"I will not burp in class."
The fourth episode of The Simpsons shows the stark difference in how the characters were at the beginning and how they would eventually be just a season or two later. In this episode, Homer takes his family to Mr. Burns' employee picnic. He is uncharacteristically nervous about how his family will act at the party and asks them to behave themselves.
His wishes are not fulfilled by his family; Marge uncharacteristically drinks too much wine and embarrasses herself. Bart and Lisa are no better. Bizarrely enough, Homer is the one who sees his family as demons who need help to act better.
Sensing that the family needs help, Homer decides to pawn the family's television to pay for family counseling, an uncharacteristic sacrifice he makes to improve the family. It doesn't work, though the family so infuriates the psychologist he refunds twice what the family paid for their session just to get them to leave. The family is proud that it has really earned its brand new television- better than the one that was pawned.
