The Simpsons Season 3 Episode Guide
Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?
Production Code: #8F23Homer's half-brother Herb Powell returns, but this time not as a successful businessman. Herb has become a bum, but with a little help from Maggie, he thinks he has come up with an invention that will put him back on top. Herb wants to build the first baby translator, a device that will interpret babies' sounds into speech. Homer agrees to fund the research and when Herb's business takes off, he buys the family gifts to thank them.
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Bart's Friend Falls in Love
Production Code: #8F22Milhouse falls in love with the new girl, Samantha Stanky. Bart is jealous of how much time Milhouse is spending with Samantha and plots to break them up by telling Samantha's strict father about the relationship. Samantha is packed off to Catholic school and Milhouse is heartbroken. Bart admits that it was his fault that Samantha was sent away and they argue. Eventually they make up and vist Samantha at her new school
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The Otto Show
Production Code: #8F21Bart goes to a concert, and decides he wants to become a rockstar. His parents buy him a guitar, but he doesn't know how to play. Otto plays his guitar on the bus, but he runs late and crashes, losing his job when they realise that he doesn't have a drivers licence. Bart invites him to live in his garage while he studies for a licence, but Homer orders him out. He takes the test again, telling Patty and Selma that he hates Homer, and passes.
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Black Widower
Production Code: #8F20Selma brings her new love interest to the Simpsons for dinner - and it's Sideshow Bob, recently paroled. Bob asks her to marry him, and she says yes. Bart doesn't believe that they are really in love, and when they receive a honeymoon tape from the married couple's honeymoon, he becomes increasingly suspicious. He realises that Bob wants to blow up the apartment with Selma in it, and the family rush to the hotel. Are they too late?
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Colonel Homer
Production Code: #8F19Homer and Marge go to see a movie, but Homer doesn't stop talking all through the movie and reveals the ending. Marge yells at him, and so he drives off to a country-western bar, where he hears Lurleen Lumpkin singing. He becomes her manager, much to Marge's disgust, and her song becomes an instant hit. Lurleen wants more from Homer, but he decides to stay loyal to Marge and says goodbye to her.
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Dog of Death
Production Code: #8F17Santa's Little Helper is rushed to hospital when he collapses, but the operation he needs costs $750. The Simpsons each make sacrifices to make the money, but they all become unhappier. So, believing the family no longer want him, the dog runs away and soon becomes one of Burns' hounds. Bart knocks on Burns' door, and asks if he's seen SLH, but Burns releases the hounds - and Bart is reunited with his dog.
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Separate Vocations
Production Code: #8F15The pupils at school take an aptitude test, which reveals that Bart will become a policeman and Lisa a homemaker. Lisa's dreams of becoming a jazz musician are shattered and she becomes a bad student. Bart, meanwhile, takes a trip with the police, becomes hall monitor and earns the respect of Skinner. But, when Lisa steals the textbooks from the school, and is found out, Bart takes the blame.
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Homer at the Bat
Production Code: #8F13Homer joins the plant's softball team, with his homemade 'Wonder Bat'. The team win every match, thanks to Homer's grand slams, and are then drawn to face Shelbyville in the championship. Burns bets the Shelbyville coach $1,000,000 that his team will win, and to make sure he doesn't lose, he brings in star players to work around the plant - and play for the softball team. Will Homer play a part in winning his team the championship?
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Bart the Lover
Production Code: #8F16Mrs Krabappel puts a lonely hearts ad in the Shopper, and Bart finds it. He decides to respond to the ad as a joke, and, as a man called 'Woodrow', he becomes her ideal man, sending him a raunchy picture back, much to his disgust! She wants to meet him, but 'Woodrow' doesn't turn up. Krabappel becomes very upset, and so Bart, with the help of the family, writes one final letter to say goodbye to her.
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Homer Alone
Production Code: #8F14Marge becomes stressed, and stops her car on the bridge. She takes a relaxing vacation to Rancho Relaxo, leaving Homer to take care of Maggie, while Bart and Lisa stay at Patty and Selma's. However, Maggie starts to miss Marge, and goes missing to try and look for her! Homer and Barney search the town for her, and when they find out Marge isn't far away, they panic; but luckily find her, and they all meet her at the station.
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Lisa the Greek
Production Code: #8F12Homer becomes aware that Lisa can predict football results with incredible accuracy, and the two bond when watching the games. Homer places bets in Moe's with Lisa's predictions, and makes a bundle. However, when Lisa finds out what Homer's been doing, she calls off the bets - leaving him with a final prediction for the Super Bowl - if Washington win, she loves him, but if Buffalos win, she won't. Washington come from behind and win.
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Radio Bart
Production Code: #8F11Homer buys Bart a Mr Microphone, a microphone that transmits through AM waves. As a prank, he throws a radio down a well, and pretends that he is Timmy O'Toole, a young boy who has fallen down there. Soon, people are aware of the situation, and he soon gains celebrity support. However, when Bart goes down the well to get it back, he gets trapped there himself! He reveals what has happened, and nobody but Homer cares about him.
