High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! "Homer the Smithers" is the 17th episode of The Simpsons` seventh season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 25, 1996. In this episode, Smithers takes a vacation and hires Homer to take over as Mr. Burns` assistant. Homer proves so incompetent that Burns berates constantly; Homer eventually snaps and punches him, which forces Burns to learn to look after himself. No longer needed by Burns, Smithers is fired. Feeling guilty, Homer helps Smithers get his job back, but their plan backfires, and they engage in a fight within Burns` office. The tussle leads to Burns being thrown out of a window. His resulting injuries leave him dependent on Smithers once again.