The Simpsons - "Mona Leaves-a" (Episode 1919)

Ok, how many times are they going to use the "evolution of Homer" open? We open with a visit to the Springfield Mall, where Moe takes great delight in pretending to leave his parking spot and telling the people who drive by, asking if he's leaving that he's not, because he "loves to create disappointment." Inside, Marge, Homer and the kids stop by Itchy and Scratchy's ("Sweaters, not the fun cartoon") for some uncomfortable sweaters. The kids felt they were tricked and were expecting a fun trip to the mall. Marge says that since the kids were so well-behaved that they could do one fun thing. Lisa wants to go to the food court and chastise any businesses still using styrofoam, Bart points out a pile of lead-based toys, and Homer, looking more and more like my Dad each day, says "Sit on the bench, sit on the bench!"

Marge decides that it's Maggie's turn to pick out the fun activity and she points to the Stuff 'n' Hug store. At the teddy bear factory, Lisa wants to stuff a poodle, but Marge told her to stay away from those, as they gave the dog...ideas. Ralph was in the store making a teddy bear, and when the clerk asked him, "How much love do you want in your Stuff 'N' Hug?" Ralph replied "I want all the love!" - and overstuffed the bear until foam exploded all over the store. Ralph then exclaimed "Snow day!" Lisa was trying to find an outfit for her stuffed dolphin, but the saleslady wasn't helping Lisa find an outfit that was truly Lisa-appropriate. Whe Lisa said she wanted a doctor outfit, the saleslady produced a nurse outfit. Lisa asked for a professor outfit and got a kindergarten teacher. Chef became lunchladyand CEO became "secretary to a CEO." Lisa then told her that the dolphin was a boy and got a doctor outfit. She fooled that lady, as the dolphin's real name was Betsy. Bart, meanwhile, found stuffed toys that you could record a message on, and immediately used them to mess with Homer. Bart recorded a variety of insults on the toys which flew Homer into a toy-destroying rage.

The family returned home to find their front door ajar. Homer has his own home security solution, "The Defender", which was a cinder block attached to a chain. Homer entered the house with the defender and made his way towards sounds in the kitchen ("where the food sleeps".) As he got closer, he smelled apple pie and found his mother. He couldn't believe she was back. He told her, "You keep disappearing and reappearing and it's not funny! You're just like that show Scrubs.'" Homer's Mom apologozed for being absent in his life but that her covert efforts have paid off and the government's not looking for her anymore. She can finally be Homer's Mom. Homer says he's not going to let himself get hurt again and storms off - after finishing the pie of course - but he's so mad at hhis Mom that he straps his belt across his chest in an attempt not to digest it. Homer's Mom spends some time with the kids, showing them pictures of a young Homer. She feels bad that she missed so much of his life. Homer told his Mom that she left a hole in his heart that he could only fill with food...and he's "never full." Homer watches the ESPY awards with presenters Lance Armstrong and Fozzie Bear. Lance doesn't find Fozzie amusing and rips the puppet off the puppeteer's hand - but the disembodied hand continues to say "wakka wakka." Homer's Mom comes in once again to apologize to Homer, who refuses her apology, as well as her tuck-in. Homer can't sleep, he feels terrible that he treated his mother so badly and makes her a card (the outline of his hand made into a turkey with the inscription "I've been a real turkey.") Unfortunately, when Homer tries to give the card to his Mom, she's unresponsive.

Homer's Mom passed away and Abe joined some of her old activist cronies at a small memorial ceremony, where Homer clutched the urn holding her remains. Abe tries to console his son by reminding him that he's still with him, which makes Homer say, "Oh, this just gets worse and worse!" Abe was planning on dancing on his wife's grave (first the hustle, then a tap dance) but he confessed that he didn't feel like dancing and walked away - with tap shoes on. Back at the house, Homer refused to leave his bed. He was miserable. Bart tried to confort him saying that when he'd tell his Grandma that Homer sucked, she'd say he didn't suck that bad. Homer drowned his sorrows at Moe's. Lenny decided to call his own Mom, who was much more interested to talk to Carl - who thanked her for the cookies she sent him. Homer goes to the Quik-E-Mart for beer, kleenex and urn polish and asks Apu if he thinks his mother has forgiven him. Apu says she may have already been reincarnated. Flanders disagrees and the two of them have a theological argument, where they conclude that religion is confusing but the sing-a-longs are fun. Marge found a box among Mona's things labeled "for Homer." Inside was a DVD containing Mona's video will. She left Bart her swiss army knife and left her "rebellious spirit to Lisa. To Marge, she left a purse made of hemp. Marge takes it and says it "smells like concerts." Last but not least, Mona leaves her son "something very special, a difficult task." She tells him to climb to the top of the Springfield Monument Park and release her ashes at 3:00 on the nose. At the end of the video, Mona adds some animal bloopers for her son.

Homer drives to the park and makes his way up to the top to fulfill his Mom's last wish. He makes it to the top without a minute to spare and releases Mona's ashes, which make their way into a missile silo and short circuit the whole guidance system. Homer's mad he was used to pull off "one more stupid hippie protest." Some guards spot Homer and begin shooting at him. As he tries to escape, Homer trips on the urn and ends up on top of the missile. The guards shake the missile until Homer falls off - and is beaten up.

Homer is being held captive in the missile silo. A man comes into the room where he's being held and gives Homer his Mom's ashes, in a vacuum bag. Mr. Burns emerges and makes some sweet talk to Mona's ashes. When he's reminded that he's talking to a bag of ashes, he tells his associate, "Ive seen your wife - she's no Mamie Van Doren." Mr. BUrns tells Homer that the missile is full of Springfield's nuclear waste; Mr. Burns plans to launch it into the Amazon rainforest. The guidance system is up and running again and Homer vows to honor his mother's last wish - if he can manage to escape. Bart tosses Mona's knife to Homer and he manages to escape. He tries to figure out how to take on all of Burns' goons and sees a chain and a cinder block - wondering what he could do with them. Marge decides to burn her purse and allow the fumes to drift through the silo's air vents and mellow the guards out. To the tune of "White Rabbit", the guards trip - and them come face to face with Homer and his new "defender." He fights off all of the guards and accidentally sets the cinder block down on the self-destruct button for the entire base. Whoops. The silo is destroyed, but Homer manages to escape a la James Bond - with a Union Jack-patterned parachute. Homer again releases Mona's ashes - this time for good.