The family is enjoying their dinner when Mr. Burns calls Homer to invite him to a basketball game, having been turned down by a long list of Springfield residents and celebrities when he made the offer to them.
The Pin Pals perform well in competition and secure a berth for the state finals in Capital City, but develop a rivalry with a team of investment bankers called the Fund Bunch.
Bart quickly takes a liking to their callous psychological manipulation and bullying of others, while Lisa allies herself with a geeky team called the Number Crunchers to find weaknesses in their character that she can exploit.
The Fund Bunch arranges for the Pin Pals to take a zero-gravity plane flight, during which Homer struggles to float inside the cabin due to his weight while the others do so easily.
Azaria really is quite affecting as Moe, even though lines like ‘I just gotta go back to the worst thing in the world—bein’ me’ rely more on performance and character history for their effect, rather than the meager motivation they’re given in the episode.
And credit where it’s due, as rehashes go, 'Singin In The Lane' isn’t the stone bummer last season’s long-delayed return to Kamp Krusty was.