mfunk9786 wrote:What do folks around here think of Lisa's Substitute? I thought it was widely going to be a shoo-in for high list placement, but seeing Dom's season breakdown from his initial list and not seeing much discussion of it leads me to believe that because it languishes in Season 2, it may be somewhat overlooked. It's the only episode of this show (okay, aside from Homer's Triple Bypass - that perfect animation of Homer at the end, looking exhausted and vulnerable, hit very close to home) that has managed to make me cry. That's gotta be worth something, right?
Lisa's Substitute is my favorite episode. I think it's structured unusually well; the way the A and B-stories coalesce with Lisa and Bergstrom watching Bart's rally down below is a perfect evocation of the difference between those two characters at their best. My favorite moment, cut in syndication, is when Lisa serenades Mr. Bergstrom on the saxophone. It makes me cry too, though not as much as the endings of
Bart Gets an F and
Bart vs. Thanksgiving (every fucking time). One interesting thing about it, pointed out by somebody else years ago on alt.tv.simpsons, is that Homer's resolution to his kids' three problems is really pretty superficial and the conflict between Homer and Lisa isn't totally resolved by their making up at the end.
Lisa's Wedding, in which she truly seems to accept what she's perceived as her dad's shortcomings, provides a sort of closure to this.
Lisa is my favorite character and I think
Lisa's Substitute,
Lisa's Wedding and
Summer of 4 Ft. 2 -- for me, the last truly great episode -- will all be in my top ten or even five.
Incidentally, I rewatched
Principal Charming a few days ago. Had forgotten how funny and, well, charming it was, and how well developed Patty and Selma are as characters, probably the first time they didn't serve as flat archetypes. Talking of great, human animation, I love the shot of Patty snoring on the couch after Homer gets home from the barbecue.