Stan realizes his own weight problem after he criticizes Steve about his new, overweight girlfriend, so he goes overboard with exercising, and develops anorexia. Steve realizes that his overweight girlfriend is the root of his father's problems, and he has to make a hard choice in an effort to save his father's life.
Peter's mom gets a divorce. Peter feels abandoned until he sees a father figure in his mom's new boyfriend, Tom Tucker. Meanwhile, Brian gets his own NPR style show on the radio.
When Bart has problems with acting out, Marge and Homer take him to a child psychiatrist, who suggests that Bart should taking up drumming. Bart turns out to be a natural with the drums and much to the chagrin of Lisa; Bart is approached by jazz musicians, who want him in their band. Meanwhile, Lisa turns to rescuing animals as a way to deal with her jealousy and depression, over not being a member of a jazz band herself.