Bart and Lisa are trying to get out of yard work. When Colonel Tex's carnival comes to town, Homer takes the family. He keeps talking about how much he admires carnies even though they are sleazy and rat-like. He meets a father (Cooder) and son working the ring toss game. Cooder tricks him, as Homer is really, really stupid in this episode. Tex is displaying Hitler's Mercedes, and Bart cannot resist getting behind the wheel. When Bart wrecks it, Homer and Bart agree to work until they repay the debt. They have to do a bunch of unpleasant work. When Cooder has to go to an AA meeting with his son, Homer and Bart take their place at the ring toss game. Wiggum drops by for a bribe, and Homer is too stupid to negotiate with him so Wiggum shuts down the game. When Cooder returns, he learns that he is out of a job. Conforming to the carny code, they allow Cooder and son to stay at their house. Cooder is so appreciative to Marge and Homer that he gives them tickets for a boat ride. When they return from their trip, they find the windows boarded up and Cooder and his son squatting in their house. The family has to stay in the tree house, since Chief Wiggum is holding a grudge and refusing to help them. They devise a plan to trick Cooder and get the house back (one that DOESN'T involve setting the house on fire). When they succeed life will return to normal, well as normal as it can be for this family.

After seeing that Luanne is depressed, Hank volunteers to buy her some hand puppets at a rummage sale. Luanne starts doing a Christian puppet show, The Manger Babies. Hank agrees to play God in the televised version of the puppet show. When it turns out that the show will be on at the same time as the Super Bowl, Hank has to choose between helping Luanne or watching the game.

When a teenage boy is suspected of killing his father by burying him alive, Mulder and Scully head to Michigan to examine the death. The father was more than twice the size of his son and evidence is found that the boy could have had help. However, Mulder believes that the boy is innocent.