Dangers on a Train/References

Episode	References	Gags	Appearances	Gallery	Quotes	Credits

 

◄ The Saga of Carl

Dangers on a Train

Homerland ►

Trivia

• The episode title is a parody of Alfred Hitchcock's movie Strangers on a Train.
• One of the names on Marge's list of men to reject is "Convict #RABF17". RABF17 is the production code of this episode.
• This episode was originally scheduled to be the premiere for Season 25, but was moved on May 2, 2013 to be the finale of Season 24, broadcasting on May 19, 2013.
• The "A" on Ben's shirt is a reference to what the character in the Scarlet Letter wore (A hat with a red "A" for adultery).
• As the episode was originally written, the train came from Itchy & Scratchy Land, which was closing.
• Marge's credit card is set to expire on December 30, 2016 and has been active for use since December 30, 1986.
• This episode reveals Bart and Lisa were both named after trains.
• Upton Rectory is a parody of Downtown Abbey.
• PBC is a parody of both PBS and BBC.
• This is the second episode where a Simpson writes a letter in ketchup on someone's chest. The first was "E-I-E-I-D'oh".
• This technically is the 100th episode since it was first broadcasted in HD in "Take My Life, Please" (430th episode).

Cultural References

• Ramona calls Marge a "man-eater Hall and Oates warned us all about".
• Season 25 is referenced indirectly by Homer asking Marge if she thinks their marriage will last 25 years to which Bart slyly replies to the camera "Nothing should".
• The scene in which Bart and Lisa play pillow fight and accidentally break a lampshade contains some references to communism:
  • After the lampshade is broken, Bart says that "Lisa has made him break the lampshade": this refers to Vladimir Lenin's ideologic strategy of "accusing your enemies of doing the things that you do, calling your enemies the things that you are", which is a regular in communism;
  • Lisa retorts by saying that Bart "distorts the facts in an orwellian way", which alludes to George Orwell;
  • Marge complains that both kids never cease fighting and using obscure references, to which Lisa mentions Orwell's 1945 novel Animal Farm;
  • Bart whispers to Lisa that "grandpa says that Orwell was a communist".

Goofs

• Homer and Marge claim to be celebrating their tenth anniversary, even though they had their eleventh anniversary in "Natural Born Kissers". Also, if it's their tenth anniversary, this would make Bart a bastard. It has been stated many times that he isn't.
• Bart calls Homer "Daddy" as a baby despite that in "Lisa's First Word", he always called him "Homer" at age 2.
• The flashback at the episode start shows Bart as being older than Nelson, which is inconsistent with the entire series timeline.
•  The flashback at the episode start shows Jeremy Freedman was a teenager almost nine years ago, however he should have appeared as an elementary school boy.