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Difference between revisions of "She of Little Faith"

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(New page: '''She of Little Faith'''" is the 6th episode from ''The Simpsons''' 13th season. It aired on Fox at 8:00 P.M. on Sunday December 16, 2001. This episode marked a watershed...)
 
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'''She of Little Faith'''" is the 6th episode from ''[[the Simpsons|The Simpsons']]'' 13th season. It aired on Fox at 8:00 P.M. on Sunday December 16, 2001. This episode marked a watershed event in [[Lisa Simpson|Lisa's]] life, as she converted from Christianity (a religion [[Montgomery Burns|Mr. Burns]] commercialised, to her disgust), to Buddhism.
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{{Tab}}
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{{EpisodePrevNext|The Blunder Years|Brawl in the Family}}
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{{quote|I'm a Buddhist!|[[Lisa Simpson]]}}
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{{Episode
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|image=She of Little Faith promo.png
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|number=275
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|season=13
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|snumber=6
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|prodcode=DABF02
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|airdate=December 16, [[2001]]
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|blackboard="I do not have a cereal named after me"
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|couchgag=The couch is a slot machine with all the faces of the family members with the exception of [[Maggie]] who is a seven.
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|guests=[[Richard Gere]] as {{Ch|Richard Gere|himself}}
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|showrunner1= Al Jean
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|writer=[[Bill Freiberger]]
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|director=[[Steven Dean Moore]]
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|DVD features=yes
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}}
  
==Plot==
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''"'''''She of Little Faith'''" is the sixth episode of [[season 13]] of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' and the two-hundred and seventy-fifth episode overall. It originally aired on December 16, [[2001]]. The episode was written by [[Bill Freiberger]] and directed by [[Steven Dean Moore]]. It guest stars [[Richard Gere]] as {{Ch|Richard Gere|himself}}.
[[Bart Simpson|Bart]] and [[Lisa Simpson|Lisa]] watch a cheesy science fiction movie, obviously made in the 1950s or before. During the commercial, a model rocket kit is advertised and Bart, predictably, wants it. So, using [[Homer Simpson|Homer]]'s credit card number, he orders it. Six to eight weeks later, Bart gets the rockets and asks  Homer if he wants to help put the rocket together. Homer joins him and [[Milhouse van Houten|Milhouse]] in the back yard to help them. Soon the rocket is ready, but it blows up before it can lift off. A second attempt proves no better. Jealous that [[Ned Flanders]] built a superior rocket, he enlists the help of his nerdy college roommates, Gary, Doug, and Benjamin. Once they are done with a pretty high-tech rocket, he shoos them and Milhouse away, and prepares to launch it himself. Unable to get their hands on any space monkeys, they use the school hamster, Nibbles, to pilot the rocket. The rocket lifts off successfully. However, it develops complications and starts drifting off-course. After Nibbles bails out (disobeying Homer's rather simple instructions), the rocket crashes into the church and blows it up.  
 
  
The church council meets up to decide how to come up with money to fund the repairs to the church. With no help, they will have to do it themselves. At that moment, Mr. Burns, looking more sinister and evil than the Devil, shows up and offers to fix the damage provided that they allow him to run the church like a business. At first, the group is a bit reluctant, but they have no choice, so they agree. He introduces them to [[List of recurring characters from The Simpsons#Lindsey Naegle|Lindsay Naegle]], who will be overseeing the church renovations. Together, Lindsey and Burns make the church into a commercial monstrosity, complete with advertising signs, a Lard Lad statue, and a Jumbotron. Lisa, on seeing this, is appalled.
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== Synopsis ==
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{{Desc|Desperate for money, the [[First Church of Springfield]] decides to rent out its space in the church to local advertisers. Horrified at the living commercial the church has become, [[Lisa]] has a crisis of faith and looks for a new religion that suits her.}}
  
