Homer the Smithers

Homer the Smithers is the seventeenth episode of Season 7.
==Synopsis==
Smithers goes on vacation after having a mental breakdown over not being able to save Burns from being harassed by a drunken Lenny. Homer takes Smithers' place as Mr. Burns' assistant, but all the abuse Homer takes from Mr. Burns causes him to snap and punch the old man in the face, which drives Mr. Burns to be more self-reliant.
== Full Story ==
The episode starts on the employee appreciation night that Mr. Burns is hosting at a drag racing track. When it is over Burns complains to Smithers that his foam novelty finger is too big. Smithers then leaves Burns alone in his limousine. A drunken Lenny approaches the limo window and frightens Burns. Smithers returns with a smaller novelty foam finger and drives Lenny off. Smithers, however, feels guilty for failing to defend Burns sooner, and decries himself as a failure while beating himself up over it both figuratively and literally via his repeatedly smashing his head against the wheel while driving him home (also somehow managing to call Burns via the phone line on the limo when he proceeded to raise the glass).
The next morning, Smithers brings breakfast to Burns and a laminated newspaper, although after Burns was unable to do the Junior Jumble due to the lamination, Smithers tries to drown himself via the water cooler before Burns saved him by draining the water. Burns feels Smithers is working too hard and tells him to take a vacation. He agrees, but needs to find a replacement. He looks for the most pathetic worker to replace him, settling on Homer. He works hard as he can, only to be ridiculed by Burns. Homer gets outraged at him, he punches Burns in the face, leaving Burns cowering in fear. In order to be safe and keep Homer away from him, Burns starts doing his own work, and he comes to enjoy it. When Smithers comes back, Burns fires him because he can do everything himself. Smithers and Homer try to get his job back, but it doesn't work. After their plan (having Mr. Burns's mother call her son to irritate him) failed (largely due to Homer's stupidity, such as disconnecting the phone before she could get a chance to call Burns, resulting in Homer calling Burns' office and impersonating his mother, only for him to get her voice wrong and also say remarks Burns' mother would never say to him [specifically, referring to "her" son as "Mr. Burns"], resulting in the two getting caught by Burns) Homer and Smithers get in a fight, including Smithers bashing Homer on the head over with a telephone receiver to "demonstrate [to Homer] how to use a phone." During their brawl, they accidentally knock Burns out the window. Having to go through physical therapy after being released from the hospital, Burns becomes once again dependent on Smithers for all his needs. Smithers repays Homer for getting him his job back by sending him a basket filled with fruit (though Homer seems to think Smithers was thanking him for knocking Mr. Burns out of his office).
fr:Homer fait son Smithers
pl:Homer the Smithers
pt:O substituto
Category:Work-themed Episodes
Category:Mr. Burns Episodes
Category:Homer episodes
Category:Episodes named after a character
Category:Smithers Episodes
Category:'The' Episodes
Category:Episodes named after Homer
Category:Episodes with prank phone calls
Category:Episodes on DVD
Category:Episodes named after Smithers
Category:Written by John Swartzwelder
Category:Directed by Steven Dean Moore
Category:Highly Rated Episodes
Category:Just Stamp The Ticket Man Episodes
Category:Episodes Where Homer cries
Category:Dramatic episodes