The La-Z couch gag, also known as the Retro couch gag, is the couch gag from the Season 27 episode, "Teenage Mutant Milk-caused Hurdles".
Plot[]
Homer sits on the couch. After a moment to make sure he is alone he puts sunglasses on and the couch drops to a lower level via a hidden elevator. Then, a montage showing Joe "Kaz" Kazinsky (Homer) and his partner, a high-tech couch (Chaise Long), chasing down their enemy, Fernando Withmore (Ned) in Miami of the '80s. In the end it's revealed that the scenes are a rerun from a 1980's television show (probably Knight Rider), to which Homer replies, "damn reruns," only for the family to be surprised by Maggie imitating "Kaz" and setting the living room's floor on fire.
Character Appearances[]
- Homer Simpson (as himself and Joe "Kaz" Kazinsky)
- Ned Flanders (as Fernando Withmore)
- Chaise Long
- Principal Skinner
- Waylon Smithers, Jr.
- Patty Bouvier
- Moe Szyslak
- Snake Jailbird
- Barney Gumble
- Selma Bouvier
- Sideshow Bob
- Nelson Muntz
- Charles Montgomery Burns
- Krusty the Clown
- Julius Hibbert
- Bart Simpson
- Lisa Simpson
- Chief Wiggum
- Rod Flanders (photo)
- Todd Flanders (photo)
- Apu Nahasapeemapetilon
- Kent Brockman (TV)
- Hans Moleman
- Marge Simpson
- Dr. Nick Riviera
- Groundskeeper Willie
- Comic Book Guy
- Fat Tony
- Carl Carlson
- Lenny Leonard
- Maggie Simpson
Cultural References / Trivia[]
- The title "La-Z Rider" may be a reference to the La-Z-Boy brand of furniture.
- This Couch Gag is based off various 1980s TV shows and movies, such as Scarface, Knight Rider, Miami Vice, Back to the Future and many others (including other modern takes on 1980s culture, such as Kung Fury).
- The gag also has visual similarities to the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, even the mansion (looking much like the Vercetti Mansion).
- The song's name is "Scarface (Push It to the Limit)", from the soundtrack of the movie Scarface. However, the song skips a few verses.
- Joe "Kaz" Kazinsky's name is a reference to Synthwave artist Kavinsky.
- Joe's partner is a gun-wielding, muscular, high-tech couch by the name of Chaise Long. A "chaise longue" is a type of sofa.
- In the beginning, while racing out of the house (but before the title card appears) Long isn't wearing sunglasses. He wears them just as the title card appears and wears them for the rest of the gag.
- The scene in the Miami-fied version of Moe's in which Ned holds Selma hostage contains Burns and Nelson portraying Marty McFly and Doc Brown from Back to the Future.
- The scene showing Joe and Chaise busting through a wall for Fernando's Bar and Grill, with each firing two guns, has an error: Joe/Homer's hands are fine, but Chaise has two left hands.
- Chaise racing off into the sunset leaving behind two trails of fire is a reference to the the flaming tire tracks left behind by the DeLorean when it time travels in Back to the Future.
- The restaurant scene with Marge has a television in the background playing the news, with the headline "Jaundice Epidemic Sweeps Miami".
- The guest animator, Steve Cutts, is British, and there are several hints to this in the video; the first is the British-style license plate on the first sports car ('SKINNER'), and the second is the spelling of "Neighbour" on Ned's chest. A poster in Marge's diner scene advertises: "Try our Lips, Eyes, Testicles, Intestines + Hooves in a Bap: freshly made." A bap is a British term for a bread roll.
- The license plate also appeared in the British action comedy film and second film in the Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy film series, Hot Fuzz, released in 2007, appearing on a silver Jaguar XKR Convertible, driven by one of the film's villains, Simon Skinner, portrayed by Welsh-born British actor, Timothy Dalton.
- Timothy Dalton is also best remembered for succeeding Roger Moore in the role as James Bond in the 15th and 16th films in the James Bond film series, Living Daylights, released in 1987, and Licence to Kill, released in 1989. After starring in those two films, Dalton was replaced by as Bond by Irish actor and Remington Steele star, Pierce Brosnan.
- The license plate also appeared in the British action comedy film and second film in the Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy film series, Hot Fuzz, released in 2007, appearing on a silver Jaguar XKR Convertible, driven by one of the film's villains, Simon Skinner, portrayed by Welsh-born British actor, Timothy Dalton.
- Whitmore has many tattoos including HI-DIDDLY-HO, THE GOD SQUAD, BORN TO PRAY, JESUS, GOD BLESS THIS MESS and NEGHBOUREENO.
- When Joe accelerates the couch, the display reads "MAX POWER," a nod to Homer's new name in Homer to the Max.
Videos[]
THE SIMPSONS Couch Gag from "Teenage Mutant Milk-Caused Hurdles" ANIMATION on FOX