In this week’s installment of The Simpsons, Homer flies the friendly skies (yes, again). But this time, Stephen Colbert is in the co-pilot’s seat! Will he rise to the occasion? Find out in “He Loves to Fly and He D’Ohs (Or “Annoyed Grunt’s”).

Kredit Kookies: Chalkboard Gag: “I Will Not Wait Another Twenty Years To Make A Movie”. The full credit sequence shows us downtown Springfield after its imprisonment under the dome from “The Simpsons Movie” – Bart skateboards through a Springfield that’s in the middle of being rebuilt and arrives at a half-constructed house and encounters new characters created for the movie. The Simpsons squash onto the couch beside Plopper, whom Homer embraces while declaring, “My summer love!” as the Spider Pig theme plays in the background.

We open at the Springfield Mall (for the first of two times this season). From there we follow Burns and Smithers as they try to find an appropriate cell phone for Monty. Unfortunately, each proves to be too modern to his liking, and too small. As they leave, Burns becomes distracted by the mall fountain and is delighted by the sight of so many pennies lying out for the taking. He jumps in to retrieve one and is pulled under by the current, experiencing a wild ride through the fountain’s workings before being pulled to safety by Homer.

Burns declares that he’ll give Homer a dinner with him as a reward. What would Homer like to eat? Pizza – Chicago deep-dish style is his favorite. Burns responds by flying the two of them to Chicago in his private jet, where Homer soaks in the swanky ambiance with delight and envy, even enjoying an Itchy and Scratchy cartoon on a big screen TV (The episode is titled “Come Flay With Me” and features Scratchy being beaten to death in his plane – after sitting on the tarmac for three hours).

The in-flight entertainment also includes Lionel Richie, who serenades Homer with a modified version of “Say You, Say Me.” By the end of the song, every word’s been replaced by one: “beer”. And Homer’s forgotten it.

Though initially reluctant to leave the plane, Homer has a fun time on Burns’ dime; after gawking at the sights of Chicago (including “Wherever the White Sox play”) and getting a city-appropriate makeover at “Ferris Beuller’s Day of Beauty Salon” (Burns ends up dressed up as Ferris, Homer as Cameron Fry) they also take in an improv program at the Second City theatre, which is painfully bad.

Back in Springfield, he’s extracted by force once again from Burns’ plane and dropped off at home. Depression quickly sets in – Homer no longer wants to be a boring, average person. Marge turns to outside help to cheer Homer up and brings in a life coach named Colby Krause.

Colby soon extends his teachings into every aspect of Homer’s life, preaching the NDC method – “never don’t concentrate”. He figures out Homer’s an excellent bowler and tells him to treat everyday life as if it’s an important game – Homer responds by wearing bowling shoes to work.   The technique proves sound – soon he’s drowning in job offers.

Homer’s interested in only one of these, however – as safety inspector for Handyman’s Choice Copper Tubing, which would allow him to fly the company jet. That afternoon, Homer returns to the Casa De Simpson and tells his excited family he got the job – a prepared Marge made two cakes, one anticipating his defeat, the other his acceptance (Bart throws the negative cake against the wall before Homer can see it).
Everyone’s proud and thrilled for Homer, who drives off to work the next day…or actually right past it and to the Krusty Burger. He spends the next week working through the children’s’ placemats and drinking coffee.

Homer’s eventually discovered by Bart, who stops off at the Krusty Burger early one afternoon - he’d been on a cancelled field trip, ruined by an apparently tripping Otto. We’re given a quick flashback to Otto riding a turtle naked through the Learn and Touch Reptile Zoo because “the drinking fountain told (him) to.” Homer confesses he lost out on the job because he knows nothing about copper tubing. Bart tells Homer that he should fess up ASAP – Marge is buying brand-name groceries!

Homer heads out to the pay phone to call Marge, who is indeed putting away premium groceries as they speak. She’s so delighted with his new position that he can’t force himself to tell her the truth and ends up inviting her on a business trip to New York on the “company jet” to launch a new diameter of copper tubing.

Marge meets Homer at the airport, where he’s bribed a Marine to get them airborne for a few hours. Marge too falls in love with the luxury amenities of the jet, while a nervous Homer tries to cover up the fact that the jet’s a rental. Just as he’s about to confess what’s happened, the plane’s altitude dips alarmingly.

They rush into the cockpit and realize their pilot’s passed out at the controls. Homer’s seized with doubt, and Marge frantically calls Colby on her cell phone for help. Colby manages to talk Homer through the landing, and the couple’s initial relief is ruined when Homer plunges the aircraft off the side of a cliff. Homer and Marge land in the water and surface for air – they swim to safety. Homer tells Marge that flying’s just too dangerous of an occupation – he’s going back to safety and the nuclear plant. She’s happy with this and kisses him as they walk off into the sunset.

In the background, Lionel Richie’s being pulled to safety as he serenades us, and it’s with him that we close things up.

Red Dress Press: This episode opened the season, and the return was certainly sharper than the previous year’s debut. The plotline was nothing original (The Simpsons have taken on flying and lifestyle gurus in multiple episodes), but the characterization is what sells it.

Homer is more himself here than he’s been in seasons past – vulnerable, working hard to make his family proud of him, thinking about money and how to keep his family fed. He’s far less jerkassy and numb-minded here. Marge is her typical supportive self, cheerfully believing Homer’s finally headed somewhere. Actual emotion comes from the telephone booth scene, a first for the show in a very, very long time. We root for Homer to, if not get his wish of a life in luxury, at least get his job back with the SNPP.

Secondary voicework was pretty good – Colbert’s a seasoned VA worker, so it’s not surprising he’s skilled at bringing “Colby” to life. Lionel Richie is wisely restricted to a musical performance, though his appearance at the end feels rather unnecessary.

Even the opening scene – with a realistically out-of-touch Burns – works, though his being floppily cycled through the fountain feels like a bad extension of the gross-out he’s-old-and-rotting characterization applied to him recently. Burns is a vengeful, wicked old man – physically fragile, but with a great amount of dignity, and it’s a shame when the writers forget the dignity part of the equation.

Episode hilight?  Definately the Chicago montage, which was laugh-out-loud funny, and probably one of the better lovingly-mocking encapsulations of a town since “The City of New York Versus Homer Simpson”. 

The credits were a nice bonus for those of us who watched the film, though I'm sure those who waited for the DVD release were left scratching their heads.

Did it Fail at Masonry?: Indeed it did not – it’s one of the best episodes of the season, and definitely worth re-watching, recording and keeping.

What the Screwballs Think: The episode garnered a 9.7, close to a season high but failing to outstrip the first airing of Family Guy’s “Blue Harvest” later in the night. It also failed to top “The Mook, The Chef , TheWife and Her Homer,” the previous season’s debut.

Sprigfield Shopper: This was a Krusty’s Klassik Rekap of a Season Nineteen episode. Keep an eye out for a recap of “Homer of Seville”, set to be posted by July fifth!