Characters
He's a madman! I must reach Smithers! Now, how does this telephone machine work? I've seen others use it, let's see S-M-I-T-H-E-R-S. By jove it worked! It's ringing!
— Burns ‧ The Simpsons
Behind the line May contain spoilers.
Our reading
An editorial interpretation.
Mr. Burns panics about a madman and decides he must reach Smithers. Then he treats the telephone like a strange machine, spelling out S-M-I-T-H-E-R-S. His delighted "By jove it worked!" is funny because he's amazed by something so ordinary.
Context reviewed