Bart the General

Season 1, Episode 5, Aired
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Episode Summary

Bart begins to have troubles with Nelson Muntz, the school bully, and is forced to take drastic measures to deal with his problem.
8.5
out of 10
EPISODE RATING: Great
445 votes
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Cast & Crew

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Fan Episode Reviews (45)

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  • Perfect

    10
    "Perfect"
    By jmbsonic555, Oct 17, 2011 Report Abuse
    The episode begins inside the Simpson's kitchen before school where Lisa is baking cupcakes to bring to Miss Hoover at school. Homer and Bart think Lisa is trying to butter up her teacher but she is just being nice. On the school bus Lisa makes Bart suck up to her in exchange for a cupcake. Once at the schoolyard Lisa shows off her cupcakes to her friends and one of Nelson's minions steals the cupcakes away and begins to eat them. Bart comes over to Lisa's rescue and attacks the bully. Nelson then comes over to break up the fight; he picks up Bart by the shirt collar with Bart blindly swinging. One of Bart's punches lands and gives Nelson a bloody nose. Everyone gasps after seeing what Bart has unwittingly done. Nelson tells Bart he will get him after school. Inside the classroom a worried Bart daydreams about the showdown with Nelson after school. In the dream there is nothing Bart can do to defeat Nelson. Milhouse wakes Bart up in time to go to lunch. In the lunchroom everyone hails Bart as a hero. A modest and nervous Bart downplays the situation. Nelson walks up to a trembling Bart to remind him about the fight after school. Back in the classroom Bart daydreams again this time about his own funeral in which his family mourns him, and Nelson pounds him one last time. After school a nervous Bart darts around the playground hoping to avoid Nelson. Bart turns a corner only to see Nelson standing right in front of him. Nelson promptly pummels Bart, throws him in a trash can, and informs Bart to meet again tomorrow after school for another beating. Nelson and his minions roll Bart away in the trash can.

    Overall, this episode was great, and it was also hilarious.

    10 out of 10moreless

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  • I say this was the best episode from the first season.

    10
    "Perfect"
    By MarinaSpears, Aug 12, 2011 Report Abuse
    Spoilers! :)
    being fed up by Nelson constantly bullying him, Bart gets advice from Lisa to go to Grampa Abe Simpson. Abe takes him to meet Herman, a guy with one arm that helped Bart declare war. After training a bunch of Springfield Elementary students and fighting back against Nelson, Herman had Bart and Nelson sign a contract that said Nelson should not bully Bart again.
    This was the best episode from the first season, because it has the most adventure out of the season. And plus I love Herman. ♥
    Peace :)moreless

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  • bart gets an army to stop nelson bullying him after giving him a nose bleed.

    8.0
    "Great"
    By jamieor, May 15, 2011 Report Abuse
    the best seson 1 episode.
    has a tasty end when marge makes them all cookeys.
    it all starts with lisas muffins and nelsons henchman.
    mostley about children but the owner of the milatary store is well... CRAZY(and to seriouse).
    i never expected anny one to help bart.
    its a very very very good episode with good animation.
    at times bart over reacted at times but nelson probualy would kill him.
    bart nelson and grampa are the main charicers gramp is busy writing to tv the gueys telling them that he hates language on tv.
    nelson is wanting to kill bart for making his nose bleed.
    and bart is getting a kid army.
    it a realy realy good episode that is season ones finest.moreless

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  • Very funny!!!!!!!!!

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By fenway98, Aug 10, 2010 Report Abuse
    This episode is very funny. It's one of the first episodes where the humor becomes what it is in later seasons.

    When Bart stands up for his sister Lisa, Nelson Muntz, the school bully, says he's gonna beat him up after school. Sure enough, he does. Bart is fed up with Nelson beating everybody up, so he seels advice from Grampa. Grampa gets his war friend Herman to train Bart and the other kids to fight Nelson, military style. This was a great episode. It's certainly one of the best episodes of Season one. I loved all of Bart's daydreams, and when Bart coughs up his hat, and much more.

    Overall Grade: 90%/A-moreless

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  • Bart the General: When Bart gets bullied at School he asks Grandpa for help. Grandpa goes a bit over board and sends in an army.

    7.0
    "Good"
    By Sabrespongebob, Jul 12, 2010 Report Abuse
    Review for Bart the General:

    Lets get my first problem with this episode out the way my problem is that this episode is REALLY overrated. I mean it's good but not 5/5 good or A+ material. Reception aside this episode is good. It was a good way to introduce Nelson (With a plot focused on him) Another reason it's not great is that it takes the whole episode to build up to the final 4-5 minutes of action. There were no stand out jokes but it was not unfunny. So over all it's not a bad episode it's just to overrated.

    Score for Bart the General: B-, 3.5/5, 7/10, Goodmoreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

    ADD TRIVIA
    • In "Homer's Odyssey", Mrs Krabappel tells the class to remember the story of the boy who stuck his hand out of the window and had his arm ripped off by a truck going the other way. This could possibly be Herman, as he mentions that if Bart's teacher ever says not to stick his hand out of the window, he'd better not do it! Edit
    • On Herman's model of the town, he misspells the "Kwik-E-Mart" as "Quick-E-Mart." Edit
    • Goof: During exterior shots of the Simpson home in this episode, the tree house is never shown. Yet the tree house is used extensively in this episode. Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • The scene in which Bart is being chased by Nelson in his dream, as well as Homer's fight with the punching bag were taken out of syndication due to violence. Edit
    • Originally it was planned that every time Herman appeared he was supposed to have a different story on how he lost his arm, but this running gag never came to be. Edit
    • First Appearance: Nelson Muntz and Herman Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • (Meeting at the treehouse) Bart: Okay, we all know why we're here, right? Milhouse: No, why? Bart: To fight Nelson, the bully. That guy has been tormenting all of us for years, and I for one am sick of it! I can't promise you victory. I can't promise you good times. But the one thing I do know-- (All the boys file out.) Bart: Whoa! Whoa! I promise you victory! I promise you good times! (Boys cheer) Edit
    • (The Simpson-Muntz Armistice Treaty.) Herman: Armistice treaty, article four. "Nelson is never again to raise his fists in anger." Article five. "Nelson recognizes Bart's right to exist." Article six. "Although Nelson shall have no official power, he shall remain a figurehead of menace in the neighborhood." Edit
    • Homer: Mmm...cupcakes. Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • Stripes Herman running up and jabbing the training dolls with his bayonet is a parody of what happens when Bill Murray does the same in the comedy movie Stripes. Bart even watches disapprovingly like Warren Oates does. Edit
    • The Longest Day The shot of the GI helmet resting on its top while Nelson and his goons try to escape is an homage to a scene in the film The Longest Day. Edit
    • Full Metal Jacket
      The "trainees" doing pull-ups and other exercises on a jungle-gym-type structure as the sun sets in the background is a parody of a scene taken out of Full Metal Jacket. Edit

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