Before the series wore out the gimmick like a bad pair of pants (Homer was a Seattle grunge rocker? Seriously?), “The Simpsons” had the tendency to evoke some of the most heartfelt nostalgic episodes of all time. They not only were hilarious and infinitely quotable, but they also packed a lot of heart. “The Way We Was” chronicles the beginnings of Homer and Marge’s tumultuous romance, and how they managed to find love in one another in spite of being polar opposites. The episode has great meaning to me, if only because it introduced me to one of my favorite songs of all time, “The Joker” from Steve Miller.
The sounds of Homer singing to the song while clutching his chain link steering wheel is an image that still lingers in my mind. After falling for Marge during detention one afternoon, Homer schemes to win Marge over by tutoring her in French. Their relationship blossoms in to immediate romance as they agree to go to the prom together, allowing them to bond with one another and even garner their own special song. “The Simpsons” really manage to succeed in turning Marge and Homer in to human and complex characters with their own ideas of love and relationships that clash at first.
Before “The Way We Was,” we were given a clear sense of Homer and Marge’s relationship, but Homer was still the bald angry dad, while Marge the groaning disciplinarian. The episode paints them as two idealistic people once whose whirlwind romance opened them up to a life time of struggles, with a love that kept them tied to one another in spite of the impossible odds. This included financial troubles, Marge’s pregnancy with Bart, and Marge’s disapproving family. Though “You Light Up My Life” is a goofy song, seeing Homer and Marge singing it to one another is still an adorable sight. It’s the picture of two people meant for one another, and it’s one of the finest episodes of the series.