Brother's Little Helper

Season 11, Episode 2, Aired
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Episode Summary

After Bart continually acts up in school, Principal Skinner recommends to Marge and Homer that Bart take some behavior medication. The drug initially shows promise, but it quickly alters Bart's psychosis and turns him into a paranoid conspiracy theorist.
8.8
out of 10
EPISODE RATING: Great
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Cast & Crew

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  • Julie Kavner

    Marge Simpson, Patty Bouvier, and Selma Bouvier

  •

    Harry Shearer

    Mr. Burns, Ned Flanders, Principal Skinner, Waylon Smithers, Kent Brockman, and others

  •

    Dan Castellaneta

    Homer Simpson, Grampa Simpson, Barney Gumble, Krusty the Clown, Groundskeeper Willie, and others

Fan Episode Reviews (8)

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  • Okay Episode.

    7.5
    "Good"
    By fenway98, Jul 10, 2010 Report Abuse
    After a mishap at the school's fire asembly(caused by bart), Principal Skinner tells Homer and Marge that Bart has ADD. They put Bart on a drug called Focusyn, and Bart soon becomes very smart and focused in school.

    When everything is going great, Bart soon goes crazy and has a theory that a satellite from space is spying everyone. He soon goes on a rampage in a military tank, and shoots down the satellite, which turns out to be an MLB satellite, and Springfield finds out MLB is spying on everyone.

    This is an okay episode. It started out GREAT, with the fire asembly. I loved Ralph saying"at my house, we call fire uh-oh's". I also loved Homer all twitchy on the ADD medicine, but the third act was a little too crazy for me.

    Overall Grade:80%/Bmoreless

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  • ADD

    7.0
    "Good"
    By futuramarama, Nov 14, 2009 Report Abuse
    In this episode, Bart is diagnosed with ADD. So he needs to take an experimental drug called Focusyn. He takes it and at first, changes, becomes smarter, stuff like that.

    But later he becomes a conspiracy theorist. He goes insane and goes into the Army Base to steal a tank and shoot it into the sky. After he does so, Springfield citizens see that baseball players have been spying on them for reasons unknown.

    At the end, Bart is no longer on Focusyn, and all else is normal.

    A wacky episode with a wacky third act, but it still has plenty enough humor for me to overlook this. Well, for the most partmoreless

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  • Bart starts taking drugs to help him focus after he is diagnosed with ADHD, and afterwords he goes insane.

    10
    "Perfect"
    By Hornets3, Aug 04, 2009 Report Abuse
    This has to be one of my favorite episodes in the whole series, and not to mention one of the best episodes in season 11 of the Simpsons. So many amazing jokes that were just hilarious like when Ralph says at my house we call them uh oh's haha. I don't understand how someone can watch an episode of the Simpsons like this and still say that the Simpsons are horrible and Mike Scully and all the writers should be fired and blah blah blah. This is just one of the reasons I agree with Matt when he said the Simpsons are as good as ever. Partially what makes this episode so good is its parody of American culture and society, and in the end isn't that what made the Simpsons great in the first place?moreless

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  • Great and funny Simpson episode. Also shows you the effect of an overdose of drugs. works for me

    10
    "Perfect"
    By Arran1346, Jun 04, 2009 Report Abuse
    This Simpson episode has it all. It is funny, exiting, shows you the effect of an overdose on drugs and all of that bundled together equals a fantastic Simpson episode.The funniest quote for me had to be homer saying "ot oh, some ones going to have a belly ache." said homer in his sweet voice. Secondly I thought it was 10/10 funny when homer ate the Taffy with the drugs in, and rod and tod adding on "daddy does mr.Simpson have a devil in him." hiding behind the fence while homer was having a fit. this has got to be one of my top 10 simpson episode. Bart smart and riding round in a tank? COOL!moreless

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  • Bart is diagnosed with ADHD..... Shows the dangers of drug overdose.

    9.9
    "Superb"
    By Iverson82094, Aug 24, 2007 Report Abuse
    Principal Skinner introduces Fire Saftey at Springfield Elementary. Unfortunately the Flanders catches on fire, which can't be put out because Bart is playing a prank. So Bart is diagnosed with ADHD and put on a new drug called Focusin. But after many overdoses of medication Bart becomes strange and weird, and everyone begins to worry about him. Soon Bart runs off and steals a military tank, but luckily the everyone is able to catch him. They are to late and Bart fires up a shot into the sky and destroys a MLB satellite. It turns out that all of Major League Baseball was spying on the people of Springfield. In the end Bart is taken off of Focusin, and everything is back to normal.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

    ADD TRIVIA
    • Clowns seen jumping out of Krusty's car: Noodles, Seesaw, Oopsie, Flopsweat, Hoohaw, Jitters and Sir Widebottom. Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • Blackboard Joke: Pork is not a verb. Couch Gag: Korean animators paint the Simpson family by numbers. Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Bart: You know how they say most people use 10% of their brain? Lisa: Yeah? Bart: Well now, I'm one of them! Edit
    • Pharm Team Lady: This pill reduces class-clownism by 44 percent. Pharm Team Man: With 60 percent less sass-mouth! Edit
    • Bart: Thanks for coming out here mom. Marge: No, thank you for stopping the tank! Bart: It ran out of gas! Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • MasterCard Bart says to Marge, "A piece of paper five cents, a mother's love priceless," Parodying the taglines for the MasterCard television ads. Edit
    • Bart: (singing) Don't stop, thinking about tomorrow, Don't stop, It'll soon be here. Bart sings this when driving in the tank. "Don't Stop" was by the popular band, Fleetwood Mac. Edit
    • Marge stopping Bart's tank by simply standing in its path is reminiscent of the famous 1989 Tiananmen Square protester incident in Beijing. Edit

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