The Way We Was
Encyclopedia
"The Way We Was" is the twelfth episode of The Simpsons
' second season
. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 31, 1991. In the episode, Marge
tells the story of how she and Homer
first met and fell in love. Flashing back to 1974, we see how Homer falls in love with Marge in high school and tries to get close to her by enlisting her as his French
tutor. After several hours of verb conjugation, Marge falls for Homer too, only to become enraged when he admits that he is not a French student. Marge rejects Homer's invitation to the prom
and goes with Artie Ziff. Artie turns out to be a terrible date and Marge realizes that it is Homer she really wants.
The episode was written by Al Jean
, Mike Reiss
, and Sam Simon
, and directed by David Silverman
. It was the first flashback episode of The Simpsons. Jon Lovitz
guest starred in it as Artie Ziff. The episode features cultural references to songs such as "The Joker
" and "(They Long to Be) Close to You
", and the television series Siskel & Ebert & the Movies. Since airing, the episode has received mostly positive reviews from television critics. It acquired a Nielsen rating
of 15.6, and was the highest-rated show on the Fox network the week it aired.
on school grounds at a feminist rally
, she is sent to detention. Homer has also been sent to detention together with his best friend Barney
for smoking in the school restrooms. When Homer sees Marge for the first time as she enters the detention room, he instantly falls in love. Though his father, Abraham
, warns him he is wasting his time, Homer is determined to win Marge's heart.
To impress Marge, Homer joins the debate team, of which Marge is a member. At a debate, Homer finds out that Marge is more interested in the more articulate Artie Ziff. Homer therefore pretends to be a French student so that he can be tutored by Marge. It appears to be working, and when Homer asks Marge to the senior prom, she accepts. However, when Homer confesses that he is not really a French student, Marge is furious at him for making her lose sleep for a debate competition the next morning. She ultimately loses to Artie, who asks her to be his partner to the prom; she agrees. Homer does not realize that Marge has changed her plans, and so he shows up at her house for prom night to pick her up. Moments later Artie shows up, causing confusion to Marge's father and sisters, Patty and Selma
, and a despondent Homer leaves. Undaunted, however, he decides to go to the prom by himself.
At the prom, Artie and Marge are voted prom king and queen, and the two share the first dance. While Artie and Marge dance, Homer leaves and cries in the hallway. Marge follows him and asks why he is putting himself through this, and he explains that he thought that they were destined to be together, but she tells him that it is not meant to be. After the prom, Artie tries to get romantic with Marge in the backseat of his car: after he pushes his luck too far, she slaps him and demands to be taken home. Meanwhile, Homer's limousine
time has run out, and without any money, he is forced to walk home. Along the way Marge and Artie pass by Homer. After Artie drops Marge off at her house, she returns in her car to pick up Homer, realizing that he was the man for her all along.
The episode was written by Al Jean
, Mike Reiss
, and Sam Simon
, and directed by David Silverman
. Jon Lovitz
guest starred as Artie. It was his first guest appearance on The Simpsons, but he has appeared many times since. Artie's departing line to Marge after he drops her off was supposed to be "Goodnight. I'm Artie Ziff!", but short on time, the editors shortened it to just "Goodnight!"
Characters making their first appearance on the show in this episode are Wiseguy, Artie, Rainier Wolfcastle (as the fictional action hero McBain), Principal Dondelinger, and Marge’s father. Artie's appearance and body language is based on a man Silverman went to high school with named Mark Eisenberg. Silverman said that when he directed the episode, he went through his high school yearbook for character ideas and designs, because Silverman went to high school in the period that the episode is parodying. Wolfcastle's voice and design was based on actor Arnold Schwarzenegger
. The writers actually invented Wolfcastle for the episode "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?
", before "The Way We Was" went into production, but since "The Way We Was" aired before it is still considered his first appearance. The character was originally named McBain, after the film franchise that he stars in. When the film McBain
was released in 1991, after the episode had aired, the films' producers refused to allow the show to use the name in future episodes, so the name Rainier Wolfcastle, to represent the actor's real name, was created to use instead. Later, the use of the name McBain returned to the show.
