[3F22] Summer of 4 Ft. 2 (Rev. A)
Ricardo A. Lafaurie Jr.
Hello all. This capsule is my last new capsule (Homerpalooza is ready but
missing the transcript.) Occasional reposts will follow. The transcript
is rather flimsy, but maybe Frederic Briere (or whoever chooses to do the
capsules post-me) will fix that in a later revision.
Adios
--
The One Known as Dasrik RICARDO A. LAFAURIE Jr. FEY
==========================================================================
``Great relationships? They suck. They end. You suffer. It may never be
that good again. Now with a bad relationship, there is always hope.''
-- Peter Kohlsaat
SPOILERS
Summer of 4 Ft. 2 Written by Dan Greaney
Directed by Mark Kirkland
=======================================================================
Production Code: 3F22 Original Airdate in U.S.: 19-May-96
Capsule Revision A, 6-Jun-96 Original Airdate in Canada: 18-May-96
=======================================================================
> "TV Guide" Synopsis {sp}
=======================================================================
On vacation at the beach, Lisa plays dumb to make friends with some
"cool" kids, leaving an envious Bart all burned up, with Milhouse
as his only comrade.
[Last first-run episode of the season.]
=======================================================================
> Opening Sequence
=======================================================================
>> COUCH SCENE
A ringing sound is heard as the couch spits up a picture of
OFF in sitting position like a FAX machine, which then slides
under the couch.
(Recycled from 2F17.)
[Okay, we rode out the season -- 7 blackboards out of 25 episodes?!
What is the friggin' problem??? --ed]
=======================================================================
> Did you notice...
=======================================================================
... Milhouse swims with his glasses on?
Ricardo A. Lafaurie Jr.:
... the first time they've shown two new episodes in the same day.
... in the couch scene, the fax paper slides under the couch this
time, unlike in 3F12?
... school starts at 9:00 and ends at 3:00?
... when the bell first starts to ring at the end of Hoover's
lesson it sounds like a gun cocking?
... Samantha Stanky was in the circle of girls that Lisa tried to
get to sign her yearbook?
... Becky is the former "girl with the ultra-skinny legs"? (The
one who plays hopscotch in 7F09.) (They've thickened her
legs too.)
... when Lisa says "Like, you know, whatever" she sounds like
Gail Matthius?
... Marge is right... Bart _hasn't_ said "Don't have a cow" in
four years?
... a shell covers the rear view mirror?
Haynes Lee:
... Marge also hates the Flanders?
... a scrod is a young cod or haddock, esp. as food.
... Homer ordering embarrassing stuff such as porno magazines, large
box of condoms, panty shields, bottle of liquor, and two enema
kits?
... Marge's hair scraping the top of the bumper car arena?
Lawrence Lam:
... Springfield uses septic tanks?
... Newsweek did an article on Springfield?
Dale Abersold:
... Lisa is aware of Gore Vidal's, uh, proclivities?
... once again, Milhouse appears to be insane (in Act 1)?
... Marge's irritation with Ned's notily-dotilies?
... "slacker" Lisa is adorable?
... Marge's quick 180-degree turn with the Rice Krispie treats and
Tang?
Don Del Grande:
... the yearbooks have "leatheroleum" covers?
... Miss Hoover's clock does not have a second hand, but Mrs.
Krabappel's does?
... there's a bell in Miss Hoover's room?
... neither Janey nor Allison signed Lisa's yearbook?
... Lisa's in the Camera Club now, but she wasn't in 7G10 when Bart
had his photos developed?
... Marge did a very dangerous thing by holding Maggie in her lap
the entire way to the beach?
... this is the first time Lisa has worn sandals?
... the kids Lisa meets appear to be older than she is, yet she has
no problem fitting in with them?
... Lisa's friend's name is Erin, which sounds a little too much
like Aaron to be a coincidence? [According to my dictionary,
it's the feminine version --ed]
... Lisa calls Bart her "little brother"?
... Homer buys an M-320, which presumably is 4 times as powerful as
an M-80?
... Bart says "This is the worst Fourth of July ever!", just as Lisa
said "This is the worst Christmas ever!" in 3F07?
... Lisa didn't pack her yearbook, yet Bart had it at the beach?
... in the carnival ride where everyone is spun in a giant circle,
the riders usually aren't strapped in, but they are here?
John Murray:
... Springfield is America's crud basket?
... none of the bedrooms are filled with Ned's helpful notes?
... Lisa will control the birds someday?
... Bart usually has matches and/or a lighter?
... Marge washing the cracked & black dishes from the dishwasher?
Penny Wise:
... Lisa was a member of the Junior Overachievement?
... Celeste at the water fountain in school?
... aside from the opening of the show, this is the first time the
wheels of the car are animated to show the car turning out of
the driveway?
... Homer's porn at the cabin is entitled "American Breast
Enthusiasts?"
... Milhouse recoils from Bart's spit 2 frames before it hits him?
... a black haired version of our favorite bookworm and brainiac
Martin Prince is visible on the Whirly-Gig at the carnival,
wearing a pink shirt and dark blue pants?
... Little Jimmy from the "Meat Council" film in 3F03 is seated on
the whirly-gig to Bart's immediate right?
... there is an empty seat on the Whirly-Gig?
... Homer wasn't drinking "Duff", he was drinking "Buzz Cola?"
Veronica Marquez:
... Mr. Estes is dead?
... Sherri and Terri sign each other's yearbooks?
... Marge seems to be homophobic?
... the beachhouse's number is 916?
... there's pictures of Ned and Maude in the bedroom that Marge
makes?
... the clothes store's dressing rooms are across the street?
... Erin wears a "peace" symbol as her belt buckle?
... the Valu-Mart clerk looks like Apu, but with a beard and turban?
... the male kids Lisa hangs out with are named Ben, Dean, and
Rick? (They don't specify who's who.)
... Erin signs her name with a heart balloon emerging from the "N"?
