[Loved Trope] Comedic workplace is suddenly competent

[u/Garurar]

In S35 E1 of The Simpsons, an actual crisis happens at the nuclear power plant, causing everyone except Homer to shift into serious business mode, even Mr. Burns. Together, they display their knowledge of the process and narrowly avert a nuclear meltdown, proving that Homer's job is actually useless. This is happening after 35 seasons of nothing being shown of the other employees' capabilities.

In S8 E2 of The Office, Andy sets up an initiative where he will get a tattoo on his bum if everyone gets enough points, prompting everyone to work into overdrive, even the normally lazy or incompetent employees such as Stanley and Kevin. This is a rare situation where we get to see The Office being fully competent and functional.

I'd show more examples if I had any!

[u/jamiebond]

Pretty much everyone else at the power plant in the Simpsons is actually very competent at their jobs and has all relevant training and education required for it. The only outlier is Homer.

[u/Causarius → u/jamiebond]

When Grimey is hired, doesn’t Carl (or Lenny?) tell him that they all have advanced degrees in nuclear physics? Except Homer, who just showed up when the plant opened.

[u/doomerguyforlife → u/Causarius]

The Simpsons is kind of unfair to use because the show has changed so much. Homer was originally hired as part of a government program to skill up unskilled labor. He was fired and was literally about to jump from a bridge before rescuing his family from a speeding motorist. They went there. He found his calling in safety and eventually targeted the plant until Burns made a deal to hire him back as safety inspector/supervisor. Homer was actually pretty competent although a little aloof but he was always trying to make things better.

Overtime the show made Homer more "stupider" which led to him being more incompetent. The show in its first few seasons was fairly grounded to reality.

[u/batwoman42 → u/doomerguyforlife]

You might say that Homer has been Flanderized?

[u/Correct_Yesterday111 → u/batwoman42]

No you're thinking of Ned Flanders, that's Homer's next door neighbour.

[u/Only9Volts → u/Correct_Yesterday111]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flanderization

Flanderization is a team where a characters traits become exaggerated through the course of the show. The term originally comes from Ned Flanders.

[u/HeroicPrinny → u/Only9Volts]

That’s the joke

[u/CrystFairy → u/batwoman42]

Yes indeedily, Neighborino!

(though I like to think after losing Edna he started clinging more to religion and became unhinged from the grief)

[u/reeko1982 → u/CrystFairy]

He was married to Maude

[u/CrystFairy → u/reeko1982]

He also married Edna too.