I Married Marge

"I Married Marge" is the twelfth episode of the Season 3.
==Synopsis==
While Marge is at the doctor's to see whether or not she's pregnant for the fourth time, Homer tells the kids the story of his post-high school life with Marge, including how Bart was conceived at the mini-golf course, how Homer and Marge quickly got married at a roadside chapel, and how Homer provided for his new family by getting a job at the nuclear plant.
== Full Story ==
Marge and Homer are worrying that Marge may be pregnant again. After a home pregnancy test gives inconclusive results, Marge drives to Dr. Hibbert's office. Homer begins to tell Bart, Lisa, and Maggie about how he and Marge got married, and Bart's birth thereafter.
Homer begins his story in 1980, while he was working at a miniature golf course and still dating Marge. One night on a romantic date, after seeing , Homer and Marge make love inside of a golf course castle. Shortly after, Marge discovers that she is pregnant. Homer decides to propose to Marge, and she eagerly accepts. The two marry in a small wedding chapel across state lines while Marge is pregnant. The two spend their "wedding night" at Marge's parents' house, sleeping on a couch in the living room. Needless to say, this aggravates Marge's mother and sisters extremely, who all despise Homer.
Unfortunately for Homer and Marge, Homer's wages are not enough to pay for his new family. Homer attempts to apply for a job at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, but his interview goes horribly, partly due to his own ineptitude and the blatant favoritism displayed by Waylon Smithers (the other two applicants are members of his college fraternity). So Homer tried many jobs but none of them worked out (one job offer turned out to be a scam). After many of Homer and Marge's newly purchased baby supplies and Marge's wedding ring are repossessed, Homer decides to leave and find a job, in order to provide for Marge and his unborn son Bart... Marge is brought to tears by Homer's absence. In a parody of Raising Arizona, Homer leaves a letter to a sleeping Marge describing the above. However, even in sorrow, Homer still winds up irritating Patty, who complains for Homer to "not scratch the pen so loud".
Homer gets a job at a Gulp 'n' Blow taco restaurant, where Patty and Selma find him, after nearly choking on a taco filled with hair. Patty, who has absolute hatred for Homer, insists that they remain silent about it to Marge, simply to let her find him by "reading about it in the Society Pages". But Selma, feeling sorry for Marge and some pity for Homer, plans to tell Marge the truth. Marge, now well into her third trimester of pregnancy, finds Homer and convinces him to come back home with her. Homer feels ashamed and unworthy to be Marge's husband as he is not able to afford an appropriate wedding ring, but Marge tells him any ring is fine, so long as it is from him. Homer plans to apply for a job at the Nuclear Power Plant once more, this time marching into Mr. Burns' office and telling Burns dramatically that he will be the perfect spineless employee. Burns is so impressed that he hires Homer on the spot. Homer, glad that he has this well-paying job and that only "This could only happen in America" while skipping with joy is able to now buy back the repossessed wedding ring and baby items.
When Homer returns to Marge's house, he discovers she has gone into labor and is already at the hospital. Marge's mother Jacqueline offers to take Homer to the hospital (on the condition he never calls her "mother" again). Homer arrives shortly before she gives birth, where Patty snipes at Homer, saying he doesn't belong in the delivery room. Sick of constantly being bullied and belittled by Patty, Homer angrily tells Patty to shut up. Then Patty insults him again ("Hey listen, fat boy!"). Then, in a rare fit of passionate rage, he angrily snaps at Patty ("No, YOU listen!"), demanding respect with such verbal force that it actually intimidates Patty into silence. He then turns to Marge, telling her of his success at finding a job. The rest of the delivery goes smoothly, except for one minor incident ("Homer, for God's sake, let the doctor deliver the baby!"). After the baby is born, Homer and Marge choose to name him Bart. Bart takes Homer's cigarette lighter and lights his tie on fire. Homer quickly dips the tie into a glass of water, gets mad at Bart ("Why you little--!!") and tells Marge that he did it on purpose, but Marge tells Homer that it's impossible as Bart is just ten minutes old.
After Homer finishes telling his flashback story, he admits that he received the best gift a man could get ever since Bart was born, and that he and Marge was blessed twice more with Lisa and Maggie. Marge arrives home with the news that she is not pregnant, to which they are relieved at, and they are grateful.
===International Airdates===
*28 January 1995
==Citations==
de:Blick zurück aufs Eheglück
fr:Vive les mariés
pl:I Married Marge
pt:Como casei com Marge
Category:Episodes in which a Character Gets Married
Category:Homer episodes
Category:Marge episodes
Category:Voice-Over Performance Emmy winning episodes
Category:Highly Rated Episodes
Category:Flashback episodes
Category:Bart episodes
Category:Lisa episodes
Category:Episodes named after a character
Category:Romance-themed Episodes
Category:Episodes named after Marge
Category:Episodes Set in The Past
Category:Episodes on DVD
Category:Written by Jeff Martin
Category:Directed by Jeffrey Lynch
Category:Episodes named after a film or TV Show
Category:Episodes where Lisa cries
Category:Episodes in which Homer almost loses Marge
Category:Episodes where Marge cries
Category:Coming of age episodes