Jose Lafaurie:
... Bart has an "old-school" skateboard, and his tricks are either
impossible or pathetic?
Jason Hancock:
... Lisa cuts a yearbook cover as she opens the box?
... Milhouse is in a child safety seat, but Maggie isn't?
... Homer wears his seat belt in this episode, unlike 3F21?
... the "P.C. Donuts" display at the Lil' Valu-Mart?
... Uter in the picture of the German Table?
... when Lisa squirts the honey bear, _no_ honey comes out at all?
... one of the water-balloon clowns almost looks like Krusty?
Tom Baker:
... the caption below Lisa's picture states she is "sister of
school's most popular student"?
... that, as editor of the yearbook, she either wrote that herself
or approved it after someone else wrote it?
... Marge was savvy enough to -not- bother the kids with Rice Krispie
squares and Tang when Erin said her mother did that?
... that Erin's forehead is as big as Christina Ricci's? (She has a
high hairline.)
... the fireworks "Yang Tze Doodle" and "Play More with Claymore"?
John Westergaard:
... the yearbooks were bound (at extra cost) in "Leatheroleum"?
Mark Richey:
... Sherri & Terri sign each others books?
... Marge doesn't know Gore Vidal is gay? (Or she's homophobic.)
... the fist skeleton in the sludge?
... Marge mopping up the mess in the kitchen?
... the honey bear?
... Homer throws a Buzz Cola can out the window?
Dominik Halas:
... the lamps with ship's wheels on them in Ned's beachhouse?
... the anchor hanging on the wall in Ned's bedroom?
... the handicapped parking space outside L'il Valu-Mart?
... Flander's coffee table is a sheet of glass atop a lobster trap?
... Milhouse pets a hermit crab?
... there actually is a grammar rodeo? (cf. 3F17)
=======================================================================
> Cast
=======================================================================
>> Starring
- Dan Castellaneta (Homer, Ben)
- Julie Kavner (Marge)
- Nancy Cartwright (Bart, benzine girl, Beezee, Ralph, Alice)
- Yeardley Smith (Lisa)
- Hank Azaria (Ice cream guy, Eustace B. Tilley, Valu-Mart owner,
Rick)
- Harry Shearer (Lou, Skinner, Ned, Dean)
>> Also Starring
- Pamela Hayden (Milhouse, Becky)
- Tress MacNeille (Pippi Longstocking)
- Maggie Roswell (Miss Hoover)
- Russi Taylor (Martin)
>> Special Guest Voice
- Christina Ricci (Erin)
- Marcia Wallace (Ms. Krabappel)
[Guessing, Dean is the first boy to talk ("Some kid"), Rick is the
kid whose mom is French, and Ben is the guy with the overpatriotic
dad. --ed]
=======================================================================
> Movie, Music, and other References
=======================================================================
+ "Summer of '42"
- episode title
- movie about a teenage boy coming of age during the summer at a
beach house {hl}
+ "All Things Considered" {bjr}
- the owner of the Gull Things Considered shop must be a fan of
this program
+ "TJ Maxx" and "K-Mart", two bargain stores {pw}
- "Tee Jay Zaymart" is a parody
+ Pippi Longstocking
- hallucination at the library
- Pippi is a creation of Astrid Lindgren, about a mysterious girl
who goes on all sorts of adventures. {mar}
+ The New Yorker's "Eustace B. Tilley" {dga}
- tells Lisa about periodicals on microfiche (although I think
"The New Yorker" is on micro_film_)
+ "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland"
- the animated characters were slightly Simpsonofied versions of
the John Tenniel illustrations
- where they came up with that hostage situation, I have no idea
"In Living Color" {bjr}
- a recurring sketch on this program featured an ugly girl (really
a guy in drag) [Wanda --ed] who said, "I'm gonna rock your world"
(cf. "I'm gonna Bart their world")
"Hawaii Five-O" {vm}
- music from Bart's skateboarding scene
+ "American Graffiti" {hl}
- Toad orders a bottle of Old Harper for his date like Homer {rjr}
- Beach Boys song "All Summer Long" played at the end
Walt Disney's "Alice in Wonderland" {vm}
- shots of the beach similar to "Walrus and the Carpenter"
=======================================================================
> Freeze Frame Fun
=======================================================================
>> Yearbook club window
YEARBOOK
OFFICE
"Immortalizing your
awkward phase"
>> Lisa's yearbook entry {ddg}
Junior Over-Achievers 1,2
Record for Most Handraises in a Semester (763)
Most Popular Student's Sister
Spelling Bee Queen 2
Camera Club, Head Shutterbug 1,2
Tidiest Locker (unopposed)
State Champion, "Fractious (something)"
Voted "Student You'd Most Likely (Copy?) Off Of" 1,2
>> Clothes store
Teejay's Zaymart
Dressing rooms
across street
in Gorman Bldg
>> Illegal fireworks {ddg}
Play More With Claymore
Bright Color Assailant
Li'l Militia
Mailbox Grenades
Whistling Menace
Bangtime Funbomb
Neutron Cherry Bomb
M-320
Yang Tze Doodle {tb}
>> Lisa's autograph page in the yearbook {pw}, {tb}
Three shots: 1) Right-hand page, then
2) that page but pan over to Left-hand page quickly,
stay there to let you glance at it.
3) Quick glance at corner for Milhouse's signature.
Stylized signatures:
Erin always drags the tail of the "n" up and makes it a heart.
(awwwww) (typical pre-teenage girl signature)
Dean always underlines quickly three times in a rightleftright
motion. It winds up looking like a squashed "Zorro" mark.
(Rick, Ben and Milhouse didn't do anything special in their
names.)
Little pictures:
Erin added a sun peeping out from behind clouds in the upper
leftt corner. She added a scallop shell (like the "Shell"
oil logo) in the upper right (with the hinge pointing to the
corner).
Dean added, to the left of his note, a "falling" star flying
down with a short trail behind it (like a rainbow).
