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| Yeah, uh huh, sure, whatever. |
Springfield is a recipient of the ever-rare solar eclipse, and the Simpson family builds makeshift boxes to see the event safely. Homer's is ruined, though, so Marge gives him hers. The eclipse occurs, and the family is greatly enjoying this occasion. Marge can't deal with being left out, and decides to see the eclipse dead on, just as sunlight begins to peek back out. Marge's eyes suffer tremendous damage as a result, and so Marge is blinded, being forced to wear bandages over her eye for two weeks and must avoid all stress at any cost.
To make matters difficult, rats decide to infest the Simpson kitchen right then. Homer goes to buy some poison, bringing Maggie and the dog along for no apparent reason. Homer later laments his decision to bring the two as both cause chaos for him within the car on the way back. Homer drives off a bridge and lands on a spot near a river he needs to cross. There's a boat nearby, however it can't support him, Maggie, the dog and the rat poison all at once. Homer comes up with a solution to his puzzle, and decides to row Maggie first to the other side, leaving her at a nearby convent so he can continue his puzzle solving. However, the convent quickly takes Maggie in while Homer is rowing back. Homer tries to get the nuns there to give her back, but they refuse.
Back home, Homer tells the kids what happened, and agree not to stress out Marge with this information. Lisa decides that someone has to disguise themselves as a nun and infiltrate the convent to find Maggie. Lisa agrees to be that person. She's admitted in as a nun, but she can't seem to find Maggie anywhere. A rather withered nun tells Lisa that the mystery of Maggie's location is linked to the mystery of a jewel, and Lisa decides the undergo the challenge of determining where this mystical jewel is located so that she can find Maggie.
As Homer and Bart try to keep the blinded Marge unaware of both Maggie's and Lisa's unavailability, Lisa goes across town as she continues to figure out the puzzles she's come across, the latest one asking her to find the biggest 'ring' in Springfield. Lisa is interrupted by the comic book guy and Principal Skinner, both of whom have also taken an interest in the jewel. The comic book guy expands on the history of the jewel, which includes nuns going overseas to find it, and even a staged revolutionary war by Freemasons to find the jewel, which will bring peace to Springfield on the first full moon after a solar eclipse. As that happens to be the current night, Lisa realizes that the biggest ring in Springfield is the giant SpRINGfield sign nearby. Mr. Burns stops them there, informing them that as a member of the Freemasons he, too, is interested in the jewel. Lisa finds another puzzle, an anagram, and from it deducts that the jewel is actually her.
The group returns to the convent where a cocky Lisa reveals herself to everyone. However, it turns out the crowd is praising someone else: Maggie! Lisa solved the anagram incorrectly, and the correct solution reveals the jewel is actually Maggie. A beam of light filters into the church and hits Maggie, sending rays of peace across Springfield. It seems like a new age is about to begin. However, a still-blind Marge barges in demanding her baby. Though she's willing to let Maggie go if the first thing she sees is world peace, Maggie unwraps Marge's bandages, and Marge finally sees her baby, and decides to take her away anyway. Marge feels a bit selfish afterwards, but Homer tells her he left another 'chosen one' at the convent: the ever devilish Bart.
Quick Review
In my review of the previous episode, I commented that the biggest problem with the show nowadays is that comedy is tossed aside at times in order to advance the plot or tell a story, elements that were once workable together in the past but I guess not so much now. This fact was once again apparent in this episode, where the obvious parody of The Da Vinci Code took full precedence over the episode providing a steady stream of jokes and humor. It didn't help that I never cared for that book turned movie so the references were lost on me, but even so the parody wasn't all that funny.
Final Score: 6.6
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