Simpsons Top 100 Countdown

#88 The Cartridge Family
Season 9, Episode 5 (Guide from the Simpsons Archive)
The Continental Soccer Association comes to Springfield, with its fast kicking, low scoring, and ties! The Simpsons (and most of the town) turn out at the game thanks to the snazzy ad campaign (and the fact that players they've never heard of will be signing autographs). A few minutes into the game, they realize that soccer is painfully boring, and in the rush to leave the stadium, a riot breaks out. The riot spills out of the stadium and turns into a massive crime spree through the town. After consulting with Ex-Con Home Security, and seeing the high price of installing a security system, Homer decides to buy a handgun instead. After suffering through the musical montage waiting period, he picks up his gun and takes it home. Marge, however, does not want a gun in her house (this despite her previously having a handgun in the house when she became a cop, and Homer previously having a shotgun, though she did previously object to Grandpa's gun being in the house). Homer talks her into going to an NRA meeting, at which he decides to join the fine organization. Marge still isn't sure about the gun and after several accidental discharges, demands that Homer get rid of it. He says that he does, but actually hides it in the vegetable crisper, where Bart finds it. Marge finds Bart as he is about to attempt to shoot an apple out of Milhouse's mouth. She takes the kids, and not being able to stay with her sisters due to them withholding a tv repairman against his will, they go to a sleazy motel. Meanwhile, Homer holds an NRA meeting at his house, but, after they see how irresponsibly he handles a gun, they kick him out of the organization and ask him to leave the house for the remainder of the meeting. Homer decides he needs his family and goes to the sleazy motel to patch things up with Marge. He tells her that the gun is gone forever, but when Snake tries to rob the office, Homer pulls it out. After more arguing, Homer leaves it behind for good; however, Marge picks it up, and decides to keep it herself, thus flopping back to her original position on the issue of gun ownership (though I'll certainly agree that Homer shouldn't own one). The show gets in the predictable jokes about the NRA, but at least it shows that they condemn reckless handling of guns, such as that of Homer. Memorable moments include the soccer commercial, the soccer game, the NRA meetings, Homer's security system, the sleazy motel (especially the Quimby parts), Homer in the gun shop, and the whole "the waiting is the hardest part" piece.