Rick added, to the right of his note, a stylized :
skateboard. (Pardon bad ascii art.) /o
_/o
Ben added, to the left, in lower corner, a drawing of the
hermit crab in its shell.
Right Hand Page:
Big capital letters:
W E ' L L
M I S S
Y O U !
Erin Ben
Dean
Rick
Left Hand Page:
(sun pic) You made a hot summer (shell pic)
very cool .. I'll miss you
Erin
(star pic) LIKE I LIKE YOU
YOU KNOW?
Dean
Without you, :
summer's a bummer /o
Rick _/o
Next year, bring
(crab) your microscope....
Ben
Right hand corner:
See you in the car
Best wishes
Milhouse
[end]
>> Technical Credits (if you care) {vm}
Overseas Animation: Anivision (J.C. Park) {ddg}
Assistant Director: Matthew Nastuk
Animation Timers: Milton Gray
Storyboard: Christian Roman, Martin Archer, Celia Kendrick
Character Design Supervisor: Dale Hendrickson
Character Design: Scott Alberts, Joseph Wack, Mark Howard, Matt
Groening, Sam Simon
Background Design Supervisor: Lance Wilder
Background Design: John Krause, Maria Marrioti-Wilder, Edgar
Duncan
=======================================================================
> Previous Episode References
=======================================================================
- [7G05], [2F05] Lisa is called a "teacher's pet" {jl}
- [7G07], [7G13] Cherry bombs are seen
- [8F03] The last time Bart said "Don't have a cow, man" {hl}
- [8F08] Marge: "Well, duh!" {hl}
- [8F12] Marge buying Bart geeky clothes {hl}
- [8F22], [3F02] Samantha Stanky appears
- [8F22] Bart breaks up a friendship over jealousy {ddg}
- [8F24], [1F22] Simpsons in summertime
- [8F24] The last day of school
- [9F01] Leo Sayer album shown {hl}
- [9F02] Nelson and Martin try the water-balloon inflation game but
Nelson turns his gun on Martin (cf. Lisa and Bart)
- [9F06] Time calling Springfield "America's Worst City" (cf. Newsweek
calling it "America's Crud Bucket") {jh}
- [9F13] Lincoln shot in school play {hl}
- [9F22], [3F09] Bart is connected to Dennis the Menace {vm}
- [1F13] Tang is referenced {jh}
- [1F19] Ned serving jury duty {jh}
- [1F22] Lisa plays dumb to get friends
- [1F22] Bart is jealous of Lisa's popularity {jh}
- [1F22] Lisa's bathing cap {vm}
- [2F10] "The polite thing to do..."
- [2F17], [3F17] Milhouse is seen without glasses {jh}
- [3F08] "American Breast Enthusiast" magazine appears {jh}
- [3F10] Lisa wears a beret
- [3F11] Homer: "Uh, guh, jeez..." {vm}
- [3F16] Someone is arrested for public nudity (Apu in 3F16) {jh}
- [3F17] Grammar Rodeo
- [3F18] Pippi Longstockings appears
=======================================================================
> Animation, Continuity, and other Goofs
=======================================================================
* According to the lineup chart in "Who Shot Mr. Burns, Part II
(2F20)," Bart is 3 feet tall, and Lisa is a couple of inches shorter.
If the title refers to Lisa, it's an exaggeration. {bjr}
* When Lisa pulled out a yearbook, it was slashed diagonally, yet if
the books were packed properly, the slash should have been
horizontal. {ddg}
* The girls in the yearbook office sure seemed to be Lisa's friends.
{mar}
+ Allison is seen in the huddled crowd of kids waiting for their
yearbooks -- and she doesn't even seem to notice Lisa! {vm}
* Bart doesn't do personalized signings, yet he personalizes Skinner's.
{mar}
+ Lisa has Janey and Allison as her friends; also, she has more friends
in 8F08.
+ Lisa claims to have perfect attendance, yet in 3F21 she missed a day
to attend Hullabalooza (not to mention her mumps back in 7F14,
although that's when her teacher was "Mrs." Hoover) {ddg}
* The Simpsons' house has its own septic tank, a truly ancient relic.
(See below). {jw}
= When Homer is loading the car, the tailgate is open, but in the next
shot, it is shut. {pw}
= When Marge is making the beds, the initial shot shows pictures of
Maude and Ned hanging on the wall. In later shots, a picture of Todd
and Rod replaces Maude's portrait. {bjr}
= Right after Lisa meets the other kids, her glasses disappear. {mar}
+ Lisa has skateboarded, and skateboarded well, in MG21.
* It's impossible to skateboard through water using its tail. {am}
= Bart didn't have his slingshot at the beginning of his skateboard
ride. {mar}
- Hermit crabs have long, fleshy abdomens. {dh2}
* Didn't the door in Mystery Date lie flat on the board? And you had
to spin it? Was there more than one version? {tb}
* How did Bart get Lisa's yearbook? {dga}
- In the scene after Bart reveals the truth to Lisa's friends, Marge's
pearls are white.
- Milhouse's legs aren't under the table at the beginning of the
morning-after breakfast season. {mar}
- When Lisa tips the honey bottle over, the honey stops at a diagonal,
but when she tips it back, it immediately reverts to its original
position. {ddg}
* The copyright page on the credits is missing the (c) symbol. {vm}
=======================================================================
> Comments and other observations
=======================================================================
>> Outtakes
Tom Baker says, "About the ad scene which never was in the episode:
The store ownere says: `This is the neutron cherry bomb! It
destroys heads but leaves smiles intact!' A reference to the
neutron bomb, which kills people but leaves buildings intact."
