In the Simpsons season one, episode four, Homer realizes his family is far less than perfect.  The episode (which originally aired on January 28, 1990) starts off with Bart and Lisa fighting over who loves Homer more, although neither of them really want to win.  Homer suggests that they pull themselves together and stop arguing before Homer’s big company picnic party at the Burn’s mansion.   Before the Simpsons head out to the picnic, Marge had made five gelatin deserts to bring, because she remembered that’s what Mr. Burns complimented her on previously.

Once the Simpsons arrive at the Burns mansion, Mr. Burns is not sure of the name of the Simpson family (like most of the time, he forgets who Homer Simpson is and if he even works for him – I’ve known bosses like that before).  Smithers, (who is now white) grabs Mr. Burn’s cheat sheet and Mr. Burn’s welcomes each individual member of the Simpson family, calling Bart, Brat.  Bart goes to correct Mr. Burns, but Homer refuses to let him, also calling Bart, Brat.  Marge, breaking the subject goes to give Mr. Burns his gelatin deserts as she realizes EVERYONE brought gelatin.  Mr. Burns gets angry and wonders who was the idiot that told everyone he liked gelatin (oh, silly Burns).

As the family settles into the picnic, Lisa runs off to swim in the fountain and Bart goes to chase geese.  Homer, not approving of Bart chasing geese, chases after Bart.  Just as all the chaos starts, another mother from the picnic invites Marge to drop off Maggie in the nursery and grab some punch.  When they get to the nursery, they realize all the babies are unsupervised.  The other mother turns on the babysitter I like to call television and walks out with Marge in tow.  Marge and the other mother down several cups of punch and before the games even begin (5 minutes after she started to drink), Marge is wasted.

During the father and son sack race, Burns gets a head start (half way down the field) before the whistle is blown for the rest of the competitors to start.  Each father and son knows now to pass up Burns, so they all stay 2 jumps behind… except Bart.  Bart gets frustrated and wants to win, so just as he goes to pass up Burns and take the trophy, Homers catches him and trips him, so Burns comes in first (thinking it was a close call).  Homer has had enough of Bart misbehaving, and heads to find Marge.  Marge, with the rest of the mothers is singing and dancing on the stairway, completely plastered.   

Finally, it’s time to wrap up the picnic, and all the families start to leave the Burn’s mansion.  As a family is leaving, the son kisses the father on the cheek, Mr. Burns notices as says that he thinks that family will go far.  Homer, wanting the same appreciation as the previous family pays Bart five dollars to kiss him on the cheek.  Mr. Burns sees what Homer is doing, calls him out on it, and the Simpson’s head out the door.  As they are getting into their car, the “perfect” family from earlier is opening the car doors for each other, offering to drive if the other is sleepy, etc. and Homer wishes his family was like that (as Lisa and Bart are fighting to get into the car, and Marge is passed out in the passenger seat). 

The next day, Homer gets home from work and his whole family is sitting in the family room watching television and scarffing down their dinner on TV trays.  This makes Homer mad, since he wants to be like the “perfect” family from the picnic.  He makes his whole family move into the dining room to eat their dinner like a proper family should, as they sit down, they start to scarf again.  Homer, not believing what he is seeing, takes his family out around the neighborhood, spying on other families to show his how civilized the rest of the world is.  Just as they get to the last house, the neighbors pull a gun on them for trespassing. 

Homer heads to Moe’s tavern to figure out where he went wrong.  As he is sitting ordering his beer, Barney sits down next to him and starts to make fun of Homer’s children, this then leads them into a fist fight (of course).  As Homer is beat down on the ground, he sees and ad for Dr. Marvin Monroe’s family therapy.  He goes home to tell Marge that therapy is just what they need.  As they try to figure out how they can afford to pay for the therapy, Marge and Homer break into the kids college funds to recover only $88.50, alas, not enough.  Homer makes an executive decision to sell the television in order to finance the family therapy.   

Once they arrive at Dr. Marvin Monroe’s family therapy, Dr. Marvin has them first draw on paper something that makes them angry or upset.  Everyone, except Homer (who wasn’t paying attention) drew Homer’s face.  Homer drew an airplane dropping missiles.  Dr. Marvin gets frustrated that Homer was not paying attention and then starts them on a new exercise – taking aggression out on each other with foamed rubber therapy mallets.  Once Dr. Marvin discovers this too does not work, he then sits the Simpsons down for shock therapy, hoping that they love each other enough to not want to shock one another – WRONG!  The Simpson family shocks one another so much that the electricity in the city starts to go out.  Dr. Marvin can not get the Simpsons to stop, so he pulls the plug and tries to kick them out.  Homer, remembering the ad on television, tells Dr. Marvin “family bliss, or double your money back”.  Dr. Marvin gives the Simpsons twice their money ($500) and they happily set out to buy a brand new television.

Favorite quotes from this episode:

* Homer is frustrated with his family, “Sorry Marge, but sometimes I think we’re the worst family in town.” Marge – “Maybe we should move to a larger community.”

* Moe’s Tavern, cops come in.  Moe- “Want some pretzels?” Cops –“No thanks, we’re on duty.  A couple beers would be nice though.” Moe- “That’s be two bucks boys, just kidding.” And then Moe gives them the beers.