Bart the Genius

Season 1, Episode 2, Aired
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Episode Summary

Bart is mistakenly placed in a school for “gifted children” after he cheats on an intelligence test at school.
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Fan Episode Reviews (64)

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  • smart

    8.5
    "Great"
    By oceanic6, Dec 10, 2011 Report Abuse
    A show of supreme quality, very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very (apologies, the former review has been moved to a new home, soon you will all be given the key) very very very veryvery very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very enjoyable. A must-see.moreless

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    2 6

  • Superb

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By jmbsonic555, Oct 17, 2011 Report Abuse
    The episode begins as the Simpson family plays Scrabble, in the living room, in an effort to build Bart's vocabulary for his aptitude test tomorrow at school. The game ends when Bart cheats and makes up an imaginary word, "Kwyjibo," and defines it as, "A big, dumb, balding, North American ape with no chin." Homer is instantly angered and chases Bart out of the room. The next day before class, in the schoolyard, Martin Prince, the school genius, tattles on Bart, for spray painting graffiti that defames Principal Skinner on the school building. Skinner orders Bart to see him after school. As the children file into class, Mrs. Krabappel hands out aptitude tests to everyone. When she instructs the class on taking the timed intelligence test, Martin raises his hand, and reminds her that Bart is supposed to face the window during any test so he can't cheat. A grumbling Bart turns his desk to face the window and the test begins. In an attempt to figure out a lengthy math word problem, Bart tries to visualize the problem so he can solve it. The visualization turns into a daydream and when Bart finally comes back to reality, Martin announces that he has finished his test already. Mrs. Krabappel sends Martin outside to read a book, during the remainder of the testing period. While Bart is still taking his test, he looks out the window to see a smug Martin sticking his tongue out at him. In retaliation, Bart makes faces back at Martin; Mrs. Krabappel spots Bart making faces and looks out the window to see what Bart is looking at. While her back is turned, Bart, who is seated at the front of the class, reaches over to Mrs. Krabappel's desk and steals Martin's test, replaces Martin's name with his own and then puts the test back on her desk. Bart then quickly fills out random answers on his own test and then writes Martin's name at the top and turns it in.Later, after school, Marge and Homer are called to Principal Skinner's office for a meeting about Bart's behavior at school. Skinner informs Marge and Homer about Bart's graffiti from earlier that morning. As he reaches for Bart's rather extensive permanent record, and is about to suggest something along the lines of expulsion for Bart, his secretary buzzes in and says that Dr. J. Loren Pryor, the school psychiatrist is waiting to see him. Dr. Pryor walks in on the meeting, and surprises everyone when he tells them that Bart is a "gifted child," and according to the aptitude test from earlier, Bart has an I.Q. of 216. Dr. Pryor suggests that Bart's history of bad behavior stems from a lack of interest in his school work, due to the fact that it is too easy for him. Skinner wants Bart retested, but when Dr. Pryor suggests moving Bart to a school for "gifted children" Skinner jumps on board with the idea, and Bart quickly agrees when he hears that the school doesn't have much structure and that you get to make your own rules. Dr. Pryor hands Bart some paperwork for the "gifted children" school, and he, Homer and Marge leave the meeting stunned.
    9 out of 10moreless

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    0 0

  • Second Episode.

    7.5
    "Good"
    By fenway98, Aug 10, 2010 Report Abuse
    This episode begins with the family playing scrabble to prepare Bart for his quiz. Bart plays the work Kwyjibo, which he describes as a fat, balding, North american ape(with 2 chins)

    On the day of the quiz, Bart switches his test with Martin prince's, the smartest kid in the class. Homer and Marge get called to the school, when The Principal sees Bart's "score" on the test. Bart is soon sent to a school for gifted children. He dosn't fit in there, seeing that he's not actually a genius. He finally tells Homer this, and he chases hin through the face.

    This was pretty good, considering that it's only the second episode. But there were still a few funny bits, like the opera scene, and Homer's messy handwriting.

    Overall Grade:75%/C+moreless

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    0 0

  • Bart cheats on his achievement test and he is deemed a genius.

    8.5
    "Great"
    By Hornets3, Jun 25, 2010 Report Abuse
    Facing the prospect of flunking an intelligence exam, Bart changes the name on Martin's test to his name. The school psychologist advises Homer and Marge that Bart has a very high level of intelligence, calling him a genius, even. Bart is enrolled at a new school for smart kids, where Bart feels out of place with the other students. When his Science project explodes, nearly destroying the school, he admits to the psychologist about his scam. As you would imagine, Homer is furious and chases him around the house.

