Lost Our Lisa
"Lost Our Lisa" | ||
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Couch gag The family falls off the couch; Nelson Muntz appears and laughs.[2] | | |
Commentary | Matt Groening Mike Scully George Meyer David X. Cohen Yeardley Smith Pete Michels | |
"Lost Our Lisa" is the twenty-fourth and penultimate episode of the ninth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 10, 1998. The episode contains the last appearance of the character Lionel Hutz.[3] When Lisa learns that Marge cannot give her a ride to the museum and forbids her to take the bus, she tricks Homer into giving her permission. After Lisa gets lost, Homer goes looking for her and the two end up visiting the museum together.
The episode is analyzed in the books
Plot
Since this is Lisa's last chance to see the exhibit, she calls Homer to ask him if she can take the bus. When he initially seems uncertain, she tricks him into letting her take the bus by suggesting that she could take a
Meanwhile, as Bart is examined by
With Homer and Lisa re-united, he tells her that it is all right to take risks in life. The two decide to go to the museum after all, by illegally entering, since it is now closed. While there, Homer accidentally knocks the Orb of Isis onto the floor, where it splits open, revealing it to be a music box that had gone overlooked by scientists and museum staff. Lisa concludes that what her father said about risks was right – until the alarm goes off and guard dogs chase them out of the building.
Production
Writer
In the season 9 DVD release of the episode, The Simpsons animators use a telestrator to show similarities between Krusty and Homer in the episode.[6] This episode contains the last showing of character Lionel Hutz.[3] He is seen standing at the bus stop with Lisa, but does not speak. Due to Phil Hartman's death, the recurring characters of Lionel Hutz and Troy McClure were retired.[7]
Themes
In his book
In The Psychology of the Simpsons: D'oh!, the authors utilize statements made by Homer in the episode to analyze the difference between heuristic and algorithmic decision-making.[10] Homer explains to Lisa, "Stupid risks are what make life worth living. Now your mother, she's the steady type and that's fine in small doses, but me, I'm a risk-taker. That's why I have so many adventures!"[10] The authors of The Psychology of The Simpsons interpret this statement by Homer to mean that he "relies on his past experiences of taking massive, death-defying risks and winding up okay to justify forging ahead in the most extreme circumstances".[10]
The episode is another featuring Homer's near invulnerability to head injury, previously explained in "The Homer They Fall".
Reception
In its original broadcast, "Lost Our Lisa" finished 45th in ratings for the week of May 4–10, 1998, with a
Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood write positively of the episode in their book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide: "A smashing episode, loads of good jokes and clever situations ... and best of all, Lisa working intelligently. The teaming up of father and daughter has rarely been more enjoyable and lovely. Gives you a warm feeling."[12] A review of The Simpsons season 9 DVD release in the Daily Post notes that it includes "super illustrated colour commentaries" on "All Singing, All Dancing" and "Lost Our Lisa".[13]
References
- ISBN 978-0-00-738815-8.
- ^ Bates et al., pp. 1016
- ^ a b c Groening, Matt (2006). The Simpsons The Complete Ninth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Lost Our Lisa" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
- ^ a b Scully, Mike (2006). The Simpsons The Complete Ninth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Lost Our Lisa" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
- ^ a b Meyer, George (2006). The Simpsons The Complete Ninth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Lost Our Lisa" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
- ^ Szadkowski, Joseph (January 13, 2007). "Animated ninja figures learn all about warrior art". The Washington Times. News World Communications. p. C9.
- National Public Radio (Interview). Interviewed by Terry Gross. Philadelphia: WHYY-FM. Retrieved June 9, 2007.
- ^ Turner 2005, p. 224.
- ISBN 0-8126-9433-3.
- ^ ISBN 1-932100-70-9.
- Sun-Sentinel. Associated Press. May 14, 1998. p. 4E.
- ^ Martyn, Warren; Wood, Adrian (2000). "Lost Our Lisa". BBC. Retrieved October 24, 2007.
- Trinity Mirror. p. 6.
- Bibliography
- OCLC 670978714.
Further reading
- Cantor, Paul A. (2001). Gilligan Unbound: Pop Culture in the Age of Globalization. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 230. ISBN 0-7425-0779-3.
- Wood, Andrew; Anne Marie Todd (August 2005). ""Are We There Yet?": Searching for Springfield and The Simpsons' Rhetoric of Omnitopia". Critical Studies in Media Communication. 22 (3): 207–222. S2CID 143160092.