I LOVE LISA

'"I Love Lisa"' is the fifteenth episode from the fourth season of ''The Simpsons'', in which the dim-witted and socially-awkward Ralph Wiggum plays a prominent role.

Contents

Plot

Valentine's Day in Springfield

Trivia

External links

Plot

On Valentine's Day in Springfield, Lisa's class begins constructing paper mailboxes for all the cards they are about to receive. When Ralph gets no cards and begins to cry, Lisa hastily gives him a card out of sympathy (the card reads "I choo-choo-choose you" and has a picture of a train, much to Ralph's delight). Ralph immediately cheers up, and develops a romantic interest in his classmate.
Ralph begins to annoy Lisa at every turn, following her home and discussing his medical maladies. Lisa tries to escape the situation, but Ralph uses his position as the police chief's son to get her tickets to Krusty's upcoming ''29th Anniversary Special'', as well as a leading part for himself in a President's Day Pageant in which Lisa also stars. In a dramatic upset, Ralph received the role of George Washington in a segment about that president's life, beating out an obviously more talented classmate, who complained to no avail. Conveniently, Lisa as Martha Washington will be Ralph's "wife" (mainly because Chief Wiggum blackmailed Ms. Hoover into giving them those roles for the pageant by placing a boot on her car).
With Homer having convinced Lisa that nothing can go wrong at Krusty's show, Lisa and Ralph go together. On live air, Krusty begins interviewing audience members, and Ralph takes the opportunity to declare that Lisa is the love of his life and that he intends to marry her. Lisa finally loses her temper and angrily tells Ralph they are not boyfriend and girlfriend, that she never liked him, and that the only reason she gave him a valentine was because she felt sorry for him.
Ralph is humiliated and hurt, and Lisa soon regrets her actions, particularly after Bart replays the incident on videotape, pinpointing the exact moment where Ralph's heart breaks. Ralph bemoans his situation to his father, but the only way Chief Wiggum can respond is to break out Homer's tail light during a traffic stop, only to realize he could get in serious trouble after Homer points it out.
On the night of the play, Lisa tries to apologize to Ralph, but all he tries to do is focus on his role. Surprisingly, perhaps under the influence of the incident with Lisa, Ralph proves to be a very good actor, inspiring the school bullies to study American history. He even moves Groundskeeper Willie to tears. The play ends with an animatronic Mount Rushmore singing "From sea to shining sea" and tells the audience "Don't forget to try our orange drink."
Afterward, Ralph signs autographs and greets well-wishers. Lisa also approaches, and gives him a new card, reading "Let's bee [be] friends." Ralph accepts the offer. Chief Wiggum watches his son and Lisa sitting together on the swings over the music of the Monster Mash on the radio (though the radio station originally intended to play a romantic song).

Valentine's Day in Springfield

★ Grampa scoffs at the holiday, until he sees Jasper enjoying a card from his granddaughter.

★ Bart paints insults on candy hearts. Principal Skinner catches on and reminds the school that Valentine's Day is no joke, and in the process lapses into a Vietnam flashback reminiscent of Apocalypse Now, where his best friend, Johnny, was shot by the Viet Cong while addressing a Valentine to his girlfriend.

★ Moe receives a Valentine's Day card from a "secret admirer", who turns out to be Barney.

★ KBBL DJ's Bill & Marty accidentally play "Monster Mash" by Bobby "Boris" Pickett instead of a love song; they make the mistake again on President's Day.

★ Lunchlady Doris serves beef hearts for lunch, despite their being dumped on the dirty school kitchen floor. Bart uses one of the beef hearts in a gross lunch room prank.

Trivia

★ Also Starring Michael Carrington as Sideshow Raheem.

★ This episode establishes Ralph as Chief Wiggum's son.

★ Al Jean, (show runner for this episode), really did receive a Valentine from a girl in third grade that read "I Choo-choo-choose you." Subsequently, his wife had it inscribed on his wedding band.

★ Krusty actually reads the note that says "Talk to the audience." But according to the episode "Krusty Gets Busted," he is illiterate.

★ Principal Skinner's orange drink would later make an appearance in New Kids on the Blecch.

★ The characters dress in their regular attire even though the episode takes place in February. This is addressed in Another Simpsons Clip Show, with Lisa explaining it was unseasonably warm that February 14 and the kids walked home without jackets.

★ Krusty sings The Doors song "Break on Through (To the Other Side)" during the seventies look-back.

★ Fox's original broadcast of this episode had an opening sequence recycled from Homer Defined.

★ When Ralph enters the auditorium and tells Lisa he is going to play George Washington, he sits in a wheelchair with a cigarette holder, a pair of glasses, and is smiling , therefore, looking like Franklin Delano Roosevelt, as he appeared in many photos.

★ After the play where Ralph played George Washington he was giving autographs to the girls. This was the only time in the series where Ralph had some popularity from his friends and even from the girls.

★ This title is a possible reference to the TV show "I Love Lucy".

★ The valentine that Lisa gave Ralph appears as a collector card in the third level of the Simpsons Hit & Run video game. The Krusty Home Pregnancy test that is also featured in this episode appears as a collector card in level two of the same video game.

★ Near the end of the episode Willie clearly says "I didn't cry when me own father was hung for stealing a pig, but I'll cry now." This states that Willie's father is dead. However In the episode "Monty Can't Buy Me Love" Willie goes to Scotland and says hello to his Father and Mother.

★ A Censor bleep is heard when Krusty shows a clip with Sideshow Mel.

External links

★