Three weeks later, the newly renovated church is thrown open to the public. The whole place seems like a shopping mall and it even has new pews, resembling first-class airline chairs. When Lisa objects, she is labelled a "Pouting Thomas" on the "God Cam". [[Reverend Lovejoy]] starts the service rather solemnly, as usual, but suddenly starts endorsing big-screen TVs and pizzas. At this point, Lisa has had all she can take and denounces how horrible the church has become, likening it to the [[Whore of Babylon]], much to everyone's astonishment. Some people try to talk favorably about the church about some wonderful things. Lisa agrees with them, but tells them that they cost the church its soul, and leaves, saying she has lost her faith in the church, much to Homer and [[Marge Simpson|Marge's]] shock.
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== Plot ==
 +
[[Bart]] and Lisa watch the film ''[[The Planet from Outer Space]]'' when an advertisement for the [[Orbit King]] model rocket appears. Bart immediately orders one using [[Homer]]'s credit card. Six to eight weeks later, the model rocket arrives. Bart asks Homer to help him build it, and they assemble a poorly constructed rocket with glue leaking from every joint. The rocket explodes before Homer can press the launch button. Their second attempt goes no better, with another explosion. Homer, Bart, and [[Milhouse]] notice a rocket launching from the Flanders' backyard, and [[Ned]] reveals that their attempts inspired him to get a rocket for [[Rod]] and [[Todd]]. Not wanting to be outdone by Flanders, Homer enlists {{ap|Benjamin|nerd}}, {{ap|Doug|nerd}}, and {{ap|Gary|nerd}} to build a rocket. [[Nibbles]] the hamster is chosen as the pilot, and after saying goodbye to [[Nibbles' wife|his wife]], he gets into the rocket. The rocket launches successfully, but when it veers off course, Homer tells Nibbles how to guide it down. Instead, Nibbles hits the eject button and parachutes to safety while the rocket crashes into the [[First Church of Springfield]], destroying it.
  
That night, Marge tries to "talk sense" into Lisa by pretending to be God as she prays, but Lisa, offended that her mother would eavesdrop on her prayers, is not to be swayed. Bart comes up with some religions she should consider taking up, but she shoots them all down. She goes for a walk, passing many sacrilegious signs, like Whiskey A God-God and Church of The Latter Day Druids, until she happens upeon Springfield's Buddhist temple. She enters and sees [[Lenny Leonard|Lenny]], [[Carl Carlson|Carl]], and Hollywood actor [[Richard Gere]] inside. After hearing and reading about the virtues of Buddhism, she declares to everyone that she is a Buddhist. Ned hears this and takes his sons into an underground bunker. They ask how long they'll be there, to which Ned replies that they may never come out, much to the boys' apparent delight.
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Outside the church, [[Reverend Lovejoy]] asks the church council how to fund repairs. After failing to come up with ideas, [[Mr. Burns]] offers to pay for the repairs in exchange for allowing advertisements and sponsorships in the church. Three weeks later, the newly refurbished church reopens, filled with advertisements. Lisa becomes annoyed, feeling it mocks the religion. When the [[Noid]] delivers a sermon about the "sanctity of deliciousness," Lisa interrupts to complain. She tells the parishioners that sponsorships have cost the church its soul and storms out, declaring she's leaving the church forever.
  
Marge is shocked at the conversion, and tries unsuccessfully to bribe her back to Christianity. Lisa plants her own bodhi tree in the back yard, much to Marge's disapproval. At the church council, Burns gives the money to them, after trying to escape with a smoke bomb, which fades just as he grabs the door knob, leaving them one of the topics on agenda: "Marge Simpson's devil daughter". Since Christmas is coming, they decide to bribe Lisa back using Christmas presents, using what looks like a pony named Clip Clop wrapped in paper (in actuality, it is only [[Ralph Wiggum|Ralph]] and Milhouse wrapped inside). However, she gets wise to the fact that Reverend Lovejoy is outside watching and runs away.
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That night, Lisa prays, telling [[God]] she isn’t turning her back on him but wants a temple free from corruption. Marge overhears and, pretending to be a Heavenly voice, asks why Lisa has to be so different. Lisa sees through the ruse and tells Marge she still believes in God but thinks there’s another path to him, or her. While researching religions, Bart suggests various options for selfish reasons. Annoyed, Lisa goes for a walk and ends up at the [[Springfield Buddhist Temple]]. Inside, she finds [[Lenny]] and [[Carl]] meditating and learns they are Buddhists. {{Ch|Richard Gere}} introduces Lisa to the basics of Buddhism. Receptive to the teachings, she takes a pamphlet and later reads it at home, excitedly announcing she is now a Buddhist.
  
