The Seven-Beer Snitch (S16, E14-349)

With that hat and that scooter, how did Homer not get killed for this earlier?

Plot Summary
The Simpsons go to Shelbyville (that's a name I haven't heard in awhile) and catch a play where they learn that Shelbyville considers Springfielders as moronic hicks.  After being 'hoot'-ed out by the townsfolk, Marge addresses Springfield's leaders over a supposed lack of cultural influence, and convinces them to build a concert hall.  Marge (eventually) convinces Frank Gehry to build it in his supposedly trademark style, and its quickly finished.  However, Springfield lives up to its stereotype as it turns out they hate classical music and other such forms of culture.  Within days, the concert hall becomes a dilapidated, abandoned building.  However, Mr. Burns comes along to buy the building and assume all of its debt, so that he can turn it into a profitable prison.

Waves of people try to apply as a prison guard.  Homer attempts to do so, but his urine sample is swapped with Otto's, who knows his sample isn't going to get things done, so Homer doesn't get the job.  Meanwhile, the prison doesn't have quite the number of inmates as Burns would like so the police start arresting people for decades old laws that never made sense.  A still angry Homer is spotted kicking a can around and is quickly arrested for 'transporting litter', and sent to Burns' prison.

Homer freaks out at first, but after he unwittingly prevents Snake from escaping, he cuts a deal with Burns to become a prison snitch, gaining all sorts of gifts and perks for ratting out violations his fellow prisoners make.  Soon, the inmates gather together to try and figure out who the snitch is, but they quickly learn its Homer.  Homer doesn't seem concerned about being a snitch until he learns from Marge that snitches usually get theirs in the end.

Breaking from that for a moment, in the episode's subplot, Bart and Lisa are curious as to why their cat, Snowball V II, is so fat.  They follow the cat around, and find that its getting extra food from a second family who even taught the cat tricks.  Lisa has Bart go into the house to find out what's so great, but he too loves the house and all of the delicious food the family's mother provides.  That's pretty much the entire sidestory.

Homer picks up 'info' from Snake that the inmates are planning a mass breakout, and quickly tells the guards.  That night, they all head outside to prevent the breakout, however the inmates take advantage of there being no guards inside by going after Homer.  As he escapes their wrath, he's met by Marge, who has a key to what was once the concert hall.  The two hide in the gas chamber, but are surrounded by angry inmates until authorities arrive to knock out the inmates with tear gas somehow.  Along with the authorities arrive Mr. Burns and Governor Bailey, and Homer decides to use his snitching for 'good', informing the Governor about the horrible conditions within the prison.  Bailey takes Homer's info to heart, and decides to shut the prison down.  Homer is let go, while the other prisons get to fight one another to the death, or something similar to that.  Homer is happy to be free, where he can once again enjoy sneaking off to Moe's late at night while passing by his obese cat.

Quick Review
This episode wasn't anything special.  The subplot didn't add anything to the episode, and the main plot had lulls where nothing really funny was happening.  There wasn't anything particularly bad about the episode, just nothing particularly good.

Final Score: 6.7