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"What's lyme disease?"
Ralph Wiggum's very first line, "Lisa's Substitute"
"He says there aren't any easy answers. I say, he's not looking hard enough!"
Bart, "Lisa's Substitute"
"Hey, just because I don't care doesn't mean I don't understand."
Homer, "Lisa's Substitute"
Lisa's Substitute
Season 2
Episode 7F19
My Score
5 out of 5
Average Score
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My Review: "Lisa's Substitute" is the best episode of Season 2, and one of the greatest of all time. It's always had a special place in my heart, even in 1991 when I was 11 years old. Back then, my immediate idea was of another kewl Bart episode (class-president subplot), but the story of Lisa's first crush impressed me deeply, and even brought a tear to my eye, a rare TV experience even then. Writer Jon Vitti scripted an episode with not only some of the biggest laughs in the show's history, but a story that doesn't cheapen its subject or take easy dramatic shortcuts. Lisa's experiences and emotions are perfectly drawn, and recall what would happen to any child in a similar situation, not just what would happen in Springfield, as a lesser writer might do. Dustin Hoffman's well-acted and very funny voice performance carries the story brilliantly. The ending, in which Homer apologizes for his oafish embarrassments of Lisa in front of Mr. Bergstrom, ranks among the most touching moments in TV history. Former alt.tv.simpsons regular and episode capsule compiler Raymond Chen took the unusual step of adding a personal comment in the header of his capsule: "I laughed, I cried, it became a part of me." I couldn't have said it better myself. (5/5)
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