"The Way We Was" originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 31, 1991. The episode was, together with "Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment
", selected for release in a video collection titled The Best of The Simpsons, that was released May 26, 1998. The episode was also included on The Simpsons season two DVD set, which was released on August 6, 2002. Jean, Reiss, Silverman, Matt Groening
, and James L. Brooks
participated in the DVD's audio commentary
. An action figure
set based on the episode was released by Winning Moves
. It featured the characters Homer, Marge, Artie, Barney, Grampa, Patty, and Selma, all in their flashback designs. In April 2002, as part of an EB Games exclusive, action figures of Marge and Homer in their prom outfits were released by Playmates Toys
. An action figure of Artie was also released in June 2004 as part of the wave sixteen release of the World of Springfield
series of action figures by Playmates Toys.
The television show that the Simpson family watches at the beginning of the episode, in which the two reviewers discuss the latest McBain film, is a parody of the American television series Siskel & Ebert & the Movies. In the flashback sequence, Homer is seen singing along to the 1973 song "The Joker
" by the Steve Miller Band
while driving to school. Pink Floyd
and Led Zeppelin
posters hang on wall of Homer's 1974 bedroom. The 1970 song "(They Long to Be) Close to You
" by The Carpenters
is heard when Homer sees Marge for the first time. Homer eats a bucket of Shakespeare
Fried Chicken when he reveals his feelings towards Marge to Grampa
. At the debate, Homer disagrees about the idea of lowering the United States national speed limit to 55 mph (90 km/h), arguing that "Sure, it'll save a few lives, but millions will be late!" This is a reference to the National Maximum Speed Law
provision of the 1974 Emergency Highway Energy Conservation Act that prohibited speed limits higher than 55 mph. Barney asks a girl named Estelle if she wants to go to the prom with him, but she tells him that she would not go to the prom with him even if he were American actor Elliott Gould
. Artie says he can think of a dozen highly cogent arguments to why Marge should accept his prom offer, one of which is from a Time
magazine titled "America's Love Affair with the Prom: Even wallflowers can look forward to one date a year," a reference to the American magazine Time. Songs played in the episode include "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
" by Elton John
, "Colour My World
" by Chicago
, "Pick Up the Pieces" by Average White Band, and "The Hustle
" by Van McCoy
.
of 15.6, equivalent to 14.5 million viewing households. It was the highest-rated show on the Fox network that week.
Since airing, the episode has received positive reviews from television critics. The authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, wrote: "A superb episode. Some colorful background for Homer and Marge (and a glimpse of Homer and Barney's schooldays) plus our introduction to the world of the McBain films. Excellent." DVD Movie Guide's Colin Jacobson thought the episode was a "fine program", and added that Lovitz made Artie "amusingly annoying". Jacobson thought the episode captured the "tone of the mid-Seventies with warmth and insight", and the courtship "seemed charming but not sappy, and the show worked well overall." Jacobson's favorite line of the episode was Grampa's advice to Homer about Marge, "Oh, son, don’t overreach! Go for the dented car, the dead-end job, the less attractive girl!" When Homer arrives at the Bouvier house to pick up Marge for the prom, Selma tells Patty "Marge's dates get homelier all the time," to which Patty replies "That's what you get when you don't put out." Dawn Taylor of The DVD Journal thought these were the best lines of the episode. IGN
ranked Lovitz as the eighth best guest star in the show's history.
In his book Drawn to Television – Prime-time Animation from the Flintstones to Family Guy, Keith Booker wrote: "The episode details in a rather sentimental fashion the early struggles of the irresponsible Homer to support his new family [...] Such background episodes add an extra dimension to the portrayal of the animated Simpson family, making them seem oddly real and adding weight to their status as a family with a long history together."
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
The Simpsons (season 2)
The Simpsons second season originally aired between October 11, 1990 and May 9, 1991, and contained 22 episodes, beginning with "Bart Gets an F". Another episode, "Blood Feud" aired during the summer after the official season finale. The show runners for the second production season were Matt...
. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 31, 1991. In the episode, Marge
Marge Simpson
Marjorie "Marge" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the eponymous family. She is voiced by actress Julie Kavner and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
tells the story of how she and Homer
Homer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
first met and fell in love. Flashing back to 1974, we see how Homer falls in love with Marge in high school and tries to get close to her by enlisting her as his French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
tutor. After several hours of verb conjugation, Marge falls for Homer too, only to become enraged when he admits that he is not a French student. Marge rejects Homer's invitation to the prom
Prom
In the United States and Canada, a prom, short for promenade, is a formal dance, or gathering of high school students. It is typically held near the end of the senior year. It figures greatly in popular culture and is a major event among high school students...
and goes with Artie Ziff. Artie turns out to be a terrible date and Marge realizes that it is Homer she really wants.
The episode was written by Al Jean
Al Jean
Al Jean is an award-winning American screenwriter and producer, best known for his work on The Simpsons. He was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan and graduated from Harvard University in 1981. Jean began his writing career in the 1980s with fellow Harvard alum Mike Reiss...
, Mike Reiss
Mike Reiss
Michael "Mike" Reiss is an American television comedy writer. He served as a show-runner, writer and producer for the animated series The Simpsons and co-created the animated series The Critic...
, and Sam Simon
Sam Simon
Samuel "Sam" Simon is an American director, producer, writer, boxing manager and philanthropist. While at Stanford University, Simon worked as a newspaper cartoonist and after graduating became a storyboard artist at Filmation Studios. He submitted a spec script for the sitcom Taxi, which was...
, and directed by David Silverman
David Silverman
David Silverman is an animator best known for directing numerous episodes of the animated TV series The Simpsons, as well as The Simpsons Movie...
. It was the first flashback episode of The Simpsons. Jon Lovitz
Jon Lovitz
Jonathan "Jon" Lovitz is an American comedian, actor, and singer. He is best known as a cast member of the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live from 1985 to 1990.-Early life:...
guest starred in it as Artie Ziff. The episode features cultural references to songs such as "The Joker
The Joker (song)
"The Joker" is a song by the Steve Miller Band from their 1973 album The Joker. The song is one of two Steve Miller Band songs that feature the neologism "pompatus". The song topped the US Billboard Hot 100 in early 1974. It draws heavy influence from the Allen Toussaint's song Soul Sister featured...
" and "(They Long to Be) Close to You
(They Long to Be) Close to You
" Close to You" is a popular song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. It was first recorded by Richard Chamberlain and released as a single in 1963 as "They Long to Be Close to You," without parentheses. However, it was the single's flip side, "Blue Guitar," that became a hit...
", and the television series Siskel & Ebert & the Movies. Since airing, the episode has received mostly positive reviews from television critics. It acquired a Nielsen rating
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
of 15.6, and was the highest-rated show on the Fox network the week it aired.
Plot
When the Simpsons' television breaks down, Marge tells her children how she and Homer first met. The year is 1974. Homer and Marge are both in their senior year of high school. Unlike Homer, Marge is a responsible student, but after she burns a braBrassiere
A brassiere is an undergarment that covers, supports, and elevates the breasts. Since the late 19th century, it has replaced the corset as the most widely accepted method for supporting breasts....
on school grounds at a feminist rally
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
, she is sent to detention. Homer has also been sent to detention together with his best friend Barney
Barney Gumble
Barnard "Barney" Gumble is a fictional character on the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. The character is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared in the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". He is the town drunk and Homer Simpson's best friend. His capacity for...
for smoking in the school restrooms. When Homer sees Marge for the first time as she enters the detention room, he instantly falls in love. Though his father, Abraham
Abraham Simpson
Abraham J. "Abe" Simpson, often known simply as Grampa, is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and he is also the patriarch of the Simpson family, the father of Homer Simpson, and the grandfather of Bart, Lisa, and Maggie Simpson...
, warns him he is wasting his time, Homer is determined to win Marge's heart.
To impress Marge, Homer joins the debate team, of which Marge is a member. At a debate, Homer finds out that Marge is more interested in the more articulate Artie Ziff. Homer therefore pretends to be a French student so that he can be tutored by Marge. It appears to be working, and when Homer asks Marge to the senior prom, she accepts. However, when Homer confesses that he is not really a French student, Marge is furious at him for making her lose sleep for a debate competition the next morning. She ultimately loses to Artie, who asks her to be his partner to the prom; she agrees. Homer does not realize that Marge has changed her plans, and so he shows up at her house for prom night to pick her up. Moments later Artie shows up, causing confusion to Marge's father and sisters, Patty and Selma
Patty and Selma
Patty and Selma Bouvier are fictional characters in the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. They are twins and are both voiced by Julie Kavner. They are Marge Simpson's older twin sisters, who both work at the Springfield Department of Motor Vehicles, and possess a strong dislike for their...
