Burns Baby Burns
Mr. Burns and Smithers take a train back to Springfield after attending the annual Harvard-Yale football game. The train makes a brief stop because of a discarded couch on the tracks and a man named Larry comes up to the train and tries to hawk cheesy merchandise. He suddenly sees Mr. Burns, gasps and takes out an old picture of a man who looks similar and compares the two. Suddenly the train pulls away, leaving Larry behind. Meanwhile, the Simpson family are on their way home from visiting a cider mill and see Larry hitchhiking. After much discussion, the family picks up the hitchhiker. Larry asks the Simpson family about Mr. Burns and they agree to take Larry to his house. In Springfield, Larry visits Mr. Burns's estate and reveals that he is Burns's son.

Mr. Burns is at first shocked, but after acknowledging the resemblance admits that Larry was the product of a one-night stand with the daughter of a former flame at a college reunion. At first, Mr. Burns is overjoyed to have a son and tries to shape Larry after himself. Burns takes Larry to fancy parties for the rich and tries to have him enrolled in Yale, but Larry keeps acting like an oaf and proves to be an embarrassment. Larry is put to work in Sector 7G at Springfield Nuclear Power Plant alongside Homer and the two become fast friends. Larry invites Homer to dinner, and at dinner, Mr. Burns becomes frustrated due to Larry's boorishness and tells him that he wishes he had no son. Homer tries to convince Larry to fake a kidnapping so that Burns will admit that he loves his son, and although Larry at first opposes the idea, he eventually agrees to do it. After going through with the plan, Larry moves into the Simpsons' basement. Homer calls Mr. Burns and says that he can have Larry back if he admits that he loves him. Marge eventually discovers the plan and convinces Homer and Larry to abandon their plot, but as they leave the house they are spotted by a news helicopter and are chased by reporters and police.

The two are chased into a cinema where they climb out onto the marquee and have a brief standoff with the police. Homer gives a heartfelt speech to justify Larry's actions and Mr. Burns forgives them for the hoax, but explains he cannot be the family whom Larry needs. Larry says that is okay and announces that he has a wife and children back home who are probably worrying about him as he had only gone out a week ago for coffee. Burns and Larry say their goodbyes, with Burns musing on the fact there is another kidney out there for him. Larry announces that they should have a party and the episode ends with the people of Springfield dancing outside the movie theater, with music and drinks coming out from nowhere, all to the sound of Journey's "Any Way You Want It"


Homer to the Max
The Simpson family looks through new mid-season TV shows, and realize they are all pretty lousy. They settle on the pilot episode of Police Cops, a show which follows a suave and dashing detective named Homer Simpson and his partner Lance Kaufman. Homer is delighted with the positive attention he receives because he shares the dashing, intelligent character's name. Despite the family telling him it is just a coincidence, Homer begins to receive congratulatory phone calls. He begins imitating the character, adopting his distinctive scarf and catchphrase, "...and that's the end of that chapter."

Unfortunately, by the second episode of Police Cops, the Homer Simpson character has been rewritten from a handsome man into a stupid, fat, and lazy detective who uses a now ridiculous catchphrase "Uh-oh, Spaghetti-Os!" when he makes a mistake, which results in Homer being mocked by his friends. Humiliated at being laughed at and being the subject of negative attention, Homer appeals to the producers to change the character back, demanding to know why they changed the character into a bumbling oaf. The producers refuse to either explain their reasons or change the character back. Then, after unsuccessfully attempting to sue the company for improper usage of his old name, Homer legally changes his name to "Max Power" (a name he got off of a hair dryer).

Max seems to be more well-adjusted with his new name as all the negative attention had faded away for good, but Marge is somewhat unhappy that he changed his name without consulting her, saying that she fell in love with "Homer Simpson", though she understands that his new name is opening new doors to success for him. At work, Mr. Burns is impressed by the new name and compliments Max, who decides to shop at Costington's in order to further improve his image. There, he meets a successful businessman named Trent Steel and, after a chat, they go out to lunch.

Trent invites Max and the family to a garden party. Despite Marge's reservations, the couple attend the party, where they meet lots of famous people, including actor Woody Harrelson, then-U.S. President Bill Clinton, TV producer Lorne Michaels, and actor Ed Begley, Jr.. Max finds out that the garden party is nothing more than an excuse to save a redwood forest from destruction, something which Max does not like. After traveling with the party guests to the forest, Max, Marge, and the rest of the guests chain themselves to the trees in order to prevent the bulldozers from knocking them down. Chief Wiggum arrives and decides to get rough with the protesters. Eddie and Lou start chasing Max around his tree, trying to "swab" him with mace. However, as Max runs round and round the tree, the chain begins cutting into the tree. The huge redwood falls, knocking down all the other redwoods in a large domino-like chain reaction, angering their newfound friends.

That night at home, Marge is happy that Max has changed his name back to "Homer Simpson". Homer, however, informs Marge that while he was at the courthouse, he took the opportunity to change her name to "Chesty La Rue", along with the alternative names "Busty St. Clair" and "Hootie McBoob".

Homer to the Max, I think. If for no other reason than the ending sequence

Oh shit, this episode had police cops. Homer to the Max easily.

Yea, Police Cops clinches it. You've got the synopses reversed here too.

Homer to the Max is one of my absolute most beloved episodes.

"You like Thai?"
"Tie good. You like shirt?"

"It's a go-kart powered by my own sense of self-satisfaction."

"Go swab Begley; he likes it!"

"There's a tool shed out back. I'm in there most of the day."

Plus the whole Max Power Goldfinger song. Man what a fantastic episode.

Of course it is.

Can't they get a pole for that sign?