History Recap / TheSimpsonsS5E18BurnsHeir

* LonelyAtTheTop: Bart gets a taste of what Burns' life is like when he tries to live with him; with nobody else around but Smithers, he's so lonely he tries to bribe a visiting Milhouse out of going home by offering him his expensive new blazer.

* ParentalSubstitute: Though this is one of many episodes in which one of the Simpson kids embraces another adult male as an alternative to Homer, it's perhaps the only one in which the appeal is that he's a ''worse'' father than Homer rather than a better one. Burns has no love to offer, but he freely spends his money spoiling Bart, encourages his worst nature, and doesn't discipline him in any way, which naturally makes Bart run away to live with Burns at the first mild punishment from Homer. However, he's equally quick to miss his family and the only way for Burns to actually maintain the role is to convince Bart that his parents have abandoned him and that he has no one else. [[ParentsAsPeople Homer might not be an amazing dad, but Burns isn't a dad at all]].

Episode - 1F16\\
First Aired - 4/14/1994

* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: Despite her distaste for Burns, Marge pities him when she realizes how lonely he is and decides it would be a good thing for Bart to spend some time with him since he's going to be his inheritor, sending him despite his protests. This backfires badly on her when Bart [[GoneHorriblyRight enjoys himself so much that he runs away to live with Burns]].

* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: Despite her distaste for Burns, Marge pities him when she realizes how lonely he is and decides it would be a good thing for Bart to spend some time with him since he's going to be his inheritor, sending him despite his protests. This backfires badly on her when Bart winds up enjoying himself and decides to stay with Burns.

-->'''Lisa''': I do not see why an heir could not be a girl, in this phallocentric society...\\
'''Burns''': [[CallingMeALogarithm I don't know what "phallocentric" means]], but I strictly said ''no girls''!!\\

* ParentalSubstitute: Though this is one of many episodes in which one of the Simpson kids embraces another adult male as an alternative to Homer, it's perhaps the only one in which the appeal is that he's clearly a ''worse'' father than Homer. Burns freely spends his money spoiling Bart, encourages his worst nature, and doesn't discipline him in any way, so naturally Bart is charmed, but he's quick to miss his family and the only way for Burns to actually maintain the role is to convince Bart that his parents have abandoned him and that he has no one else. [[ParentsAsPeople Homer might not be an amazing dad, but Burns is no dad at all]].

* FiveSecondForeshadowing: When Homer enters the room to get fired, Bart [[CallingParentsByTheirName calls him by his first name, as he often does]]. This subtly plants the seed for the fact that when he says, "I'm sorry, Dad...you're fired!", he's actually not addressing Homer, but Burns (who he'd referred to as "Dad" earlier).

** Mr. Burns is so uproariously amused by ''Itchy & Scratchy'' that ''Bart'' decides he'd like to cut his stay short.

** Mr. Burns is so uproariously amused by ''Itchy & Scratchy'' that ''Bart'' decides he doesn't want to hang out with him anymore.

** Mr. Burns is so weak that having a sponge placed over him causes him to sink and nearly drown in the bathtub. (Yet he's strong enough to strangle Smithers, for putting the sponge on his head.)

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* BadBadActing: The actors that Mr. Burns hired to impersonate Homer, Marge and Lisa Simpson were like this, with deadpan delivery and off-sounding voices, most notably "Homer" saying "B'oh!" and "Duh-Oh!" (rather than "D'oh.")

* CallBack: Just as Mr. Burns is about to disown him, Bart asks him to step a little step to left (over a trap door), just as Burns did when he initially rejected Bart as his heir.

* CastAsAMask: The Estonian Dwarf's true voice is provided by Creator/DanCastellaneta, though when he impersonates Lisa Simpson and imitates her voice, Creator/YeardleySmith provides the imitation, but speaks in a flat monotone compared to how Lisa really talks, [[SubvertedTrope thus subverting it somewhat]].

* ComicallyMissingThePoint: At the beginning of the episode, Homer got an "award". When he learned the "award" consisted of sweeping chimneys, he gave ''another'' "Woo-Hoo".

*** Though perhaps the "twisted, loveless billionaire" is his grandfather who appeared in the previous episode "Last Exit to Springfield", who probably disowned his own son (Burns' loving, biological father), but took in his grandson (Mr. Burns) so he can be the twisted, loveless billionaire he is today.

* DescriptionCut: When Homer was cleaning chimneys, he commented the higher-ups were probably working harder. Cut to Mr. Burns relaxing at a bathtub watching Homer's misery on TV and [[PassThePopcorn eating potato chips]].
* DudeNotFunny: Bart watches ''The Itchy and Scratchy Show'' with Burns; at first, Bart laughs like he always does at Scratchy's violent, gory murder. But then, Burns starts to enjoy it a little ''too'' much. Bart is noticeably creeped out.

* KidsDrivingCars: Bart gets to drive the Ferrini that Mr. Burns gave him, and for a destructive individual like him, it goes about as well as you expect.

-->'''Lisa''': I do not see why an heir could not be a girl, in this phallocentric society of today...\\
'''Burns''': [[CallingMeALogarithm I do not know what "phallocentric" means]], but I strictly said ''no girls''!!\\
'''Milhouse''': [looking down [[DisguisedInDrag at his girl disguise]]] There goes my Plan "B".

After nearly drowning in his bathtub, Mr. Burns realizes that, [[FridgeHorror if he did die, there'd be no one to carry on his wealth and legacy]][[note]]for those who ask, "What about Smithers?", Mr. Burns explains that his faithful assistant will be buried alive with him[[/note]], since he has no children[[note]]at least not until season eight's "Burns Baby Burns"[[/note]], so he holds an audition for his next heir. When all the kids (including Bart and Lisa) lose out, Bart vandalizes Burns' house and wins a place in the old man's heart... but the more he stays with Mr. Burns, the more The Simpsons fear that Bart is becoming Burns-like.