The opening scene of this episode reveals that Bart has been treating customers dishonestly, as always. Bart's advertising is misleading, he is impolite to store patrons, and his prices are still outrageous. Cryin' Bryan Dern records Bart admitting much of this, and Dern happily exclaims how "the Electric Palace is going down," and how he will be going after Bart in his next program. This scene serves its purpose. The opening scene is intended to capture listeners' attention and draw them into the story right away. For me, the scene does just that. Dern has attacked many people on his show in the past: Jimmy Barclay, Edwin, Tom, and Whit, just to name a few. It was a unique idea for Dern to go after Bart on a show.
After Bart finds out about Dern's program, Bart goes to Whit for support. Whit tells Bart that Dern wasn't altogether wrong in his accusations. Eugene and Whit decide to allow Bart to intern at Whit's End for a while, in order for Bart to gain a better understanding of how to treat customers. This was not a move I would have expected from Whit. I know he is a kind and forgiving man, but Whit knows Bart to well. Bart has had poor business practices since the Electric Palace opened, and it isn't likely he'll change now. Nevertheless, hearing Bart work at Whit's End made the show more enjoyable and humorous, particularly in the scene between Bart and Tom. Besides, it's always a pleasure to hear Walker Edminston act in a scene with Bart and Tom engaged in conversation with each other.
Of course it wasn't surprising, but Whit's End didn't help Bart change into a better person. After leaving Whit's End, Bart records an interview with Dern, in which Dern gives much evidence to support his attacks on Bart and his business. However, the topic of the evening's Cryin' Bryan Dern Show is changed to a charity program called "Cans for Caner" at the last minute. This is apparently a program Whit is very involved in, and it reminded me of Jack Allen's "Food for the Hungry" program from years ago.
Something that pleased me was the fact that this episode provided a peek into the life of Bart, who hadn't been the focus of an episode yet this season. It also included Cryin' Bryan Dern, a humorous character which I enjoy hearing on AIO from time to time. The only character that I was displeased with was Rodney. For some reason he sounded exceptionally whiney and annoying in this show. I think it's time he matured and grew up a bit. On the other hand, it was a treat to hear another classic argument between Rodney and Bart, including the famous "Don't call me Pop" line.
I was also pleased that this episode had a theme: the Golden Rule. That is, of course, a very solid Biblical concept. However, while the idea is mentioned a few times, I didn't think the episode quite gets the message of this theme across. The show didn't seem quite focused on the lesson.
While this story is somewhat similar to "Changing Rodney" and other past episodes, many of the ideas in it are very original, and the story is quite enjoyable. However, I think I'm starting to agree with those AIO fans that believe the writers should move away from shows about how dishonest Bart is with his business. No matter what, Bart always treats his customers poorly, and he never changes. This idea has brought about several great stories, but the idea is losing its appeal. I'm also wondering why anyone in Odyssey still shops at the Electric Palace. Bart seems to be getting worse and worse with his business practices, and it seems odd that people would continue to shop at his store. Of course, this may be another element I must simply accept, understanding that everything in AIO can't be explained.
Overall, the show wasn't flawless, but it was still enjoyable. I was especially pleased with the treat of hearing from Bart and Rodney again, as well as Cryin' Bryan Dern. The wonderful acting and hilarious dialogue also added to my enjoyment of the show. My rating for "A Cheater Cheated" is 3 out of 5 stars.