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I Married Marge
Production Code: #8F10In flashback, the year is 1980, and Homer and Marge are dating. After seeing a Star Wars movie, they get busy afterwards - and Marge finds out she is pregnant with Bart. When Homer finds out, he proposes to her, and then tries to find a higher paying job. He goes to the new power plant, only to be rejected. When the baby's things are reposessed, Homer decides they'll be better without him - until Marge comes to find him.
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Burns Verkaufen Der Kraftwerk
Production Code: #8F09Mr Burns sells the Nuclear Power Plant to pair of German businessmen for $100 million. As a result of the takeover, Homer loses his job, and falls into a state of depression. Homer sees Burns and Smithers in Moe's, and speaks his mind to him. He realises he no longer has his position of power, and buys the power plant back for $50 million - and immediately rehires Homer.
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Flaming Moe's
Production Code: #8F08Moe's Tavern isn't pulling in the business, so Homer reveals a special drink that he calls the 'Flaming Homer' to help turn Moe's bar around. The 'Flaming Homer' is an instant success - except for the fact that Moe takes the credit for it, and renames it the 'Flaming Moe'! Homer feels betrayed, and leaks the secret ingredient to the full bar just as Moe is on the brink of selling it for one million dollars. D'oh!
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Saturdays of Thunder
Production Code: #8F07Homer takes a parenting test, and discovers that he's a poor father. So, he decides to take an interest in Bart, and helps him to build a soapbox racer for a local race. At the test race, their car doesn't even pass the finishing line, and when Bart gets the chance to ride Martin Prince's 'Honor Roller' when he is injured in the test run, he takes it - and disappoints Homer. Homer retakes the test, and realises he's passed.
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Lisa's Pony
Production Code: #8F06After forgetting to pick up a reed for Lisa when she is in a recital, Homer makes it up to her by finally buying her a pony. The family don't have enough money to take care of it's stable fees, and so Homer takes up a night job at the Kwik-E-Mart. Marge tells Lisa what he has been through, and she has to make a decision between what's right for her and what's right for Homer - and she decides to give up the pony.
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Treehouse of Horror II
Production Code: #8F02The sequel to the original Treehouse of Horror. In 'The Monkey's Paw', Lisa dreams that Homer purchases a monkey's paw that grants the family four wishes. In Bart's nightmare, he dreams that he has the power to read minds, and he punishes people if they are not happy - subsequently turning Homer into a jack-in-the-box. In Homer's dream, his brain is put into a Frankenstein-style robot.
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Like Father, Like Clown
Production Code: #8F05Krusty finally turns up to the Simpsons house for dinner, and reveals that he has an estranged father, a Jewish rabbi. He was disowned when Krusty decided to become a clown instead of a rabbi. Bart and Lisa track down his father, and try to convince him to meet up with his son again. He refuses, but finally realises his mistake and appears on a special edition of the Krusty show.
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Homer Defined
Production Code: #8F04Homer falls asleep at the power plant, unaware that a nuclear meltdown is happening at the same time. He wakes up, presses some random buttons and saves the plant, subsequently becoming a local hero. The owner of the Shelbyville plant is so impressed, he invites Homer to do a talk, where he is lost for words. He is saved by the bell - another meltdown - and saves the plant in the same way - purely a random guess, and everyone sees.
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Bart the Murderer
Production Code: #8F03Bart crashes down a flight of stairs that lead to the Legitimate Businessmans Social Club - meeting place of the Springfield Mafia. He becomes a bartender at the club, and one day reveals his dislike of Principal Skinner when serving drinks. The following day, Skinner mysteriously disappears - and Bart and the mob are the prime suspects. Just as Bart is about to be convicted, Skinner bursts in and explains his absence.
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When Flanders Failed
Production Code: #7F23Flanders announces at a barbecue that he is going to open a new store in the mall: the Leftorium. On a wishbone at the barbecue, Homer wishes that Flanders' business fails. Ned is barely making a profit, and so he holds a garage sale, where Homer purchases most of his belongings. Ned decides he is going to leave town, until Homer looks around and finds lefties who really do need the Leftorium.
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Mr Lisa Goes to Washington
Production Code: #8F01Lisa writes an essay for a Readers Digest competition, and the family receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington for the national finals. Before the contest, Lisa visits a local museum, and discovers a Congressman taking a bribe. She loses her faith in democracy, and she rewrites her essay to expose the Congressman.
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Stark Raving Dad
Production Code: #7F24It's almost Lisa's birthday. Homer's shirt has turned pink when it's washed with Bart's lucky red hat, and he has to go into work with it. He is branded insane, and sent away to a mental institution. While there, he meets a large white man who calls himself Michael Jackson; and when Homer is let out, Michael comes back with him and helps Bart to write a song for Lisa's birthday.
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