>> Revisionist History
Don Del Grande says, "Revisionist history! There are some differences
between this episode and 8F24, the first `last day of school'
episode:
- In 8F24, Miss Hoover hands out the report cards and then "quietly
runs out the clock"; in 3F22, she reads about Lincoln's
assasination
- In 8F24, Miss Hoover gave Lisa a B+ in Conduct; in 3F22, Lisa
says she has "straight A's"
- In 8F24, everybody leaves when the bell rings; in 3F22, a number
of students stay to receive their yearbooks and have them signed
- In 8F24, Bart and Lisa are at Kamp Krusty on July 4 while Homer,
Marge, and Maggie are having a picnic; here, they're at the
beach"
>> "Do I sound like that Bart Simpson character on TV?"
Don Del Grande makes a very pointed observation. "Possible self-
reference, although it's a stretch: when Lisa says `Don't have a
cow, man!' and `Ay caramba!', the first thing I thought of was
that Yeardley Smith originally auditioned for Bart (and Nancy
Cartwright was there to audition for Lisa), but was told that she
sounded `too much like a girl'."
>> It's what all the toons are wearing this year
Benjamin J. Robinson notes, "Lisa certainly looked cute in her
beachcomber togs, but don't look to see her again in that outfit
anytime soon. According to `TV Guide,' animators prefer that the
characters stick to solid-color clothing. With patterned clothing,
the artists have to meticulously make sure they draw the pattern
in the same place frame after frame. If they didn't, the pattern
would seem to float around on the outfit. Lisa's shirt had no
fewer than three colors, and Lisa got an awful lot of screen time
(in other words, more drawings) in this episode, too. About the
only saving grace, from an animator's standpoint, is that the
pattern was irregular enough to provide some cover for mistakes.
Well, at least Lisa didn't pick a paisley shirt!"
>> Ricci is Rich-i
Christina Ricci is a teenage actress, known for, among other things,
her turned-up nose. (At least for me.) Her first movie was with
Cher and Winona Ryder (Lisa's other friend in 1F17) and was called
"Mermaids". Her more famous roles are "The Addams Family" movies
(Wednesday) and "Casper" (Kat). Her other and more minor movies
include "Now and Then", and "Gold Diggers: The Secret of Bear
Mountain". IMHO she did an outstanding job in voicework in this
episode; I didn't even know it was her at first!
>> Play More with Claymore
Tom Baker says "Claymore" "is a type of weapon. It's not really a bomb.
Instead it's a directional charge suitable mostly for killing a lot
of ambushed people. You set it up to face a certain direction,
then take the controls to a nearby hiding place. When you've got
people in front of the claymore, you set it off. The blast goes off
in the direction you faced it, and kills as many as possible. It's
really not suitable for blowing up things, just people. ... I
thought the phrase `Play More with Claymore' was sufficiently absurd
to be funny."
>> Septic Tank? Surely you jest...
John Westergaard says of the Simpserosa, "Their house has a septic
tank. I'm a civil engineer, and I can say with some certainty that
houses that are that close together would be attached to a sewer
system (even the ancient Greeks had those), especially since all
the houses in the neighborhood seem to have basements. It DID
provide yet another field of expertise for Ned Flanders, though.
Is there anything this guy CAN'T do?"
>> Miscellaneous References
"Blossom"... a TV show that recently ended and held a high audience.
The main character was Blossom Russo (played by Mayim Bialik) who
always had a weird dress on. Also starring Jenna Von Oy, the
fastest talker on prime time today, and Joey Lawrence, Mr. Teen
Flash-in-the-Pan-Heartthrob (groan). IMHO, the show was OK but
had the annoying tendency to go into these "sentimentality-and-or-
uncomfortable-humorless-moments" mode.
"Baywatch"... Mark Richey: "is an insanely popular drama starring
Pamela Anderson Lee and David Hasselhoff about people in bikinis
running in slow motion for an hour. OK, so there is a plot
(lifeguards on a LA beach who have to save the lives of a bunch of
kids and old people in really melodramatic storylines), but does
ANYONE watch it for that?" It's the Devil's Show. PEOPLE called
it the show "that launched a thousand diets". And if anyone
reading this thinks Pamela Anderson Lee is beautiful, they can eat
quiche, because they are disgusting.
Bastille Day... Bastille Day, July 14, commemorates the fall of the
Bastille in 1789. This event started the French Revolution which
overthrew the old French monarchy and feudal system.
Aaron Varhola notes, "An M-80 is a firecracker equivalent to a quarter-
stick of dynamite. We can assume an M-320 is a full stick of
dynamite." In the Where is Springfield side, Aaron Varhola notes,
"We can also assume OFF didn't go through Ohio or South Carolina,
the fireworks capitals of America, on their trip. :)
Aaron Varhola ponders, "Lisa, Queen of Birds? Sounds like an REM song."
Tom Baker notes that "the long name, `Little Pwagmattasquarmsettport',
is not that very out of place in the beach resorts of Maine (and
perhaps other parts of the country). Maine has places like
`Damariscotta' and `Kennebunkport', and Native American names can
get very long."
=======================================================================
> Reviews
=======================================================================
Dale Abersold - A Lisa episode should show her progressing into
depression, but end up hopeful. This fulfilled those requirements
beautifully. Only the cornball ending kept this episode from
perfection. While it didn't get the publicity [3F21] did, this
episode was deservedly the season finale. Grade: A.
Tom Baker - Lots of jokes and Christina Ricci, too. A solid plot that
I cared about; it made a difference that Bart, who was more hateful
than Homer's ever been, was shown up, and that Lisa did get what
she was after. Basic plot (Lisa finds some popularity, Bart gets
jealous) supplemented by -very- good Homer antics and Marge
eccentricities. The downsides are two: One is the very same happy
ending I mentioned [...] The other is this is because this was a
theme "out of character". My rating: A
Shawn Berry - Now, THIS one was *funny*!!! Much, much funnier than the
Homerpalooza one. I give this episode an A. It was well written and
I wrote down just about every gag that came along, which was pretty
frequently. More laughs per minute in this one than the one a
half-hour ago.
