Original air date: 12/2/2001
Production code: CABF-18
Thanks to Homer's temporary job as a Chinese fortune cookie writer, Mr. Burns falls in love with Gloria (voiced by Julia Louis-Dreyfus), a police officer who used to date town criminal, Snake Jailbird.
Tropes:
- All Girls Want Bad Boys: And somehow, she chose Snake over Burns.Burns: I don't get it Simpson. I'm a "Bad Boy."
Homer: Oh, I know.
Burns: I'm absolutely evil.
Bart: You're preaching to the choir, man. - Applied Phlebotinum: Burns gains the energy to actually have sex with Gloria using a rare aphrodisiac made from 'the pockets of the pocket-fox', an animal that apparently only existed for three weeks in the sixteenth century, which gave Burns a massive boost in stamina (and also gave Homer an exceptional boost for later that night with Marge).
- Asians Eat Pets: In the Chinese restaurant, the waiter asks Lisa if she wants to have a dog's nose with her bittersweet rice.
- Asian Speekee Engrish: After Mr. Burns pays for his Chinese takeout, the Chinese delivery man reminds him, in perfect English, that tipping is customary. Burns simply responds with, "Ooh, me sorry. Me no speaky Chiny!" and slams the door on him.
- Borrowed Catchphrase: Dating Mr. Burns has Gloria picking up his turns of phrase. After bowling a strike on one date, she faces Burns and Homer, tents her fingers, and lets out an "Eeeexcellent!"
- Call-Back: Burns's aphrodisiac contains similar properties as Grampa Simpson's sex-revitalizing tonic from "Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy".
- Comically Missing the Point: When Gloria compares spending time with Burns like doing it with her brother, Burns believes she's falling for him.
- Comically Small Bribe: Mr. Burns bribes Homer to play along with pretending he's young and hip with a pie. After he briefly turns away, Homer's already eating one that he grabbed off a nearby windowsill.
- Continuity Nod: Mr. Burns' past accomplishments: He ran his own casino, stole the Loch Ness Monster, got shot by a baby and blotted out the sun.
- *Crack!* "Oh, My Back!": In another display of pathetic physical weakness, Mr. Burns is unable to open his fortune cookie. A crack is then heard and Smithers congratulates him, but Burns admits that was his thumbs.
- Depending on the Artist: Because of his Obviously Evil design, the animators had difficulty showing Mr. Burns looking happy, which meant that they had to completely overhaul his design throughout the episode e.g. sometimes showing him without his eyebrows
◊. - Disproportionate Retribution: Seeing that he's in a good mood, Carl tries asking Mr. Burns for a raise, only for him to cheerfully tell Carl to clean out his desk because he's fired. Carl doesn't seem that bummed about it.Carl: Well, I had a good run.
- Double Standard Rape: Female on Male: Two strippers cornering an increasingly uncomfortable Smithers is played entirely for humor about his closeted homosexuality, even as he starts panicking from what is clearly sexual harassment for him.
- Even Evil Has Standards: Snake abandoned a telemarketing scam because he doesn't like bothering people at home.
- Is It Something You Eat?: Snake threatens to pistol whip Homer, who thinks pistol whipping means scooping whipped cream with a pistol and eating it.
- Let's See YOU Do Better!: Homer is challenged to do so after criticizing the fortunes his family reads at a Chinese restaurant. He succeeds.
- Magical Defibrillator: Burns apparently dies of old age at one point during his date with Gloria, forcing Homer to use a defibrillator on him to restart his heart. Especially notable since he had his head on Gloria's thigh, so if anything, she should have gotten a shock too.
- May–December Romance: Between Gloria and Mr. Burns. Mr. Burns is over a hundred years old and Gloria, at first, is hesitant about being involved with him because he’s much older than her.
- Pistol Whip: Snake threatens to do this to Homer, but Homer assumes that it's eating whipped cream with a pistol.
- Rich Suitor, Poor Suitor: Burns and Snake over Gloria.
- Right Through the Wall: Homer decides to try some of the rare aphrodisiac Burns uses to be able to sleep with Gloria. Cut to a lust-crazed Homer running up the stairs with Marge in his arms, then cut to the two in bed afterwards, with Marge hoping the kids didn't hear. We then see the shocked faces of Bart, Lisa, and Flanders, who's in his own bedroom.Ned: *amazed* Wow...
- Seinfeldian Conversation: Appropriately enough the episode ends this way with Mr Burns and the Simpsons discussing what a Devil beard is.
- Shout-Out: Mr. Burns and Gloria eat spaghetti like Lady and the Tramp (technically, anyway; in reality the spaghetti is being sent to Homer via a tube on the side of Mr. Burns' face).
- Strangely Specific Horoscope: One of the fortunes Homer writes is "Your store is being robbed, Apu." The one Mr. Burns receives (which kicks off the main plot) reads "You will find true love on Flag Day." Coincidentally, he receives it on Flag Day and leaves home promptly to find love.