She runs to the Buddhist temple, where she complains about how her family tried to trick her into celebrating Christmas. Richard Gere informs her that while Buddhism is about finding inner peace, it is also about respecting the diversity of other religions, as well as love and compassion. In other words, she can still celebrate Christmas and be Buddhist. Gere leaves to spend Christmas with his daughter, and Lenny and Carl leave to prevent [[Moe Szyslak|Moe]] from attempting to kill himself (as he does every Christmas).
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The next day, the family is shocked to learn Lisa is a Buddhist. She plants her own [[Bodhi Tree]] in the backyard and meditates under it. At the church, Mr. Burns announces church revenue has increased 1,073%. When Lovejoy asks for some of the money, Burns tries to flee but reluctantly hands over a stack of cash. The conversation turns to Lisa’s conversion, and Lovejoy suggests bribing her with [[Christmas]], as it’s approaching. The family tries to get Lisa into the Christmas spirit but fails repeatedly. On Christmas Eve, Marge attempts to bribe Lisa with a pony, [[Clip-Clop]]. Lisa realizes their intention and runs out of the house. The pony is revealed to be Milhouse and [[Ralph]] wrapped in paper.
  
Lisa goes back home and tells everyone that she will be celebrating Christmas with them and continue pay lip service to Christianity, all the while remaining with Buddhism. When she asks about the pony, Marge nervously tries to change the subject by saying "Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy new year." At the end, we hear Marge still saying Happy New Year and Lisa calling for Clip Clop.
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Lisa goes to the Buddhist Temple and talks with Lenny, Carl, and Richard Gere. Gere explains that Buddhists respect the diversity of other religions and assures Lisa she’s free to celebrate any holiday she chooses. Gere mentions he’ll spend Christmas with his stepdaughter, while Lenny and Carl will spend it with [[Moe]]. On Christmas Day, the family returns home after failing to find Lisa. They discover her asleep by the Christmas Tree. When she wakes, Lisa explains she’s still Buddhist but can celebrate with her family too. Homer accepts that Lisa will only pay lip service to the church. Lisa then asks about Clip-Clop, but Marge ignores her and changes the subject.
  
==Trivia==
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== Production ==
*Lisa catches Marge listening to her pray. Marge does this again in "[[Bart Has Two Mommies]]," that time with the Flanders brothers.
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Showrunner [[Al Jean]] worked with [[Bill Freiberger]] on ''{{W2|Teen Angel|1997 TV series}}'', and Freiberger asked Jean if he could write a script if Jean became showrunner of ''The Simpsons'' again. Al Jean wanted the episode to focus on Lisa becoming a Buddhist, while Freiberger pitched the model rocket part of the story. Lisa becoming a Buddhist was one of the rare plot points that wasn't dropped after the episode ended, as Lisa remained a Buddhist throughout the series.<ref name="Jean">{{Com|Jean, Al|She of Little Faith|Thirteenth|(2010).|link=Al Jean}}</ref> The model rocket idea came from Freiberger and was inspired by an event that happened to him, where he launched a model rocket that went through his house window. Nibbles being put into the rocket was based on an advertisement for a real-life rocket that showed insects being placed in the rocket.<ref name="Freiberger">{{Com|Freiberger, Bill|She of Little Faith|Thirteenth|(2010).|link=Bill Freiberger}}</ref>
*Marge tells Lisa she hopes at least one of the Simpsons will go to Heaven. In "[[Simpsons Bible Stories]]" that's what happened - Lisa starts ascending to Heaven, but Homer grabs her and takes her down to the barbecue in Hell along with the rest of the family.
 
*While walking into the new church, a man claims that he can exchange money for the patrons, Lisa remarks that it "could not be more blasphemous!". This is a reference to the biblical account of Jesus and the money changers.
 
