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Lisa's Rival

Wikisimpsons - The Simpsons Wiki
Season 6 Episode
104 "Bart of Darkness"
105
"Lisa's Rival"
"Another Simpsons Clip Show" 106
"Lisa's Rival"
Lisa's Rival (Lisa Breathing In and Out of a Bag).png
Episode Information
Episode number: 105
Season number: S6 E2
Production code: 1F17
Original airdate: September 11, 1994
Chalkboard gag: "No one is interested in my underpants."
Couch gag: The Simpsons swim to the couch.
Guest star(s): Winona Ryder as Allison Taylor
Showrunner(s): David Mirkin
Written by: Mike Scully
Directed by: Mark Kirkland
DVD features


"Lisa's Rival" is the second episode of season 6 of The Simpsons and the one-hundred and fifth episode overall. It originally aired on September 11, 1994. The episode was written by Mike Scully and directed by Mark Kirkland. It guest stars Winona Ryder as Allison Taylor.

Synopsis[edit]

"It looks as if Lisa's days as the class brain are numbered when the new student proves to be smarter, younger, and plays the sax better than her. Meanwhile, Homer strikes white gold in the form of an over-turned Sugar truck."


Plot[edit]

Lisa feels as if she's going to have to work a little bit more now that a new student, Allison Taylor (voiced by Winona Ryder), has arrived at Springfield Elementary. Allison is as smart as or smarter than Lisa, younger (having skipped a grade), and like Lisa, a young master of the saxophone.

Regardless, Lisa tries to be her friend, though she battles her envy and jealousy. It comes to a climax during Springfield Elementary's annual "Diorama-rama", a competition in which the students build dioramas. Allison chose and constructed her project early: a scene from The Tell-Tale Heart, by Edgar Allan Poe. With Bart's help and prodding, Lisa decides to sabotage Allison's entry by switching Allison's diorama with a one containing a rotten cow's heart. When Principal Skinner not only criticizes the diorama but also begins to question Allison's overall qualifications, Lisa's guilt overcomes her and she confesses to the switch.

Lisa and Allison both lose to Ralph Wiggum, whose diorama consisted of a box of Star Wars action figures, objects of sentimental value to Principal Skinner. In the end, Lisa and Allison put aside their differences and become friends as they walk away, picking up Ralph along the way to hang out with them after he accidentally trips and breaks his action figures (saying two of his more well known lines, "I bent my Wookiee," and "My cat's breath smells like cat food.").

A secondary story arc follows Homer after he steals hundreds of pounds of sugar he finds at the scene of a truck accident. Homer tries several hare-brained schemes to make money from the sugar. Eventually, the sugar attracts bees from the local apiary and the owners offer Homer money to buy the bees back, but at the last moment it starts raining, the sugar melts, and the bees leave on their own.

A third story arc involves Bart pranking Milhouse by putting his picture on America's Most Wanted and then repeatedly updating the authorities as to his whereabouts.

Production[edit]

According to the DVD audio commentary for the episode, the Northridge earthquake occurred during the production of this episode. It also notes that Conan O'Brien, who by this time had left the show, suggested having an episode about a rival for Lisa (though it was only the basic concept and not the story line that came from O'Brien).

In other languages[edit]

Language Name Translation
Italy Flag.png Italiano "La rivale di Lisa" Lisa's Rival


References[edit]


The Saga of Carl - title screen.png Wikisimpsons has a collection of images related to "Lisa's Rival".
Season 6 Episodes
Bart of Darkness Lisa's Rival Another Simpsons Clip Show Itchy & Scratchy Land Sideshow Bob Roberts Treehouse of Horror V Bart's Girlfriend Lisa on Ice Homer Badman Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy Fear of Flying Homer the Great And Maggie Makes Three Bart's Comet Homie the Clown Bart vs. Australia Homer vs. Patty and Selma A Star Is Burns Lisa's Wedding Two Dozen and One Greyhounds The PTA Disbands 'Round Springfield The Springfield Connection Lemon of Troy Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part One)