Episode AABFO5
Written by Ron Hauge
Directed by Swinton 0. Scott III
Also starring: Pamela Hayden, Tress MacNeille, Maggie Roswell, Russi Taylor, Karl Weidergott
Special guest Voices: Marcia Wallace (as Ms Krabappel), Joe Mantegna (as Don Tony), Dick Tufeld (as Robot), Mark Hamill (as himself)

Premise: At a science-fiction convention, Homer saves Mark Hamill's life and decides to enrol on a course as a bodyguard. As a result, he starts working for Mayor Quimby and has to save him from Don Tony's attacks.

Features: Mr Burns, Smithers, Carl, Lenny, Moe, Barney, barflies, Chief Wiggum, Lou, Eddie, Skinner, Groundskeeper Willie, Milhouse, Uter, Nelson, Jimbo, Sherri and Terri, Rev. Lovejoy, Helen Lovejoy, the Flanders, Mr van Houten, Dr Hibbert, Quimby, Dr Frink, Android's Dungeon Guy, Gil, Spotty Boy, Herman, Cletus, Judge Snyder, Bill and Marty from KBBL.

Couch: The Simpsons are caught in a car-crusher.

Trivia:

• The Bi-Mon-Sci-Fi-Con is a delight for geeks: amongst those there are ALF, Chewbacca from Star Wars (George Lucas, 1977), Tom Baker as Doctor Who, Gort from The Day the Earth Stood Still (Robert Wise, 1951), Godzilla (Ishiro Honda, 1956), Neil Armstrong and Jonathan Harris from the Lost in Space TV show, shadowed by the robot.
• Skinner has come dressed as Spock, while Edna Krabappel is Barbarella (Roger Vadim, 1967).
• When the 45-year-old virginal Android's Dungeon Guy meets the geeky girl, we hear Alexander Courage's Under the Spell piece of music from the Star Trek pilot show, The Cage (and how geeky are we for knowing that!?).
• Outside the convention is a sign saying Set Phasers on Fun and, according to Bill and Marty, one of the weekend's delights is tag team robot wrestling, featuring the Cylons from Battlestar Galactica (Richard Colla, 1978) versus the Gay Robots (i.e., C3PO and R2D2) of Star Wars.
• Mark Hamill later stars in a new version of Guys and Dolls (Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1955) where he plays Nathan Detroit, singing Luke, Be a Jedi Tonight.
• The episode plays out with I Will Always Love You, the Dolly Parton song made famous by Whitney Houston.

Homage: Where to begin? Ignoring the science fiction films and series mentioned above, the bodyguard idea is obviously lifted from The Bodyguard (Mick Jackson, 1992) and the episode's title comes from Married to the Mob (Jonathan Demme, 1988). There are also references to The Untouchables (Brian de Palma, 1987), Weekend at Bernie's (Ted Kotcheff, 1989), and The Rock (Michael Bay, 1996).

Look out for: The fact that Don Tony hangs out at the Legitimate Businessman's Social Club and that at the Bodyguard Academy, Leavelle is shooting the water melons from atop a grassy knoll. Homer, by the way, has to protect Ann Landers, while Kirk van Houten gets to look after Madonna. We also like the idea of a Roger Corman version of Titanic.

Without a doubt the best moment of the episode - indeed one of the highlights of the entire series - occurs at the convention. In what strikes us as a thoroughly litigious but beautifully observed moment, Dr Smith actor Jonathan Harris offers to show Bart something out the back, whereupon in true Lost in Space style, the Robot waves his arms about and, in Dick Tufeld's distinctive tones, warbles 'Danger, Bart Simpson, Danger!' Inspired!

Notes: The best bits all involve either the convention or Mark Hamill's repeated attempts to not be mobbed. Sadly, the main thrust of the story - Homer's protection of Quimby from Don Tony - falls a bit flat. Nevertheless, when the jokes run free, they are of exceptionally high quality.