R&R: Waiting for Duffman (TABF10)

What did you think?


  • Total voters
    88
Here we go!
-- Stupid couch gag.
++ Milhouse's bike.
++ Hans Moleman
+ Pants exploding.
- Barney's voice sounds off.
+ Homer's eye.
+ Getting in the plot quickly!
++ Oh yeah by Rainier.
+ Old man's oh yeah.
? Homer doesn't win?
+ Confettus.
--- Yay! Homer gets ANOTHER new job!
End of act 1, apart from recylcled plot point, pretty good. 8/10.
--- Dumb filler scene.
+ Duff commercial.
+ Plot might actually be interesting!
--- This is getting BAD.
+ So he can't drink while Duffman? Interesting.
-- Marge out of character.
++ Cannon hitting Maude.
+ Boring golf game.
+ Plot pretty interesting despite being generic.
+Beeriscope.
+ Moe shooting lens.
End of act 2, not as strong. 6/10.
+ Surviving a blimp fire.
+++ NASCAR!!!!!!!!!!!
++ What am i barfing?
+++ It's a circle! Even funnier as a NASCAR fan.
? What did he inject him with?
End of act 3, not too strong. 7/10.
+ Iggy Azelia CD.
++ Yay! A 4th act scene with relevancy to the plot!
+ Thank you Sam.
In conclusion, that was good. 7.5/10
 
I liked that there was only one plot, which allowed it to be fleshed out more. I did think Homer as Duffman could've been done better, though. It reminded me of Lisa the Beauty Queen the way Homer saw the consequences of drinking and then subsequently spoke out about it.The NASCAR thing went on too long, but I got a chuckle out of Lisa talking to an imaginary therapist. I feel like there were a few too many jokes that were ruined by bad pacing, but it wasn't a bad ep. 3/5.
 
This had some decent humor, but the story just sort of went awol when Homer suddenly found his conscience. The best bits were Homer and Marge touring the 'history' of Duff. The old black and white Duff cartoon was based on this:



3/5

EDIT: In the Sam Simon tribute, the clip of Sam Simon was originally from a Fox promo commercial, some of which made it onto the bonus features of the S1 dvd. It was recorded at the start of the show's run on Thursday nights.

I used have the entire 5 min video, but it was stolen with my backpack around 2002. :(
 
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ACT ONE:

So... Duffman is Barry again.

Ugh... Homer having a hemorrhage was worse than his eyes crusting over.

I laughed at the title "So You Think You Can Duff."

New last name: Huffman.

And they had to do that hemorrhage joke again.

ACT TWO:

That safe joke was so predictable.

Mr. Duff mentioning the nuclear plant made me think: where IS his job at the nuclear plant? Does he even have one anymore when he's Duffman?

I smiled at the Maude joke.

Ugh... Fruit Bat Man...

I laughed at the beeroscope gag.

The rope catching fire was pretty good, too.

ACT THREE:

That race car joke was also too predictable.

If there was never was a chip, what was electrocuting Homer?

OVERALL:

Wow, what a horribly substance less episode. If you want a good story featuring Homer becoming Duffman, read Simpsons Comics #104. 2/5 (D-)
 
It was a decent episode with a bland plot. There's nothing really bad about the episode except that it was boring at some parts. The funniest moment was that one scene with Wiggum's tight pants. 7/10
 
pre sure his name was larry in pygmoelien
 
This felt like a S11 episode (wacky concept and some goofy gags) put through the ringer of S20-eqsue pacing. I kept thinking of superior episodes, which is never a good sign: Homer the spokesperson (Homie the Clown) takes on the role of Duffman, who is temporarily out of commission (Old Yeller-Belly) but has a change of conscience after a period of sobriety (Duffless). Marge and the kids are well-written here, but some of the off-putting gags (Lisa and the imaginary therapist, the return of Fruit Bat Man, the t-shirt smacking Maude's picture and then Ned just staring at the viewer - how subtle). I know that's not fair to this episode to just keep thinking of other outings, but I'm afraid there isn't much about this to make it all that interesting for me.
 
Not great, but I enjoyed it since I'm a Duffman fan. Am I the only one who likes Fruitbat Man? B-
 
The confettus line, the Maude joke, and the "red" autograph were the three laughs I genuinely enjoyed in the episode. Can't remember much else. This episode overall felt like a mish-mash of old episodes though. I felt like I was getting bits and pieces of "Duffless", "Pygmoelian", "Dancin' Homer" and "Old Yeller-Belly" throughout the episode. The episode overall just kind of coasted along. I think all the stale/re-hashed-feeling bits just gave the episode an uninspired "been there, done better" feeling. Having Happablap (with the actual voice) return, from a distance no less, also felt oddly shoved in there, and all it did was provoke a "hey, remember this character's much better episode from 20 years ago?".
 
