The Secret War of Lisa Simpson

Last updated

"The Secret War of Lisa Simpson"
The Simpsons episode
Episode no.Season 8
Episode 25
Directed by Mike B. Anderson [1]
Written by Richard Appel [1]
Production code4F21
Original air dateMay 18, 1997 (1997-05-18)
Guest appearance
Episode features
Couch gag The living room is shown upside down. The Simpsons sit down, but fall to the floor (the true ceiling). [1]
Commentary Matt Groening
Josh Weinstein
Yeardley Smith
Mike B. Anderson
Episode chronology
← Previous
"The Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase"		Next →
"The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson"
The Simpsons season 8
List of episodes

"The Secret War of Lisa Simpson" is the twenty-fifth episode and the season finale of the eighth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons . It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 18, 1997. Bart gets sent to a military academy as punishment for bad behavior. While visiting the academy, Lisa sees that the school is far more challenging than hers and she decides that she wants to attend as well. It was directed by Mike B. Anderson, written by Richard Appel and featured Willem Dafoe in a guest spot as the school's commandant. [1]

Contents

Plot

After a day watching mind-numbing videos in class, Lisa worries that her education is not challenging enough. Bart's class goes on a field trip to the Springfield Police Department, where Bart finds a room with several megaphones. By placing them all end-to-end and speaking into one, he amplifies his voice enough to create a sonic shock wave that shatters all the glass in Springfield. Chief Wiggum suggests sending Bart to military school to correct his behavior. Under the ruse they are going to Disneyland, Homer and Marge drive the kids to Rommelwood Military School; while visiting a poetry class, Lisa decides to enroll as well in order to experience the challenge she seeks. Homer and Marge reluctantly agree to her plan and depart, ignoring Bart's pleas to let him come home.

As the school's first female cadet, Lisa is assigned a barracks to herself, angering the corps of cadets. After she and Bart endure hazing, Bart is eventually accepted by the other cadets and distances himself from his sister. Lonely, Lisa considers going home, but decides to see it through. As the school year comes to a close, the Commandant reveals the final test for the students: the "Eliminator", a hand-over-hand crawl across a rope suspended high above thorn bushes. Lisa fears she will not be able to complete the task, but Bart helps her train in secret.

On the day of the test, Lisa is the last to cross the Eliminator. She loses her grip on the rope and is in danger of falling as the cadets jeer her, but Bart cheers her on and she successfully completes the task. The other cadets vow to make the rest of the semester unbearable for Bart, but realize that their graduation ceremony is only three hours away. The Commandant awards Lisa a medal engraved "For Satisfactory Completion of the Second Grade". Homer and Marge drive Lisa and Bart to the dentist's office, once again under the false pretense of going to Disneyland.

Production

Richard Appel wrote the episode. Richard Appel by Gage Skidmore 2.jpg
Richard Appel wrote the episode.

The episode was written by Richard Appel, but the idea of Bart and Lisa attending a military academy had previously been pitched, and had been floating around since 1991. [2] The idea had not yet been used as an episode plot, because the writers had not felt comfortable with taking Bart and Lisa to a strange place early in the series. Because this is the season finale, Yeardley Smith returned to the series for the first time since "In Marge We Trust" since she caught the flu after recording her lines in that episode, despite having brief lines recorded at home and being credited in the previous episodes "Homer's Enemy" and "The Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase".

During the scene where the Commandant is talking, there is a brief shot of Lisa blinking. As there had been an error in the final print of the episode, the shot was animated, painted and shot on May 16, 1997, the Friday before the episode's airdate. [3] The spiky blond-haired boy, who runs towards the Eliminator while screaming, is a caricature of director Mike B. Anderson. [3]

Reception

The episode originally aired on May 18, 1997, as the season finale, along with a rerun of "The Springfield Files." [4] The episode was mistakenly anticipated by some as being about Lisa launching "a legal battle" to enroll at the military school. [4] In its original broadcast, "The Secret War of Lisa Simpson" finished 47th in ratings for the week of May 12–18, 1997, with a Nielsen rating of 8.3, equivalent to approximately 8.1 million viewing households. It was the second highest-rated show on the Fox network that week, following The X-Files . [5]

Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, the authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, disliked the episode, writing that it was "very dull" and that Dafoe was not used well. [1] However, Dafoe is one of show runner Josh Weinstein's favorite guest stars. [2] Ian Johnson argued Dafoe's casting was "rare" and "somewhat offbeat". [6]

