Homer Alone

Phil Hartman as Troy McClure

"Homer Alone" is the fifteenth episode of The Simpsons' third season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 6, 1992. In the episode, stress from doing housework and being underappreciated at home causes Marge to have a mental breakdown and she decides to go on a vacation. She leaves for a spa called Rancho Relaxo, putting Bart and Lisa into the care of her sisters Patty and Selma and leaving Maggie at home with Homer.

The episode was written by David M. Stern and directed by Mark Kirkland. Stern had noticed that most of the writers were pitching stories about Bart and Homer, and he thought a "deeper vein of comedy" could be reached by having Marge suffer from a nervous breakdown. Originally, Marge's trip was to a distressed mother's institute rather than a spa. However, the plot was not well received at the table read for the episode and much of it was re-written. The episode's title references the film Home Alone which starred David Stern's brother Daniel.

"Homer Alone" contains references to the Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner cartoons, Thelma and Louise, Home Alone, MacGyver, and the song "Baby Come Back" by Player. The episode has received generally positive reviews from critics. During its original airing on the Fox network during February sweeps, it acquired a 14.2 Nielsen rating.