IMO the maude line was kinda ruined by the T-shirt going through ned's window and shattering maude's picture. they didn't really need to have that add-on
 
What I appreciate most about tonight's episode is that it didn't try to be anything it wasn't: it didn't try for anything emotional (except for the quick scene showing Homer realizing that Duff isn't all good, but that didn't dominate the plot anyway), it didn't try to develop Homer's characterization, and it didn't try to incorporate any unnecessary conflict. It almost felt as if the writers went into this episode knowing Homer as Duffman would be used as nothing but a set piece for jokes and ran with that. Despite borrowing plot elements from many older episodes, tonight's episode felt surprisingly fresh - perhaps because again, it wasn't about the plot as much as it was about the jokes. That being said, I guess I should remember to cover some of the gags I liked while I'm writing this.

The episode wastes very little time (for the HD era, at least) getting into the main conflict. The infinite loop couch gag would have been nice if it didn't end with Bart shutting it off. Marge ironing the ironing board cover would have been a nice sight gag if they didn't have it onscreen for so long. The reality show was kinda dumb, but it was actually quite a decent setup for jokes: the Duff Girl turned senator's complete deadpan look was amusing, as were a lot of the failed attempts at saying the catchphrase. As predictable as they were, I don't know, the fact that the best candidates for Duffman fail at even the most fundamental part of being Duffman makes me laugh. The whole runner-up bit was predictable as well, but at least the "confettus" line was funny. Homer laughing was definitely overdone, as was hammering in the fact that the T-shirt cannon was a reference to Maude (though Ned's stare at the camera was good). Homer's various attempts to kill himself after learning he has to go sober held my attention way more than whatever H.K. Duff was saying to Marge. The Duff seven-pack callback (Duff 9-pack: when a 7-pack just isn't enough) to What to Expect When Bart's Expecting was a nice bit. Homer driving in circles went on far too long to be funny, though Surly's top being broken off to use as a weapon was a solid background gag. The joke about the rope burning up at the end of act 2 actually had me thinking that'd be the actual plot when act 3 began: still not sure what the point of that was. Duffman's return in the fourth act was solid; I liked him randomly calling the store managers to come along with him.

As for whatever thin plot there was, it was generally solid. As mentioned before, the blimp bit confused me, and the third act when the chip was revealed to be a fake seemed rather pointless. And Homer getting fired just for that one blunder at the racing track seems like a stretch, although I guess H.K. Duff & Co. thought he would continue denouncing Duff if he wasn't fired. Apart from that, tonight's plot was actually quite energetic - I enjoyed quickly jumping from set piece to set piece with the only common connection being Homer as Duffman.

It wasn't a masterpiece, but I had fun watching it, and it was surprisingly funny: other Jean era eps that try to be serious but fail should take note. 7/10 (feeling generous, low 4/5 on poll)

And it was nice to see some effort put into the Sam Simon tribute. Best part of the episode? Maybe...
 
Is this the first time Bossy and Sleazy of the Seven Duffs have appeared on TV? (Tipsy, Queasy, and Surly, as well as Remorseful, were in "Selma's Choice".) That would leave just Edgy.

It seems strange that So You Think You Can Dance? pretty much goes out of its way to keep Cat Deeley from pronouncing H "Haitch" (even going so far as to break one of the cardinal rules of the show by using some finalists' last names), but she has no problem doing it on The Simpsons. (She did it quite a bit when she hosted GSN's 20Q as well.)

Also, Cat pronounced "judges" correctly. (On SYTYCD, at first, she would keep saying "jidges", or occasionally "jerdges"; it got to the point where, as a running gag, each week, when she introduced the judges, she would say, "Here are your," and then the audience would add the last word.)

In the Game of Thrones-style sequence, there is a three-eyed bird.

Not only do they reference how Maude Flanders died, but they also feature a stock car race, which is where she died.

While this isn't the first live-action scene in the show's closings, this is the first time it was part of a memorial tribute.

"One of the greatest comic minds ever"
"Thank you, Sam"

Written by John Frink
Directed by Steven Dean Moore
No billboard or chalkboard
Couch: everybody gets sucked into a portal above the couch, then runs back in, gets sucked up again, and runs in again; Bart keeps from getting sucked in the fourth time, then shuts the portal off and discovers Homer's decapitated head
Special Guest Voice: Cat Deeley, R. Lee Ermey, Stacey Keach
Also Starring: Pamela Hayden, Tress MacNeille, Chris Edgerly
Overseas Animation: Akom
TV Rating: TV-PG-LV
 
Well, that sucked. Basically just a bunch of filler. I mean, the conflict was extremely simple (Homer tries to get people to stop drinking) and then it is quickly resolved by an angry mob. A few amusing moments and nothing too offensive (although there was some pretty stupid stuff as always), but overall just a really flat episode. 2/10
 
Lisa's imaginary therapist made me lol, as did the t-shirt cannon gag. There were some funny jokes and a good story. Also, "I was just licking my wife!" :P

The Duff song was grating , and I wasn't crazy about Homer with a crossbow in his mouth, but that's okay.

I liked it,. 3/5.
 
Is this the first time Bossy and Sleazy of the Seven Duffs have appeared on TV? (Tipsy, Queasy, and Surly, as well as Remorseful, were in "Selma's Choice".) That would leave just Edgy.

