"American History X-cellent" (part 1)
American History X-cellent
After many years of "stock jobbing, gun running, attempted murder, successful murder and Tom-Peepery", Mr. Burns finally sees the inside of a jail cell. It's the 17th episode of The Simpson's 21st season (the 458th episode in total, if prefer), and the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant has a new boss. Meanwhile, Bart and Lisa fight over, and are eventually brought together by, the last ant in Lisa's ant farm. It makes much more sense in the episode, believe me.
Mr. Burns' workers (just Lenny, Carl and Homer, actually) mutiny following a Fourth of July party that is completely centered around their boss. Burns catches them playing a drunken game Twister using priceless works of art and calls the "shire reeves". Once there, though, the fuzz notice that Burns has Vermeer's The Concert proudly displayed on his wall. Lou (apparently an art connoisseur) points out that the painting (estimated at $200,000,000)was stolen from its home in a Boston museum, and Burns does little to help his case ("Well, I… you see…it's just...is it a crime to want nice things? And then to steal them from a public museum where any gum-chewing monkey in a Tuft's University jacket can gawk at them? I think not!").
Burns is publicly paraded through the streets on his way to Springfield Penitentiary. At the gates, he transfers power of the nuclear plant to Smithers, who finds his kindness and generosity taken quick advantage of by the workers (again, Lenny, Carl and Homer). Finally understanding why Montgomery Burns is the way he is, Smithers becomes a tyrant. The workers (Lenny/Carl/Homer) decide that Burns is the lesser of two evils. Unbeknownst to them, Burns has found religion and is seemingly content with his new lifestyle.