*When Marge tells Homer that this is the worst thing he's ever done, Homer replies that she's said it so much that the words have lost all meaning.  Marge has also told Homer something is the worst thing he's ever done in [[Brawl in the Family]] (when it's revealed that Homer married the barmaid from Vegas). She's also said something very similar to that in [[The Cartridge Family]] (when Bart finds Homer's gun and uses it to play William Tell with Milhouse).
 
*Syndication cuts a scene where as the rocket is launched, a homeless person stops drinking his alcohol and leaves it. A business man subsequently sees the alcohol and drinks it at the same spot.
 
  
==Cultural references==
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The first draft of the script was 106 pages long, and Freiberger spent more time cutting it down than writing the original draft. In the initial version, Marge had a larger role in the first act. The idea was that Homer was reluctant to build the rocket, and Marge convinced him to do it, only for Homer to become more interested in the rocket than Bart.<ref name="Freiberger"/> Richard Gere recorded his part in [[New York City]] and requested that Lisa say "free [[Tibet]]" and that Buddhism be portrayed accurately. Gere also didn't mind being mocked in the episode.<ref name="Jean"/> In the final draft, Gere ended up saying the "Free Tibet" line instead.
*The title is a reference to a line quoted in the Bible "ye of little faith."
 
*The cheesy science fiction movie at the beginning of the show, referred as "The planet from outer space", is a parody of Plan 9 from Outer Space.
 
* Homer's "break the surly bonds of gravity/punch the face of God!" speech is a parody of Ronald Reagan' sspeech following the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986, which quotes from the poem "High Flight" by John Gillespie Magee, Jr.
 
*The opening plot with the rockets is a spoof of the bio-pic ''October Sky''.
 
*This episode satirizes the phenomenon of megachurches.
 
*When Reverend Lovejoy is done with his sermon, he says that the Noid has somethings he'd like to say, and the Noid in question walks up to the podium.
 
*What Lisa was chanting while ignoring her father was Om mani padme hum, a mantra popularly associated with Tibetan Buddhism.
 
*The Buddhist temple's main figure is not actually the historical Buddha himself, but rather a Western misinterpretation of him; the familiar obese laughing figure is actually the Chinese interpretation of the bodhisattva Maitreya, who has come to be a representative of the Buddha in some episodes.
 
*When trying to decide how to get funds to rebuild the church, Marge suggests that they write to David Bowie.
 
*Bart's chalkboard gag was probably a subtle reference to his limited-edition breakfast cereal released in 2001, ''Bart Simpson Peanut Butter Chocolate Crunch Cereal'' by Kellogg's
 
*On the "Jumbotron", Lisa is captioned with the words "Pouting Thomas", a play on the phrase Doubting Thomas.
 
*Lisa getting shown on the "Jumbotron" with "Pouting Thomas" on the bottom of the screen is a reference to the 1970s episodes of Saturday Night Live where, after a sketch ended and before the show went to a commercial break, the camera would zoom in on someone in the audience and a bizarre or risque caption would appear below the shot.
 
*When Ned hears Lisa announce that she is a Buddhist, he exclaims, "My Satan sense is tingling!". This is a spoof of Spider-Man's catchphrase, "My Spider-Sense is tingling!".
 
