Episode 2F20
Written by Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein
Directed by Wes Archer
Special guest voice: Tito Puente (as himself)

Premise: Mr Burns is still alive - and now it's up to Chief Wiggum to apprehend the murderer. Prime suspect Smithers is in the clear - and Simpson DNA is found on Mr Burns' suit.

Features: Smithers, Mr Burns, Kent Brockman, Lou and Eddie, Ned Flanders, Chief Wiggum, Grampa, Moe, Barney, Carl, the two barflies, Snake, Bumblebee Man, Groundskeeper Willie, Otto, Krusty, Principal Skinner, Lenny, Dr Colossus, Sideshow Mel, Jasper, Superintendent Chalmers, Spotty Boy, Dr Nick Riviera, Apu.

Couch: The Simpsons rush in - and find themselves lined up for a mug shot.

Trivia:

• Sideshow Mel gives his full name as Melvin van Home.
• The DNA test displays many family names of Springfield characters and members of the production team.

Homage: The opening of the episode recalls the infamous first episode of Dallas' 1986 season, in which Pam Ewing found her dead husband Bobby alive and well and showering, which led to the revelation that the entirety of the previous season had been a dream. Smithers' dream about himself and Mr Burns in Speedway Squad mirrors the sixties American series Mod Squad.

Groundskeeper Willie's interrogation pays homage to Sharon Stone's interrogation in Basic Instinct (Paul Verhoeven, 1992). Chief Wiggum's surreal dream is a tribute to the similar dream experienced by Kyle McLachlan investigating the murder of Laura Palmer in Twin Peaks. Homer's escape recalls the crashing prison train from The Fugitive.

Notes for Brits: Smithers' confession, 'I'm not a Catholic - but, well, I tried to march in the St Patrick's Day Parade,' is a reference to the furore surrounding the banning of gay organisations from New York's parade in 1995.

Song: Señor Burns, the vengeful mambo performed by Tito Puente and his Latin Jazz Ensemble.

Notes: A superb conclusion. And the solution isn't disappointing at all.