Lisa the Simpson

Season 9, Episode 17, Aired
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Episode Summary

Lisa struggles with solving a simple brain teaser and fears that she has succumbed the dreaded "Simpson" gene that renders members of the Simpson clan a little less than intelligent.
8.6
out of 10
EPISODE RATING: Great
146 votes
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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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  • At school, Lisa is presented with a brain teaser, which she is unable to solve (despite the relative ease with which her peers, even Ralph, are able to do it). Following this incident, Lisa is unable to perfrom simple tasks. at the end she's smartmoreless

    10
    "Perfect"
    By jonah52, Nov 21, 2010 Report Abuse
    The episode is amazing definately in my top ten because it has everything a simpsons episode should have heart witch lisa's plot provides and the episode should be funny witch the b plot with apu provides i think it has heart because homer sees lisa's difficulty and try's to help her and lisa's story is something that a lot of people go through where they think that there loosing it thank god at the end lisa figures out that the guy side of the family is only dumb and the girl side is actually smart and its funny because apu makes the kwik-E-Mart in a weird funny store called thge Freak-E-Martmoreless

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    1 0

  • this was a good ep

    8.5
    "Great"
    By cube2k8, May 24, 2010 Report Abuse
    in this ep of the simpsons show lisa is having a problem she thinks she is losing her intellgence when she cant solve a puzzle on the back of food prodoct. and everyone around her sovled it. and so she goes home and askes marge and asks grampa and they both said they were smart at one time marge was really good at math and grampa shows barts and homer scores in school and they both were really good . and how it went down hill. thing is homer gathers everyone that is around from the simpsons family and she learns that the men are not really smart they lose there intelligence and that the women in the simpsons family tree are the smart one like doctors and other jobs. this was a good and funny epmoreless

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    0 0

  • Lisa the Simpson

    8.0
    "Great"
    By futuramarama, Jan 24, 2010 Report Abuse
    Lisa fears she is losing her intelligence, and learns from Grampa that eventually all Simpsons lose their intelligence. So, throughout the episode, Lisa struggles to accept this. In the end however, we learn that this Simpsons gene only affects men, making the Simpson men of the family stupid, not females. So now Lisa is happy because she knows she will grow up to be an intelligent lady.

    A good episode, but I don't like it as much as some other fans. I find some of it boring. My overall grade for this episode would be about a B- or somoreless

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    0 0

  • Lisa the genetic racist

    7.0
    "Good"
    By twilightboy, May 18, 2008 Report Abuse
    it is one again that time of the year in which we have a episode of the Simpsons based on their most intelligent subject, Lisa Simpson. As you all now, I am not a fan of storylines that revolve around her and this one is not the exception. We all know she wants to always be the smartest person around and has showed us this in many different ways and episodes. I suppose this story contradicts a previous espiode in which Homer's brother is a millionaire. As for the episode iteself, it is enterteinaing just like most of the outings this season. This one isn't very funny though.moreless

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    0 1

  • Another episode centered around Lisa, but it was very funny and good

    9.4
    "Superb"
    By Iverson82094, Jan 26, 2008 Report Abuse
    When Lisa is unable to figure out a simple brain teaser, she begins to fear that she is losing her gift of intelligence. Soon, she is noticing tons of clues that suggest her intellectual decline. Listening to Lisa's complaints, Grandpa explains to her that all Simpsons--himself, Homer, and others--started out smart and gradually experienced a "dumbening" that left them thick as bricks. Lisa decides to give over to the dumbening, emulating Homer and Bart and their brainless ways. But this makes Lisa unhappy, so to cheer her up, Homer gathers all the Simpson relatives he can find and tries to show her that they're not all idiots. Sadly, Lisa realizes that a lot of them are, in fact, stupid. But when she meets some of her female relatives, she is pleased to discover that many of them are doctors and businesswomen. With renewed confidence in her own intelligence, Lisa looks at the brain teaser again and figures it out immediately.moreless

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    0 0
 

Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

    ADD TRIVIA
    • The music that plays during "When Building Collapse" is appropriately the 1812 Overture by Tchaikovsky. Edit
    • Before Lisa talks on TV, Kent Brockman's suit is red, but after Lisa is done talking, it's brown. Edit
    • Grandpa Simpson glasses disapeares when he pops back up to the attic. Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • Blackboard Joke: I will not mess the opening credits. Couch Gag: Homer, Marge, Lisa, and Maggie rush in, only to find that the living room has been replaced with a classroom. At the blackboard, Bart repeats writing "I will not mess with the opening credits" over and over again. Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • (Talking about Lisa) Bart: She insulted us, Mom. She thinks she is so great. I'll dance on her grave. Marge: Bart! Bart: (clueless) What? Oh, napkin, right. Edit
    • Marge: Lisa, Lisa honey wake up. Lisa: Why bother? Marge: Because your father has a big surprise for you. Lisa: I'm adopted? Marge: Better, come look. Edit
    • Homer: Marge, give me your address book, four beers, and my conversation hat. Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • The Twilight Zone Homer and Bart are watching When Buildings Collapse and Lisa comes down to watch it with them. Homer pats the couch and says "Room for one more." This whole scene, including the quote, is an allusion to The Twilight Zone episode "Twenty Two." Edit
    • Life in Hell When Lisa is in class and forgets she has a project due, she quickly puts together a pink eraser with tacks to make it look like a pig. This is a quote from a joke from Matt Groening's book Life in Hell. Edit
    • When Homer, Bart and Lisa watch "When Buildings Collapse," one of the buildings has a sign in front of it that says "The House Of Usher." "The Fall Of The House Of Usher" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe. It involves a brother and sister, Roderick and Madeline, who are suffering from strange illnesses and living in a decaying mansion. Madeline dies, then comes back from the grave and kills Roderick, and then the mansion collapses. Edit

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