Rate & Review “Lisa the Drama Queen (KABF22)”

[sung]

Episode description: Lisa meets an equally academic and creative new friend named Juliet (guest voice Emily Blunt), and together they construct a fantasy world that takes them both a little too far from reality. Fall Out Boy (The band, not the character) will play their version of the end credits theme.

[Ramier Wolfcastle]

Why is the Rate/Review up now? The episode hasn't aired yet!

[sung]

Why is the Rate/Review up now? The episode hasn't aired yet!

it's generally made before episode starts...

strange that mods haven't stickied it yet. i'll wait

[lionelhutz123]

Wow, Fallout Boy is promoting commercials for their new album between acts. That's smart, yet lame.

[Otaku X]

First post. Had to go SOMEWHERE after Toonzone banned me, and I figure a place mentioned on the DVDs all the time was the place.

Anyway. Anyone else getting a weird vibe from this episode? I thought Lisa was supposed to grow up to be the first strait female president?

Also, a band who got their name from the Simpsons will be ON the Simpsons? weird.

[NJ Pete]

Fall Out Boy ruinied the episode

[Thrillho]

Fall Out Boy ruinied the episode

So did they appear, or just do the credits?

[lakme]

Wow, they've finally given us a character who's more annoying and pretentious than newer season Lisa.

And that girl's VA didn't sound remotely 8 years old.

[|Mr.Sparkle|]

I have been craving a new episode and this one filled that hunger much better then those reruns. 5/5

I liked the Fallout Boy at the end too, oh and Headless Darth Vader

[Tomacco]

On Global they did not show a single second of the end credits, not even "Executive Producer Al Jean", so I didn't hear a note of the Fallout Boy theme. You guys can tell me if that's a good thing or not.

First of all - 4 act format. I'm not sure how I feel about this yet. On the one hand, the episode certainly felt longer than the vast majority of recent episodes have, but I thought the "third act" (before the last commercial break) felt really short, which it probably was.

As for the episode itself, it was an interesting one. It felt fresh, which is nice, and there were a few solid gags, but I had a few minor issues with it. I felt like there were some really good ideas in the episode, but they weren't expanded upon enough. Juliette being "troubled" was talked about a lot, but I didn't think there was enough of a foundation for it aside from her fulfillment from using her imagination with Lisa. The only clue we got was her father's obsession over Grisham novels and films driving her bonkers. It also would have been nice if we saw some direct negative effects of Lisa and Juliette's friendship and escape to Equalia. The only negatives we got were Skinner's sudden parent meeting explaining that Lisa has been drifting off at school. I think there could have been a better climax than the bully hostage scenario to make Lisa see that she needs to live in the real world too, not that it was bad, I just thought it could have been better or more exciting, and could have led to a more satisfying departure for Juliette.

Overall I thought it was a good episode which could have been a great episode had it lived up to the potential within the ideas. Maybe I'll write some more thoughts after a re-watch.

3/5

PS: People are complaining about Lisa and Juliette being lesbians? Geez. The relationship jokes were just that. Jokes. Nods to common relationship issues, but in a different context.

[Screaming Editor]

Thought it was decent, Things worked (Bart, Age Ten; Homer using Flanders' coffee mug; paint me twenty laps!) Fallout boy was a nice break from just a pointless celebrity cameo.
On the other hand, I just can't seem to enjoy Comic Book Guy anymore, and yes, they did seem to hint at a lesbian relationship (god forbid that foreshadows an upcoming plot)
3.5/5

[dapper dan]

Thought it was decent, Things worked (Bart, Age Ten; Homer using Flanders' coffee mug; paint me twenty laps!)

something is bugging me: a couple of people have mentioned how funny it was to see Homer using Ned's cup, but I've watched the episode twice now and have seen no such thing. What's the go? Does this actually happen, and if so, where?

[Thrillho]

something is bugging me: a couple of people have mentioned how funny it was to see Homer using Ned's cup, but I've watched the episode twice now and have seen no such thing. What's the go? Does this actually happen, and if so, where?

.

[The Governor]

PS: People are complaining about Lisa and Juliette being lesbians? Geez.

