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| Pictured: the cruelest display of slander in the history of media. |
Geezer Rock is a cliffside in Springfield that looks like an old man thanks to natural erosion. A day is set to establish it as a national monument; the Simpsons attend as does Mr. Burns. Lisa has a poem written for the occasion that she's been given the okay to read to the audience there, while Homer spots a small tree spouting from the rock that Homer reasons would hurt tourism if allowed to grow. Homer sneaks away to remove the tree, but collapses the rock in the process. As everyone is fleeing, the falling rocks land over Mr. Burns, and Smithers is unable to free him, believing him dead.
A short time later, Lisa is dejected that she wasn't able to read her poem, but Marge suggests Lisa publish the poem (now an elegy) herself. Meanwhile, Smithers is shocked to see Mr. Burns alive, having escaped death by the narrowest of margins. As Burns recovers from the ordeal, not having informed anyone else of his survival, he checks the news to see how his death is being handled. To his surprise, the news is treated Burns' death with joy, joy that old man Burns had died. Angered by the apparent lack of love by both the media and the people who consume it, Burns decides on a strategy to counter this: buy all the media in town, including TV, radio and newspaper.
Lisa publishes her first paper, The Red Dress Press, which includes her elegy, and its a smashing success, so she decides to continue the paper, bringing in various other kids to help out. Lisa quickly notices Burns' scheme and decides to use the paper to combat Burns and remain the last independent media source in town. Burns attempts to 'buy' Lisa with several ponies, but Lisa is able to resists, sparking a full out war between the two. Several consecutive hit-and-run attempts by Burns' goons forces all of Lisa's helpers to leave the paper, but she and Bart preservere and continue on. Burns then cuts the power from the Simpson house, preventing Lisa from using her paper-making tools. However, Principal Skinner comes to Lisa's aid: providing her with a mimeograph which allows her to make copies of her paper without the need for electricity. Further angered by Lisa's continued resistance, Burns grabs a hold of Homer and drugs him in order to grab dirt about Lisa, particularly that Milhouse likes her. Burns puts these tidbits out into the news, and Lisa is devastated. Unwilling to continue, Lisa prints her final paper in tears. Homer takes this to heart, and decides to help out.
The next day, Lisa finds a paper on her front door: The Homer Times. Not only has Homer started publishing his own paper, but so has nearly everybody else in town, having been inspired by either Lisa or Homer to do so. Burns admits defeat, being unable to control all media in town, and takes his mind off the failure by going on a shopping spree.
Quick Review
Another okay episode, an rather mild way to end Season 15. The focus on Mr. Burns helps the episode counteract the focus on Lisa, creating an episode that's not that bad, but not all that great. The jokes that were present were fine, just not in huge quantity.
Final Score: 7.5
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