Journalist Raju Mudhar also wrote that in this episode, "The Simpsons have succinctly laid out our eventual future." This referred to the rise of robots in the real world and the quote from this episode:

"The wars of the future will not be fought on the battlefield or at sea. They will be fought in space, or possibly on top of a very tall mountain. In either case, most of the actual fighting will be done by small robots. And as you go forth today remember always your duty is clear: To build and maintain those robots." [7]

Merchandise

The episode was one of four in 1999 released on a VHS (Re-released on DVD in 2005) called Bart Wars focused on crosses between The Simpsons and Star Wars . However, one critic wrote that with this episode and "Marge Be Not Proud" and "Dog of Death," both of which are also on the DVD, the "Star Wars connection" is "tangential at best." [8]

Related Research Articles

Marjorie Jacqueline "Marge" Simpson (née Bouvier) is a character in the American animated sitcom The Simpsons and part of the eponymous family. Voiced by Julie Kavner, she first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Marge was created and designed by cartoonist Matt Groening while he was waiting in the lobby of James L. Brooks' office. Groening had been called to pitch a series of shorts based on Life in Hell but instead decided to create a new set of characters. He based the character on his mother Margaret Groening. After appearing on The Tracey Ullman Show for three seasons, the Simpson family received their own series on Fox, which debuted December 17, 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reverend Lovejoy</span> Fictional character and singer from The Simpsons franchise

Reverend Timothy "Tim" Lovejoy, Jr. is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Harry Shearer, and first appeared in the episode "The Telltale Head".

"Moaning Lisa" is the sixth episode of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 11, 1990. The episode was written by Al Jean and Mike Reiss, and was directed by Wes Archer. Ron Taylor guest stars in the episode as Bleeding Gums Murphy. The episode deals with Lisa's depression and her attempts to sublimate it by playing her saxophone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homer's Phobia</span> 15th episode of the 8th season of The Simpsons

"Homer's Phobia" is the fifteenth episode of the eighth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 16, 1997. In the episode, Homer dissociates himself from new family friend John after discovering that John is gay. Homer particularly fears that his son Bart will become gay if Bart spends time with John, so Homer decides to do hypermasculine activities with Bart, believing the activities will ensure Bart turns out to be heterosexual.

"Bart on the Road" is the twentieth episode of the seventh season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 31, 1996. In the episode, Bart makes his own fake driver's license and takes Milhouse, Martin, and Nelson on a road trip that goes awry, and Lisa has to help them get back home after they become stranded far away from Springfield.

"Marge Be Not Proud" is the eleventh episode of the seventh season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 17, 1995, exactly six years after the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". In the episode, Marge refuses to buy Bart the new video game Bonestorm, so he steals it from a local discount store. Bart is estranged from his mother after he gets caught, so he works to regain her love and trust.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trilogy of Error</span> 18th episode of the 12th season of The Simpsons

"Trilogy of Error" is the eighteenth episode of the twelfth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 266th episode overall. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 29, 2001. In the episode, Homer's rush to the hospital to re-attach his severed thumb, Lisa's rush to school to win the science fair, and Bart's run-in with an illegal fireworks scheme are interconnected as each act tells the events of the same day, but from a different point of view.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lisa's First Word</span> 10th episode of the 4th season of The Simpsons

"Lisa's First Word" is the tenth episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It was first broadcast on the Fox network in the United States on December 3, 1992. In the episode, as the Simpson family gathers around Maggie and tries to encourage her to say her first word, Marge reminisces and tells the story of Lisa's first word. Maggie's first word is voiced by Elizabeth Taylor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simpson family</span> Family of five fictional characters in animation series The Simpsons

The Simpson family are the main fictional characters featured in the animated television series The Simpsons. The Simpsons are a nuclear family consisting of married couple Homer and Marge and their three children, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. They live at 742 Evergreen Terrace in the fictional town of Springfield, United States, and they were created by cartoonist Matt Groening, who conceived the characters after his own family members, substituting "Bart" for his own name. The family debuted on Fox on April 19, 1987, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" and were later spun off into their own series, which debuted on Fox in the U.S. on December 17, 1989, and started airing in Winter 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lisa Gets an "A"</span> 7th episode of the 10th season of The Simpsons

"Lisa Gets an 'A'" is the seventh episode of the tenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 22, 1998. In the episode, Lisa cheats on a test for which she fails to study and receives an A+++ grade, but becomes guilt-ridden. In the subplot, Homer buys a lobster with the intention of fattening him up to eat, but he bonds with the crustacean and keeps him as a pet named Pinchy.

