Simsons förbereder sig för julen. Men det blir inte som de tänkt sig, Homer får inte sin bonus och Bart tatuerar sig.

Bart framstår som ett geni efter att han byter sitt IQ-test med smarta Martin Prince.

Bart fails four consecutive history exams and the school psychiatrist recommends that Bart repeat the fourth grade.

Lisa's essay wins the Simpsons a trip to Washington, D.C., where her faith in democracy is shaken by her unethical Congressman.

Homer accompanies Apu to the Kwik-E-Mart home office--in India--after Apu is fired.

Homer catches Mr. Burns in an ether-induced haze and asks for $500 for his bowling team. When Burns' head clears, he demands to join the team. Meanwhile, Bart's inflammatory T-shirt provokes Principal Skinner to require school uniforms.

Washed up and plagued by scandal, Troy McClure sees a marriage to Selma as his ticket back to success.

When Homer joins the Naval Reserve, a captain takes a liking to him and leaves him in charge of a nuclear submarine.

Bart and Milhouse are banned from The Android Dungeon after stopping Comic Book Guy from buying a box of priceless Star Wars memorabilia for $5, but are hired as his replacements when Comic Book Guy has a heart attack and is advised to leave his job in order to make friends.

After spraining his knee during a basketball game, Homer begins taking care of the neighborhood kids to cure his boredom, prompting jealousy from Bart and Lisa, who feel that Homer is giving the kids the attention they never had.