Season 1, Episode 7
Original Air Date: February 18, 1990
Chalkboard gag: I will not draw naked ladies in class
Couch gag: THERE IS NO COUCH GAG! The family rush to sit in the couch, and do…that’s it! Because this episode was supposed to be the pilot. Every couch gag was to be a crazy variation on this.

Plot: Homer, seething with jealousy over Flanders’ new RV, buys one himself. The Simpsons go on holiday in the woods.

Thoughts:
• After getting rolled by a slick RV salesman (which is quite enjoyable), in the wild, Homer and Bart head off to find food, Maggie gets taken in by bears, and Lisa & Marge set up camp. It’s a tightly scripted, well-paced story that splits into three and comes back together for one story, the big laugh at Homer’s expense. Excellently executed.
• Flanders is again shown to be an unattainable comparison for Homer, almost breaking his budget just to compete in a competition nobody else knows or cares about.
• Homer being mistaken for Bigfoot and the resulting sensationalist tabloid frenzy is hilarious!
• Dr Marvin Monroe is seen as part of the Bigfoot Scientific address (they’re probably just reused the character drawing than it actually being him – this guy has a different voice.) Inconclusively finding Homer may or may not be human is absolute bollocks, but sure that’s the joke, as it lead to further insults towards Homer.
• Bart’s reduced to a lot of “I’m cool” one liners; he was being pushed as the most marketable at the time. Lots of “Don’t have a cow, man” and “See you later grizzly dudes”.

This episode is replete with just amazing notable quotables:
• Lisa (deadpan, after seeing the RV fall off a cliff and exploding) “The Simpsons have entered the forest.”
• Bart (seeing Homer make a loop-shaped rabbit trap) “what are we gonna do, hang ourselves?”
• Broadcaster (recounting footage of Homer/Bigfoot) “The naturalist who took these absolutely extraordinay pictures was most impressed with the creature’s uncivilized look, it’s foul language and, most of all, it’s indescribable stench.”
• Homer (whimpering after being shot with tranquilliser) “Avenge me, son. Avenge my death” *starts snoring*
• Homer “I’ll go over this way and gather my bearings” (sits down beside canyon)
What am I gonna do? I’ve murdered us all! (Echo: murdered us all! Murdered us all!)
SHUT UP! (Echo: Shut up! Shut up!)
D’OH! (Echo: D’oh! D’oh!)

Overall: A lot of cracking quotes in this one and a fun show. An expertly crafted episode.