That's because some people on this board went in looking for Lisa to be a Lesbian.

Saying Lisa's a lesbian in this episode is like saying she's an future alcoholic because of the milk scene in The burns and the Bees.

[Xt'Tapalatakettle]

That's because some people on this board went in looking for Lisa to be a Lesbian.

Saying Lisa's a lesbian in this episode is like saying she's an future alcoholic because of the milk scene in The burns and the Bees.

I don't think it's just that, since the source material for this episode mentions the fact that some people suspected the two being lovers. For two 8 year olds to be seems to be stretching it a bit, but it's not like posters are clouded by the fact that they are looking for it.

I thought the big parody this episode was based the book & movie "Bridge to Terabithia"?

Yeah, that too. I didn't catch that, but my girlfriend did. I'm not actually sure what part it was though.

[Jims]

I don't think it's just that, since the source material for this episode mentions the fact that some people suspected the two being lovers. For two 8 year olds to be seems to be stretching it a bit, but it's not like posters are clouded by the fact that they are looking for it.

It's not really that I was looking for it, because I wasn't familiar with the movie source material. It was primarily the scene in which Juliet asks Lisa to "run away with [her]." Just like in those cheesy romantic movies. The way they staged the scene, it was just a weird moment between them.

Mind you, I'm using the word "weird," because Lisa's only interest thus far has clearly been in boys at school (Hugh, Nelson, Colin, etc). So it's kinda like a characterization thing. It would be like if suddenly Marge became a body-builder.

Oops, bad example.

To the casual viewer, the episode was probably misleading. The lesbian jokes could get people to think, "Oh, ok, this is really gay. Lisa's a lesbian, look, she's dancing in circles around rainbows". First, I would like to make clear, they're only 8...they're expanding their imaginations by making up a magical land with unicorns...like alot of 8 year old girls.

I don't remember where I said in my post that the fantasy sequences seemed gay. They just seemed like a brightly-colored acid trip to me... Thanks again to Josh Groban.

Lisa hasn't had many friends throughout the series, and having her first "real" friend in this episode was important to her character. She didn't seem to want to let go of her newfound best friend. Just like an 8 year old. It's not lesbian for them to circle around with their imagination swirling around them, it's not lesbian for two lonely 8 year olds who seem to need each other's company to run off together and have fun writing a story...they're only 8. You would need to put yourself in a 8 year old girl's shoes, particularly Lisa, who hasn't had much real friends...without them becoming a rival (Lisa's Rival), or them being much older (Summer of 4'2).

You're right, there is a little inconsistency here. After all, I don't think her friendship with Alison Taylor or the "Summer of 4'2" girl came off as having such subtext at all. To take things further, Marge literally ran off with Ruth Powers in "Marge on the Lam" and there weren't any vibes there either. Of course, that episode didn't have a dramatic, "Will you run away with me?" moment. It's probably the romantic movie cliche that put it into my head.

It just became an odd moment in the episode. It's not the kind of moment we typically see in a Lisa episode.

No offense to you, Jims.

None taken. I just wanted to clarify what I said earlier. I was also buzzing off the recent acid trip, so my main point probably got muddled.

Overall, it's an interesting discussion because of the source material. As X'tapalatakettle pointed out, in the original source material, the two characters did become lovers. The writers probably didn't want to imply the same feelings between Juliet and Lisa... But they had to stick to the structure of the parody. There's a definite balance there, so you don't imply something you don't necessarily mean. Do you change that scene, just in case, or would that be straying too far from the source material?

It's a fine line, I guess.

[son of a wiggum]

That was crap.

The one single funny moment in the entire episode was "Bart, age 10"

Was I just imagining things, or were they making joking references to Lisa and Juliet being in a relationship?

[Otaku X]

That was crap.

The one single funny moment in the entire episode was "Bart, age 10"

Was I just imagining things, or were they making joking references to Lisa and Juliet being in a relationship?

Apparently, it's a reference to the film Heavenly Creatures. In that, though, the women DO become lesbians. And kill on girl's mother. Bit different here. And it just seemed creepy here.

