When Bart tries to spice up the kindergartener's interest in reading by defacing books, Marge and Homer immediately assume the worst of him. When they discover that Bart was actually doing a good deed however, they begin to wonder if they really are good parents, leading to them imagining a world where they never had Bart.
- Adopted to the House: This episode offers a What If? scenario in which Homer and Marge, the parents of just two daughters, find a boy named "Bart" with no memories of who he is and take him in while Springfield's police department searches for his parents. Although his chaotic presence complicates their lives, when the police announce they're transferring him to an orphanage, Homer and Marge realize that they don't want to give him up.
- Amnesiac Hero: The Bart in the dream timeline is unable to remember anything about his own past, or anything before being run over aside from his name for that matter.
- Bait-and-Switch: When dream Homer arrives to work, it looks like his usual station at the power plant. It is then revealed to be the control room for the Jumbotron at Isotopes Stadium.
- "Better if Not Born" Plot: Subverted - at first, it seems like Marge, Homer, Lisa, and Maggie are doing better without Bart to torment them, now living in a fancy house, being rich, and giving Homer and Marge more time to spend with their romance and children. Then we find that Marge is having difficulties as the Only Sane Woman of the animal hospital she works at, Homer can never hit 100 on the jumbotron loudness meter in his job as the jumbotron operator, and Lisa has OCD. In fact, when they come across Bart in this timeline, they find their lives improving as a result.
- Blithe Spirit: Bart himself proves one of these in the dream. Although Homer, Marge and Lisa are vexed by his bad behavior at first, they grow to love him for the fun and unexpectedness he brings to their lives, and are ultimately happier with him as a result. It also leads to Homer and Marge realizing they do actually love him as a son.
- Borrowed Catchphrase: Invoked — Marge uses Bart's "Eat my shorts!" as a way to put the to incompetent staff of her hospital in their place because she wants to adopt Bart's rebellious attitude.
- Continuity Nod: In the Fake Better Alternate Timeline, the existing Simpsons meet Bart when he gets hit by their car.
- Diegetic Soundtrack Usage: As Bart and Homer begin to bond over the Jumbotron, Bart plays a little bit of the theme tune on the organ.
- Dream Episode: The majority of the episode is framed as Marge and Homer dreaming of an alternative universe where Bart wasn't born to them.
- Extreme Doormat: Despite being a successful veterinarian in this timeline, Marge still displays these traits. She is unable to stand up to her incompetent, drama-obsessed staff and ends up doing much more work than she should because of this. She only grows out of this when Bart's rebellious attitude and "Eat my shorts!" catchphrase rub off on her.
- In Spite of a Nail: Bart still exists in the alternative timeline despite his parents in the main timeline having never conceived him.
- Ironic Echo: Homer uses his "Why you little!" catchphrase in response to Bart taking his wallet, but it's used to show that he will miss Bart, ending with a hug rather than a chokehold.
- It's a Wonderful Plot: Marge and Homer imagine a world where Bart was never born.
- Fake Better Alternate Timeline: Homer and Marge imagine a world where Bart wasn't their son, with almost everything and everyone in Springfield apparently being a lot better. However, the Simpson family is in even more shambles despite them now living a more upper-class life. Marge has a job at the St. Shondaland Animal Hospital but is constantly stressed out due to her being the Only Sane Woman, Lisa suffers from OCD, and Homer works as a jumbotron operator for the Springfield Isotopes' home games but is dissatisfied with his job because he can never get the crowd loud enough to read 100 on the jumbotron loudness meter.
- My God, What Have I Done?: When Homer and Marge learn of Bart's vandalism, they immediately assume that he's doing it as a destroyer. When they learn that he was doing it to make the little children happy, however, they are horrified by their treatment of him and fear that they're bad parents.
- Only Sane Woman: Marge amongst her staff in the animal hospital, which naturally stresses her out - she's the only one to care about her job, with the rest more interested in paternity drama.
- "Open!" Says Me: Wiggum knocks down the door to the Simpsons house rather than waiting to politely knock. When Homer asks why he did it, Wiggum responds that they do it for every house now.
- Shout-Out:
- Ralph Wiggum draws a door using a crayon and walks through it, similar to Harold in Harold and the Purple Crayon.
- The Shondaland Animal Hospital, where Marge works, spoofs Grey's Anatomy and other shows by Shonda Rhimes, where the doctors are more interested in personal drama than in treating their patients.
- Subverted Catchphrase: Upon meeting Bart:Marge: Who are you, little boy? Where are your parents? What's your name?
- What If?: This episode examines the idea of what would happen if Bart was never born to Marge and Homer.