Quoting from the Season 26 Information Thread:

You're correct that only four were named in Selma's Choice: Surly, Remorseful, Tipsy, and Queasy. (Of these, Surly is still the only one that talks, a parody on how Dopey is the only one of the Seven Dwarfs that does not talk. I hope the writers realize this when writing for their upcoming appearance.) Pygmoelian introduces Sleazy, and Edgy and Dizzy have not appeared on the show yet. They were seen in a poster in Moe's in Hit and Run and as decorations in Tapped Out, but this will officially make those two canon.

Bossy replaces Dizzy as the seventh Duff, I guess.
 
I consider there to be multiple Duffmen. He also went by Sid in Hungry, Hungry Homer.

He claims in "Jaws Wired Shut" that "Duffman can not die, only the actor who play him" and there were four Duffmen working the ballgame in "Homer and Marge Turn A Couple Play"
 
Well, this episode didn't disappoint at all. It does have it's problems, but I still thought that it was a very fun episode. The highlights for me was the whole Springcycle scene, the vintage Duff commercial, Homer's freakout when he finds out he has to stay sober and everyone else trying to impersonate Duffman and failing. I also thought the callback to Alone-Again Natura-Diddily was pretty funny even though they kind of overdid it with it cutting to Flander's house, but it's not that big of a deal. Also the Game of Thrones parody while not hilarious or anything it was still done very well and it actually didn't feel needlessly shoved in or in-your-face at all. I also liked Homer's "Seems awfully over-produced." line. Like I said it does have it's problems like some of the weird writing choices this episode had. Like the end of the second act with the whole rope thing, but when we get to the third act it cuts to Homer in bed with Marge reading a book. It just felt a little lazy in my opinion. I also thought it was pretty easy to tell where this episode was going around the second act making it feel a little predictable. Regardless of that, I still really enjoyed this episode despite it's flaws and it's just an overall solid episode for this season. 8/10
 
While this had maybe 2 kinda funny jokes overall this was a huge bore like usual. The only truly stupid thing here was the end bit where (forgettable minor reoccuring character) told Homer that he never really put an alcohol chip in him, thereby making the episdes conflict just a really bad joke. And it's clear the writers just used that cop out because they were lazy.

2/5 besides that last part I said there was nothing truly awful but still this was your average shit stew
 
This episode was about homer becoming the new duffman, waiting for duffman was really good clearly a gem for this season because it was about homer and I love episodes centered around homer, the liked the fruitbat man comback and Sam the barfly finally talked which was cool, it was kind of funny but more interesting story wise, a very sweet and nice video tribute to the late Sam Simon at the end. 5/5 ;)
 
Eh, it wasn't bad. It also wasn't memorable. Can't really think of anything that I particularly liked or disliked (Though that bit with Lisa imagining the therapist probably didn't sit well with me). I suppose I'll be nice and give it a 3/5 just for not being a middle of the road, nothing special outing.
 
I liked it for the same reasons [MENTION=62459]pkkao[/MENTION] did. The episode knew what it was and rolled with it, lots of jokes landed for me, lots of callbacks and fun in-universe Duff stuff. If I had to compare it to anything, I'd compare it to the more off the wall Itchy & Scratchy or Krusty episodes where they expand on an in-universe product with behind the scenes goings ons, commercials, and product history.

I was relieved to see that the blimp scene was not leading to a third act where Homer did some heroic act to save the blimp from crashing. I also like that it didn't go for the emotional Duffless ending, with the reveal of Homer going on a bender at the race track.

Overall, a fun premise with funny jokes. 4/5

---

Also, my brief history of Duffman post from the 'Four Regrettings and a Funeral' R&R thread, with additional details added from this episode:

Regarding Chip Davis, according to his funeral he was Duffman from '92-'96 and '08. Given it has already been established that multiple people have played Duffman, it works. By that logic, Chip appeared as Duffman BEFORE we first saw the character in the series (Duffman first appeared in "The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson" which was in '97). The only episode to feature Duffman in 2008, according to The Simpsons wikis, is "Homer and Lisa Exchange Cross Words". So Chip Davis was Duffman who in turn was in a relationship with Grady: http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/Grady

A Brief History of the Men Who Played Duffman:

Pre-1992: unknown
1992-1996 - Chip Davis - unseen in the series
1997 - unknown, could be Larry - first appearance in the series
2000 - Larry - Moe slaps a sticker on his face which causes him to pass out or die (Pygmoelian)
2001 - Sid - may have died of liver failure (Hungry Hungry Homer)
2002 - unknown - Lenny mentions the previous Duffman (Sid?) died of liver failure and this Duffman is his replacement (Jaws Wired Shut)
2002 - unknown - pledges his love to Lunchlady Doris after being shot (The Great Louse Detective)
2003 - Barry - could have replaced the previous Duffman who died from being shot or is the same Duffman as seen in 2002 (Old Yeller-Belly)
2007 - unknown, dating Boobarella (Homerazzi)
2008 - Chip reprises role - Chip is gay and in a relationship with Grady (Homer and Lisa Exchange Cross Words)
2009-present - unknown - could have been a returning Barry, given Barry is the man playing Duffman in 'Waiting for Duffman'
 
I didn't really take this episode seriously, but I enjoyed it. Not even close to the best episode ever, but one of the better newer episodes.
 
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