  
{{Season 13}}
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A deleted scene from the episode featured a man named [[Hassan Jay Salam]] getting arrested for blowing up the church due to the initials on the rocket reading "HJS" (Homer Jay Simpson). When the episode was reviewed by producers in October 2001, a month after the {{W|September 11 attacks}}, they were startled by its similarities to the attacks and decided to cut the scene.<ref name="Jean"/> Another deleted scene involved [[The Rich Texan]] in a skybox in the church, claiming he was closer to God than Bart would ever be. Both scenes were included on ''[[The Complete Thirteenth Season]]''.
[[Category:Christmas Episodes]]
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[[Category:Episodes]]
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== Reception ==
[[Category:Season 13]]
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"She of Little Faith" was nominated for a {{W|Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program}} in the {{W|51st Primetime Emmy Awards}}. However, it lost to "{{IS|Roswell That Ends Well}}" from ''[[Futurama]]''.<ref>[https://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/2002/outstanding-short-format-animated-program Television Academy - "Outstanding Animated Program (for programming less than one hour) - 2002"]</ref>
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As of November [[2024]], the episode has a 7.1 rating on {{W|IMDb}}.<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0701206/ IMDb - "She of Little Faith"]</ref>
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== References ==
 +
{{Reflist}}
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{{Images|ep=yes}}
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{{season 13}}
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[[sv:She of Little Faith]]
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[[Category:2001]]
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[[Category:Lisa episodes]]
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[[Category:Christmas episodes]]
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[[Category:Religion-themed episodes]]
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[[Category:Primetime Emmy Award nominated episodes]]
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[[Category:Episodes written by one time writers]]
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[[Category:Episodes directed by Steven Dean Moore]]

Latest revision as of 17:06, November 20, 2024

Season 13 Episode
274 "The Blunder Years"
275
"She of Little Faith"
"Brawl in the Family" 276
"I'm a Buddhist!"
Lisa Simpson
"She of Little Faith"
She of Little Faith promo.png
Episode Information
Episode number: 275
Season number: S13 E6
Production code: DABF02
Original airdate: December 16, 2001
Chalkboard gag: "I do not have a cereal named after me"
Couch gag: The couch is a slot machine with all the faces of the family members with the exception of Maggie who is a seven.
Guest star(s): Richard Gere as himself
Showrunner: Al Jean
Written by: Bill Freiberger
Directed by: Steven Dean Moore
DVD features


"She of Little Faith" is the sixth episode of season 13 of The Simpsons and the two-hundred and seventy-fifth episode overall. It originally aired on December 16, 2001. The episode was written by Bill Freiberger and directed by Steven Dean Moore. It guest stars Richard Gere as himself.

Synopsis[edit]

"Desperate for money, the First Church of Springfield decides to rent out its space in the church to local advertisers. Horrified at the living commercial the church has become, Lisa has a crisis of faith and looks for a new religion that suits her."


Plot[edit]

Bart and Lisa watch the film The Planet from Outer Space when an advertisement for the Orbit King model rocket appears. Bart immediately orders one using Homer's credit card. Six to eight weeks later, the model rocket arrives. Bart asks Homer to help him build it, and they assemble a poorly constructed rocket with glue leaking from every joint. The rocket explodes before Homer can press the launch button. Their second attempt goes no better, with another explosion. Homer, Bart, and Milhouse notice a rocket launching from the Flanders' backyard, and Ned reveals that their attempts inspired him to get a rocket for Rod and Todd. Not wanting to be outdone by Flanders, Homer enlists Benjamin, Doug, and Gary to build a rocket. Nibbles the hamster is chosen as the pilot, and after saying goodbye to his wife, he gets into the rocket. The rocket launches successfully, but when it veers off course, Homer tells Nibbles how to guide it down. Instead, Nibbles hits the eject button and parachutes to safety while the rocket crashes into the First Church of Springfield, destroying it.

Outside the church, Reverend Lovejoy asks the church council how to fund repairs. After failing to come up with ideas, Mr. Burns offers to pay for the repairs in exchange for allowing advertisements and sponsorships in the church. Three weeks later, the newly refurbished church reopens, filled with advertisements. Lisa becomes annoyed, feeling it mocks the religion. When the Noid delivers a sermon about the "sanctity of deliciousness," Lisa interrupts to complain. She tells the parishioners that sponsorships have cost the church its soul and storms out, declaring she's leaving the church forever.

That night, Lisa prays, telling God she isn’t turning her back on him but wants a temple free from corruption. Marge overhears and, pretending to be a Heavenly voice, asks why Lisa has to be so different. Lisa sees through the ruse and tells Marge she still believes in God but thinks there’s another path to him, or her. While researching religions, Bart suggests various options for selfish reasons. Annoyed, Lisa goes for a walk and ends up at the Springfield Buddhist Temple. Inside, she finds Lenny and Carl meditating and learns they are Buddhists. Richard Gere introduces Lisa to the basics of Buddhism. Receptive to the teachings, she takes a pamphlet and later reads it at home, excitedly announcing she is now a Buddhist.

