The Simpsons

Season 16 Episode 3

Sleeping with the Enemy

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Episode Summary

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Sleeping with the Enemy
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Lisa has a big butt and her friends at school, Sherri, Terri and Janie let her know about it. Homer explains to her about the Simpson butt, it is something she'll have to learn to live with. Bart comes home with 100 on his test, and now he wants to collect on the party that was promised. Lisa is trying to deal with her weight issue, meanwhile Bart gets his party; with his relatives, Ralph, Martin and Milhouse via speakerphone. It's the worst party ever as far as Bart's concerned. It's made worse when Lisa returns home only to be confronted by her mother wanting her to eat a big slice piece of cake, she runs out of the room crying. Marge is bummed that the kids don't appreciate her anymore. She finds Nelson in the park and spends some quality time with him and when her kids continue to shun her, she adopts Nelson as a surrogate child. Lisa tries diet and exercise to reduce her big bottom. Marge brings Nelson home to do some chores around their home, but Nelson's real mother returns that money that Marge paid her son and then she leaves for Hollywood, leaving her son in Springfield and homeless. Nelson goes to the only place where he can find refuge, the Simpson home. Much to Bart's dismay Marge lets Nelson stay in his room. Late one night Bart finds Nelson singing for the return of his father and Lisa overindulging in a cake (she'd previously been starving herself). Lisa gets help from Nelson to get revenge on Sherri and Terri. When the pair returns to the Simpson home there is a surprise waiting for Nelson; Bart has found his father. Nelson is reunited with his father (and his mother who's returned from Hollywood with an acting job). Lisa still hasn't found a conclusive solution to her weight problem.moreless

Fan Episode Reviews (7)

SUBMIT REVIEW

  • Great Episode.... Nelson becomes part of The Simpsons family!! Has Neslon really turned good forever??

    9.6
    By Iverson82094, Jan 22, 2011
    After Lisa is told by Sherri and Terri that she has a big butt, Homer lets her know it's her genes. She checks out the fashion stores and notices the skimpy clothes and models and develops a weight obsession. Marge finds Bart and Lisa are ignoring her so when she sees a lonely Nelson she decides to act motherly towards him. After a few outings, Nelson's mom kicks him out of home and Marge takes him in, putting him in Bart's room. Unimpressed with his constant bullying, Bart sets out to find Nelson's father. Meanwhile Nelson notices Lisa's weight obsession and plots a scheme to get back at Sherri and Terri. That day Nelson arrives home to his father who had been found at a circus freak show by Bart. He explains that an allergic reaction to eating peanuts had him picked up by the travelling show which he was unable to leave. The Muntzes return home as a family.moreless

  • Superb

    9.0
    By futuramarama, Jan 22, 2011
    Lisa has a big butt and feels ashamed of her body. Marge allows Nelson to spend time at the Simpson house. Bart does not like this and so he tracks down Nelson's father so the Muntz' can be together again.



    Good episode, the Lisa plot was not that great but the main plot was fantastic. Unfortunately because I did not like Lisa's plot a whole lot my overall grade for this is a B+. If I liked her plot a little more I would be able to give it an A, but sadly, I do not. Still good main plot thoughmoreless

  • Highly underrated

    9.3
    By ComeOut2Play819, Aug 10, 2010
    Okay, let's just get this out of the way right now; Nelson is one of my favorite characters on the entire show. If it's a Nelson episode (Haw-Hawed Couple, Bart, the Mother, Lisa's date with density, Saturdays of Thunder, Bart on the Road, Bart the General, New Kids on the Blecch,etc.), I automatically love it. The kid is just hilarious. Although there has been much inconsistency as to whether or not Nelson's dad ran away, the gag still has me rolling on the floor. Anyway, this episode is great because, along with the Haw-Hawed Couple, it shows that Nelson has a heart.moreless

  • The Full Nelson

    8.5
    By GeorgeJobson, Dec 04, 2006
    One of the better epsidoes of the season has two things 1) big butts and 2) Nelsaon. Nelson who always laughs at people is the spotlight characters who hangs out with Marge. Meanwhile, Lisa's big butt has all of her friends making fun out of her. One scene where Lisa at a huge cake and decided that the war to lose her weight is all but lost. Nelson has shown a sweet side of him. I like to see more of Nelson in future episode. "The simpsons" has so many characters, it'll take years to tell each character's story. Nelson is one tale that should be told.moreless

  • Nelson...good?