[The Governor]

I've never seen the Chronicals of Narnia, so a lot of the jokes probably didn't work, but what I did like was how Juliet turned out mentally unstable and came from a less superficially perfect 'world.' Also, the "Homer" from Equallia dancing around was one of the funniest sight gags in recent memory and Fat Bald Kearny dragon beating up jimbo and dolph to Josh Grobin was also LOL funny.


I'd say 3/5.

[McClure]

I missed the first 10 minutes, but what I saw was pretty forgettable. The stuff with the bullies was better than normal, is there a reason why Dolph had Ralph-esque hair?

[lionelhutz123]

I missed the first 10 minutes, but what I saw was pretty forgettable. The stuff with the bullies was better than normal, is there a reason why Dolph had Ralph-esque hair?

There was a joke about Dolph getting a terrible hair cut. Anyway, this episode definitely gets an average 3/5. There were many flaws that bothered me but the animation still was great and there were some great gags. I'll review in more detail later.

[Gaz]

It's gets a 1/5 for Fall Out Boy

[arii]

I enjoyed it, for the most part, although there were a few awkward moments (specifically when some jokes went on too long, like Lisa and Juliet first dancing or whatever they were doing to Josh Grobin, or Nelson playing with his toys). Still pretty good though, and entertaining enough, even without htat many really funny moments or anything. Solid 4/5.

I liked Juliet's character and they did a good job of showing how quickly her and Lisa became friends, and why they remained that way (Lisa never really having had a really close friend before - and Marge's encouraging her actually was pretty funny). Their friendship was actually a little endearing, at least before it was evident that Juliet was a little bit nuts, and I do kind of wish that-- They broke it off a little quickly, really. I mean, for the supposed closeness that these two had - which WAS well-portrayed - they did just end it really abruptly. I think it could have been done better then "oh, well, bye I guess I'll never see you again." Especially because, I know there are some characters like Allison or Janey that are occasionally Lisa's friends (and a mention of them would have been nice - maybe they weren't best friends, but something that could have been nice to see would have been Juliet taking a dislike to Lisa's other friends, maybe for not being creative enough or something, and drawing her away from them, which would show Lisa far too immersed in a fantasy world as well so that when something as signifcant as being caged up would snap her out of her senses, she'd be more willing to break it off with Juliet, realizing how much she'd just dominated her life, and then combine that with Juliet's obsessive pension for fantasy worlds, it would have felt more even and a smoother end to their friendship... or something), but it could have been nice to see someone else added to that. Actually, just roughly on that sort of note, but we've seen more episodes dealing with Lisa trying to find friends, I think, so bringing up Bart's previous popularity from the earlier seasons with some of the other boys like Wendell and Richard and Louis would be nice, rather than it always just being Milhouse and Nelson and the bullies... Just a non-related thought.

A lot of the sequences that showed Lisa and Juliet "travelling" to Equalia were very well-done and pretty fun to watch. There were some good jokes along it, as well, such as when Kearney himself got enveloped in the fantasy world (and here the bullies really were well-used, for once - also the fact that Dolph had a jar specifically labelled "Cream for Peaches" was great) and then it revealed that Jimbo and Dolph were the ones actually beating him up. Also, the immersion of the Homer-like character (can't remember its name) into Equalia was funny - especially the part with him dancing. That was wonderfully done.

But yeah, you couple some of that stuff against some awkward moments and a far too abrupt ending to Lisa and Juliet's friendship that did not fit with the pacing of the rest of the episode, and there wasn't really anything outstanding to this one, or anything to really warrant it a 5/5, though it was pretty enjoyable. And Juliet was actually a pretty good character, or so I felt, for the episode. And I do tend to enjoy episodes based on Lisa and her trying to find friends or equals of some sort, though I do wish continuity could be a little stronger in regards to past episodes dealing with that sort of thing, aaand I already talked about that so I'll just leave it off here. Pretty good episode. Nice to see the show back.

[WBadger]

I seemed to like this a lot more than early opinions.

I thought it was well done, and Bart and Homer had some funny lines in this one.

