• Wikisimpsons needs more Featured Article, Picture, Quote, Episode and Comprehensive article nominations!
  • Wikisimpsons has a Discord server! Click here for your invite! Join to talk about the wiki, Simpsons and Tapped Out news, or just to talk to other users.
  • Make an account! It's easy, free, and your work on the wiki can be attributed to you.
TwitterFacebookDiscord

Burns' Heir

Wikisimpsons - The Simpsons Wiki
Season 5 Episode
098 "Bart Gets an Elephant"
099
"Burns' Heir"
"Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song" 100
"Look, Smithers -- a creature of pure malevolence. He's the perfect one to suckle at my proverbial teat."
Charles Montgomery Burns
"Burns' Heir"
Burns' Heir.png
Episode Information
Episode number: 99
Season number: S5 E18
Production code: 1F16
Original airdate: April 14, 1994
Chalkboard gag: "The Pledge of Allegiance does not end with 'Hail Satan'"
Couch gag: The Simpsons are balls that bounce onto the couch. Bart almost bounces away, but Homer reigns him in and hurls him in place.
Guest star(s): Phil Hartman as Lionel Hutz
Showrunner(s): David Mirkin
Written by: Jace Richdale
Directed by: Mark Kirkland
DVD features


"Burns' Heir" is the eighteenth episode of Season 5 of The Simpsons and the ninety-ninth episode overall. It originally aired on April 14, 1994. The episode was written by Jace Richdale and directed by Mark Kirkland. It guest stars Phil Hartman as Lionel Hutz.

Synopsis[edit]

"Nearly drowning in the bathtub, Mr. Burns decides to find an heir. He sees it in the form of Bart Simpson and coerces the young Simpson into staying with him."


Plot[edit]

After nearly drowning in the tub, Mr. Burns realizes that if he had died, there would be no one to look over his power plant, so he decides to hold tryouts for local kids to be his heir. Mr. Burns rejects Bart in a special way, by using a machine to kick him in the butt. He gets revenge on him by smashing his windows, breaking his statues, and filling his car with water. Mr. Burns notices his evilness and makes him his heir.

THX spoof from the episode.

Homer eagerly accepts, though Marge feels that since Bart will be inheriting Mr. Burns' money, he should spend some time with him. Bart does, reveling in Burns' lavish lifestyle, and even getting a pizza delivered by Krusty the Klown. Once he returns to his family's lifestyle, Bart grows upset that he can't get his way all the time, and returns to Mr. Burns. The family tries to get Bart back, but both the Police and attorney Lionel Hutz prove to be no use. Their attempt to get a P.I. to help results in Hans Moleman being brainwashed into thinking he's the Simpsons' son.

Bart starts to feel lonely from the lack of fun, and wants to go back to his family. However, Mr. Burns shows Bart a video revealing that his family no longer cares about him—even though the Simpson family members in the recording are obviously actors hired by Mr. Burns to portray negative versions of them. Bart slowly grows to like Mr. Burns even more, and is invited to the Power Plant to fire employees. Bart finds this little game fun, until he is told to fire Homer. Bart refuses, and instead attempts to fire Mr. Burns. This backlash causes Burns to claim that Bart can never be his heir or son. Bart is then reunited with the Simpson family, who reveal Burns' earlier deception with the actors since they spent time with the actual Simpson family members to get their characters down. Marge makes the point that the real Simpson family members truly missed Bart, and Homer introduces Bart to his new brother Hans Moleman, whom Marge wants out of the house.

Deleted Scene[edit]

In "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular", a deleted scene that was supposed to be in "Burns' Heir" was shown. When Homer turns up to Burns Manor asking for Bart, Mr. Burns deploys a robotic Richard Simmons. Homer runs away and the robot goes haywire, Singing Shake,Shake Shake. Waylon Smithers, Jr. tries to shoot it but to no effect, and Mr. Burns, Smithers and Bart take cover in the mansion before it explodes.

Production[edit]

In other languages[edit]

Language Name Translation
Germany.png Deutsch "Burns Erbe" Burns' legacy
Italy Flag.png Italiano "L'erede di Burns" Burns's heir
Flag of Japan.png 日本語 "バーンズの跡取り" Burns' Heir


The Saga of Carl - title screen.png Wikisimpsons has a collection of images related to "Burns' Heir".
Season 5 Episodes
Homer's Barbershop Quartet Cape Feare Homer Goes to College Rosebud Treehouse of Horror IV Marge on the Lam Bart's Inner Child Boy-Scoutz 'n the Hood The Last Temptation of Homer $pringfield (Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling) Homer the Vigilante Bart Gets Famous Homer and Apu Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy Deep Space Homer Homer Loves Flanders Bart Gets an Elephant Burns' Heir Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song The Boy Who Knew Too Much Lady Bouvier's Lover Secrets of a Successful Marriage