Bart the Mother vs. Dead Putting Society

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Bart the Mother

When Marge takes the family to the Family Fun Center, she notices Nelson acting like a bully, especially when he knocks Milhouse off the track and wins a BB gun from stolen prize tickets. Bart and Nelson attempt to be friends, but Marge forbids Bart to hang out with Nelson. Bart goes to Nelson’s house anyway and starts using Nelson's new BB gun. When Nelson pressures Bart to shoot a bird in a nest, Bart accidentally kills the bird. Marge is furious that Bart killed an animal, but instead of punishing him, she refuses to have anything to do with his destructive ways.

After Marge leaves Bart with Nelson, Bart discovers two eggs in a bird's nest. Since he does not want the babies to die like their mother, he decides to hatch the eggs, and secretly keeps the eggs warm in his treehouse. After Bart spends more time in his treehouse, Marge starts to suspect he is up to something. After Marge finds out what Bart has been doing, she tells him she is proud of him. With Marge's help, the eggs eventually hatch, but the Simpson family is shocked when instead of birds, a pair of lizards emerge from the eggs, who Bart names Chirpy Boy and Bart Jr.[2]

Bart and Marge take the lizards to the Springfield Birdwatching Society. Principal Skinner, a member of the society, explains that they are Bolivian tree lizards, a type of lizard that steals a bird’s eggs and leaves their own eggs to be watched after by the mother bird, which is then eaten by the offspring once they hatch. Skinner says the lizards must be killed by law, because they have killed many bird species. Bart escapes and runs away with the lizards, but before he can get away, Skinner catches up to him and they both struggle on top of the building. Suddenly, the lizards glide to the ground, where they start to eradicate pigeons in Springfield.

Since the town considered the pigeons to be a nuisance, they are delighted that the lizards have eaten all the pigeons. So, Bart is thanked and honored by Mayor Quimby with a loganberry scented candle. Lisa worries the town will now become infested by lizards rather than the pigeons, but Skinner assures her they will send in "wave after wave of" Chinese needle snakes, then snake-eating gorillas, and then "when wintertime rolls around, the gorillas simply freeze to death."

Dead Putting Society

When Homer is mowing his lawn with obvious frustration, his next-door neighbor Ned Flanders invites him into his basement rumpus room for a beer. Upon seeing Ned's house and observing his exaggeratedly perfect relationships with his wife and son, Homer erupts at Ned, accusing him of showing off. Ned angrily asks Homer to leave in response. Later, however, he feels guilty and writes a letter to Homer saying that he is really sorry and that he loves him as a brother. Homer is amused by Ned's sentimentality and reads the letter to the family at the breakfast table. Marge is not happy with the family's reaction, despite being unable to control her laughter, and chastises Homer for making light of Ned's sincere apology. Afterwards, Homer takes Bart and Maggie to Sir Putt-A-Lot's Merrie Olde Fun Centre for a round of miniature golf. They unexpectedly run into Ned and his son Todd, and end up going golfing together.

The game does not go well for Homer, who is obviously still jealous of Ned. Meanwhile, Bart and Todd find out about an upcoming children's miniature golf tournament, with a first prize of $50. They enter it, and although Todd is very good at miniature golf, Homer becomes confident that Bart will win. He tells Bart that it is not okay to lose and forces him to stare angrily at a picture of Todd for 15 minutes every day. Later, when Bart looks at his meager collection of trophies in his room, Lisa offers to help him practice. Utilizing spiritual books that calm Bart's mind, they meditate. Meanwhile, Homer makes a bet with Ned on whose boy is a better golfer: the father of the boy who does not win the tournament will mow the other father's lawn in his wife's Sunday dress.

On the day of the tournament, Homer threatens Bart to win no matter what. In an extremely close match, Bart and Todd each do well, and tie by the time they reach the eighteenth hole. Bart and Todd agree that the competition is not worth the stress, that they are equally good and that they should call it a draw, splitting the award evenly. As a result, Ned and Homer are forced to wear their respective wives' Sunday dresses and mow each other's lawn. People around the neighborhood laugh at them and Ned actually enjoys it (commenting that it reminds him of his fraternity days), much to Homer's dismay.

[stip]

not sure with this one

[Chris_H_2]

dead putting society for me.

i love indignant homer.

[tragabigzanda]

Tough one for me too. Will try to watch them tonight.

[Norah]

Dead Putting Society is a solid early episode. I'm going with that.

[tragabigzanda]

I made it to the first commercial break in Bart the Mother without even cracking a smile, so I'm voting for Dead Putting Society because I know it's better than this.

[LoathedVermin72]

Bart the Mother. Easy.