, and a despondent Homer leaves. Undaunted, however, he decides to go to the prom by himself.
At the prom, Artie and Marge are voted prom king and queen, and the two share the first dance. While Artie and Marge dance, Homer leaves and cries in the hallway. Marge follows him and asks why he is putting himself through this, and he explains that he thought that they were destined to be together, but she tells him that it is not meant to be. After the prom, Artie tries to get romantic with Marge in the backseat of his car: after he pushes his luck too far, she slaps him and demands to be taken home. Meanwhile, Homer's limousine
Limousine
A limousine is a luxury sedan or saloon car, especially one with a lengthened wheelbase or driven by a chauffeur. The chassis of a limousine may have been extended by the manufacturer or by an independent coachbuilder. These are called "stretch" limousines and are traditionally black or white....
time has run out, and without any money, he is forced to walk home. Along the way Marge and Artie pass by Homer. After Artie drops Marge off at her house, she returns in her car to pick up Homer, realizing that he was the man for her all along.
Production
Al Jean
Al Jean is an award-winning American screenwriter and producer, best known for his work on The Simpsons. He was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan and graduated from Harvard University in 1981. Jean began his writing career in the 1980s with fellow Harvard alum Mike Reiss...
, Mike Reiss
Mike Reiss
Michael "Mike" Reiss is an American television comedy writer. He served as a show-runner, writer and producer for the animated series The Simpsons and co-created the animated series The Critic...
, and Sam Simon
Sam Simon
Samuel "Sam" Simon is an American director, producer, writer, boxing manager and philanthropist. While at Stanford University, Simon worked as a newspaper cartoonist and after graduating became a storyboard artist at Filmation Studios. He submitted a spec script for the sitcom Taxi, which was...
, and directed by David Silverman
David Silverman
David Silverman is an animator best known for directing numerous episodes of the animated TV series The Simpsons, as well as The Simpsons Movie...
. Jon Lovitz
Jon Lovitz
Jonathan "Jon" Lovitz is an American comedian, actor, and singer. He is best known as a cast member of the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live from 1985 to 1990.-Early life:...
guest starred as Artie. It was his first guest appearance on The Simpsons, but he has appeared many times since. Artie's departing line to Marge after he drops her off was supposed to be "Goodnight. I'm Artie Ziff!", but short on time, the editors shortened it to just "Goodnight!"
Characters making their first appearance on the show in this episode are Wiseguy, Artie, Rainier Wolfcastle (as the fictional action hero McBain), Principal Dondelinger, and Marge’s father. Artie's appearance and body language is based on a man Silverman went to high school with named Mark Eisenberg. Silverman said that when he directed the episode, he went through his high school yearbook for character ideas and designs, because Silverman went to high school in the period that the episode is parodying. Wolfcastle's voice and design was based on actor Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
. The writers actually invented Wolfcastle for the episode "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?
Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?
"Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" is the fifteenth episode of The Simpsons second season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 21, 1991. In the episode, Grampa confesses that Homer has a half-brother, whom Homer immediately tries to track down. He eventually discovers...
", before "The Way We Was" went into production, but since "The Way We Was" aired before it is still considered his first appearance. The character was originally named McBain, after the film franchise that he stars in. When the film McBain
McBain (film)
McBain is a 1991 action film written and directed by James Glickenhaus. It is about an ex-soldier who reunites his old army buddies in order to get revenge on a Colombian dictator who killed his old friend, a freedom fighter. McBain starred Christopher Walken, María Conchita Alonso and Michael...
was released in 1991, after the episode had aired, the films' producers refused to allow the show to use the name in future episodes, so the name Rainier Wolfcastle, to represent the actor's real name, was created to use instead. Later, the use of the name McBain returned to the show.
