4.01 – The Bart of the Matter
Homer drives halfway across Springfield to reach the general hospital. However, the receptionist refuses to tell him of Marge’s whereabouts due to patient confidentiality. Homer resorts to frantically running around the hospital to find Marge’s delivery room, but it isn’t easy when he realises every doctor or nurse is on his tail and the police have been called. Homer finally encounters Marge and stands by her as she gives birth to a healthy baby boy. The police arrive on the scene but Marge explains everything. The receptionist apologises for her mistrust and Homer holds baby Bart for the first time. He couldn’t be happier.
4.02 – 10 Things I Hate About Zoos
Marge and Homer decide to treat new-born Bart to a day out at the zoo. They are shocked to find that Bart is more trouble than he seems and are horrified when he accidentally wanders into a lion cage. Homer and Marge must now alert the staff without arousing any suspicion, however, the information somehow gets out and they soon find themselves being crowded with questions. Marge is upset when she is referred to as a parent – where as Homer wants nothing more than for Bart to be safe, and get out of his new runner for “least favorite place”, the zoo. Finally, he punches Kent Brockman, causing the media to back away.
4.03 – Marge’s Maternity Vacation
Marge worries that she will lose her job at Moe’s Tavern for being on maternity leave for too long. Finally she is forced to hand baby Bart over to Homer so she can work three times a week. On Marge’s first day back she realises that she can’t stand being away from Bart so long. In desperate need of the job, Marge enlists the help of a barmaid to restrain herself from rushing back home to check on Bart. Meanwhile, Homer is having trouble giving Bart all the bare essentials, the breast-feeding in particular. He gives Chloe a call and she arrives quickly to help. Trouble arises when Chloe starts craving a baby of her own.
4.04 – Sleep Impact (1)
With Bart now on the scene Marge is having trouble getting any sleep and is finally diagnosed with insomnia. Advised by her mother, she goes into sleep therapy and is willing to try anything. Finally one night she manages to drop off into sleep, leaving baby Bart without a guardian. Trouble arises when a minor fire takes place in the kitchen, that could very well turn major. When Marge wakes up, she rescues Bart and runs to safety. Marge then questions her parenting skills and worries about Homer’s reaction to the burnt down apartment. Meanwhile, Homer supports Chloe in her dream of becoming a mother herself.
4.05 – Sleep Impact (2)
Homer arrives on the scene of the burnt down apartment and is horrified by the sight of it. Without insurance, both him and Marge are left homeless and are forced to move back in with the Bouviers. Homer realises that to get their lives back to normal they will need to formulate an insurance scam. But after Homer’s previous failed attempt (“Pilot”), Marge has her doubts. Finally, Homer and Marge move into a much smaller apartment and decide to have a housewarming party. Chloe drops a bombshell when she announces she is impregnated with a donor’s sperm, whilst Marge is left worrying about Homer’s insurance fraud.
4.06 – Spring Break Field
Spring break has arrived and Homer and Marge are shocked to discover Springfield is the hottest location for wild party animals. They are worried that the constant noise and drunken behaviour will affect Bart so they become determined to confine him to the house. Trouble arises when Homer lets off his guard for one minute and finds that Bart has escaped. Along with Barney, Homer must guide his way through the drunken teenagers and get back Bart. And what’s worse he must do all this without Marge finding out. Barney is sent to keep Marge at bay but his constant delays to her plans causes her to worry.
4.07 – The Expectant Who Came to Dinner
Marge and Homer accompany Chloe on a family dinner for support as she prepares to break the news of her pregnancy. Her 11-year old brother, Bill, manages to ruin the moment before the news and Chloe puts an abrupt holt to the dinner and returns home. Marge decides to do Chloe a favour and tell her parents for them. However, their reaction is much worse than she expected and they end up shutting Chloe out of their lives. Marge, feeling responsible, becomes determined to re-unite the family and get them used to the idea of Chloe raising a child without a father at hand, but manages to make the situation worse.
4.08 – The Passion of the Band
Franz Ferdinand guest star as a visiting Christian rock band named Cool Jesus trying to raise the number of Christians in Springfield. Atheist parents want nothing more than Cool Jesus to leave town, where as Christians support the idea of their music being played in an upcoming concert. A debate is set up, ultimately deciding whether Cool Jesus will play or not. Marge decides to join the debate but becomes the most hated and least respected person when she is unable to decide on the final vote. Meanwhile, with Marge at the debate, Homer is left babysitting Bart and enlists the help of expecting mother Chloe for advice.
4.09 – Saturday Fright Live
Marge and Homer decide to leave Bart with Chloe whilst they spend Saturday night on the town. Chloe runs into trouble when Bart manages to outsmart her with his pranks and ends up escaping from the apartment. Chloe must now rush around Springfield to get back Bart before Marge and Homer’s return. Trouble arises when she realises Bart has wandered into a strip club. Terrified he will be scarred by the sight of naked women, Chloe has to work fast. But, ultimately, she worries she will be a bad mother in the future. Meanwhile, Marge and Homer’s night out is interrupted when Marge’s mother’s intuition kicks in.
4.10 – Bar Wars: Episode II
When Homer is working late one night at the nuclear power plant, Marge has no choice but to take Bart with her to work at Moe’s Tavern. Bart starts causing mischief around the bar, causing many customers to leave. Moe, furious by this, hires a clown to entertain Bart whilst Marge works but troubles arises at the end of the evening when Bart or the clown are nowhere to be found. A panicky Marge finds herself snapping at Moe and ends up losing her job because of this. However, she is too worried to care and wants nothing more than to get Bart back. Meanwhile, Bart is troubled by the mysterious clown he is with.
4.11 – The Parrot Trap
Homer and Marge are having trouble with a neighbor’s parrot who is constantly shouting curse-words and keeping them up at night. Marge, however, is more worried about Bart hearing the curse-words and using them at a later stage. Finally, she collects Bart and all his stuff and moves in with Patty and Selma until Homer sorts out the problem. He has no choice but to arrange a parrot trap, ultimately killing the nuisance. But after the deed is done, not only is Homer overcome with guilt, he is also in trouble with the Animal Protection Agency. Meanwhile, Patty and Selma take Marge’s comings far too seriously.
4.12 – Why-MCA
Homer decides to run a class at the Springfield YMCA to help men’s problems with entering fatherhood. He is troubled when he is outdone by a potentially better teacher and is ultimately kicked out of the class. Homer, furious by this, enlists the help of Barney to get back at the replacement, William. He is distressed, however, when he realises that Bart has witnessed all their practical jokes. Homer must now stop Bart from imitating any of these. When Marge is the victim of a prank by Bart she and Homer have a major argument. They are interrupted, though, when Chloe arrives on the scene and explains she has gone into labour.
4.13 – Little Baby Lost
Marge and Homer drive Chloe to the hospital. On their arrival, trouble arises when Chloe realises she has gone into labour earlier than expected and the baby could suffer from brain damage. She has no choice but to go ahead with the birth, and pray that the baby is healthy. Meanwhile, Marge and Homer are still arguing over Bart’s prank problem, causing them to miss Chloe’s worries. Bart manages to cause distress for a terminally ill patient and Marge is upset when she is accused of being a terrible mother. However, she completely forgets about her woes when a doctor arrives and explains Chloe has lost her baby...