Episode 5 - Lisa Simpson, This Isn't Your Life
17 November 2010
Synopsis: Lisa doesn't want to turn into Marge and so takes steps to rid her life of distractions. Marge goes to great lengths to get Lisa into Cloisters Academy. A series of coincidences lead the children at school to think Bart is beating up Nelson and they are both disturbed by the turn of events. Homer tries to find a special doll which Maggie wants.
The Good: It's been so long since The Simpsons got anywhere near real emotions that this episode was a very pleasant surprise. Marge is upset at the thought that Lisa looks down on her life. Lisa responds that she respects everything Marge does but "it's just not for me." It was a genuine poignant moment that anyone could relate to. Of course Marge wants Lisa to succeed but being seen as somehow inadequate by your own child is really sad.
Lisa's desire to escape her lowbrow town is also entirely relatable. The way she cast aside all distractions was sensible storytelling, especially the little moment where she throws out her saxophone, making it clear how serious she was. The move to Cloisters Academy set up the obvious conclusion where Marge would prove to Lisa that she is an exceptional mother and demonstrate the qualities worth emulating.
The other two stories worked well alongside the Lisa plot. Homer proved to be a more adequate parent than usual by seeking out Maggie's desired toy despite the effort he had to expend. Marge's parenting also saved Bart from a beating when she gave him the positive tools to disarm Nelson's anger. All three stories had the effect of showing off Marge and Homer as good parents and their children as being fortunate despite their poor economic situation.
But that is just the bare bones of why this worked. What really made this stand out as an enjoyable episode was the little details which the writers have long ignored. This really felt like a slice of the Simpsons life. So many stories now feel like implausibly silly adventures that have no connection to reality. Whereas these three plots all felt like a part of normal life. They also connected together chronologically. Instead of feeling like a distraction, Bart's bullying story was simply presented as what he was up to while Lisa was busy studying. Similarly Maggie's story hung in the background well. The shot of her trying to complete her doll set with other toys was a clever way of keeping that plot in the background while Lisa took centre stage. Then you had Homer being more connected to the story without taking it over. Instead of being absent from scenes which didn't necessarily involve him, he was always there. As you would expect he was there at Cloisters Academy to meet the principal, he was there to tuck in Lisa while Marge was doing the laundry and he was there at night to talk to Marge about their kids.
The humour was gentle throughout but as is so often the case, when it flowed out of the plot it was more enjoyable than when it's shoehorned in. I liked Principal Skinner buying awards from other schools to fill up the trophy cabinet. And I also enjoyed Marge's complete misreading of how tough Milhouse and Nelson were. There was something very believable about a parent having false impressions like that and of course Bart's irritated cry of "It's not Milhouse!" Again that scene worked particularly well because she was driving him to school as Lisa had caught a different school bus and perhaps needed to be dropped elsewhere.
The Bad: Despite all that praise the story wasn't as complete as it might have been. Lisa didn't verbalise the obvious moral of the story that Marge's values were worth her admiration. It would also have made the whole episode stronger if Bart's bullying advice had been linked in to why Marge is such an exceptional mother. Perhaps she too could have suggested a method for Homer to get Maggie's doll which would have put a bow on the whole thing. That could also have demonstrated to Lisa that Homer too has value and has enhanced not entirely stunted Marge's life.
I didn't like Principal Skinner telling Lisa that she would turn out just like her mother. Skinner, despite his faults, has always been a good educator. He should be pushing her to succeed and go to college, especially as that would reflect well on him. Homer's waste of gas montage was kind of funny but it made no sense that Marge would let him waste it or their money.
Best Joke: A nice Homer moment came as he tried to explain Lisa's feelings about her future without offending Marge: "She does not want to...turnout like...you...didn't...not till...diplomatic...trapped...help...remember nothing!"
The Bottom Line: There were no silly adventures here. There was nothing implausible going on. This was just a straightforward family story and it worked. The Simpsons don't have original stories left but when they find the right sentiment there's still something there.
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