"The Way We Was" originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 31, 1991. The episode was, together with "Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment
Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment
"Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment" is the thirteenth episode of The Simpsons second season and the 26th episode overall. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 7, 1991. In the episode, Homer gets an illegal cable hook-up. Despite the family's enjoyment of the...
", selected for release in a video collection titled The Best of The Simpsons, that was released May 26, 1998. The episode was also included on The Simpsons season two DVD set, which was released on August 6, 2002. Jean, Reiss, Silverman, Matt Groening
Matt Groening
Matthew Abram "Matt" Groening is an American cartoonist, screenwriter, and producer. He is the creator of the comic strip Life in Hell as well as two successful television series, The Simpsons and Futurama....
, and James L. Brooks
James L. Brooks
James Lawrence Brooks is an American director, producer and screenwriter. Growing up in North Bergen, New Jersey, Brooks endured a fractured family life and passed the time by reading and writing. After dropping out of New York University, he got a job as an usher at CBS, going on to write for the...
participated in the DVD's audio commentary
Audio commentary
On disc-based video formats, an audio commentary is an additional audio track consisting of a lecture or comments by one or more speakers, that plays in real time with video...
. An action figure
Action figure
An action figure is a posable character figurine, made of plastic or other materials, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, video game, or television program. These action figures are usually marketed towards boys and male collectors...
set based on the episode was released by Winning Moves
Winning Moves
Winning Moves Games is a maker of classic card games and board games, puzzles, action games and adult party games.-History:Winning Moves Games was founded in 1995 by four game industry professionals: Tom Kremer , Philip Orbanes , Mike...
. It featured the characters Homer, Marge, Artie, Barney, Grampa, Patty, and Selma, all in their flashback designs. In April 2002, as part of an EB Games exclusive, action figures of Marge and Homer in their prom outfits were released by Playmates Toys
Playmates Toys
Playmates Toys is a Costa Mesa, California toy manufacturer and a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based Playmates Holdings Ltd , which was founded in 1966.-Proprietary brands:*Amazing Dolls*Amazing Pets*Kinder-Garden Babies*R.E.V.s*Waterbabies*WOW Pals...
. An action figure of Artie was also released in June 2004 as part of the wave sixteen release of the World of Springfield
World of Springfield
The World of Springfield is a series of action figures featuring characters from the animated sitcom The Simpsons. The line ran between December 1999 and December 2004 and was released by Playmates Toys....
series of action figures by Playmates Toys.
Cultural references
The Joker (song)
"The Joker" is a song by the Steve Miller Band from their 1973 album The Joker. The song is one of two Steve Miller Band songs that feature the neologism "pompatus". The song topped the US Billboard Hot 100 in early 1974. It draws heavy influence from the Allen Toussaint's song Soul Sister featured...
" by the Steve Miller Band
Steve Miller (musician)
Steven H. "Steve" Miller is an American guitarist and singer-songwriter who began his career in blues and blues rock and evolved to a more popular-oriented sound which, from the mid 1970s through the early 1980s, resulted in a series of successful singles and albums.-Early years:Born in Milwaukee,...
while driving to school. Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
and Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
posters hang on wall of Homer's 1974 bedroom. The 1970 song "(They Long to Be) Close to You
(They Long to Be) Close to You
" Close to You" is a popular song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. It was first recorded by Richard Chamberlain and released as a single in 1963 as "They Long to Be Close to You," without parentheses. However, it was the single's flip side, "Blue Guitar," that became a hit...
" by The Carpenters
The Carpenters
Carpenters were an American vocal and instrumental duo, consisting of sister Karen and brother Richard Carpenter. The Carpenters were the #1 selling American music act of the 1970s. Though often referred to by the public as "The Carpenters", the duo's official name on authorized recordings and...
is heard when Homer sees Marge for the first time. Homer eats a bucket of Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
Fried Chicken when he reveals his feelings towards Marge to Grampa
Abraham Simpson
Abraham J. "Abe" Simpson, often known simply as Grampa, is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and he is also the patriarch of the Simpson family, the father of Homer Simpson, and the grandfather of Bart, Lisa, and Maggie Simpson...
