| "The Last Temptation of Homer" | |
|---|---|
| The Simpsons episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 5 Episode 9 |
| Directed by | Carlos Baeza |
| Written by | Frank Mula |
| Production code | 1F07 |
| Original air date | December 9, 1993 |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
| Episode features | |
| Chalkboard gag | "All work and no play makes Bart a dull boy"[1] |
| Couch gag | The Simpsons sit on the couch and find themselves on the set of the Late Show with David Letterman.[2] |
| Commentary | Matt Groening David Mirkin David Silverman |
"The Last Temptation of Homer" is the ninth episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 9, 1993.[1] In the episode, an attractive female employee named Mindy is hired at the nuclear power plant. Homer and Mindy find themselves attracted to each other after bonding over their shared interests of beer, donuts and television. Although Homer is tempted to sleep with Mindy, he remains faithful to his wife Marge. Meanwhile, Bart becomes an outcast after medical treatments make him look like a nerd.
The episode was written by Frank Mula and directed by Carlos Baeza. It features cultural references to films such as The Wizard of Oz, It's A Wonderful Life, and A Christmas Carol. It did not get the usual amount of laughs at the test screenings, which made the staff worry the show was not as funny as they expected.
Since airing, the episode has received mostly positive reviews from television critics; guest star Michelle Pfeiffer was especially praised for her performance as Mindy, which was highlighted on Entertainment Weekly's list of the 16 best guest appearances on The Simpsons. It acquired a Nielsen rating of 12.7, and was the highest-rated show on the Fox network the week it aired.