13 Homer and Apu

At the Kwik-E-Mart, Apu is selling items to customers at outrageous prices, like normal. Apu scribbles out the best before date and then lowers the price on expired ham from 1989 instead of throwing it out. Homer buys the meat, eats it, and contracts food poisoning. After recovering, Homer returns to the Kwik-E-Mart to complain, and Apu gives him two five-pound buckets of expired shrimp to placate him. Homer eats the shrimp and gets the same symptoms. Whilst recovering at home, Homer sees the investigative news program Bite Back with Kent Brockman, hosted by Channel 6 journalist Kent Brockman. Lisa gives him the idea to get the show to investigate the Kwik-E-Mart. Kent gives Homer a giant novelty hat containing a spy camera to expose Apu for selling expired food. Though Homer almost immediately abandons the hat after mistaking the buzzing of the machinery as a bee, the camera catches Apu placing a hotdog in the bain-marie that he had recently dropped on the ground. Apu is immediately fired by his company (even though he actually follows the company "ethics"), and is replaced by actor James Woods, who is doing research for a role in an upcoming film.

After being fired, Apu appears at the Simpsons home, acting like he's about to strangle Homer, but this turns out to be the bizarre traditional form of apology of Apu's village, because he thinks that he is in debt to Homer for selling him expired food, and helping him would pay off his debt of karma. At first, Homer is reluctant to accept his help, as "karma can only be portioned out by the cosmos!", but as time goes by, the family begins to love Apu and his dutiful behavior (especially after he helps Marge buy products in another market, and cooks an exotic Indian dinner for the family). However, Apu misses his job at the Kwik-E-Mart, so Homer decides to help him by accompanying him to the Kwik-E-Mart head office in India. Once they arrive, they meet with the head of the Kwik-E-Mart corporation, who says that they can ask him three questions. Unfortunately, Homer wastes the three questions ("Are you really the head of the Kwik-E-Mart?!", "Really?!", and "You?!"), and the head of the Kwik-E-Mart does not help Apu with his problems. An enraged Apu chokes Homer (which is mistaken for another apology) before they return home disappointed.

When they get home to Springfield, Apu decides to return to the Kwik-E-Mart to "face his demons". A robber bursts into the store and shoots at Woods, but Apu saves him by jumping in front of the bullet. At the hospital, Dr. Hibbert says that Apu survived because the bullet ricocheted off another bullet that was lodged in his chest from a previous robbery. Eternally grateful, Woods gives Apu his job back, and goes away to fight against extraterrestrial beings in his next 'movie'.