    8.5
    By jimbo_001, Jan 31, 2006
    This episode was fairly unbelievable but still had some great moment such as Nelson's revenge plan on Sherri, Terri and Janie and Bart's lame party as well as the ending that isn' quite conclusive with the family waiting to see how Lisa solved her weight problem. I have only seen this episode once and I could have missedsome of the hidden jokes that are shown in most simpsons episodes. This isn't the best season 16 episode, mainly because Nelson isn't shown as the tough guy he usually is which is definitely out of character, but the jokes are still there and overall, the episode is a success.moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

Julie Kavner

Julie Kavner

Marge Simpson, Patty Bouvier, and Selma Bouvier
Harry Shearer

Harry Shearer

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

Dan Castellaneta

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

Nancy Cartwright

Bart Simpson, Nelson Muntz, Ralph Wiggum, Todd Flanders, and others
Yeardley Smith

Yeardley Smith

Lisa Simpson
Hank Azaria

Hank Azaria

Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, Moe Szyslak, Chief Wiggum, Comic Book Guy, Lou, and others
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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

Marcia Wallace

Marcia Wallace

Edna Krabappel

Recurring Role

Tress MacNeille

Tress MacNeille

Agnes Skinner, Brandine Del Roy, Dolph and others

Recurring Role

Russi Taylor

Russi Taylor

Martin Prince, Sherri, Terri and others

Recurring Role

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • TRIVIA (2)

  • QUOTES (22)

  • NOTES (5)

    • Lisa's obsession with her weight was based on Yeardley Smith's (the voice of Lisa) former weight obsession.

    • Here we are introduced to the "Simpson butt", the third inheritable genetic malady that plagues Homer's side of the family. The other two are stubbiness (which Lisa has) and the stupidity gene (which Bart has).

    • Homer's artwork of himself also echoes a fox promo Matt Groening filmed a few years ago in which he showed audiences how to draw Homer. He drew with a pen on the camera glass, so it appeared he was drawing on screen, and when he drew the hair and ear he said it formed an "MG" because those were his initials.

    • Homer describes the "Simpson Butt" to Lisa, creating a self portrait of himself that mimics the technique many cartoonists use when drawing their characters, using multiple circles.

    • Blackboard Joke: None.
      Couch Gag: The family enters the living room to find the couch is not there. Suddenly from overhead the couch drops on top of them.

  • ALLUSIONS (10)

    • Happy Days
      Nelson calling Marge "Mrs. S" is a reference to The Cunninghams being called "Mr. C" and "Mrs. C" on Happy Days. This form of address actually goes back to The Many Loves Of Dobie Gillis where Maynard calls Dobie's parents "Mr. G" and "Mrs. G".

    • Episode Title: The title is taken from the punchline to an old joke, "The war of the sexes is the only one in which we're sleeping with the enemy."

    • Nelson: Papa, can you hear me?
      Nelson copies Barbra Streisand's main song in the 1983 film Yentl by lighting a candle on the window seat and singing "Papa, Can You Hear Me."

    • Lisa: I don't want you to see any of my wobbly bits.
      That line is also in the new 2004 film Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, where Bridget is dressing underneath a blanket.

    • Saks Fifth Avenue
      Saks Fifth Grade, a clothing store marketing adult fashions to children, parodies Saks Fifth Avenue.

    • Ringing In The Sheaves
      The clerk at the Saks Fifth Grade store makes up new lyrics to the gospel hymn, "Ringing in the Sheaves."

    • Kids: (singing) Sherri smells, Terri smells. Stinky all the way. Stink, stink, stink, stink, stink, stink, one-horse open sleigh!
      Another schoolyard adaptation to the Christmas carol "Jingle Bells"; this time, when Terri and Sherri finally get their comeuppance.

    • Skinner: (on test watermark) Only you can prevent test fraud.
      A couple of references here:

      • Skinner's comment is a play on Smokey Bear's famous "Only you can prevent forest fires" tagline.
      • The watermark itself (and Homer checking for one to prove the test is authentic) is much like the federal treasury's efforts to place watermarks in $20 and larger dollar bills to foil counterfeiters.

    • The Elephant Man
      Nelson's father's flashback scene is a clear reference to David Lynch's 1980 film version of The Elephant Man.

    • Sleeping With the Enemy
      Sleeping with the Enemy is the name of a movie starring Julia Roberts that was released in 1991, where Julia's character deals with an abusive husband.

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