B+

[Gatorgod]

This is IT! Finally! This is my first post review where I promised I'd over Analise an episode!! *Glee*
uhmmm, ookay, .. .. ? hmmm
To do this right I guess I should've been taken notes as the episode aired!
Is that how its done? Phooey on That!
I'll just fall back on my weak recall and love it unconditionally like I always do!
5/5 ..Perfect!
Juliet!! Take me with you!!

[Jims]

Gawd almighty, I don't know where to begin.

I'm just utterly flabbergasted by this episode.

100% flabbergasted.

This episode has destroyed my brain or something. I'm still picking up the pieces on the floor, so please bear with me in my ramblings.

1. In twenty years of The Simpsons, I have never seen them do an episode like this. There's just something wrong with it, and I can't figure out what it is. It's not like the plot is overly experimental or anything, a la "22 Short Stories." The episode had this weird vibe throughout. Maybe the best word for it is "trippy." It was a little like watching the remake of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." Even the non-fantasy scenes just felt a little surreal. It's weird.

2. The relationship between Lisa and Juliet was kinda creepy after awhile. At first, it seemed like they were just best friends. You know, like Bart and Milhouse. But then Juliet asks Lisa to run away with her, which gave off weird lesbian vibes to me. It's really weird to say that about two characters that are eight years old, because they're obviously not lovers or anything. Their closeness just got kinda weird/creepy toward the end. I don't know if this was intentional on the part of the writers or if I have a warped brain. It just seemed like that was the way it was written.

3. The fantasy sequences were just completely cuckoo bananas crazy. And it's completely Josh Groban's fault. Completely and totally his fault.

Storybook fantasy + Josh Groban + Colorful visuals = Acid trip

It's like a weird Dada-esque blend of visuals and music. I was just completed stunned at what I was looking at. It is just so ridiculously stupid that it's amazing.

C'mon, a dragon fighting two trolls to Josh 'Frickin Groban music? It's like watching a trainwreck. And I just can't turn away.

4. Another weird thing. Did I miscount, or were there four acts to this episode? There was no commercial break after the opening and then three act breaks, I think.

5. There were some really amusing lines throughout. Lisa's comment about Equalia still needing a ruler was clever. Also, Homer's request to go to the bathroom to not wash his hands. The art school teacher was a really funny character as well. I wouldn't mind seeing her again. The pacing of that opening scene was just perfect. Same with the Comic Book Guy kung-fu class.

6. Emily Blunt was a great fit for Juliet because she has such a unique voice to listen to. A refreshing voice to hear on this series than some bland-sounding mega-celebrity.

Overall, it's tough to grade this episode. I guess I'll give it a 3/5. Most of the episode was typical post-classic average-ness. It gets a slightly higher grade than average, just for the sheer sake of being unique and interesting. It had its highs and lows but it was memorable, I guess.

(...You know, it's actually kinda sad that I'm basing my final score on the fact that it wasn't a bland episode. That's post-classic Simpsons for ya.)

This is definitely an episode I need to watch again.

[Charlie]

4. Another weird thing. Did I miscount, or were there four acts to this episode? There was no commercial break after the opening and then three act breaks, I think.

You are correct, and it's been mentioned both in this thread and the Season 20 thread (before the episode even aired); new episodes will now consist of four acts.

[Jims]

You are correct, and it's been mentioned both in this thread and the Season 20 thread (before the episode even aired); new episodes will now consist of four acts.

Geez dood, stop harshing my mellow.

(This is what I get for taking a long time to write long-winded posts. You end up repeating what other people said by accident.)

[OfficerWriter]

The relationship between Lisa and Juliet was kinda creepy after awhile. At first, it seemed like they were just best friends. You know, like Bart and Milhouse. But then Juliet asks Lisa to run away with her, which gave off weird lesbian vibes to me. It's really weird to say that about two characters that are eight years old, because they're obviously not lovers or anything. Their closeness just got kinda weird/creepy toward the end. I don't know if this was intentional on the part of the writers or if I have a warped brain. It just seemed like that was the way it was written.

Life is often mirrored in art. More often than not the artsy, nerdy kid that has a hard time making friends ends up trying alternative lifestyles, to be with other people that have been displaced in society.

They already make Lisa's alternative choices stand out -- she's a vegetarian, a Budist, and who knows, a lesbian?