    This is a very underrated episode. I found the plot to be nice and the jokes were funny. I always loved this episode and even tho its in season 1 I find it enjoyable to watch.moreless

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    1 0

  • the switch of the tests

    8.0
    "Great"
    By cube2k8, May 04, 2010 Report Abuse
    bart switches test with marten and gets a huge iq and goes from being stupid to being put in with the highly intellegent. but bart does not fit in because he is really not as smart as them and is used to goofen off and pulling pranks on people.so when he tells homer what he did homer chaces him around the house and lisa says bart is stupid again. i think it was a good ep and was the start of something good for the simpsons and it was only second ep of the show and it still drew in alot of viewersmoreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

    ADD TRIVIA
    • During Scrabble Bart declares "kwyjibo" for 22 points, however if it were an actual word it would've been worth 26 points. (5+4+4+8+1+3+1) Edit
    • There is a picture of Bart on the wall opposite one of Albert Einstein in Dr. Pryor's office. Edit
    • Marcia Wallace's name is misspelled "Marsha" in the closing credits. Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • According to the DVD commentary, Dr. Pryor was given the name because he pries. Edit
    • On the DVD commentary from this episode, Jon Vitti says that the writers were worried about how stupid Homer's poor hand writing skills might make him look. Edit
    • Dr. J. Loren Pryor was the original drawing for Principal Skinner. The current look of Skinner is based around several teachers and a principal Groening knew, as well as the principal from the "Life In Hell" comics. Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • (Bart reads a math problem aloud from his aptitude test.) Bart: "At 7:30 a.m., an express train traveling 60 miles an hour leaves Santa Fe bound for Phoenix, 520 miles away." Mrs. Krabappel: Shh! Visualize it, Bart. (Bart reads silently and pictures the story problem in his head.) Bart: "At the same time, a local train traveling 30 miles an hour and carrying 40 passengers leaves Phoenix bound for Santa Fe. It's eight cars long and always carries the same number of passengers in each car. An hour later a number of passengers equal to half the number of minutes past the hour get off, but three times as many plus six get on. At the second stop, half the passengers plus two get off, but twice as many get on as got on at the first stop." (Bart visualizes himself on the train as the passengers bump him around.) Bart Oof! Conductor: Ticket, please. Bart: I don't have a ticket. Conductor: Come with me, boy. (The conductor drags Bart to the front of the train.) Conductor: (To the engineer.) We've got a stowaway, sir. Bart: I'll pay. How much? Martin the Engineer: Twice the fare from Tucson to Flagstaff, minus two-thirds of the fare from Albuquerque to El Paso. (Emits an evil laugh.) Edit
    • (In science lab, Bart is about to mix two substances.) Ms. Melon: (to Bart) Say, what's that? It looks dangerous. Bart: Well, it's really pretty top secret, ma'am. Ms. Melon: All right, keep going. But you do know what happens when you mix acids and bases, right? Bart: 'Course I do. (Bart pours one substance into another, it explodes and covers the whole room in the yellow mixture.) Bart: (Upset) Sorry. Edit
    • (The Simpsons go to the opera.) Bart: Hey, Lis, keep an eye out for the guy with the peanuts. Marge: There's no guy with peanuts, dear. Homer: Geez. No beer. No opera dogs. Marge: Shh! (The orchestra plays, "March of the Toreadors.") Bart: (Singing) Toreador, oh, don't spit on the floor. Please use the cuspidor. That's what it's for. (Bart and Homer laugh.) Marge: Bart, stop fooling around. Homer, stop encouraging him. Homer: Don't stifle the boy, Marge. We're supposed to encourage him. Marge: Shush! Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • Gabor Csupo A poster advertisement at the opera identifies the conductor as Boris Csupovski. This is a reference to Gabor Csupo, the Supervising Animation Director at the time. Edit
    • E=MC^2 While the family plays Scrabble, Maggie plays with lettered blocks. While playing with the blocks she spells out EMCSQU, which refers to Einstein's famous equation, E=MC^2 Edit
    • The Adding Machine The dream Bart has while trying to do his math problem is based around the designs in the play The Adding Machine. Edit

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