"Last Tap Dance in Springfield" is the twentieth episode of the eleventh season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 7, 2000. In the episode, Lisa decides to sign up for tap dancing lessons after being inspired by a film about a girl who enters a tango contest and wins. Meanwhile, Bart and Milhouse hide out at the mall to escape going to summer camp. "Last Tap Dance in Springfield" was written by Julie Thacker, who based it on her own experiences with dance classes.

"Home Sweet Homediddly-Dum-Doodily" is the third episode of the seventh season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 1, 1995. In the episode, the Simpson children are put in foster care at Ned and Maude Flanders' house. Homer and Marge are forced to attend a parenting class to get their children back.

"Selma's Choice" is the thirteenth episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 21, 1993. In the episode, Selma decides to have a baby, inspired by her late aunt's advice that she not spend her life alone. She experiences what life with children is like by taking Bart and Lisa to the Duff Gardens amusement park, which does not go as planned.

"Itchy & Scratchy Land" is the fourth episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 2, 1994. Wanting a perfect family vacation, the Simpson family visits Itchy & Scratchy Land.

"Bart After Dark" is the fifth episode of the eighth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 24, 1996. After accidentally breaking a stone gargoyle at a local house, Bart is forced to work there as punishment. He assumes it will be boring work, but is surprised when he learns that it is actually a burlesque house. Marge is horrified when she learns of the burlesque house, and resolves to have it shut down. The episode was directed by Dominic Polcino and written by Richard Appel.

"Duffless" is the sixteenth episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 18, 1993. Homer gets arrested for drunk driving, and Marge asks him to stop drinking beer for a month. Meanwhile, after Bart ruins Lisa's science fair project, she attempts to get revenge by proving that he is dumber than a hamster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Appel</span> American writer and producer (born 1963)

Richard James Appel is an American writer, producer and former attorney. Since 2012, he has served as an executive producer and co-showrunner of Family Guy on Fox. He attended Harvard University and Harvard Law School. As an undergraduate, he wrote for the Harvard Lampoon.

<i>The Simpsons</i> season 8 Season of television series

The eighth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons originally aired on the Fox network between October 27, 1996, and May 18, 1997, beginning with "Treehouse of Horror VII". The showrunners for the eighth production season were Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein, while the season was produced by Gracie Films and 20th Century Fox Television. The broadcast season contained two episodes with 3F-series production codes, indicating that were hold-over episodes from the seventh production season, and two episodes with 3G-series production codes, which have never been explicitly confirmed to be part of any specific production season

<i>The Simpsons</i> opening sequence Opening sequence of the TV series The Simpsons

The Simpsonsopening sequence is the title sequence of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It is accompanied by "The Simpsons Theme". The first episode to use this introduction was the series' second episode "Bart the Genius".

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "The Secret War of Lisa Simpson". BBC.co.uk. Archived from the original on March 11, 2005. Retrieved April 13, 2007.
  2. 1 2 Weinstein, Josh (2006). The Simpsons season 8 DVD commentary for the episode "The Secret War of Lisa Simpson" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  3. 1 2 Anderson, Mike B. (2006). The Simpsons season 8 DVD commentary for the episode "The Secret War of Lisa Simpson" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  4. 1 2 Helm, Richard (April 27, 1997). "TV gets spring refresher; From myth to mobsters, sweeps give TV four- week tweek". Edmonton Journal . p. C.2.
  5. ↑ "Super Mario gives CBS ratings edge". Sun-Sentinel. Associated Press. May 22, 1997. p. 4E. Archived from the original on January 23, 2022. Retrieved January 23, 2022.
  6. ↑ Johnston, Ian (April 27, 1997). "TV's great cameo cavalcade! The sitcoms are pulling out the big (and old) guns to get you watching this sweeps week". Daily News. Halifax, Nova Scotia. p. 40.
  7. ↑ Mudhar, Raju (March 11, 2006). "Even robots need to let off steam; Homemade bots get in the ring Sumo challenge an annual event". Toronto Star . p. H.03.
  8. ↑ "Mark Hamill advises Homer to 'use the forks' in new Simpsons release". National Post . May 14, 2005. p. TO.32.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.