Ep 4. Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish
- TV-PG
- November 1, 1990
- 23 min
-
8.0 (4,584)
In "Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish," the fourth episode of The Simpsons' second season, the main storyline revolves around Mr. Burns, the wealthy and powerful owner of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, running for governor of the state.
When Burns realizes that his campaign is not gaining much ground, he visits the Simpson household to seek their support. His appearance is met with mixed reactions from the family, with Marge skeptical of his motives but Homer realizing the potential benefits of having a powerful politician indebted to him.
However, things start to go awry when Burns' opponent, a passionate and well-liked environmentalist named Mary Bailey, pays a visit to Marge and encourages her to speak out against Burns' environmental track record. Marge eventually agrees to participate in a televised debate with Burns, but things get heated when the topic of the Three-Eyed Fish, a mutated creature discovered in the nearby lake polluted by the power plant, is brought up.
Meanwhile, Bart acquires the aforementioned fish from the lake and decides to keep it as a pet, much to the shock and disgust of the rest of the family. The fish becomes a point of contention between them, with Lisa championing its uniqueness and potential for scientific study while Homer and Marge see it as a health hazard and oddity.
As the episode progresses, Burns' campaign takes a turn for the worse, with his behavior becoming increasingly erratic and his campaign staff growing worried about his mental state. This comes to a head when he invites the Simpsons and Mary Bailey to a dinner at his mansion, where the family discovers that Burns has rigged the election by replacing Bailey's campaign posters with ones featuring his own face.
In the end, Marge's outspokenness and Bailey's influence ultimately force Burns to concede the election, but not before he has an encounter with Bart's Three-Eyed Fish that leaves him a changed man. The episode ends on a somewhat satirical note, with a news report revealing that, despite Burns' defeat, "the Three-Eyed Fish promises to remain as Springfield's most popular tourist attraction."
Overall, "Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish" is a classic Simpsons episode that combines social commentary, humor, and heart. It tackles issues of corporate greed, environmentalism, and political power in a way that is both funny and thought-provoking, all while providing plenty of laughs and clever pop culture references.