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

[Tyler]

This episode amazingly shattered my expectations and turned out to be one of the most creative without being too odd episodes in a while. LONG REVIEW TONIGHT, BTW.

Wow, where to begin? Guess I'll start with the bad. Don't really like the four acts format. I guess I'll get used to it. To me, absolutely no jokes fell flat, there was only maybe...two I didn't smile at. I didn't care for the Darth Vader joke I remember. Lame sign gag near the beginning.

With the bad outta the way, here's my full review.

Opening sequence/Act I: Nice blackboard. Couch gag was pretty cool. Anyone notice on the FOX broadcast it abruptly ended the opening with no black screen and went straight to the lame sign gag?
The karate reminded me of the old Butterfinger commercial. Comic Book Guy was actually pretty good. Nice joke with the kids attacking him, especially the one biting him arm, nice touch. Lisa's art class scene was not too slow - just seemed kinda odd. Looked like Colin was in there for a few shots, but the hair seemed too dark to be him. Juliet, throughout the episode, was voiced very well, as was Lisa, and even Bart. Marge seemed off in Act I, however. The Josh Grobin gags were alright. The singing went on a little too far, however, after thinking about it...they're 8. More on this later in my post. I loved the joke about "someone has to rule it". Nice act I break, if I remember well.

Act II
The dinner scene I remember was pretty funny. I liked Homer giving him money to check out his back. Juliet looking into Equalia was fantastic. Especially some of the animation and detail. The sprinklers were a great gag! Homer mistaking Principal Skinner talking about Lisa didn't fall flat, however, wasn't the funniest. My favorite animation point of the episode was either in this act or the next: the scene in which Juliet and Lisa ride along the path, complete with the road turning gold, trees sprouting up, etc. That was really great, some cool animation on the trees. Best joke was "Bart Simpson, Age 10". Really nice act break as well!

Act III/Weird Act IV break thingy
Kearney enjoying the girls' story was a really enjoyable point in the episode, Kearney's always been more or less used only because he's with the bullies, and to see him with the girls was really nice. No "my son" jokes from him, either! Only real problem with the episode was Juliet and Lisa's quick seperation near the end. I share similar opinions with icewynd on this one, so just go read that post. The "cuckoo" joke wasn't good. The ending was pretty joke-filled, Homer's biography jokes I liked.

I guess they had to throw in, "Ladies and Gentlemen, Fall Out Boy", since they appeared nowhere in the episode, thankfully. Considering the Simpsons have had many ending themes ranging from grunge to punk, I guess Fall Out Boy, who I dread, wasn't that bad. I don't even know what genre they belong to. Punk-Pop? Emo?

Overall, a fantastic episode that helps me deliver my first 5/5 of the season. Well done tonight, Simpsons writers!

The relationship between Lisa and Juliet was kinda creepy after awhile. At first, it seemed like they were just best friends. You know, like Bart and Milhouse. But then Juliet asks Lisa to run away with her, which gave off weird lesbian vibes to me. It's really weird to say that about two characters that are eight years old, because they're obviously not lovers or anything. Their closeness just got kinda weird/creepy toward the end. I don't know if this was intentional on the part of the writers or if I have a warped brain. It just seemed like that was the way it was written.

To the casual viewer, the episode was probably misleading. The lesbian jokes could get people to think, "Oh, ok, this is really gay. Lisa's a lesbian, look, she's dancing in circles around rainbows". First, I would like to make clear, they're only 8...they're expanding their imaginations by making up a magical land with unicorns...like alot of 8 year old girls.

Lisa hasn't had many friends throughout the series, and having her first "real" friend in this episode was important to her character. She didn't seem to want to let go of her newfound best friend. Just like an 8 year old. It's not lesbian for them to circle around with their imagination swirling around them, it's not lesbian for two lonely 8 year olds who seem to need each other's company to run off together and have fun writing a story...they're only 8. You would need to put yourself in a 8 year old girl's shoes, particularly Lisa, who hasn't had much real friends...without them becoming a rival (Lisa's Rival), or them being much older (Summer of 4'2).

No offense to you, Jims.