350th Episode: Don't Fear The Roofer

Simpsons News — Posted 05 May, 2005 by MrBurns

Springfield is experiencing an unusually strong thunderstorm, and the rain is causing roofs to leak all over town. Homer devises a unique solution for getting the rain water out of their house that ultimately fails and sends him dejected off to Moe's, where he ruins Lenny's surprise party. Homer goes off wandering and finds himself at a bar called Knockers, where he makes a new friend named Ray (played by Ray Romano), who is a licensed and bonded roofer. Marge takes the kids on some errands while Homer and Ray almost begin the roof repairs; they screw around and never get around to doing any work until he gets called away. Marge wants Homer to fix the roof by himself. Continue...

Homer runs into Ray at the Builder's Barn and Ray promises to stop by later and help him with the roof. Homer waits for him, but Marge is skeptical that Ray even exists when Ray never shows up. Marge has Homer placed in the mental ward of the hospital and she and no one else can confirm that Ray really exists. Dr. Hibbert recommends and gives Homer electro-shock therapy. Six weeks later Homer's treatments are over and to everyone's surprise Ray turns up at the hospital to celebrate Homer's release. Plausible explanations, even one by Stephen Hawking, are given to explain why no one had ever seen Ray before.

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Couch: The living room is an almost fully assembled jigsaw puzzle, with only the pieces with the family members heads needing to placed. The person completing the puzzle places all the heads on correctly except for Homer and Maggie. He then swaps it, and says "woo-hoo!"

Celebrated by Fox as the 350th episode. Opening text of the episode was "350th Episode, Man."

Though this episode was celebrated as the show's 350th episode, you can see above that it's really the 351st.

This is the second time we see Calmwood Mental Hosptial. The first time was in the episode Hurricane Neddy.

Homer says "Lousy cat!" when the cat gets stuck in the litter, but he can't possibly see the cat, as it's in the kitchen, but he's at the door.

When they are looking back at the events that caused people not to see Ray, you see Bart across from Homer. When homer asked if bart saw someone the first time, Bart was standing on the side to Homer.

Though Flanders, Bart, and the bartender couldn't see Ray for various reasons--obstructed view, impaired depth perception, and that Hawking thing was all about... what kept any of them from hearing him speak? Particularly the bartender, who wasn't standing that far from the men at the time was and surely within hearing range at least some of the time.

When Homer spits on Hibert, he closes the blinds to hit him with a mallet. When he opens it back up, the spit is magically gone.

The episode title is a parody of the band Blue Oyster Cult's hit, "Don't Fear The Reaper."

Ray plugs Ray Romano's own TV show, Everybody Loves Raymond. at the end of the show, telling everyone the time & network that it's on. "Catch it while you still can!" is a reference to the fact that "Raymond" is currently in it's final season.
Ray: So as I was saying, Homer, Mondays, 9 o'clock, CBS, they say everybody loves that guy, but I don't get it.
Homer: What do you talking about?
Ray: Hey, I am just saying, catch it while you still can.
Homer: What time is the show on?
Ray: Mondays, 9 o'clock, CBS
Homer: And what's the network?
Ray: CBS.
Homer: And what time?
Ray: 9 o'clock.
Homer: If I want to watch it, what day?
Ray: Monday, Monday 9 o'clock.
Homer: And this is on the radio.
Ray: No, it's television. Monday, at 9, CBS.
Homer: And if I want to see it, what time should I watch it?
Ray: 9 o'clock.
Homer: On what channel?
Ray: CBS.
Homer: What day?
Ray: Monday.
Homer: On the RADIO?
Ray: Television.
Homer: Turn the television to what channel?
Ray: CBS.
Homer: And what time?
Ray: 9 o'clock on Monday.
Homer: Now for I wanna see it on a certain day, what will be the best day to see it?
Ray: It's only on a Monday.
Homer: What time will be a good time?
Ray: 9 o'clock, from 9 to 9:30.
Homer: So, if I turn my radio on at 9 o'clock
Ray: Not a radio, television
Homer: So it's Mondays at 9, by NBC
Ray: CBS
Homer: CBS
Ray: 9 o'clock
Homer: On the radio
Ray: Television
Homer: Televsion at 3 o'clock.

Knockers is obviously a spoof of the popular big breasted waitress filled restaurant/sports bar Hooters.