Chris Courtois - "Summer of 4 Ft. 2" was the closest thing to a
"classic" Simpsons episode that Season 7 had to offer. Once I
overcame the initial continuity problem needed to set up the plot
(Lisa has *no* friends? What happened to Janey (seen carpooling
half-an-hour earlier) or Allison?), it was quite good. Good
believable, yet funny, storyline; great goofy (not obnoxious) Homer
sub-plot; quick (as opposed to dwelled on) meta-humor ("You haven't
said [Don't have a cow] in over 4 years"); and all the family
members acting as the real characters we came to love years ago,
not just as gag foils. Even the predictable ending, which could
have been unbearably sappy, was handled well. This season, they
saved the best for last. An A.
Don Del Grande - B - somehow it seemed like a "plot clip show"; Lisa
trying to become popular, Bart getting jealous and then breaking it
up, Bart going out of his way to help Lisa...but I did like the
"new look Lisa"
Jeff Gustafson - This is what the show is supposed to be like. There
were a great deal of funny gags, and it was rather touching. By
the way, when did Bart last say "Don't have a cow?" Grade: A+
Dominik Halas - A fitting end to the season. Although it seemed as if
this episode could get overly sentimental at times, this was always
prevented (for example, Homer's shock at seeing his car covered in
shells nicely saved that scene.) The portrayal of Lisa was
generally in character, and there were quite a few funny moments.
Grade: B.
Jason Hancock - Now _this_ was an _excellent_ episode, especially
having followed the disappointing "Homerpalooza," and I'm glad this
season of peaks and valleys has ended on a high note. Milhouse's
"Up yours, Krabappel!" and Homer's improvised swimsuit scene stood
out as far as laughs go, but Lisa being in a situation that I know
all too well put this one over the top. Only "Mother Simpson" was
better this year. Grade: A+.
Lawrence Lam - Homer's funniest joke was putting the sticker on
himself. Can the Flandereses get any more stupid? I thought that
Lisa would totally change for the next season but maybe she will be
more self-confident or more depressed next season. Marge pointed
out that Bart hasn't said "Don't have a cow" for four years.
Another okay episode. Better than the last one. B+
Norman J. Landis - "Summer of 4 foot 2" was classic Simpsons, with a
return to really bad family values:) It moved along at a nice
leisurely pace, and every once in a while I had to sit up and take
notice. [...] My grade: A
Haynes Lee - I thought this episode couldn't top Homerpalooza but it
did. One of the best episodes since "Lisa's Wedding". GRADE: A+
Veronica Marquez - A good concept marred down by the fact that Lisa
does have friends. It looks like I'm alone on this, but I liked
"Homerpalooza" better. B-.
John Murray - We leave this season with a good taste in our mouths,
thanks to this great episode. This episode has a lot of classic
Simpsons traits, mainly unexpected ROFLOL lines. Also a good A
plot that didn't continually try to show an obvious message, and
also the main plot got broken up by a few small episodes that kept
the main plot fresh. Grade: A
Ryan Pederson - The show after the season finale was pretty good.
[contradiction in terms --ed] I especially liked it when they were
playing the dream date game and Homer gets the school hunk and then
tells Marge not to wait up. I couldn't stop laughing. The show
did start off slow and ran a little slow throughout. [...] B+
Jeff Reis - Wow...back to back hits! I've been as harsh a critic as any
this season, but this was a rock-solid episode. This one got nearly
everything right; plenty of great comedy and a classic "sweet
Simpsons" undercurrent that was neither sappy nor forced. Lisa
cracking everyone up with Bart's catch phrases was riotously funny,
as was Homer's shopping trip. And Lisa's new-found friends were
nicely done. [...] The lame moments were very rare (what's up with
Marge lately...something's just a little off) [...] This one's an
A minus.
Mark Richey - A decent, if unremarkable, episode to end a decent, if
unremarkable, season. It's nice to see an episode finally taking
place during the summer (and for all those concerned, Bart will be
back in Mrs. Krabappel's class next year). However, haven't the
writers squeezed every drop from the "Lisa the friendless nerd"
thread? I liked this episode, but Lisa DOES have friends and ISN'T
a total nerd. Lets not have any more episodes that try to convince
me otherwise.
Benjamin J. Robinson - It's hard to watch this episode and not come
away with the feeling that it could have been better. A good
concept -- Lisa recasts herself to fit in with the hip crowd --
is weighed down by her off-target characterization and a too-
formulaic ending. That's curious, since Dan Greaney did better
work in "King Size Homer (3F05)." It's not so much that the script
was bad, as it was that it wasn't quite true to "The Simpsons."
Amusing enough to score a B-, but just barely.
Terrance Scanlan - Of course what good is a season finale with a
dramatic finale: (a.k.a. Blood Fued, Secrets to a Successful
Marraige, Who shot Mr. Burns). Lisa's first crack at friends and
took seven seasons to even find out if she had any friends. Of
course what really took the laughter advantage was Homer's Giant
Firework Display, which would probably be his dream (to burn down
_one of_ Flanders' house) Grade: **.5, C, 7.5/10
Devin Tuffy - Most of this was great; really good plot, and tons of
stuff that had me ROTFL. However, the total 180-degree turn by
Lisa's new friends at the end was a bit unsettling; much like "Lisa
the Vegetarian" in which an otherwise perfect show was marred by a
hurried cop-out ending. Still, a great episode overall. A
Aaron Varhola - What else can I say? An excellent episode; Lisa was
well within character in her going out of character, then back in.
The episode was touching without being maudlin, and had many
hilarious lines. It's interesting to note that Lisa was
appreciated more by older children. A++/A+; one of the 8 or so
best episodes ever. Frosty Chocolate Milkshake Awards (tm) to
Yeardley Smith and Dan Greaney. BTW, I can't wait for cels of this
episode to come out. Lisa looks so cool in her beach outfit. Z:)
John Westergaard - They might as well have advertized it as "A very
special ... Simpsons." But it worked. A- from me, but WHY oh WHY
does EVERY episode centering around Lisa have to have an obligatory
scene ending with her running off crying?
