$pringfield or how I learned... vs. New Kid on the Block

[stip]

$pringfield or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling

The economy of Springfield is in decline, so Mayor Quimby listens to suggestions from citizens on how to improve it. Principal Skinner states that legalized gambling has helped rejuvenate run-down economies, and that it can work for Springfield as well. Everybody, even Marge, likes the idea. Mr. Burns and Mayor Quimby work together to build a casino, where Homer gets a job as a blackjack dealer. The casino is designed by Mr. Burns himself, as the proposals he received were not to his liking. While Marge waits for Homer's shift to end at the casino, she finds a quarter on the floor and uses it to play a slot machine. She wins and almost immediately becomes addicted to gambling. Meanwhile, since Bart is too young to gamble at Burns' Casino, he starts his own casino for his friends to play in his treehouse, and intercepts Robert Goulet to perform there. Burns also grows even richer, but in the process becomes a Howard Hughes-type hermit, developing a profound fear of microscopic germs, urinates in jars, and wears tissue boxes instead of shoes.

Due to her addiction, Marge spends every waking moment at the casino and neglects her family. For instance, she forgets to help Lisa make a costume for her geography pageant. Enraged, Homer bursts into the casino and barges around searching for Marge. The security cameras capture Homer's rampage, and when Burns sees him he demotes him back to his old job at the power plant. After realizing how much he misses the plant, Burns decides to return. Homer confronts Marge with her behavior, and she finally realizes that she has a problem. Lisa does win a special prize in the geography pageant, as Homer's poor costume design gives Lisa the appearance that she did the work all by herself. Ralph Wiggum receives the same prize, as his costume is simply a note taped to his shirt that reads "Idaho".

New Kid on the Block

The Simpsons' neighbors, the Winfields, decide to relocate because of Homer's regular inappropriate behavior. Bart and Lisa explore the Winfield's house while it is empty and up for sale, but Bart scares Lisa away from the basement with stories. Bart turns around to see his new neighbor, Laura Powers. Surprised, he falls down in shock and is helped back up by her and the pair become acquainted. Bart instantly develops a crush on her.

After Marge visits Ruth Powers to welcome her to the area, she tells Marge that she is divorced, and the two become friends. Meanwhile, after seeing a television advertisement about The Frying Dutchman's all-you-can-eat offer, Homer insists that Marge come dine with him, so he arranges for Laura to babysit Bart and Lisa. Homer quickly earns himself the ire of the Sea Captain, devouring nearly every morsel of food in the buffet, and is eventually forced to leave despite not being sated. Much to Marge's embarrassment, Homer sues the restaurant for deceptive advertisement. Lionel Hutz is employed by him to represent him in court and the case is successful after Hutz convinces the mostly overweight jury that a similar buffet mishap could befall them. To avoid further legal trouble, the Sea Captain and Homer eventually agree that Homer shall be displayed in the restaurant as "Bottomless Pete: Nature's Cruelest Mistake" to draw in more customers to the restaurant and offset the cost of his eating.

Meanwhile, Bart is delighted at having Laura babysitting him and attempts to impress her. She later asks him to come to his treehouse, as she has important news. She tells him she is dating Jimbo Jones, which upsets Bart. When Laura invites him over to the household, Bart, in an attempt to break the pair up, prank-calls Moe's Tavern, giving his name as Jimbo Jones, and telling Moe where he lives. Mistakenly believing Jimbo was the one who had been pranking Moe throughout the entire series, he races into the Simpson house with a kitchen knife looking for Jimbo, causing Jimbo to cry and plead for his life. Afterwards, Laura breaks up with him for not being the tough "outlaw" she thought he was. Laura tells Bart that she would date him if he were old enough to grow a mustache and the episode ends with the pair laughing after prank-calling Moe again.

[tragabigzanda]

[Chris_H_2]

[Simple Torture]

I came here for Gamblor.