Mr. Lisa's Opus

"Mr. Lisa's Opus"
The Simpsons episode
Episode no. 626
Directed by Steven Dean Moore
Written by Al Jean
Showrunner(s) Al Jean
Production code XABF01
Original air date December 3, 2017 (2017-12-03)
Couch gag A statue of the family on the couch at the Lincoln Memorial with the mottos In Couch Gags We Trust and "Vescere Bracis Meis" (Latin for "Eat My Shorts"). It pans out to a penny held by Mr. Burns, who says to Homer, "Here's your raise".
Guest appearance(s)

Kat Dennings as Valerie
Valerie Harper as Ms. Myles
Norman Lear as himself
Kipp Lennon as Leon Kompowsky
Jon Lovitz as Artie Ziff
Kevin Michael Richardson

Season 29 episodes
Seasons

"Mr. Lisa's Opus" is the eighth episode of the twenty-ninth season of the animated television series The Simpsons, and the 626th episode of the series overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on December 3, 2017. The title is a spoof of the film Mr. Holland's Opus.

Plot

Seven years ago, baby Lisa wakes up Marge and Homer, upon seeing a sunrise, exclaiming "Light!", "Breakfast!" and words relating to nature. Realizing she is a genius, Homer admires how awesome she is, offending Bart, who was going to show him a drawing but instead stabs him in the leg with a pencil.

In the present, 18-year-old Lisa is writing an Harvard College admission essay and she starts writing and reflecting on her past, while she is applying for college and having to cope with 20-year-old Bart being a disappointment and still living with their parents.

She begins with her 7th birthday, showing how she accidentally destroyed her favorite blue dress and switched to red, and how Marge inadvertently got Maggie addicted to pacifiers after she couldn't sleep. The family and her teacher Ms. Myles forget her birthday, with Ms. Myles sending her to Principal Skinner after she gets sad on them celebrating Hubert Wong's birthday. Homer comes to get her and finally remembers it's her birthday, and coming home they find out Ned didn't forget and gifts her a tricycle. The family celebrates her birthday with a cake made of a cup of milk, cereal, and some candles on it.

Next, Homer is working on an exercise bike and is having medical trouble. Lisa shows how the marriage with Marge is troubled, that nearly fell apart when she turned 14. The family this time remembers, and brings Leon Kompowsky to sing new verses for "Happy Birthday, Lisa" while Homer brings a cake with “Happy twelfth twelfth 12th birthday”, which he is disappointed with when an amused Lisa corrects him. After Lisa returns home from school, she discovers a letter in a suitcase while placing some of her gifts from school in Marge's closet, saying that she left him and opened a bed and breakfast with the other kids, and a tablet with Artie Ziff mocking him for it. However, Marge hasn't left yet.

At dinner, Marge gets angry at Homer for drinking in front of the kids, and tells him to go to Moe's Tavern to drink. Marge goes to the kitchen to cry and Lisa is ready to take action. At the tavern, Moe now has artificial spider-like legs while Lisa enters to tell him that Marge is going to leave him and makes him promise that he'll stop drinking, as she doesn't want him to ruin the last memories of the next four years of them together. Homer calls his sponsor to help him to stop, and it's Ned. He succeeds and the marriage is saved.

Lisa sends her essay into Harvard, who note that the essay is trite but admit her in anyway due to her perfect grades and extracurricular activities, making her the first student from her state. They send in a drone to Lisa with her acceptance and it destroys other similar drones from other colleges.

Lisa goes to college and sets up her room, but is not happy in her first day, especially when one of her new roommates makes her feel inferior. While taking a walk outside college, Bart cheers her up, telling her that she has better prospects for her future and urging her to make their parents proud. As he then leaves with the rest of the family, Lisa watches as Maggie holds up an encouraging sign for her "YOU SPEAK FOR ME!". As she heads back into her new room, preparing for the new life, she also meets a second roommate, who is sulking at not being good enough in her own life. Lisa comforts her and they both find they have a lot in common. Lisa finds that this new friend makes life in college better, with the hint of something more between them.

Lisa narrates in a voiceover that after looking back on her past, she never doubted that who she is was good enough. A collage of scenes through her life is then shown, then the first scene of one-year-old Lisa exclaiming "Light!" comes back, as Homer admires her as the most amazing thing he did. After she describes his happy and euphoric mood, he takes her down to the piano with Marge, as the couple sings a new version of "Those Were the Days" from All in the Family to her, Lisa joining in with them during the last line. Norman Lear enters the house telling Homer and Marge that he'll see them in court.

A final tour of Springfield is shown during the credits which plays the closing theme to All In the Family with the Duff Blimp saying "Stay tuned for Simpson and Son" (a spoof of Sanford and Son).

Reception

Dennis Perkins of The A.V. Club gave the episode a C, stating "Jean’s script sends us chasing these different-aged Lisas through the years to no real purpose or effect. There are a few sweet moments that stand out more for their abrupt humanity in the face of the gimmickry as much as their emotional impact."[1]

Tony Sokol of Den of Geek gave the episode 4.5/5 stars, saying, "‘Mr. Lisa's Opus’ is an epic comedy film parody, along the lines of, but funnier on a line-by-line basis than, last season’s ‘Barthood.’ Even a short gag on an everlasting battle takes on historic relevance. The episode has its treacle, but Al Jean cuts it with brilliant subversion. Dan Castellaneta’s voice of Homer is in its glory as a rapid fire laugh delivery system."[2]

"Mr. Lisa's Opus" scored a 1.7 rating with a 6 share and was watched by 4.28 million viewers, making it Fox's highest rated show of the night.[3]

References

  1. ↑ Perkins, Dennis (December 3, 2017). "An inert Simpsons goes back to Lisa's future—and past—for no discernible reason". Avclub.com. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
  2. ↑ Sokol, Tony (December 3, 2017). "The Simpsons Season 29 Episode 8 Review: Mr. Lisa's Opus". DenofGeek.com. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
  3. ↑ Porter, Rick (December 5, 2017). "'Sunday Night Football' adjusts up: Sunday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
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