Yours Truly - There might be a few people who say that Lisa was out of
character, but I believe that she should not be expected to act
like an eight-year-old adult. Even adults need friends, and Lisa's
dilemma was played out nicely. (I also have a personal bias... I
didn't go to the senior prom, and look at me -- I'm a Simpsons
nerd!) Nice work by Christina Ricci as Erin, too. A+.
AVERAGE GRADE: B+/A- (3.71)
=======================================================================
> Quotes and Scene Summary {jl}
=======================================================================
% It's the last day of school, and Milhouse asks Bart which is his
% favorite kind of sprinkler. What follows is indescribable. Milhouse
% stares at the clock in desperation while Bart looks outside and
% watches ice cream men prepare for the summer. Finally, the bell
% rings.
[bell rings]
Milhouse: School's out! Up yours, Krabappel!
[runs out, while other students sit]
Krabappel: Well, I'm glad the rest of you remembered that summer
vacation starts at the end of the day, not the beginning.
-- Milhouse suffers heat stroke, "Summer of 4 Ft. 2"
Lou: Here you go, ma'am.
[escorts Milhouse back into the classroom]
Krabappel: Mmm. Quick work. How'd you know he was gonna run?
Lou: We got someone on the inside.
[everyone glares at Martin who laughs sheepishly]
-- Tell them what we do with squealers, "Summer of 4 Ft. 2"
% At the Yearbook Office ("Immortalizing your awkward phase"), Lisa,
% the yearbook editor, opens the first box of yearbooks, accidentally
% cutting one. Beezee remarks that Lisa should be the most popular
% girl in school because she was the yearbook editor. (Yeah, right)
%
% At the closing moments of the school, Ms. Hoover tells the story
% of Abe Lincoln.
Hoover: And so, as Abraham Lincoln sat in Ford's theatre that night,
John Wilkes Booth entered, drew his gun, and...
[the bell rings]
Well, that's it. Have a nice summer, everyone.
[everyone leaves except for Chuck and Ralph]
Chuck: But what happened in Ford's theatre?
Ralph: Was President Lincoln okay?
Hoover: He was fine.
[Chuck leaves]
Go home, Ralph.
-- Revisionist history, "Summer of 4 Ft. 2"
% It's reality check time after school as Lisa hands out the yearbooks,
% or at least tries to.
Lisa: In the beginning of the school year, each of you received a
colored ticket. I hope everyone still has theirs.
Crowd: Not me. Uh uh. I don't have it...
Nelson: Who died and made you boss?
Lisa: Mr. Estes, the publications advisor. I edited the whole thing.
Nelson: If you hadn't done it, some other loser would have. So quit
milking it!
-- Nelson puts things into the proper perspective, "Summer of 4 Ft. 2"
% Nelson passes out the yearbooks freely. Lisa can't get anyone to
% sign her yearbook. Upset, she sees a booth where Bart is signing
% everyone's yearbook. There is a large crowd.
Milhouse: This is Becky. She's in the second grade.
Bart: Hi, Becky, thanks for coming out. [signs her yearbook]
Becky: [reading] "See 'ya." He writes the way people talk!
-- Incoherently, "Summer of 4 Ft. 2"
Bart: Your daughter is named Seymour?
Skinner: Well, I... uh... ye... uh... I lied. It's for me.
-- A memento of gray hair and short tempers, "Summer of 4 Ft. 2"
I don't get it. Straight A's, perfect attendance, bathroom timer. I
should be the most popular girl in school.
-- Lisa, unclear on the concept, "Summer of 4 Ft. 2"
% At home, Ned tells Homer that since he got called into jury duty,
% he can't use his beach house, and asks Homer to use it for the summer
% free of charge. When Homer refuses at first, Ned offers to check
% Homer's septic tank, and it's a deal. "You give a little, you get
% a little," Homer says.
%
% At dinner...
Marge: And you're sure the Flanderses won't be there? Well, it sounds
great.
-- The Simpsons borrow the Flanders' beach house, "Summer of 4 Ft. 2"
Marge: Bart, you can invite Milhouse. Lisa, you can bring a friend
too.
Lisa: [chuckling nervously] Hey. Great... a friend... heh, heh...
or companion... or... I'unno, stuffed animal?
-- Don't knock teddy bears, "Summer of 4 Ft. 2"
% Lisa packs for the trip, and Marge pokes her head in.
Marge: So, did you call any of your friends?0
Lisa: Friend? [scoffs] These are my only friends.
[holds up a book]
Grownup nerds like Gore Vidal, and even he's kissed more boys
than I ever will.
Marge: Girls, Lisa. Boys kiss girls.
-- Marge's homophobia shows through, "Summer of 4 Ft. 2"
% Lisa laments that she can't make any friends. Marge tries to console
% her by telling her that she's dreamed her daughter would be her
% best friends, but Lisa needs kid friends.
Marge: I'm sure you'll make plenty of friends. All you have to do is
be yourself.
[walks away]
Lisa: Be myself? I've been myself for eight years and it hasn't
worked.
-- All those brains and you just figured it out, "Summer of 4 Ft. 2"
% Lisa dumps the contents of her suitcase on the bed, clothes and
% all, and heads out.
Homer: [holds Lisa's suitcase] Somebody's travelling light.
Lisa: Meh. Maybe you're just getting stronger.
Homer: Well, I have been eating more.
-- And how, "Summer of 4 Ft. 2"
% The Simpsons, plus a van Houten, head out.
% [End of Act I. Time: 5'48"]
Bart: When the hell are we getting to... where the hell are we going?
Marge: Mmm. It's called Little Pwagmattasquarmesettport. It's known
as America's scrod basket.
Bart: I thought Springfield was America's scrod basket.
Marge: No, Springfield is America's crud bucket. At least according
to Newsweek.
