The Simpsons: 15 Most Underrated Golden Age Episodes

In yet another of season 8’s wacky stories evocative of the series’ end, the outlandish story prospect this time around is that Mr. Burns gets a son. And of course, by the rules of comedy, he’s the antithesis of everything his father represents.

Larry Burns, voiced by the legendary Rodney Dangerfield, has a very boorish, conflicting personality to Burns’ societally high-minded prestige, making him more akin to the likes of Homer than Burns. This is proven when he forms a better relationship with the Simpson patriarch after Homer brings him to Springfield under admittedly contrived circumstances.

Some may say this fits with the almost redundant nature of the storyline, wouldn't you?

Well, either way, one thing that never becomes redundant are the jests. When there’s a comedy legend of Dangerfield’s stature on the scene, or even in the scene, nobody is impartial to their sides splitting quicker than a banana sundae. That includes the innocuous third act which entails Homer staging a fake kidnapping that he would never get away with, with a tacked on ending that just kind of happens.

There isn’t much to say about the third act, other than it redeeming itself for not having Burns accept his son and break character. In a rare occurrence when the status quo feels validated, he thankfully rejects him. The first two-thirds of the episode, however, remain extremely committed to playing up the ridiculousness of this plot. Which is kind of what The Simpsons was all about in its eighth season.