Episode 4 - Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish
27 March 2012
Synopsis: Bart catches a three eyed fish and pollution from the nuclear plant seems the most likely cause. Mr Burns feels the heat from government inspectors and decides to run for Governor as a result. His campaign is slickly managed and the final ingredient will be a televised dinner at the Simpson household.
The Good: Another solid morality play with Burns' political ambitions thwarted by his own polluting. Marge plays the reassuring voice of reason, supporting Lisa's concerns about the plant's pollution.
The Burns political campaign was a logical story and served up some smiles along the way. The inspectors find increasingly appalling conditions at the nuclear plant until the final scene where Mr Burns is trying to reason with them, standing literally knee deep in nuclear waste. Later Burns' crack political team show him artists impressions of how they intend to turn him into a heroic figure and his opponent into an outcast. The drawings are suitably ridiculous and in a tongue in cheek line Mr Burns coos "As visual aids help so much!" Homer begging Marge to let him have Mr Burns over for dinner was fun and plausible too.
A tiny note of pleasant continuity was seen when Bart put the newspaper cutting of himself into a scrapbook alongside the decapitation of the statue incident (108).
The Bad: In anger and frustration at the fish incident Burns begins to smash up the Simpsons' furniture. They could have him arrested for that so it seemed a rather unnecessary exaggeration to show what a dastardly man he is.
Best Joke: The voters of Springfield are none too happy to see a campaign video for Mr Burns airing. But once the propaganda has aired they of course all change their tone immediately praising the "new side" of him they all see. Grandpa Simpson comments "That Burns is just what this state needs, young blood!"
The Bottom Line: A simple and direct story well told.
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