Life on the Fast Lane

Season 1, Episode 9, Aired
EDIT

Episode Summary

It’s Marge’s birthday, and Homer treads thin ice in his marriage after he selfishly buys a gift for himself to give Marge.
8.0
out of 10
EPISODE RATING: Great
402 votes
  • Your Rating: 10
    "Perfect"
  • Your Rating: 9.5
    "Superb"
  • Your Rating: 9
    "Superb"
  • Your Rating: 8.5
    "Great"
  • Your Rating: 8
    "Great"
  • Your Rating: 7.5
    "Good"
  • Your Rating: 7
    "Good"
  • Your Rating: 6.5
    "Fair"
  • Your Rating: 6
    "Fair"
  • Your Rating: 5.5
    "Mediocre"
  • Your Rating: 5
    "Mediocre"
  • Your Rating: 4.5
    "Poor"
  • Your Rating: 4
    "Poor"
  • Your Rating: 3.5
    "Bad"
  • Your Rating: 3
    "Bad"
  • Your Rating: 2.5
    "Terrible"
  • Your Rating: 2
    "Terrible"
  • Your Rating: 1.5
    "Abysmal"
  • Your Rating: 1
    "Abysmal"
Rate It

Watch Online

Amazon
Buy
iTunes
Buy

Cast & Crew

See All EDIT

Fan Episode Reviews (28)

See All

  • great

    8.5
    "Great"
    By jmbsonic555, Oct 17, 2011 Report Abuse
    The episode begins with Bart and Lisa in the kitchen making Marge breakfast for her birthday. The kids bring it upstairs and surprise Marge with breakfast in bed. During the surprise Homer thinks it is his birthday and then quickly realizes he has forgotten Marge's birthday. He quickly hurries downstairs and takes off in the car with tires squealing. Cut to Homer shopping at the mall for a present. Back at the house Marge is on the phone with her sisters Patty and Selma talking about Homer's lousy gift giving history and deciding on where to go for her birthday dinner. At the mall Homer eyes up a bowling ball and has an idea. Cut back to the house where Homer hides Marge's present and Marge informs Homer about dinner at The Singing Sirloin with the kids and her sisters. Later at the restaurant Marge receives a bottle of French perfume from Bart and a dried macaroni art piece from Lisa. When it comes time for Homer to give Marge his present, a bowling ball complete with drilled holes and Homer's name engraved on it, everyone is shocked including Marge who is visibly upset.

    Overall, a great episode, the beginning was funny with the egg beater.

    8.5 out of 10moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    0 0

  • Life on the Fast Lane: Marge is not happy at home and Homer so she starts having an affair with a man named Jacques.

    7.5
    "Good"
    By Sabrespongebob, Jul 14, 2010 Report Abuse
    Review for Life on the Fast Lane:

    This is a great episode and is the first Marge focused episode. For some reason I really like Marge centered episodes they are the ones that are usually more realistic and down to earth. There are still not many jockes but it is a good episode. The episode starts off great with a great scene at Marge's party I equally enjoy the ending which was very heart warming with Marge and Homer walking off into the sunset. So another great season 1 episode that you should watch.

    Score for Life on the Fast Lane: B, 3.5/5, 7.5/10, Greatmoreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    0 0

  • the bowling ball that almost ruined his marige

    8.0
    "Great"
    By cube2k8, May 04, 2010 Report Abuse
    its margies birthday and homer goes out and buys margie a bowling ball and he drops it right on the cake and margie goes crazy and tells homer this is one of the most selfish things you could done to buy a gift for yourself. and marge decides to use the bowling ball and meets a instructer and starts to fall for him and think less of homer and startes to have second thoughts about the marrige. and marge does not know which lane to take and drives to the power plant and marige and home run to each other and he takes her home by waking out of the power plantmoreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    0 0

  • bowling

    10
    "Perfect"
    By futuramarama, Apr 05, 2010 Report Abuse
    homer gets marge a bowling ball for her birthday knowing she has never bowled in her life. but she goes to spite him and there she meets a a bowling instructor named Jacques. she soon starts to fall for Jacques and Homer is worried their marriage is suffering, as are the kids. However, one day when Marge is going to see him {Jacques}, she has a change of heart and decides to go to the man she really loves: Homer. All is forgiven.

