    • The plot of this episode seems similar to Simpsons Comics issue 93 when Homer and his friends become firemen. Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Marge: I'm sorry, Maggie, but growing up means giving up the things you love. Grampa: It's true. I had to give up everything but raisins, and the doctor says even those are killing me. Sweet, plump coffin nails they are. Edit
    • Homer: We're not thieves. We're scavengers. Like the beautiful vulture, or the heroic tapeworm, or America's sweetheart, the maggot. Edit
    • Homer: Look at me, guys! I'm stealing five Segways at once. And speaking of segue ways, I'm off to my next morally questionable activity. Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • C.H.U.D. The first videotape of the domino line is showing the front cover of Douglas Cheek's C.H.U.D. (1984). Edit
    • Some of the jackets a thankful Rainier Wolfcastle hands out to the firefighters from his less successful films parody real ones, like "Frankenberry II: Frankenberry Wears Prada" which is an allusion to David Frankel's The Devil Wears Prada (2006). Edit
    • SONY While Homer was looting Costingtons, there was a piece of merchandise entitled SORNY, which was first used in "Scenes from the Class Struggle in Springfield". SORNY is obviously an allusion to the Japanese multinational corporation SONY. Edit

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