Last Tap Dance in Springfield

Season 11, Episode 20, Aired
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Episode Summary

Lisa is inspired to learn dancing, so she begins taking classes. All the while, Bart and Milhouse pretend they are at camp, when they are actually staying overnight in the Springfield Mall. Police Chief Wiggum is conviced that giant rats have made their home in the mall, so he tries to exterminate them.moreless
8.1
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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 (9)

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  • Hillarious!

    10
    "Perfect"
    By kennyraider, Jan 24, 2012 Report Abuse
    Bart and Milhouse are trapped in the Mall and chased by a lion. The funniest moment is when Milhouse discovers a Lion behind the plant and is speechless to Bart! Chief Wiggum gets trapped with a weight when he wants to take some cheese (Hillarious!) Lisa wants to be a tap dancer so she gets help from the professor with the self-taping shoes. At the performance, loud clapping makes shoes go bizzare and destroyed. Professor wants to spare Lisa's feelings by saying that the whole time the machine was off so Lisa believes that she did it on her own, but Homer spoils it all, typical!moreless

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  • Take a typical season 11 and downplay the wackiness by a large margin...

    7.5
    "Good"
    By orchardpark, May 01, 2010 Report Abuse
    ... and you might end up with something like Last Tap Dance In Springfield. At a time when the show seemed to be running itself to the ground with unlikeable characters and insane storylines, Last Tap Dance emerges as one of the more genuinely entertaining episodes of the era.

    Let's put the bad out there first. To start, this is still no classic. While a lot of the most frustrating elements of the show are toned down here, the episode is neither consistently hilarious nor particularly touching. On top of this, we've still got the obligatory annoying moments to concern ourselves (Homer strangling Bart in different levels of clarity, perhaps his eyes crusting over as well).

    This being said, that's nothing compared to a lot of the stuff that came out around this time. And while I wouldn't say the humour was amazing, it's clear the comic timing for the show was still intact if put it to the right use. The Shirley Temple-esque film and numerous bits with the present day Little Vicky give us some laughs.

    Let's also not underestimating the impact some less extreme characterizations can have as well. Homer is closer to a bumbling father in the last two acts than a tangent-driven imbecile, and it certainly helps the episode maintain a needed level of groundedness. Lisa, to her credit, still had a level of sweetness to her character at this point of time, so it helps to have her prominence in the episode as well.

    We've also got a subplot that, while nothing spectacular, certainly doesn't diminish the episode too far and provides a silliness to contrast the main story. Bart and Milhouse being alone in the mall was certain a good idea with interesting enough results.

    I can't decide whether this or Days of Wine and D'oh'ses is the strongest episode of season 11, but on its own terms I'll give Last Tap Dance In Springfield a solid B (7.5).moreless

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  • Decent

    6.5
    "Fair"
    By futuramarama, Nov 14, 2009 Report Abuse
    Lisa takes tap dancing. Now, I'll be honest, I hate tap dancing, and therefore for some reason I just don't like the plot. It was decent, had a lot of good laughs, but I strongly preferred Bart's subplot with him and Milhouse at the mall.

    This is probably one of the most real episodes of the season. Not one joke seemed too cartoony or anything like that, which is a plus. And no one seemed to act out of character, for the most part.

    So, it had some good humor and some good moments, but I just don't like the type of plot. But it still is a great episodemoreless

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  • Lisa takes up Tap dancing and Bart and Milhouse camp out in the mall.

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By Hornets3, Aug 02, 2009 Report Abuse
    Let me start by saying that this is another episode from season 11 that many people do not realize had some great gags and the overall plot was great. Im not going to lie and say both stories were equally strong because they werent. The Bart and Milhouse story was clearly stronger then the Lisa story, but the Lisa story was definately entertaining. Probably one of my favorite gags from the episode is when Bart plays a childish prank on Homer and makes him say I 8 PP during his eye exam, or when Homer can't see and the school bullies make him buy them beer. Give this episode a watch for some great entertainment and silly gags.moreless

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  • Didn't like the main story, but the "b" story was fantastic.

    9.3
    "Superb"
    By Iverson82094, Jan 30, 2008 Report Abuse
    During an outing at the mall, Homer gets his eyes examined while Marge and Lisa shop for items Bart will need for his camping trip. Seeing a film about tango dancers, Lisa is inspired to get dance lessons. Lisa, however, does not prove to be the most talented of dancers. Her role in an upcoming dance recital: curtain puller. Lisa is crushed. Meanwhile, Bart and Milhouse sneak out of their camping trip and decide to spend a week in the mall. Hiding out in an air vent until the mall closes the boys stuff themselves silly with candy, cookies and play with all the toys. The next morning Chief Wiggum is called in to investigate. Thinking he is on the trail of an enormous rat, Wiggum tries to catch them using various traps and tricks. Meanwhile, with a little help from Professor Frink, Lisa becomes the star of the recital.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

    ADD TRIVIA
    • Where did Lisa's shopping bags go after the movie? Her and Marge both had two when they were looking at the title outside, and then when they come out, Lisa's are gone. Edit
    • When Professor Frink claps the can moves but when he puts the microchip in Lisa's shoe it is off. Edit
    • In the scene where the three bullies (Dolph, Jimbo, and Kearney) kidnap a blind Homer and make him go to the liquor store to get Jack Daniels and cigarettes, Jimbo's hat is mustard yellow instead of the usual grape purple. Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • This episode was nominated for the 2001 Golden Reel Award for Best Sound Editing - Television Animation - Music. Edit
    • Blackboard Joke: I will not dance on anyone's grave. Couch Gag: The family is swinging on vines in Tarzan-style clothes. Homer swings past the couch and crashes off-screen. Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Vicky: I'm sorry, but giving everyone an equal part when they're not clearly equal is what again, class? Girls: Communism! Edit
    • Ralph: Lisa's bad dancing makes my feet sad! Edit
    • Lisa: What am I doing wrong? Vicki: Well, you're falling a lot. Maybe you should work on that. Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • Tommy Hilfiger The store that Marge and Lisa walk out of before going to the movies is called Tommy Hillclimber, an allusion to the clothing line Tommy Hilfiger. Edit
    • The series Homer watches at the beginning features a robot similar to Robo Cop. Edit
    • :
      When Milhouse is scared by seeing the lion's on the other side of the plant they're hiding in, he is scared speechless and communicates only by pantomine and whimering and growling. That is a parody of "Scooby-Doo" when Scooby sees a monster near them and pantomines the monster. Edit

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