. At the debate, Homer disagrees about the idea of lowering the United States national speed limit to 55 mph (90 km/h), arguing that "Sure, it'll save a few lives, but millions will be late!" This is a reference to the National Maximum Speed Law
National Maximum Speed Law
The National Maximum Speed Law in the United States was a provision of the 1974 Emergency Highway Energy Conservation Act that prohibited speed limits higher than . It was drafted in response to oil price spikes and supply disruptions during the 1973 oil crisis...
provision of the 1974 Emergency Highway Energy Conservation Act that prohibited speed limits higher than 55 mph. Barney asks a girl named Estelle if she wants to go to the prom with him, but she tells him that she would not go to the prom with him even if he were American actor Elliott Gould
Elliott Gould
Elliott Gould is an American actor. He began acting in Hollywood films during the 1960s, and has remained prolific ever since. Some of his most notable films include M*A*S*H and Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, for which he received an Oscar nomination...
. Artie says he can think of a dozen highly cogent arguments to why Marge should accept his prom offer, one of which is from a Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine titled "America's Love Affair with the Prom: Even wallflowers can look forward to one date a year," a reference to the American magazine Time. Songs played in the episode include "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (song)
"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" is a ballad performed by musician Elton John. The song was written by Bernie Taupin and composed by John for his album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. Its musical style and production is heavily influenced by 1970s soft rock...
" by Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
, "Colour My World
Colour My World (Chicago song)
"Colour My World" is a song written by American musician James Pankow, one of the founding members of the rock/jazz fusion band Chicago. Part of Pankow's Ballet for a Girl in Buchannon song cycle/suite, it was recorded for their second album Chicago II...
" by Chicago
Chicago (band)
Chicago is an American rock band formed in 1967 in Chicago, Illinois. The self-described "rock and roll band with horns" began as a politically charged, sometimes experimental, rock band and later moved to a predominantly softer sound, becoming famous for producing a number of hit ballads. They had...
, "Pick Up the Pieces" by Average White Band, and "The Hustle
The Hustle (song)
"The Hustle" is a famous disco song by songwriter/arranger Van McCoy and the Soul City Symphony. It scored #1 on the "Billboard Hot 100" and the "Hot Soul Singles" charts during the summer of 1975. It also peaked at #9 on the Australian Singles Chart and #3 in the UK...
" by Van McCoy
Van McCoy
Van Allen Clinton McCoy was an accomplished musician, music producer, arranger, songwriter, and orchestra conductor. He is known best for his 1975 internationally successful song "The Hustle", which is still played in dance halls and on radio to this day more than thirty years since his death...
.
Reception
In its original broadcast, "The Way We Was" finished sixteenth in the ratings for the week of January 28–February 3, 1991, with a Nielsen ratingNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
of 15.6, equivalent to 14.5 million viewing households. It was the highest-rated show on the Fox network that week.
Since airing, the episode has received positive reviews from television critics. The authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, wrote: "A superb episode. Some colorful background for Homer and Marge (and a glimpse of Homer and Barney's schooldays) plus our introduction to the world of the McBain films. Excellent." DVD Movie Guide's Colin Jacobson thought the episode was a "fine program", and added that Lovitz made Artie "amusingly annoying". Jacobson thought the episode captured the "tone of the mid-Seventies with warmth and insight", and the courtship "seemed charming but not sappy, and the show worked well overall." Jacobson's favorite line of the episode was Grampa's advice to Homer about Marge, "Oh, son, don’t overreach! Go for the dented car, the dead-end job, the less attractive girl!" When Homer arrives at the Bouvier house to pick up Marge for the prom, Selma tells Patty "Marge's dates get homelier all the time," to which Patty replies "That's what you get when you don't put out." Dawn Taylor of The DVD Journal thought these were the best lines of the episode. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
ranked Lovitz as the eighth best guest star in the show's history.
In his book Drawn to Television – Prime-time Animation from the Flintstones to Family Guy, Keith Booker wrote: "The episode details in a rather sentimental fashion the early struggles of the irresponsible Homer to support his new family [...] Such background episodes add an extra dimension to the portrayal of the animated Simpson family, making them seem oddly real and adding weight to their status as a family with a long history together."
External links
- "The Way We Was" at The Simpsons.com