Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish is the fourth episode of Season 2. It aired on November 1, 1990.
Bart catches a three-eyed fish (named Blinky) in the river by the power plant, and it makes headlines. State nuclear inspectors find numerous safety violations, and order Mr. Burns to fix them or face having the plant closed down. Burns decides to run for governor so that he can pass laws that will keep the plant open (by doing away with the regulations which are costing him so much money). Burns comes very close to having enough support to win the election, and his advisors propose a publicity stunt to put him over the top. As the TV cameras roll, Burns visits the Simpson house for a meal, but the plan backfires when he is presented with Blinky as the main course, and he takes a bite and spits it out.
Plot
Bart and Lisa go fishing downstream of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant and Springfield Shopper reporter Dave Shutton pulls up just as Bart catches a three-eyed fish, Blinky. From the resulting publicity the governor, Mary Bailey, calls for an investigation of the power plant and its owner, Montgomery Burns. After an inspection, Mr. Burns is presented with a list of over 342 violations, which would cost $56 million to rectify. Distraught, Mr. Burns talks to underperforming employee Homer Simpson who half-heartedly suggests Mr. Burns run for Governor, which he does. Marge wants nothing to do with Homer's campaigning for Burns, even though Homer implies that he could move up to an executive position this way, because she believes Mr. Burns is attempting to gain political office in order to cover up problems at the plant. Homer's support for Burns divides the Simpson house because Marge and Lisa support Bailey. It is unsure whether Bart himself supports either Bailey or Burns, but he is seen wearing a "Vote for Burns" T-shirt, probably because Homer made him do so.
Burns's political advisors break the news to Burns that he is not well liked and force Burns to try being friendly and even smile. Burns also does a TV commercial, discussing Blinky with an actor portraying Charles Darwin, who claims Blinky is an evolutionary step. Combined with a smear campaign against Mary Bailey this eventually leads to Burns tying Bailey in the polls. On the night before the election, Smithers and his other advisors suggest that Burns have dinner at the Simpsons' house as an opportunity to put Burns "over the top". To everyone's surprise, Marge serves Blinky, the three-eyed fish that Bart caught, for dinner. On the advice of his campaign team, Mr. Burns tries to act as if it does not bother him, but is not able to keep from spitting it out. The cameras flash as the bite flies through the air, but the press is gone and his gubernatorial campaign is over by the time the chunk hits the floor. But nevertheless, it brought the Simpson family back together again.
