The Simpsons react with dismay as a seemingly endless parade of reality TV programming dances across the airwaves. Bart suggests the family invest in a satellite dish so they’ll have more channels. It isn’t long before the family is watching the NBC news live feed, a Japanese version of Friends and the Clock Channel, featuring a ticking analog clock. Homer and Bart find themselves hopelessly hooked. The addiction becomes so chronic that Bart fails to study for an upcoming test at school. Inside the Springfield Elementary auditorium, Principal Skinner invites Lisa to join him onstage. He announces that Lisa did so well on a standardized test that she’s being promoted to the 3rd grade. Lisa is overwhelmed. Skinner then announces that Bart did so poorly, he’s being sent back to the 3 rd grade. The crowd of students assembled in the auditorium erupts in laughter.

The 3 rd grade teacher, Mrs. McConnell, introduces Lisa and Bart to the class. Lisa attempts to make friends, introducing herself as the son of Bumblebee Man, who makes an embarrassing appearance in the classroom. As the lesson for the day progresses, it becomes apparent that Lisa finds the new curriculum challenging, while Bart, who has already gone through the 3 rd grade, finds it redundant. Concluding that Bart is the better student, Mrs. McConnell moves Lisa and Bart’s desk together…and tells Lisa to stay close to her big brother until she catches up. Lisa is mortified. She grows more horrified when Bart gets a better grade on a test…the product of Bart having cheated. Lisa begins sobbing. Later, the 3 rd grade class embarks on a field trip to Capital City, and Bart and Lisa are paired up, much to their mutual disgust. The class makes it way to the state legislature, where the Capital City Goofball—who married into the Kennedy family—suggests it’s time for the state flag to be redesigned. Inspired, Mrs. McConnell instructs her students to design a new state flag. Lisa rises to the occasion and designs a flag featuring a sunrise and two stick figures holding hands. The motto reads, “To Fraternal Love.” She shows her handiwork to Bart…and an evil look crosses his face.

Later, when Mrs. McConnell unfurls the flag in front of Governor Bailey, it becomes apparent that Bart switched Lisa’s flag for his own design, which features a “mooning butt” and the motto, “Learn to Fart.” As Lisa and Bart throttle one another, the school bus pulls away without them. The children attempt to make their way home by cutting through some woods, but they end up hopelessly lost. As day turns into night, Bart rummages through his backpack and puts his “Learn to Fart” flag around Lisa to keep her warm. Soon after, Bart and Lisa make apologize for the way they’ve been behaving. Some hillbillies happen upon the pair and drive them back into town in their old jalopy. Principal Skinner announces that “nothing works better than the status quo,” and promotes Bart back to the 4 th grade. He then offers Lisa the chance to return to the 2 nd grade…and she eagerly accepts.