-- You can see our house in that photo!, "Summer of 4 Ft. 2"
% They arrive at the Flanders' beach home, and Homer reads a welcome
% letter Ned left at the door.
"Wel-diddly-elcome, Simpsons." Oh, jeez, he actually wrote "diddly".
-- Homer reads a letter from Ned, "Summer of 4 Ft. 2"
% "I have left a few helpful notes around the house." When Homer
% opens the door the house is full of them.
%
% Marge walks to the kitchen.
Marge: [reads note on freezer] "Put food in me."
Homer: I'll take that. [sticks it on his belly]
-- It sure does, "Summer of 4 Ft. 2"
Marge: [removing an ice cube tray filled with notes reading "Fill Me"]
Well, duh. With what, Ned?
[removes note, revealing another note reading "With Water"]
Mmm...
-- No detail has been overlooked, "Summer of 4 Ft. 2"
% Bart enters his room, and sees a piggy bank with a note reading
% "Please don't steal from me." Which Bart disobeys.
%
% Marge makes the beds while Lisa watches.
Marge: Isn't this fun, honey?
Lisa: [sarcastic] It must be exciting to make a different set of beds.
Marge: I know you're joking, but it is! Say, why don't you put on
your swimsuit and head for the beach?
Lisa: You know, it's kinda funny. With all the craziness and
confusion and mishegoss of packing, I forgot to pack!
Marge: Lisa, that's not at all like you.
Lisa: Exactly.
Marge: Mmm...
Homer: [wearing "Welcome" mat across his groin] I forgot my swimsuit
too, but I improvised.
[goes outside]
Hello!
[police sirens blare]
-- Now the doorknob falls of..., "Summer of 4 Ft. 2"
% Marge and Lisa go shopping for new clothes, and Lisa turns away all
% of Marge's choices for a hippie ensemble. (Kinda...) Lisa goes
% out to find some friends, leaving Marge with none... except for
% Maggie.
%
% Bart and Milhouse dive in the lake... during low tide. Ouch.
%
% Lisa searches for new friends, but encounters an old one... the
% library.
Lisa: A library! ... No, I can't... that's the old, nerdy Lisa.
[Pippi Longstockings appears]
Pippi: Lisa, read about my adventures in the South Seas, and make
me live again!
[New Yorker's "Eustace B. Tilley" appears]
Eustace: We've got periodicals on microfiche...
[Alice (of Wonderland) and the Mad Hatter appear]
Alice: [nervously] Won't you join our tea party? It would be ever
so...
[Mad Hatter pulls a gun and grabs Alice]
Don't do it, Lisa. It's a trap! Run! Run!
[Lisa does so]
-- Lisa encounters old friends, "Summer of 4 Ft. 2"
% Lisa fails to find any kids, but soon hears some talking under the
% boardwalk...
Boy: So he's all, like, pffhhhtt...
Girl: Pft, I can totally hear him going that.
Lisa: [listening in] Only kids are that incoherent!
-- "Summer of 4 Ft. 2"
% Lisa runs under the boardwalk and sees a girl and three boys
% chatting it up. Her first attempt to talk to them is blocked by a
% loud seagulls.
It's not your fault... you don't control the birds. Someday you will,
but not now.
-- Lisa consoles herself, "Summer of 4 Ft. 2"
% Lisa strolls by saying "Hi", and one boy says "What's up?" The
% girl calls... "Hey, I like your hat."
Erin: Hey, I like your hat.
Lisa: A compliment!
[thinking] Scanning for sarcasm... it's clean! Go!
-- Lisa's brain, "Summer of 4 Ft. 2"
% Lisa goes and says "Thanks." After a pause, she asks "You guys
% skate?" indicating Rick's skateboard. But they can't, since cops
% keep on confiscating the boards. So Lisa directs them to a
% virtually deserted place... the library.
%
% Erin and Lisa talk. Lisa says that her "goony brother" reads
% books, and she usually hangs out in front...
Lisa: I usually hang out in front.
Erin: You like to hang out too?
Lisa: Well, it beats doing stuff.
Erin: Yeah. Stuff sucks.
-- But stuff is cool too, right?, "Summer of 4 Ft. 2"
% Dean offers Lisa his skateboard, and Lisa tries, feebly. Her
% efforts are cut short by a jealous Bart, who performs a number of
% skateboard stunts before trying to steal their friendship away.
The whole thing smacks of effort, man.
-- Ben, "Summer of 4 Ft. 2"
% Bart walks off in ahuff.
%
% While Lisa plays with her newfound friends, the remaining Simpsons
% play "Mystery Date", the only game available in the Flanders'
% Casa de Verano.
Marge: Come on, Homer. Open the door for your mystery date.
Homer: [does so] Ooh, the captain of the football team. He's a
dreamboat. Don't wait up, Marge.
-- The family play "Mystery Date", "Summer of 4 Ft. 2"
% Bart gets the Dud, who looks remarkably like Milhouse.
%
% Meanwhile, Lisa tells her friends about the hermit crab. She
% keeps the crab's old shell:
Lisa: A gift from my favorite crustacean.
Rick: Hey... did you learn that word from a teacher for something?
Lisa: Nooo... I heard it on Baywatch.
[murmurs of consent]
-- So much educational value, "Summer of 4 Ft. 2"
% Homer goes shopping for fireworks at the Li'l Valu-Mart, with a
% clerk that looks almost like Apu.
Hi... ummm... let me have some of those porno magazines... large box
of condoms... a couple of those panty shields [quickly] and some
illegal fireworks [back to normal] and one of those disposable enemas.
Ehhh... make it two.
-- Homer shops for illegal fireworks, "Summer of 4 Ft. 2"
My apologies, sir, but the sale of fireworks is prohibited in this
state and is punishable by a f...
[the last customer leaves]
Follow me.
-- Moral values up high, "Summer of 4 Ft. 2"
% The clerk shows Homer into his stockpile of fireworks.
