Lisa the Greek
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- "Don't you like ice cream better when it's covered in hot fudge?... and mounds of whipped cream?... chopped nuts, and those crumpled up cookie things they mash up! Mmmm... crumpled up cookie things."
- ―Homer Simpson
"Lisa the Greek"
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Episode Information
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Mike Reiss]]
"Lisa the Greek" is the fourteenth episode of season 3 of The Simpsons and the forty-ninth episode overall. It originally aired on January 23, 1992. The episode was written by Jay Kogen and Wallace Wolodarsky and directed by Rich Moore. It guest stars Phil Hartman as Smooth Jimmy Apollo.
Contents
Synopsis
- "Homer becomes aware that Lisa can predict football results with incredible accuracy, and the two bond when watching the games. However, Homer secretly takes advantage of Lisa's ability and uses it to place bets with Moe, making a bundle. However, when Lisa finds out what Homer's been doing, she calls off the bets - leaving him with a final prediction for the Super Bowl - if Washington win, she loves him, but if Buffalos win, she won't. Washington come from behind and win."
Plot
Armed with high-cholesterol snacks, Homer sits down to another Sunday of football. Lisa enters the room to show her dad a shoebox apartment she made for her Malibu Stacy dolls. Homer is not really that interested, though, especially after Denver – on whom he has bet $20 – gives up a quick touchdown.
Lisa complains to Marge, who suggests spending some "quality time" with Homer by taking up his interests. Lisa decides to join her father on the couch, and an annoyed Homer reluctantly agrees. By now, New England is crushing Denver 35-7 and has just forced another Broncos fumble. In the end, Denver loses 55-10, and Homer angrily blames the TV (and sports anchorman "Smooth" Jimmy Apollo) for losing his bet.
Homer decides to try again on the Miami-Cincinnati game and calls a 1-900 "guaranteed pick" service for advice; however, it soon becomes clear the only thing "The Coach" wants is the caller's money. A desperate Homer turns to Lisa to pick a winner, and she picks the Dolphins, and Homer quickly calls Moe's Tavern to place his $50 wager. Lisa questions Homer about the call, and likens sports betting to putting a lot of toppings on ice cream. In the end, the Dolphins win, and Homer and Lisa celebrate. Meanwhile, Marge has taken Bart shopping for new (dorky) clothes that the bullies taunt him for.
Lisa becomes very adept at choosing winners of football games, and Homer declares every Sunday "Daddy-Daughter Day." However, Homer secretly takes advantage of Lisa's ability to pick the winning football teams and uses it to gamble money off of Moe. Lisa remains perfect in her picks, earning Homer more and more money as Super Bowl approaches. Using his new money, Homer buys his family expensive presents and treats them to fine dining. One night, Marge gets suspicious of where Homer is getting the money from, and realizes the truth, but Homer says it's not a big deal and that gambling has brought him and Lisa together. However, earlier that day, Homer had decided to go bowling with Barney on the Sunday after the Super Bowl instead of going on a mountain hike with Lisa, showing that Homer had only used Lisa for gambling.
The next day at breakfast, Lisa says she is looking forward to spending the "Daddy-Daughter Day" after Super Bowl XXVI going hiking at Mount Springfield. However, Homer announces he is going bowling with Barney, and that "Daddy-Daughter Day" is over until the next football season, casuing Lisa to realize that Homer only used her to help him gamble and never wanted to be with Lisa at all. Marge calls Homer a "very selfish man," and Bart taunts him with the new swearing device that Homer bought for him. A heartbroken Lisa then gives up all the Malibu Stacy toys that Homer bought for her with his money.
Homer realizes he needs to make amends with Lisa, but she is too hurt to even talk with him. In fact, she makes a cryptic prediction as to the winner of the game: If she still loves Homer, Washington will win; if she doesn't, Buffalo. Homer becomes even more anxious over his relationship with Lisa as Super Bowl Sunday approaches. When he hears Lisa mournfully play her saxophone, he leaves for Moe's Tavern to watch the game.
Homer mopes throughout the game, especially after Buffalo gets a 14-7 halftime lead. The game is highlighted by a corny halftime commercial for Duff Beer, an equally silly halftime show and Troy McClure's promo for his new situation comedy, which premieres right after the Super Bowl. In the end, Washington rallies in the second half and scores at the last second to win the game. Homer is happy and Bart proudly says to Lisa that she still loves Homer, in which she agrees.
Homer cancels his bowling date with Barney and – on the Sunday after the Super Bowl – makes good on his promise to go hiking up Mount Springfield with Lisa.
Reception
Yeardley Smith won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance in the 44th Primetime Emmy Awards for voicing Lisa Simpson in this episode.[1]
References
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