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| Lisa's memory capabilities are now canonically superior, but of course. |
Homer takes the family to Carl's Dad Caverns, where Homer accidentally sets off a reaction which sends the family into a hidden cave, and Homer stuck in a hole. As Marge and Bart go to find a way out, Lisa decides to tell a story to Homer. It begins a week ago, where Lisa suddenly finds herself chased by an angered bighorn sheep. She flees to Burns manor where Mr. Burns winds up being chased by the sheep as well. The two flee to Burns' attic where Lisa finds a photo of Burns working at Moe's. Burns decides to tell that story (making it a story within a story).
One day, at his club, Burns is challenged by a new member, that rich Texan guy. The two agree to a scavenger hunt, with the winner receiving the other's assets. However, Burns is unable to complete the last item - a picture with him and a smiling child - and the Texan is victorious. Out of a home and plant, Burns decides to work at Moe's to get a solid footing. One night, by himself, Burns uncovers a note from Moe meant to be read on his death. It describes yet another story: one day some time ago Moe was run over by a bus, but is tended to by Edna Krabappel who at this point is new in town. Having just been dumped by her husband, Edna hates alcoholics and anything related to bars, including bartenders. Moe, then, lies about what he does and the two quickly build a relationship (full of sex, apparently). To further his ruse, Moe closes down his bar, which angers Barney, Homer and the rest. Knowing that they might blow his scheme, Moe decides to leave town, but needs the money to do so.
Just then, Snake Jailbird, then an idealistic archaeologist, reveals to Moe that he has stumbled upon a bounty full of gold coins that he wishes to donate to a museum. Moe quickly schemes and finds a way to steal Snake's gold, turning Snake to a life of crime. The next day or so, Moe and Edna are about to leave town but Edna has to stop at the school to decline the job offer she had just accepted. When Edna returns to Moe, though, she decides to stay put to help a young boy who is having trouble with schoolwork: Bart Simpson. Granted, Bart was only there to help Nelson steal crap, but Edna doesn't know that. Moe doesn't take this news well and breaks up with her, wasting away his gold coins in the bar's jukebox. Mr. Burns, just now finishing that story, opens up the jukebox to find the bounty, then uses it to buy back most of his stuff from the Texan, though the Texan won't give back the plant until Burns presents a photo of him with a smiling child.
So, Burns finishes telling his tale to Lisa, when the two are once more met by the sheep. Burns takes a hit for Lisa, but it turns out the sheep was only returning Lisa's necklace as it tells in a mini story of its own. As thanks for defending her, Lisa lets Burns take a photo of her smiling, and Burns can earn back his nuclear plant. As the stories all conclude, Homer reveals that he brought the family to the cavern so he could find that very same gold, revealing in another story bubble that he spied the Texan hiding his bounty within.
Just then, the Texan returns to reclaim his gold, as well as Burns, Moe and Snake. As the four get into a standoff, Marge - who found the gold behind a rock - has enough of the greed and tosses the bag of gold into a pit. Snake and the Texan regain their selves and decides to make up for their misdeeds by doing volunteer work, though Burns sneaks off to retrieve the gold anyway.
Turns out, this entire scene is a story being retold by Bart, explaining where he was during a Geography test to Principal Skinner. Skinner doesn't believe it all, but then he sees Edna and Moe making out outside, with Edna willing to hook up with Moe the bartender just as long as he still possesses a libido. So much for that!
Quick Review
This complicated episode wasn't that funny to be honest, however I am appreciative of what it tried to do with its layers and layers of flashback storytelling, making it all connect with each other one way or another. That appreciation is enough to give this episode a big boost in its score, even making it one of the top episodes of the season thus far (which is quite sad, really), showing that even if the writers have lost their comedic touch that they haven't stopped trying to be creative, at least.
Final Score: 7.6
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