"The Simpsons" The Otto Show (TV Episode 1992) Poster

(TV Series)

(1992)

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8/10
Rockin'N'Rollin Episode!
g-bodyl22 August 2014
This is the twenty-second episode of the third season of the Simpsons and for the most part, it is pretty good even though it's a little weaker than usual, because even though Otto is pretty chill, I'm not too sure if he makes a strong central character. Just 2 episodes ago, we had a country-themed episode, but how this episode has some nice classic rock infused into it.

In this episode, "The Otto Show," Bart has a fondness for rock'n'roll as he is able to go to a Spinal Tap concert. After the concert, he gets a guitar but is not that great at it. That directly leads to bus driver, Otto making the kids late as he plays Bart's guitar and due to his reckless driving, he is suspended. Bart is able to convince Marge and Bart to allow Otto to stay until he get his life straightened out.

Overall, this is a good episode and we learn a little more about Otto, but I don't know if I can ever be too fond of his non-intelligence. But it was a jamming episode and it features one of my favorite songs, Free Bird. I rate this episode 8/10.
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9/10
This is Simpsons Tap!
lesleyharris307 July 2010
Warning: Spoilers
The Otto Show is a great episode of the Simpsons and I really enjoyed the guest appearance from Spinal Tap.

After going to a Spinal Tap concert with Milhouse,Bart starts to have interest in becoming a heavy metal rocker,for encouragement Homer and Marge buy a guitar for Bart,Otto shows Bart some moves on Barts guitar on the bus,causing the school bus to run late,Otto then loses his job and his apartment for not paying the rent and goes to live with The Simpsons.

4.5/5 stars

****/*****
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7/10
Pedestrian Episode
Hitchcoc24 April 2022
Otto has never had a driver's license and loses his bus driving job until he can get one. He ends up moving in with the Simpsons with great travail. It is a pretty ordinary episode with a predictable conclusion.
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10/10
Great episode from the great years
richspenc2 August 2017
Warning: Spoilers
This great episode during the Simpsons Golden years, which ran from season 2 - season 7, is one of my long list of favorites. Otto, one of Bart's only friends (besides Milhouse) due to their things in common such as heavy metal, slacking off, not always wanting to abide by the rules but not going as far as to be a criminal like Snake or Fat Tony either.

This ep had many funny jokes. The Spinal Tap concert was a gag a minute (e.g. Band leader saying "we salute you, our half inflated dark Lord" after incompetent stage hands fail to blow up the devil balloon all the way. Then, "we were told that they know how to rock in Shelbyville" (audience boos),"but no one rocks like they do here (stops to look at "Springfield" sign on bottom of guitar) in Springfield. Then when the incompetent staff doesn't know how to turn up the houselights, "goodnight Springton, there will be no encore"). Then the audience breaks out into a riot since Spinal Tap was only on for 20 minutes, and that in itself was a reference to a real life Guns n roses concert where Axel Rose refused to preform any more that night due to a camera man in the audience, and as a result a big riot broke out in the audience.

I don't have room to write every funny bit so I'll just state my favorites. Before the concert, Homer telling Marge concerts never damaged his hearing, then cutting to Homer hearing a loud ringing and hardly hearing anything Marge was saying. Then Homer's eating in the car joke as Bart and Milhouse get out of car to go see the concert ("some of the best moments I ever had were in a car" (flashback of making us expecting something else but young Homer actually just pigging down on tons of food in his car). Then Homer after the concert realizing he forgot something, then cutting to Milhouse all beaten up lying under some chairs at the aftermath of the concert riot. Next morning, Bart brings guitar to school, Otto reveals he can really jam and he does so making them late for school, then he speeds recklessly to school. The caravan with Spinal Tap in it saying to each other "good concert last night", "yeh, quite good". That bit was hilarious due to the concert hardly being a good experience with them storming off the stage early and the riot breaking out, and second, Otto's speeding bus then knocking Spinal Tap's caravan off the road and it bursting into flames. I always find that reoccurring Simpsons joke hilarious with things unnecessarily bursting into flames, such as the Duff brewery episode where Chief Wiggum is in a Duff costume to catch drunk drivers, and is pushed off the road by Homer's car and Wiggum in the costume rolls into a tree and explodes into flames. Then I enjoyed the whole section of Otto losing his license and him being banned from driving the bus until he gets one (and starts wearing his own underwear. Lol). Next funny thing Principal Skinner driving bus, all the kids singing "hail to the bus driver", and Skinner finding it impossible to merge onto main road. Then a while later, Skinner (with 5 oclock shadow now and looking very disgruntled) still not being able to turn onto road, Ralph singing verse to " hail to bus driver" "he steps on the clutch and toilet goes flush", Skinner to Ralph: "Shut Up!!!". Then Otto being evicted from his apartment (and the landlord saying that all he had left in his apartment were a couple of Psycho magazines and a jar of mustard. Otto:" wow, I have mustard?"), then Otto playing guitar in the Simpson's garage and the tape recorder joke of Bart imitating Marge's voice (Marge: "that's not my voice" Homer: "oh, that's what everyone says when they hear their voice on tape"). That is true. Otto's similarities to Jim Morrison with his dad being an admiral and the two of them having an estranged relationship. Otto just lounging around the Simpson house (Marge: " Otto, you can't just sit around watching TV all day". Otto: "you know your right, I oughtta do a little reading, you have any Where's Waldo books"? Marge: "No. That's not what I meant. You need to get yourself another job". Otto: "I can't. All I ever knew how to do was driving the bus, now the man says I need a piece of paper to do that". Marge:" then get that piece of paper". Otto: "I tried. Oh Lord how I did try".)

Also good; Otto calling Homer Pop n fresh, poking him in belly, and Homer growling instead of giggling (also reference foreshadowing a later episode where Mr. Burns hepped up on ether mistakes Homer for Pop n fresh). Homer kicking Otto out for loafing, clogging drains, and scaring Lisa with scary stories where he claims he used to be an ax welding maniac, and Otto getting a lot more mad about Homer calling him a sponge than calling him a bum. And also great, the DMV scenes where Otto and Patty and Selma get along a lot better after they learn that he hates Homer (for throwing him out and treating him like garbage (linked to another joke in the episode where Homer says "ok, Otto can stay for a short time, but I get to treat him like garbage". Otto: " Wow, what's the catch?"), and also after Bart tells Otto he can stay in his garage (Otto:"a garage? Wow, somebody up there likes me").
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10/10
Sad
mistercingilbort22 February 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Everyone saw Otto as a useless bum, they were pretty much right but if you think about it, it's actually really sad that nobody, including himself noticed his talent in playing guitar, except Bart. And at the end of the episode he stuck with his ordinary ex-job, which he doesn't have any compassion or talent, again.
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10/10
Spinal Tap!
safenoe25 April 2024
Warning: Spoilers
Anyway, The Otto Show isn't just about Otto, because it's really Spinal Tap that makes The Otto Show what it is init, with Simpsons regular voice actor Harry Shearer appearing as Marty, Christopher Guest (who is married to Jamie Lee Curtis) appearing as Nigel Tufnel, and Michael McKean appearing as David St. Hubbins, and their appearance at the beginning of the episode is absolutely hilarious an spot on init. Anyway, Otto tried to straighten his life out after his reckless driving, and we get more insight into Otto's motivations and what he wants to do in life. I'm enjoying reflecting on the early years of The Simpsons.
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