The Wife Aquatic

Plot[edit]

In this episode, which parodies somewhat the film "The Perfect Storm", Marge pines for the excitement she had in her youth after watching Patty and Selma's old home movies of a trip to Barnacle Bay in New England during a town-wide outdoor movie night. Moved by his wife's depression, Homer organizes a surprise trip to the island. However, on the family's arrival, Marge's hopes to relive her youth are dashed as Barnacle Bay has been devastated by overfishing of the Yum Yum Fish, the island's main attraction. Homer refuses to let Marge down and fixes the boardwalk and celebrates with a large fireworks show. The plan backfires as he accidentally starts a fire and the boardwalk burns down. In order to repay the townsfolk, Homer joins a fishing crew and sets out to rediscover the Yum Yum Fish.


At sea, Homer mistakenly beer batters and deep fries the fishing hooks, attracting a large haul of Yum Yum Fish. However, their celebrations are short-lived as Homer and the crew become trapped in a storm. Searching for a means of escape, they discover Bart has stowed away and removed the lifeboat in order to hide in its cupboard. The ship sinks, and Marge and the rest of Barnacle Bay believe all hands to have been lost at sea. Homer, Bart, and the crew interrupt a memorial service in their honor, and Homer explains that they were rescued by the Japanese fishing boat Iruka Koroshi Maru (Dolphin Killer).^[1] The townsfolk plan to recommence fishing, but Lisa warns them about the dangers of overfishing and how it brought their town to financial ruin. Agreeing with her, the townsfolk decide to go into logging instead, and clear-cut the island's trees, which are scheduled to be sent to a paper mill to be made into issues of Hustler and Barely Legal magazine, much to Lisa's frustration.