Simpson Tide

Rod Steiger as Captain Tenille
and Bob Denver as Himself

"Simpson Tide" is the nineteenth episode of The Simpsons' ninth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 29, 1998. After being fired from the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, Homer decides to join the United States Navy Reserve. The episode was the second and last to be written by Joshua Sternin and Jeffrey Ventimilia and was the final episode directed by Milton Gray.

It guest starred Rod Steiger as Captain Tenille and Bob Denver as himself, with one-time The Simpsons writer Michael Carrington making an appearance as the Drill Sergeant. This was the last episode Al Jean and Mike Reiss executive produced together, although Jean became show runner again in season 13.

While lying on the couch at home, Homer sees a recruitment advertisement on television for the Naval Reserve and decides to enlist. Moe, Barney, and Apu decide to join him. Meanwhile, Bart purchases an earring, which an outraged Homer confiscates.

Homer and the others are placed on a nuclear submarine. When the captain goes to check on a problem in the torpedo hatch, Homer is left in charge. An enemy submarine approaches, and Homer gives the order to fire a torpedo. However, the captain is in the torpedo tube and is fired at the other submarine. The other sub fires back at them and Homer gives the order to retreat. The submarine ends up in Russian waters and is seen by the United States government as an attempt to defect. This event creates a political schism between the USA and Russia, leading to the revelation that the Soviet Union in fact never truly dissolved. Out of nowhere the Berlin Wall rises from the ground, Soviet troops and tanks take their positions and Vladimir Lenin rises from Lenin's tomb in Moscow à la Frankenstein's Monster "to crush capitalism", all set to Alexander Borodin's 'Boyar chorus' from Prince Igor. Nuclear war is anticipated until the US Navy drops depth charges on Homer's sub, aiming either to destroy it or force it to surface. The consequent explosion causes a pinhole leak in the submarine's wall. Homer uses Bart's earring to plug the leak and saves the submarine.