Any red-blooded, flag-fearing American would love the M-320.
Celebrate the independence of your nation by blowing up a small
part of it.
-- "Summer of 4 Ft. 2"
% Homer buys a stick of M-320.
%
% Lisa and her friends hang out in the beach house. Lisa suggests a
% 4th of July party on the beach, due to lack of better plans.
%
% Marge goes through Homer's purchase. "I don't know what you have
% planned tonight, but count me out."
Marge: Didn't you buy any meat?
Homer: [stroking a firecracker] This baby's sure to kill something.
-- "Summer of 4 Ft. 2"
% Homer asks Bart for a lighter, but he doesn't have any. No matches,
% either. So Homer lights it over the kitchen stove. And burns off
% a large portion of the fuse. In an excitement, Homer plays hot
% potato with the firecracker until he tosses it in the dishwasher
% where it blows up. Soon, the sink is upchucking oil.
%
% At night, Bart grows bitterly jealous of Lisa and her new friends.
% He wants to go down to the beach with them, but Marge says no.
Marge: Let Lisa be alone with her new friends.
Bart: They're _my_ friends rightfully. She only got them by copying
me.
Lisa: [calling out] Don't have a cow, man!
Bart: See? That's my expression.
Marge: Oh, you haven't said that in four years. Let Lisa have it.
Bart: It's the principle. She's got to learn!
Marge: NO! Now, park your keister, meister.
[Bart sulks while Marge walks away]
Lisa: [in distance] Aye Carumba!
-- A little meta-humor for your enjoyment, "Summer of 4 Ft. 2"
% Erin gives Lisa a friendship bracelet, and Lisa reciprocates by
% handing Erin a necklace she made from the hermit crab's shell and
% cinnamon dental floss. Meanwhile, Bart spies on them, using
% Milhouse's glasses. He plots to end this, walks off, and forgets
% to give Milhouse back his glasses. Milhouse pets something nasty.
% [End of Act Two. Time: 16'57"] (Pretty long 2nd act...)
% Lisa is bounced up and down on a sheet supported by her new
% friends.
I'm dizzy... I'm nauseous... but I'm popular!
-- Lisa Simpson, "Summer of 4 Ft. 2"
% But Bart has other plans. He comes forward to Lisa's new friends
% and reveals the truth: Lisa is a Teacher's Pet. Lisa runs off
% sobbing.
%
% At breakfast, Lisa gets mad at Bart while Marge isn't around.
% Marge announces a fair in town.
%
% Bart and Lisa attend the fair and get into various fights. Bart
% and Lisa attempt to fill balloons with water using a water gun.
% Lisa turns hers on Bart's. Marge threatens to get the Kearney.
%
% Bart and Lisa hock spit in the Whirly-Gig. They both end up on
% Milhouse.
%
% At the bumper cars, Bart's car knocks Lisa's inoperative car out
% of the arena. She runs off crying. And Bart can't help but feel
% partially responsible.
%
% At the beach house, Lisa sees her ex-friends apparently splatting
% stuff on Homer's car. Lisa tells them bitterly off. But they've
% actually been... well, putting stuff on Homer's car, but in a nice
% shape. (A bunch of shells reading "Lisa Rules")
You taught us about cool things like nature, and why we shouldn't
drink sea water.
-- Ben, "Summer of 4 Ft. 2"
Lisa: This is the most thoughtful thing anyone has ever--
Homer: Sweet merciful crap! My _car_!
-- Homer's car gets decorated, "Summer of 4 Ft. 2"
% The family leave Little Pwagmattasquarmsettport, seagulls attacking
% the car. Bart shows Lisa her yearbook decked with signatures from
% her friends.
%
% Homer throws out a Buzz Cola can from the car before leaving the
% beach. The hermit crab finds it and uses it as its new home.
% [End of Act Three. Time: 21'29"]
% Over the credits, the Beach Boys' "All Summer Long" plays:
Sitting in my car outside your house
Remember when you spilled Coke all over your blouse
T-Shirts, cut-offs and a pair of thongs
We've been having fun all summer long.
(instrumental continues for ~10 seconds)
Won't be long till summertime is through
Every now and then we hear our song...
% The Gracie Films music is played on a sax, beach-music-like.
=======================================================================
> Contributions
=======================================================================
{dga} - Dale Abersold
{tb} - Tom Baker
{ddg} - Don Del Grande
{dh2} - Dominik Halas
{hl} - Haynes Lee
{jl} - Jose Lafaurie
{am} - Aldrich Mangubat
{vm} - Veronica Marquez
{jm} - John Murray
{sp} - Serge Polishchuk
{mar} - Mark Richey
{bjr} - Benjamin J. Robinson
{rjr} - Richard Rodriguez, Jr.
{jw} - John Westergaard
{pw} - Penny Wise
=======================================================================
> Legal crud
=======================================================================
The above compilation of observations, quote summaries, statistics, and
other miscellaneous information copyright 1996 Chips-Fey Productions.
Not to be used in a public forum without explicit permission from the
author (Ricardo A. Lafaurie Jr.) or his brother Jose Lafaurie.
Any quoted material above remains property of the original authors;
mainly, quoted material and episode summaries remain property of The
Simpsons, and copyright to Twentieth Century Fox. The compilation is
copyright to Jose Lafaurie. So don't sue.
Huge thanks and applause applause to Dave Hall for sending me the notes
from alt.tv.simpsons while I was away on my damn six-day weekend.
=======================================================================
> A fond farewell
=======================================================================
This is my last capsule, people. I'm off to college afterwards, and
"I'm not sure if we'll be back". "Middle class society claims its
victim". So as I look out at this sea of smiling faces, I am filled
with a sense of loathing and revulsion! Just kidding... as to my
successor, I'm looking in Frederic Briere's direction. I promised
myself I wouldn't cry... oh! *sob* *sob* I'm really gonna miss this!