references The episode's title is a play on the saying "All's fair in love and war", a proverb found in John Lyly's 16th-century book Euphues that is commonly used to justify cheating. The episode features three different songs. The song "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" by Journey is played in the background during Homer's fantasy of him living next to himself. "Boplicity" by Miles Davis is listened to by Bart and Milhouse, and "Take Five" by The Dave Brubeck Quartet is played in the background at Bart's treehouse. The episode's final scene, showing James Caan being ambushed by hillbillies at a toll booth, is a parody of a scene in the film The Godfather when Sonny Corleone, portrayed by Caan, is shot and killed at a toll booth. Marge suggesting that the pope has been letting things slide lately, is a reference to the sex abuse scandal of the early 2000s. Reception In its original American broadcast, "All's Fair in Oven War" garnered roughly 11.64 million viewers. The episode received a 6.4 Nielsen rating. The episode has garnered positive reviews from critics. Eric Messinger of Springfield Weekly gave the episode a positive review. He gave the episode a B−, stating the Marge segment "needed a bit more fine-tuning". However, he praised the Bart segment, stating that it saved the episode, and that Bart not seeing nudity in the Playdude magazines worked well in every joke, and the segment was almost reminiscent to the season three episode "Bart the Murderer". He also praised the James Caan guest appearance, stating it "worked quite well, especially with the Godfather ending pay-off." In 2012, New York magazine named "All Fair's in Oven War" as one of the ten best later Simpsons episodes. Ellwood Hughes of Entertainment Focus considered the episode a highlight of the season. Chris Morgan of Cinema Sentries praised the episode and commented "It is, arguably, the best episode to air after the turn of the millennium, and, in fact, is one of the top episodes of the show, period." A review of the season 16 DVD on alternativeaddiction.com listed it as one of "some incredibly fun episode ideas". On Rolling Stones top 150 Simpsons episodes they placed "All's Fair in Oven War" at #89. References External links "All's Fair in Oven War" at The Simpsons.com The Simpsons (season 16) episodes 2004 American television episodes Thomas Pynchon