After Homer saves Mr. Burns from drowning in a mall fountain, Burns repay him by taking him on a whirlwind trip to Chicago on his private plane. Homer is smitten with the luxury jet and all the perks that come with it, including flying with song legend Lionel Richie. After returning home, Homer makes it his mission to find a job that offers him the chance to fly on a corporate jet.
Homer injures himself in a fall, and while in the hospital he develops the ability to sing in a beautiful, operatic voice whenever he is lying on his back.
Feeling that Maggie is getting too clingy, Marge hires a counselor to teach her the "C.R.I.E. Method," a counseling program that helps parents raise their children to be very independent at an early age.
Waiting in line at the bank, Marge strikes up a conversation with a strange man named Dwight who later attempts to rob the bank. When the police show up, Marge convinces a cornered Dwight to turn himself in by promising to visit him in prison.
The fright fest begins in "Mr. and Mrs. Simpson" as Homer and Marge leave for what appears to be an ordinary day. But Homer is living a double life as a secret agent, and he is assigned to eliminate Kent Brockman.
When Milhouse's parents are lost at sea and presumed dead, Milhouse decides it's time to begin acting like a real man, and his new attitude makes him more attractive and popular than ever.
Much to the Comic Book Guy's chagrin, Bart, Lisa and Milhouse check out a new comic book store called Coolsville, where they are treated like royalty by a friendly comic book buff named Milo.
Marge dreams that Keith Olbermann chides her for fast-forwarding through television commercials. Marge tries her to make restitution by watching hours of advertisements, and she and the Simpson family take particular interest in an ad for Wes Doobner's World-Famous Family-Style Rib Huts.
Homer wakes up one morning only to find himself outdoors and covered with snow. With no recollection of what happened the night before, aside from a lingering hangover, Homer makes his way home only to find his entire family missing.
Homer disposes of a leaky battery along with his fast food containers; he causes an explosion that destroys Springfield's fast-food district. Mayor Quimby proposes to rebuild the district during the next election.
When Bart and Lisa discover Marge's diploma from Springfield University, Marge reveals that she had attended the university back when she and Homer had first started dating.
To celebrate Valentine's Day, Homer takes Marge to the Tunnel of Love at a carnival. But when Bart pulls a prank involving some Jell-O, they become hopelessly stranded.
When a new, tough-looking kid at school named Donny teams up with Bart to help him carry out his pranks, Bart thinks he has found his ultimate partner in crime.
Marge hires a nutritionist who puts Homer on a strict diet, but Homer decides to sneak in snacks and meals on the side. Marge becomes suspicious of Homer's weight gain and calls the producers of "The Sneakers," a take-off on "Cheaters." Meanwhile, Bart and Lisa go bike-riding in Springfield National Park, where they run into Martin Prince and play a prank on him.
When Lisa convinces Marge to pursue her childhood dream of becoming a ballerina, by auditioning for the Chazz Busby Ballet Academy, Chazz discovers Lisa's natural talent and enrolls her in the academy instead.
When Mayor Quimby realizes the city of Springfield has gone broke, Homer suggests they feign a natural disaster in order to obtain relief funds from the federal government.
When Bart joins the 4-H Club, he unexpectedly falls in love with a cow named Lou. But when Bart finds out that Lou has been sold to a slaughterhouse, he becomes determined to save him.
Lisa makes a documentary about her family for a school project. After the success of her project, Principal Skinner and Superintendent Chalmers encourage her to enter the film into the Sundance Film Festival. But when Lisa's film premieres at Sundance, Homer, Marge and Bart are embarrassed by the candid behind-the-scenes look at their lives.
When Homer's mother Mona unexpectedly passes away, Homer is filled with guilt for not telling her how much he loved her before she died. To make it up to her, Homer decides to fulfill her final wishes by throwing her ashes over Lake Wastershare at Springfield Monument Park.
As Krusty's new assistant, Lisa steals the spotlight and gets her own television show, leaving Krusty behind. But when she's honored as Entertainer of the Year at the Springfield Media Awards, she realizes that the she may not be cut out for showbiz after all. Meanwhile, Bart and Homer spend some time bonding through their newfound love of coin-collecting.