The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson

The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson
Company type	Television episode
Industry	Entertainment
Founded	September 21, 1997; 29 years ago
Products	Animated television episode

The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson serves as the premiere episode of the American animated series The Simpsons ninth season. It first aired on Fox in the United States on September 21, 1997, marking the 179th episode overall. The storyline follows the Simpson family as they journey to Manhattan to reclaim their car, which had been taken by Barney Gumble and left near the World Trade Center. Over time, the vehicle accumulated numerous parking tickets and was immobilized with a parking boot.

The episode was written by Ian Maxtone-Graham, who intended to depict the Simpsons’ adventure to New York City to recover their automobile. Executive producers Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein selected Austin J. Tobin Plaza at the World Trade Center for the car’s location due to its iconic significance. Considerable attention was given to authentically recreating Manhattan’s borough within the episode.

Critics praised the installment, which remains a memorable entry in The Simpsons series. Its musical number, "You're Checkin' In," earned two awards. Following the prominence of the World Trade Center in the episode, it was pulled from syndication after the September 11 attacks but was reinstated by 2006. Additionally, this episode introduces Duffman, who would become a recurring character.

Plot

At Moe's Tavern, Moe informs Homer and his friends about the necessity of having a designated driver, and Barney loses the selection draw. Barney then drives them home using Homer's car, which Homer allows him to keep overnight with the expectation it will be returned by morning. However, Barney, intoxicated, vanishes with the vehicle. Two months later, Barney shows up at Moe's but cannot remember where he left the car. Homer soon receives a notice from the New York City Department of Finance indicating that his car was located at Austin J. Tobin Plaza and will be destroyed if not claimed within 72 hours. Homer admits to having had a negative experience in New York when he was 17; nonetheless, Marge and their children persuade him to go retrieve it.

Upon arriving in Manhattan, the family separates to explore different areas. Homer discovers his car covered in numerous parking tickets and immobilized by a wheel clamp. While waiting for an officer to remove it, he purchases khlav kalash (a kebab on a stick) and crab juice from a street vendor. Needing to use a restroom but reluctant to leave his car unattended, Homer attempts to access the South Tower observation deck’s bathroom but finds it locked; he then uses facilities in the North Tower instead. During this time, an officer issues another ticket because Homer was away from his vehicle. Meanwhile, other family members visit landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty, Little Italy, Chinatown, and the Empire State Building. Bart stops by Mad magazine’s offices and admires its mascot, Alfred E. Neuman. The family also attends a Broadway show centered on the Betty Ford Clinic and takes a carriage ride through Central Park before regrouping with Homer.

Homer aims to reach Central Park before nightfall. Disregarding the wheel clamp, he drives off but damages the car’s left front fender. After traveling some distance with the boot attached, he borrows a jackhammer from nearby road workers to remove it, causing further harm to the vehicle. Once free of the clamp, Homer rushes to Central Park to reunite with his family. On their return trip to Springfield, they reminisce about their enjoyable visit despite Homer's continued aversion to New York City.

Production

The concept of the family journeying to Manhattan to locate their missing vehicle was created by writer Ian Maxtone-Graham, who previously lived in New York and regarded it as a quintessential Manhattan dilemma. Bill Oakley, having visited the World Trade Center shortly after its completion in 1973, proposed situating the car in the plaza between the twin towers. Josh Weinstein pointed out that finding the plaza made it an ideal location for Homer's car.

The animation team was responsible for producing a highly detailed representation of the city. Silverman captured hundreds of photographs around the World Trade Center, which Lance Wilder’s group utilized to design precise scenes and backgrounds, including signage and numerous background characters. Oakley and Weinstein commended the faithful recreation of architectural structures, streetscapes, and elevator interiors. The episode’s concluding scene showcases an expansive cityscape viewed from the George Washington Bridge, created through an expensive and labor-intensive method combining digital modeling with hand-drawn animation cels. Director Jim Reardon aimed to emulate iconic New York film conclusions. Before broadcast, production verified with Fox that no advertisements would disrupt the credits.

The lyrics for the "You're Checkin' In" musical number were penned by Ken Keeler within two hours, followed by minor adjustments. Bill Oakley later expressed some dissatisfaction with one particular line—"Hey, that's just my aspirin!"—believing it could have been improved.

Given the prominent presence of the World Trade Center in the storyline, the episode was withdrawn from syndication following the September 11 attacks. By 2006, it reappeared in select markets with edits, such as removing a regrettable reference to "jerks in Tower 1," according to Oakley. In 2019, a hand-painted cel depicting the Twin Towers was donated to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, described as both "hilarious and tender."

Certain conspiracy theories suggest a scene predicts 9/11: Lisa holds a $9 bus fare brochure where the Twin Towers form an "11" behind the number "9." Showrunner Al Jean dismissed this as “a completely bizarre, strange thing.” Oakley responded on Twitter that "$9 was chosen as a humorously low fare," and including New York City’s skyline was logical; he acknowledged how eerie this coincidence appeared considering the episode’s World Trade Center jokes.

Cultural references

The music accompanying Duffman’s entrances is "Oh Yeah" by Yello, famously featured in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. The Original Famous Ray's Pizza establishment Homer visits parodies independent pizzerias that incorporate "Ray" into their names. Homer’s taxi is registered to Calloway Cab Service, a nod to musician Cab Calloway. The musical segment set at Flushing Meadows parodies "Flower Duet" from Léo Delibes’ opera Lakmé. When encountering Hasidic Jews, Bart mistakes them for members of ZZ Top. At the offices of Mad, Homer sees characters such as Alfred E. Neuman and cartoonist Dave Berg. The performer in "You're Checkin' In" was modeled after Robert Downey Jr., who at that time was struggling with cocaine addiction. The scene where Homer races alongside a horse-drawn carriage in Central Park references the film Ben-Hur. The final shot on the George Washington Bridge features a rendition of "Theme from New York, New York" that continues over the credits.

During Homer’s flashback to an earlier visit to New York, Scott Joplin’s "The Entertainer", known from The Sting, plays throughout. Writer Ian Maxtone-Graham recommended this piece to director Jim Reardon, highlighting how well it complemented the visual humor. Early in this flashback, Homer passes three adult theaters showing parodies of The Godfather Part II, Jeremiah Johnson, and Five Easy Pieces. A Woody Allen lookalike appears, dumping garbage onto Homer. When Homer falls into a sewer, he discovers an underground mutant world reminiscent of C.H.U.D..

Reception

During its initial airing, "The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson" secured the 18th spot in the Nielsen ratings for the week of September 15–21, 1997, achieving a rating of 10.7 and reaching an estimated audience of 10.5 million households. It stood as the top-performing program on Fox that week, surpassing the second season premiere of King of the Hill.

Critics and audiences alike responded favorably to the episode. The musical number "You're Checkin' In" earned a 1998 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Music and Lyrics, alongside an Annie Award recognizing Outstanding Music in an Animated Television Production. Marking The Simpsons 300th episode in 2003, Entertainment Weekly ranked this installment as their 13th favorite, while AskMen placed it seventh on their top ten episodes list. Additionally, IGN designated it as the standout episode of season nine, commending its humor and strong season opener qualities. Since the release of the season nine DVD, reviewers have frequently highlighted it as a notable episode.

On the other hand, British critics Ian Jones and Steve Williams from Off the Telly expressed disappointment with the episode’s lack of a unified storyline, labeling it their least favored season premiere. They also pointed out that it was never broadcast on terrestrial TV in the UK due to concerns over content suitability. In contrast, Screen Rant identified it as the finest episode within season nine.

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