: After a sturgeon falls from the sky (implicitly from the Russian space station Mir ) and crushes the family sedan, the Simpsons face a $6,500 repair bill.

: Bart attempts to earn the money with a magic kit, but fails. When he is later abandoned at the pier by Homer, kind strangers give him "sympathy money," sparking Homer’s idea to start grifting full-time.

: The duo runs several "cons," including selling Ned Flanders a "personalized" Bible and posing as Ed McMahon to trick Grampa. They continue even after the car is paid off, eventually trying to scam the Retirement Castle.