Four Little Words (The Smiths)

Four Little Words is the third episode of the fourth season of The Smiths. Tom Hanks, a big fan of the show, guest starred in the episode as himself.

Plot
Mr. Burns has been making everyone at the Quahog Nuclear Power Plant work late every night, much to their annoyance. The employees believe this is because his wife recently died, and thus he has nothing worth going home to. The other employees force Homer to find a woman for Burns, and he suggests Francine set him up with her friend Melinda. She reluctantly agrees, but says that if it does not work, "I told you..." Before she can finish, Homer creates a distraction by kicking Brian, he then explains to Brian that he hates hearing Francine say "I told you so," and thus he is dedicated to making sure that the date is a success.

The two double-date with Burns and Melinda, but leave early, as the two seem to be getting along very well. However, later that night Burns calls Homer, having accidentally killed Melinda. Homer quickly helps bury the body and cover up the crime. At home, Francine, who is very hung over and can only half-remember the events of the previous night, wants to talk to Melinda about the date, but Homer claims that the two women had a big fight and Melinda does not want to talk to her. Francine nevertheless tries to meet Melinda, but cannot find her at home. When she says that she plans to contact the police if Melinda does not turn up, Burns says that he will "get her off the trail."

Homer soon realizes after a midget assassin attacks him when he is moving Francine's car that Mr. Burns intends to murder her. Burns tells Homer that there is no other way and either she must be killed, or Homer would have to admit to her that she was right and hear the four dreaded words. Homer devises a new solution; he claims that he has tracked Melinda down, and he and Francine go to a bar to meet her. He then drugs Francine's drink, and arranges it so that when she wakes up the next morning, she is holding a bloody knife near Melinda's dead body. Francine, horrified that she killed Melinda, at first wants to turn herself into the police; Homer dissuades her, but she leaves and moves to India, explaining that to amend for her crime she feels the need to help others and find redemption.

After a month without Francine, Homer, now having to make dinner for the family, warns Stewie at one point not to touch a hot pan, but he does anyway. When he drops the hot food Homer begins to say "I told you so," but Stewie admits his mistake before Homer has a chance. Homer, shocked by the ability to do this "pre-emptive strike," realizes that he can admit his mistake to Francine. He flies to India, where Francine has taken a job teaching children in a poor village, and has adopted an orphaned child named Sanjit. Homer admits what happened and expects instant forgiveness; Francine, however, is of course furious, and demands to know how Homer can expect to fix everything that happened, in particular how she can now give up the baby she has adopted. Homer then comes up with a plan; they give the child to Burns, who declares that since he now has to watch "Monty Jr.," late nights at the office are out. Francine returns home, though she remains furious at Homer for lying to her and making her think she killed her friend just so he wouldn't hear Francine say those four words.

Stewie, after hearing a child and mother in the park talking about him being "deformed" for his football shaped head, gets a fake latex forehead resembling that of Tom Hanks. He then goes around pretending to be Hanks, and getting free stuff. When Morty and Summer try to get him to stop he argues with them and acts like a jerk. He then pretends to see the error of his ways; however, the two learn that he simply decided to stop using the nose because he was caught on tape in a hit-and-run accident, for which the real Tom Hanks is arrested.

Cast

 * Dan Castellaneta as Homer Smith
 * Wendy Schaal as Francine Smith
 * Justin Roiland as Morty Smith
 * Spencer Grammer as Summer Smith
 * Seth MacFarlane as Stewie Smith, Brian Smith
 * Patrick Warburton as Joe Swanson
 * Harry Shearer as Mr. Burns, Waylon Smithers, Lenny Leonard
 * Hank Azaria as Frank Grimes
 * Mark Hentemann as Opie
 * Ellen Albertini Dow as Mrs. Helen Washburn

Guest Stars

 * Tom Hanks as Himself
 * Ally Walker as Melinda

Source

 * 1