    A good episode with good humor and emotion and plot execution. My overall grade- easily an A+moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    0 0

  • who doesn't like bowling

    7.5
    "Good"
    By dragondude4, Nov 13, 2009 Report Abuse
    It is Marge's birthday, and her gifts include a gallon of cheap perfume from Bart and a macaroni-and-glue card from Lisa. However, Homer has completely forgotten about the date. He quickly leaves to go to the Springfield Mall to buy Marge a last-minute gift, and impulsively settles on an expensive bowling ball. I sure love to going bowling. then marge meets some Jacques, a French bowling instructor or something and falls in love with marge then Marge learns that she will always love Homer and I forgot some parts but I sure love to bowl a lot.The simpsons is a great show manmoreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    0 0
 

Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

See All

  • Trivia

    ADD TRIVIA
    • The Simpson family celebrates Marge's birthday at a restaurant called The Singing Sirloin: "Home of Ballads and Salads." The logo is a singing steak with a microphone a la a young Frank Sinatra. Edit
    • The stores Homer passes in the mall include: International House of Anwering Machines, The Jerky Hut, The Ear Piercery, Griddles 'N Such, Fancy Lingerie, and The Caramel Corn Warehouse. Edit
    • Jacques lives on Fiesta Terrace. Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • The credits are short (no chalkboard or couch gag) because, according to the DVD commentary, the episode ran long due to Albert Brooks' terrific ad-libs. (Albert created the lines defining "brunch" and was very proud of that.) Edit
    • In the first draft of this episode, Marge took tennis lessons from a tennis pro named Bjorn and the episode was titled "Bjorn to be Wild". The idea was changed to better fit the subplot involving Homer buying Marge a bowling ball for her birthday. Now she was being seduced by a suave bowling instructor named Jacques. The title was changed to "Jacques to be Wild", but realizing that that title didn't make sense, it was settled on "Life on the Fast Lane". Edit
    • This episode won the Emmy for "Outstanding Animated Program" (For programming one hour or less.) at the 1990 Emmy award ceremony. Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • (Bart and Lisa argue about which birthday present Marge likes better.) Bart: Told ya she likes mine better. Lisa: Oh, brother! Homer: Hold on. Hold on, now. Your mother hasn't opened my present yet. (Homer signals the waiters to sing "Happy Birthday" to Marge.) Waiters: (Singing in unison.) Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy 34th birthday, Mrs. Homer Simpson. Happy birthday to you. (Homer hands Marge her present across the table and a bowling ball falls out of the bottom and onto the birthday cake.) Homer: Oh. Don't worry. This frosting will come right off. Beauty, isn't she? Edit
    • (Marge bowls a strike with Jacques' instruction) Marge: You're a very good teacher. Jacques: Yes, I am a very good teacher, and I can teach you everything. I can tell you what the little arrows on the wood floor mean,-- Marge: Hmmm. Jacques: --which frame is the beer frame. I bet you don't know how to make a five-seven-ten split. Do you, Marge? Marge: Hmmm, no. Jacques: Well, first of all, you yell, "The eight-pin is a cop!" Edit
    • (Marge is upset with Homer about her birthday gift.) Marge: You bought that bowling ball for you, not for me. Homer: What? No! Marge: The holes were drilled for your fingers. Homer: Well, I wanted to surprise you. I couldn't very well chop your hand off and bring it to the store, could I? Marge: You never intended for me to use that ball. Homer: Well, if that's how you feel, I'll take it back. Marge: You can't take it back! You had your name engraved on it! Homer: So you'd know it was from me! Marge: Homer, I'm keeping the ball...for myself! Homer: What? But you don't know how to bowl. Whoops! Marge: I'm keeping it, and I'm going to use it. Thank you for the present, Homer. (Marge clicks off the light and goes to bed.) Homer: Well...you're...welcome. Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • In the Hall of the Mountain King: When Homer enters the kitchen after buying Marge's present, he is whistling 'In the Hall of the Mountain King' by Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg. Edit
    • Life in the Fast Lane The title of this episode, "Life On The Fast Lane," is a take on the title of a song by The Eagles called, "Life in the Fast Lane." Edit
    • The Gay Divorcee The dance sequence between Marge and Jacques at Jacques apartment is taken directly from the 1934 film The Gay Divorcee. Edit

Show Forums

See All
Last Activity
Replies

Watch The Simpsons Full Episodes

See All

Related Shows

Season 1 Episodes

See All
Ep 13
Some Enchanted Evening
Ep 12
Krusty Gets Busted
Ep 11
The Crepes of Wrath
Ep 10
Homer's Night Out
Ep 9
Life on the Fast Lane
Ep 8
The Telltale Head
Ep 7
The Call of the Simpsons
Ep 6
Moaning Lisa
Ep 5
Bart the General
Ep 4
There's No Disgrace Like Home
Ep 3
Homer's Odyssey
Ep 2
Bart the Genius
Ep 1
Simpsons Roasting on an Op...

Contributors

Become a contributor
More
Less

TV Listings

Full Listings
BROWSE | Shows | Videos | News | Listings | Forums | People | Photos | TV.com Blog

CBS Entertainment | About TV.com | About CBS Interactive | Jobs | Advertise

© 2012 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy | Ad Choice | Terms of Use