Homer's Triple Bypass

"Homer's Triple Bypass" is the eleventh episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons.

Dr. Hibbert tells Homer that he needs triple bypass surgery, but the Simpson family resorts to discount surgeon Dr. Nick after learning how expensive the operation would be in a regular hospital.

The next morning, Marge makes him oatmeal for breakfast but he rejects it (claiming there is a bug in it) in favor of bacon and eggs, despite the chest pains he has been feeling.

This reflects the earlier flashback scene where Grampa Simpson watches Homer as an infant, chewing on a slice of pizza in the hospital.

Out of concern that it was making light of the unhealthy lifestyle that had caused the infarction, the episode instead concluded with the family visiting Homer while he is recuperating in intensive care.

[5] When Homer is performing a sock-puppet show to Lisa and Bart, he uses Akbar and Jeff, characters from Matt Groening's weekly comic strip Life in Hell.

[1][2] Homer follows behind the house that was the birthplace of Edgar Allan Poe, which was placed in the episode by David Silverman.

[5] The scene where Homer sings "O Holy Night" in a church as a boy is based on the film Empire of the Sun.

[6] Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, authors of I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, called it "a cautionary tale that gives Dr Nick his biggest chance to shine."