The story of Maggie's birth is told in flashbacks: after Homer quits the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant to pursue his dream of working at a bowling alley, Marge reveals that she is pregnant.

Bart helps precipitate a teachers strike, but he rues his handiwork when Marge takes over for Mrs. Krabappel.

A chance encounter with a former classmate yields an invitation to the Springfield Country Club, where Marge tries to parlay a bargain basement Chanel suit into elevated social status for her family.

Bart and Milhouse wonder if anything interesting happens to the citizens of Springfield, which leads to a series of interconnected vignettes.

Marge's new pretzel franchise is failing until Homer strikes a deal with Fat Tony, Springfield's local mobster.