Episode 1F10
Written by Greg Daniels
Directed by Mark Kirkland
Also starring: Michael Carrington, Pamela Hayden
Special guest voice: James Woods (as himself)

Premise: Homer uses Kent Brockman's consumer programme Bark Back to expose Apu's practice of selling rotten meat. It looks like Apu will have to hand in his pricing gun for good. Perhaps a trip to India, and the head of the Kwik-E-Mart organisation, can help resolve things.

Features: Apu, Martin, Dr Hibbert, Patty and Selma, Kent Brockman, Barney, Spotty Boy, Grampa, Jimbo Jones.

Couch: The Simpsons are hiding in terror behind the sofa.

Homage: The subplot involving James Woods mirrors the plot of his movie The Hard Way (John Badham, 1991), in which Michael J. Fox plays an actor who's prepared to do any amount of research to prepare for a role. Homer's speech to Kent Brockman 'No way, man, get yourself another patsy!' is from JFK (Oliver Stone, 1993).

Song: Who Needs the Kwik-E-Mart? sung by Apu and the Simpsons.

Notes: 'Are we in India yet?' One of the very best, with the gags coming thick and fast. We particularly like the spy camera concealed in Homer's massive stetson, Apu and Marge's trip to the Monster Mart (Apu's advice on supermarket queue-jumping is worth heeding), and Who Needs the Kwik-E-Mart?, possibly the cleverest song in the series. And the Christians harassing people at the Indian airport, and Homer's wastage of three questions, and James Woods' parting words to the Simpsons, and the footage of Apu doing a hummingbird impression...