Homer the Vigilante

When Homer is interviewed on news anchor Kent Brockman's Smartline, the cat burglar calls into the show and reveals he plans to steal the world's largest cubic zirconia from the Springfield museum.

Homer's posse guards the museum, refusing the help of Grampa, who is accompanied by Jasper and Molloy, two of his friends from the Springfield Retirement Castle.

When the cat burglar subsequently steals the zirconia, Homer is blamed and pelted with fruits and vegetables by the unforgiving townspeople.

Homer captures Molloy at the Retirement Castle, and the surprisingly amiable cat burglar returns the objects he stole.

After checking several possible sites, the crowd returns to get more information from Molloy, who directs them to a large, T-shaped palm tree on the outskirts of town.

The residents excavate the site, but find only a box containing a note from Molloy; he lied about the treasure in order to buy himself enough time to escape from his cell.

Several citizens continue to dig, hoping that there is a real treasure, but soon find themselves at a loss for ways to get out of the hole they have made.

Executive producer David Mirkin thought Neill, a big Simpsons fan, was "lovely" to direct.

Mirkin said this was a joke the staff enjoyed doing because it pointed out how negative and mean-spirited news broadcasts can be, and how they are seemingly "always trying to scare everybody" by creating panic and depression.

[4] Poem recited by the beatnik in Homer's dream is similar to Allen Ginsberg's Howl, containing some of the same words.

The authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, thought it was "a bit lacking in focus", but it contained "a number of satisfying set-pieces — we like Professor Frink's walking house security system — and displays Wiggum at his all-time most useless.

"[4] DVD Movie Guide's Colin Jacobson wrote: "After the many plots of the prior show, 'Vigilante' maintains a much tighter focus.

[11] It was also the Liverpool Daily Post's Mike Chapple's favorite episode of the season, together with "Bart Gets an Elephant" and "Burns' Heir".