The next day, the family is shocked to learn Lisa is a Buddhist. She plants her own Bodhi Tree in the backyard and meditates under it. At the church, Mr. Burns announces church revenue has increased 1,073%. When Lovejoy asks for some of the money, Burns tries to flee but reluctantly hands over a stack of cash. The conversation turns to Lisa’s conversion, and Lovejoy suggests bribing her with Christmas, as it’s approaching. The family tries to get Lisa into the Christmas spirit but fails repeatedly. On Christmas Eve, Marge attempts to bribe Lisa with a pony, Clip-Clop. Lisa realizes their intention and runs out of the house. The pony is revealed to be Milhouse and Ralph wrapped in paper.

Lisa goes to the Buddhist Temple and talks with Lenny, Carl, and Richard Gere. Gere explains that Buddhists respect the diversity of other religions and assures Lisa she’s free to celebrate any holiday she chooses. Gere mentions he’ll spend Christmas with his stepdaughter, while Lenny and Carl will spend it with Moe. On Christmas Day, the family returns home after failing to find Lisa. They discover her asleep by the Christmas Tree. When she wakes, Lisa explains she’s still Buddhist but can celebrate with her family too. Homer accepts that Lisa will only pay lip service to the church. Lisa then asks about Clip-Clop, but Marge ignores her and changes the subject.

Production[edit]

Showrunner Al Jean worked with Bill Freiberger on Teen Angel, and Freiberger asked Jean if he could write a script if Jean became showrunner of The Simpsons again. Al Jean wanted the episode to focus on Lisa becoming a Buddhist, while Freiberger pitched the model rocket part of the story. Lisa becoming a Buddhist was one of the rare plot points that wasn't dropped after the episode ended, as Lisa remained a Buddhist throughout the series.[1] The model rocket idea came from Freiberger and was inspired by an event that happened to him, where he launched a model rocket that went through his house window. Nibbles being put into the rocket was based on an advertisement for a real-life rocket that showed insects being placed in the rocket.[2]

The first draft of the script was 106 pages long, and Freiberger spent more time cutting it down than writing the original draft. In the initial version, Marge had a larger role in the first act. The idea was that Homer was reluctant to build the rocket, and Marge convinced him to do it, only for Homer to become more interested in the rocket than Bart.[2] Richard Gere recorded his part in New York City and requested that Lisa say "free Tibet" and that Buddhism be portrayed accurately. Gere also didn't mind being mocked in the episode.[1] In the final draft, Gere ended up saying the "Free Tibet" line instead.

A deleted scene from the episode featured a man named Hassan Jay Salam getting arrested for blowing up the church due to the initials on the rocket reading "HJS" (Homer Jay Simpson). When the episode was reviewed by producers in October 2001, a month after the September 11 attacks, they were startled by its similarities to the attacks and decided to cut the scene.[1] Another deleted scene involved The Rich Texan in a skybox in the church, claiming he was closer to God than Bart would ever be. Both scenes were included on The Complete Thirteenth Season.

Reception[edit]

"She of Little Faith" was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program in the 51st Primetime Emmy Awards. However, it lost to "Roswell That Ends Well" from Futurama.[3]

As of November 2024, the episode has a 7.1 rating on IMDb.[4]

References[edit]


The Saga of Carl - title screen.png Wikisimpsons has a collection of images related to "She of Little Faith".
Season 13 Episodes
Treehouse of Horror XII The Parent Rap Homer the Moe A Hunka Hunka Burns in Love The Blunder Years She of Little Faith Brawl in the Family Sweets and Sour Marge Jaws Wired Shut Half-Decent Proposal The Bart Wants What It Wants The Lastest Gun in the West The Old Man and the Key Tales from the Public Domain Blame It on Lisa Weekend at Burnsie's Gump Roast I Am Furious (Yellow) The Sweetest Apu Little Girl in the Big Ten The Frying Game Poppa's Got a Brand New Badge