The Simpsons: 10 More Moments More Important Than You Realised
7. Homer Becomes Sterile
The second and final appearance of Homer's half-brother Herb (so far) comes in Season 3 and an episode called Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?
Whilst this story ends with Herb patenting a baby translator in an attempt to rebuild his fortune, it starts with Homer getting some rather disturbing news about his swimmers.
A medical examination reveals that years of working in close proximity to nuclear radiation has left Homer sterile. Whilst it's not a pleasant thing to happen to someone, at least Homer already managed to pump out three kids before his best troops got zapped.
Surely he wasn't going to have more, right?
This was the case for 21 seasons, until the episode Adventures in Baby-Getting came along. In this one, Marge reveals her hidden desire to have another child, only to be let down by Homer's sterility.
Not sure why, considering she'd known about it for over two decades.
Whilst Homer's irradiated junk had come up in jokes before, it had never been a pivotal part of a plot. Who'd have thought that a way into a Herb Powell storyline would have proved so important so many years later?