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Revision as of 23:01, 29 November 2006 by Zoicon5 (talk | contribs) (→Quotes)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) Episode of the 6th season of The Simpsons| "Lisa's Rival" | |
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| The Simpsons episode | |
| File:1f17.jpg | |
| Episode no. | Season 6 |
| Directed by | Mark Kirkland |
| Written by | Mike Scully |
| Original air dates | September 11, 1994 |
| Episode features | |
| Chalkboard gag | "No one is interested in my underpants." |
| Couch gag | The family swims to the couch. |
| Episode chronology | |
| The Simpsons season 6 | |
| List of episodes | |
"Lisa's Rival" is the second episode of The Simpsons' sixth season.
Synopsis
Lisa feels as if she's going to have to work a little bit more now that a new student, Allison Taylor (voiced by Winona Ryder), has arrived at Springfield Elementary. Allison is as smart or smarter than Lisa, younger (having skipped a grade) and like Lisa, a young master of the saxophone.
Regardless, Lisa tries to be her friend, though she battles her envy and jealousy. It comes to a climax during Springfield Elementary's annual "Diorama-rama", a competition in which the students build dioramas. Allison chose and constructed her project early: a scene from The Tell-Tale Heart, by Edgar Allan Poe. With Bart's help and prodding, Lisa decides to sabotage Allison's entry by switching Allison's diorama with a one containing a rotten cow's heart. When Principal Skinner not only criticizes the diorama but begin to question Allison's overall qualifications, Lisa's guilt overcomes her and she confesses to the switch.
Lisa and Allison both lose to Ralph Wiggum, whose diorama consisted of a box of Star Wars action figures, objects of sentimental value to Principal Skinner. In the end Lisa and Allison put aside their differences and become friends as they walk away, picking up Ralph along the way to hang out with them after he accidentally trips and breaks his action figures (saying two of his more well known lines, "I bent my Wookiee," and "My cat's breath smells like cat food.").
A secondary story arc follows Homer after he encounters and then steals hundreds of pounds of sugar he finds at the site of a truck accident. The sugar attracts bees from the local bee hive whose owners try to buy the bees back but at the last moment it starts raining, the suger melts and the bees go away.
Trivia
- According to the DVD audio commentary for the episode, the Northridge earthquake occurred during the production of this episode. It also notes that Conan O'Brien, who by this time had left the show, suggested having an episode about a rival for Lisa (though it was only the basic concept and not the story line that came from O'Brien).
- Although Allison is seen very often after this episode, she never has a distinct speaking role again. She does have a minute role in Lard of the Dance though.
Cultural References
- Marge reads Love in the Time of Scurvy, a reference to Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Love in the Time of Cholera.
- Homer's line of "I'm going to need a bigger drill" after smashing Marge's camera is a reference to the film Jaws where Roy Scheider's character says "We're going to need a bigger boat" after getting his first glance at the size of the titular shark.
- The episode references the movie The Fugitive in the scene where Milhouse is thought to be a criminal on America's Most Wanted. Later, Milhouse is at the end of a drainpipe on the top of a dam being gunned down by an FBI agent resembling Tommy Lee Jones
- The episode also references the backup artists of popular music groups. Known as "The Second Best Band" the band includes Art Garfunkel, Jim Messina, John Oates, and Lisa Simpson. The song they play is called "Born to Runner-up," a reference to the popular song, "Born to Run".
- Homer's "In America" speech while guarding his sugar pile is a direct reference to Scarface.
- Lisa has a scene similar to the main character of Edgar Allen Poe's story, The Tell-Tale Heart.
Quotes
- Ralph: My cat's breath smells like cat food.
- Marge: Homer, when are you going to give up this crazy sugar scheme?
Homer: Never, Marge! Never. I can't live the button-down life like you. I want it all: the terrifying lows, the dizzying highs, the creamy middles. Sure, I might offend a few of the bluenoses with my cocky stride and musky odors -- oh, I'll never be the darling of the so-called "City Fathers" who cluck their tongues, stroke their beards, and talk about "What's to be done with this Homer Simpson?"