Mr. Plow

Springfield is hit by a blizzard, so Marge calls Homer at Moe's Tavern and tells him to come home. While on the way home, Homer's view is obscured by the snow and he crashes into another car, which turns out to be the family's station wagon. Without transportation, as both cars are completely wrecked, Homer begins looking for a new car. After several unsuccessful attempts, the family go to a car show.

After an unsettling encounter with Adam West, a salesman talks Homer into getting a snowplow. Homer agrees on the basis that he can make the payments by plowing people's driveways. Homer starts his snow plow business, titled "Mr. Plow", but he has trouble finding any customers. His advertising campaigns are unsuccessful until Lisa suggests an advertisement on late night local television. The resulting commercial and jingle attracts lots of customers and the business is a booming success. Homer is given the key to the city in recognition of his service to the community.

Barney Gumble, after being humiliated while working as a mascot for a baby supply store, asks how he can be a success as well. Homer advises him go out and be the best Barney he can be. The next day it is revealed that Barney has purchased an even bigger plow, and has started a rival company under the title of "Plow King". Barney creates his own commercial, with Linda Ronstadt involved in singing the jingle, which defames and slanders Homer. Homer pays an agency to make him a new commercial, which turns out to be completely nonsensical. Homer loses his success to Barney, and Mayor Quimby retrieves the key to the city from Homer and gives it to Barney.

To get revenge and regain his customers, Homer tricks Barney into plowing a driveway on Widow's Peak, a large treacherous mountain outside of town. Homer begins to plow driveways again, but sees a news report showing that Barney has been trapped in an avalanche. Homer immediately drives to the mountain and rescues Barney. The friends resolve their differences and agree to work together in the plow business, claiming that "When two best friends work together not even God himself can stop them!". Angered, God sarcastically says "Oh, no?" and promptly retaliates by causing a heat wave, melting all the snow and effectively putting them both out of business. Since Homer can no longer make the snow plow payments his plow is soon repossessed, and things return to normal. However, Homer retains the Mr. Plow jacket as a memento of his job, and Marge asks him to wear it to bed

Marge in Chains

Many of Springfield's residents purchase "Juice Looseners" through the mail, which are inefficient and loud juicers built in Japan and shipped from there. One of the assembly line workers has the flu and coughs into the box destined for Homer, filling it with airborne germs. When the Juice Looseners arrive in Springfield, the dreaded Osaka Flu hits the town and many of the townspeople are affected by the illness. Due to exhaustion from having to look after the rest of her ill family, Marge accidentally forgets to pay for Grampa's bottle of bourbon when shopping at the Kwik-E-Mart. She is then arrested for shoplifting. Chief Wiggum tells Mayor Quimby about the arrest in confidence, and Quimby later reveals this fact to everyone in town during a public address. Marge's reputation is lowered dramatically among the townspeople, who now distrust her around their possessions. The family hires Lionel Hutz to defend Marge at her trial, but Hutz loses the case and the jury finds Marge guilty. She is sentenced to 30 days imprisonment at Springfield Women's Prison.

Marge's absence is felt at home as Homer and the rest of the family struggles to cope without her. Without Marge, the house shortly becomes a complete wreck. The annual bake sale also suffers – without Marge's marshmallow squares, the Springfield Park Commission fails to raise enough money to pay for a statue of Abraham Lincoln. Instead they purchase one of Jimmy Carter. The townspeople are enraged by this, and riot. When Marge is released from jail, the townspeople welcome her back and apologize for suspecting her. They even unveil a statue for Marge, though it is just the Carter statue with Marge's hair added to it. The last scene shows Bart and Lisa playing on the statue, which has been converted into a tether ball post.

Marge in Chains. The Osaka flu stuff is gold.

Señor plow no es macho, es solamente un boracho.

Let it ring!

Both very good episodes, but I had to go with Mr. Plow.

You mean there's a better way?!