User Reviews

The intro starts with the house being flooded by the rainy weather, everything was messed up in Springfield due to the bad weather, so Homer goes to Moe's tavern he destroys a chair this is when the late Stephen Hawkings appears just like in the episode They Saved Lisa's Brain when Homer says that Larry Flynt was right they stink, so he arrives to hooters and meets a new friend named Ray Romano the voice actor of Many (Ice Age) comes to Homer's house and they fix the rooftop, Homer realises that Ray was an imaginary thing or something i don't know well and during the Gracie Films logo Stephen Hawkings says badabing badaboom and we're done.

Don't Fear the Roofer is a terrific Simpsons episode with a really well written storyline and loads of very funny scenes. It's a very different episode, as we see the family expect Homer may be going insane because of his constant talking of a roofer that no one else has met. There is suspense here as we ourselves wonder if this roofer is real or if Homer really has lost his marbles, and you will be anxious to find out the truth. I think the writers should have taken advantage of Dan Castellaneta and Ray Ramono's talent for improvisation, the scene at the end where they talk about Everybody Loves Raymond was hilarious and clearly ad libbed, I would love to have seen more parts like this. Ray Ramona's guest role as, you guessed it, Ray, is outstanding, without a doubt one of my favourite once off characters in the show's history, his friendship with Homer was fantastic, they also brought Stephen Hawking in to it nicely. A very well written and exciting twenty minutes, Don't Fear the Roofer is a highlight of the sixteenth season for sure.

Homer makes friends with a roofer who he hires to fix the house, however, the rest of the family suspect he may be crazy as no one else has met him.

You put this same episode in Season 1 to 10 and it would received to much love, people would be like " another golden age early Simpsons Classic" or " or as good as Homer ennemy" or even " one of the best of all time" , and would have a 9.2/10 rating at least.

But no, its in Season 16 so the episode got 7.3/10 for no reasons, just because its a late season, Its just a proof rating After Season 10 means nothing anymore.

Although I can't try another time as released, in UK, in June 2005 - so it's seventeenth anniversary.

Not Ray Romano guest stars voicing Ray Magini, also Stephen Hawking as himself like in that other episode saving Lisa from gazebo and whole Mensa thing.

The pub, Knockers, obviously a parody of Hooters. Quite a coincidence Homer meets Ray Magini who works as a roofer.

Even as Lisa points out Homer's friend "Ray Magini" as anagram of "imaginary" - throw the word "Coincidence" in her face to learn it.

Then in the end, Ray is definitely a genuine human (not a figment of his imagination), at least has genuine explanations: barman had eye-patch (could have seen Ray), Ray was "hiding" behind the chimney from Flanders? And least Stephen Hawking gives the black hole explanation between Homer and Bart at hardware store.

So all the electroshock treatment Homer received in mental institution, plus his family disbelieving him about Ray, that's all punishment for nothing?! Forcing Dr. Hibbert to fix the roof is justifiable report Hibbert to GMC / medical board, whatever it's called in USA.

As for the subplot of Santa's Little Helper at the elderly folks' home - I don't give a damn.