Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington
The Simpsons, season 3, episode 2. First aired September 26, 1991. 127 moments of about ten seconds each: open one for its frame, what happens and what's said.
← Stark Raving Dad When Flanders Failed → The whole episode as text
About the episode
A bald eagle in the Springfield National Forest inspires Lisa's pro-American essay for a Reading Digest contest, and her regional win sends the Simpsons to Washington, D.C. There she sees Congressman Bob Arnold accept a bribe to let loggers clear that same forest. Lisa rewrites her speech as a condemnation of corrupt government, and Arnold's swift arrest and expulsion restore her faith.
- Written by
- George Meyer
- Directed by
- Wes Archer
- Chalkboard gag
Spitwads are not free speech
- Couch gag
- Squashed Santa's Little Helper
- Production code
- 8F01
The synopsis is our own. Credits and guest stars from Wikipedia and the Simpsons wiki.
Every moment
-
Bart is shown in a classroom after a black screen and a sky of clouds with the yellow title "THE SIMPSONS"
“The Simpsons”
0:00–0:12 -
Homer holds a glowing green rod with tongs at a CAUTION panel while Mr. Burns and Smithers watch…
0:12–0:25 -
Lisa carries a large brass instrument down an orange-walled hallway toward blue double doors…
0:25–0:38 -
Homer stands in a doorway holding objects, then Homer, Marge, Lisa, Maggie and Bart sit side by side…
0:38–0:51 -
Maggie sits on a black-and-white checkered floor while a large yellow hand holds pink sweepstakes envelopes…
“Stupid junk mail. You may have already won.”
0:51–1:03 -
Homer and Maggie are at home in a pink-walled room
“I'll see that he gets it.”
1:03–1:16 -
Homer Simpson first walks up past bushes to a sign reading "HOME SECURITY TRUST, We're Not A Savings & Loan"…
“Mr. Simpson, I can assure you, this check of yours is non-negotiable.”
1:16–1:25 -
Homer stands at a bank counter facing Troy McClure, a slim man with swept-back reddish hair in a blue suit…
“You see where it says void, void, void, and this is not a check?”
1:25–1:32 -
Marge, Maggie, Lisa, Homer and Bart are in the Simpson living room, with Santa's Little Helper's black cat…
“I had a feeling it was too good to be true.”
1:32–1:42 -
Marge sits in a green armchair reading a magazine, while Homer and Bart sit nearby in a pink room
“Well, at least we got a free sample of Reading Digest.”
1:42–1:54 -
Lisa stands at the left edge in the living room with a lamp and a pink wall behind her, while Homer holds…
“Ain't it the truth? No, it's not the truth, Homer.”
1:54–1:56 -
Homer Simpson is seen from behind at first, then turns to face the viewer with wide eyes and an open mouth…
“Ain't it the truth? No, it's not the truth, Homer.”
1:56–2:09 -
Homer sits at a purple control console in a blue industrial room, reading a booklet titled…
“Hey, Einstein, put down your reading. It's lunchtime.”
2:09–2:22 -
Mr. Burns and his thin assistant Smithers in glasses and a green jacket stand before a wall of security…
“Who is that bookworm smithies? Homer Simpson, sir.”
2:22–2:31 -
Lisa and baby Maggie stand side by side staring up at a purple television in the pink living room
“We now return to Troy McClure and Dolores Montenegro in Breacher with a Shovel.”
2:31–2:44 -
Marge sits in a green armchair in a pink room, with her tall blue beehive and red beads, while Homer stands…
“You've certainly taken a shine to that magazine.”
2:44–2:49 -
Homer Simpson stands in a pink room holding a small brown booklet labeled 'Reader's Digest' and reads it…
“It's not just one magazine, Marge. They take hundreds of magazines,”
2:49–3:03 -
Homer stands in the pink living room with his children Bart, Lisa and Maggie, who sit on the striped rug…
“Hey, what gives, man?”
3:03–3:13 -
Homer sits on the red couch reading a small booklet while Bart lounges beside him, Marge stands…
“Then I heard the sound that all Arctic explorers dread,”
3:13–3:26 -
Homer Simpson sits in a red armchair in the first frames, reading a small orange-and-blue Reader's…
“Don't be so.”
3:26–3:35 -
Homer lies in bed against white pillows reading a red-covered magazine held in both hands, while Marge leans…
“Homie, put down your magazine for a minute.”
3:35–3:46 -
Homer Simpson lies in bed under an orange-and-purple blanket, reading an orange-covered book with a worried…
“Uh-uh.”
3:46–3:57 -
Bart Simpson sits at the kitchen table in the first frame, eyes crossed and smiling, with steam rising…
“Wow, little meatloaf men!”
3:57–4:09 -
Homer stands at the kitchen sink holding a small printed contest entry form with the words "ACTIVITY"…
“Wow, win a trip to Washington, D.C.”
4:09–4:19 -
Lisa sits holding a Reading Digest magazine, first reading it and then turning to show it, its cover…
“Hmm, an essay contest.”
4:19–4:28 -
Marge stands at the left edge of a hallway near a wall-mounted phone and gestures with an open hand…
“Bart, maybe this is something you'd like to do, too.”
4:28–4:41 -
Lisa Simpson sits at a pink desk in her bedroom, holding a pencil over a sheet of paper, while Marge Simpson…
“He'd say... Oh, think of a better opening.”
4:41–4:54 -
Marge stands beside a blue bookshelf holding a cup of pencils and a jar, while Lisa sits at a pink desk…
“Yes.”
4:54–5:07 -
Lisa walks along a forest path pushing a small red bicycle past tall trees
“Okay, America.”
5:07–5:16 -
Lisa appears first in a close-up, looking up while holding a pencil beside a brown tree trunk
“Wow, a bald eagle.”
5:16–5:29 -
Nelson stands at a wooden podium on a small set of steps and reads from a sheet of paper, scowling…
“So burn the flag if you must. But before you do,”
5:29–5:42 -
Nelson stands in front of a red and blue banner reading 'CONTEST' and 'FIREWORKS' while holding a sheet…
“Be sure to burn your TV and car. Oh, yes, and don't forget to burn your house.”
5:42–5:52 -
Homer Simpson stands angrily with a raised fist beside Lisa Simpson, who has spiky star-shaped hair and a red…
“Thank you very much. Yeah, damn right.”
5:52–6:02 -
Milhouse stands behind a wooden podium in front of a yellow essay contest poster, speaking and gesturing…
“Mix one cup of liberty with three teaspoons of justice.”
6:02–6:12 -
A red-haired young man in a white shirt and blue vest stands behind a wooden podium marked KONIG…
“My belly is yellow. I am the American non-voter.”
6:12–6:22 -
A young dark-haired man in a black top stands behind a wooden podium beneath a banner…
“Ding, dong, the sounds of the Liberty Bell.”
6:22–6:31 -
Lisa stands at a wooden podium holding a sheet of paper in front of a banner…
“Dong, quality hospitals.”
6:31–6:41 -
Lisa Simpson stands behind a wooden podium with a pearl necklace and a sheet of paper on top, in front…
“the trees in Springfield forests were tiny saplings trembling towards the sun.”
6:41–6:51 -
An elderly man with a white beard and a military-style cap stands beside a man in a matching cap and red tie…
“Who would have thought such mighty oaks or such a powerful nation could grow out of”
6:51–7:01 -
A woman with red-orange hair in an olive army-style uniform and an elderly bearded man in a matching cap sit…
“What do you think?”
7:01–7:10 -
Homer stands beside Lisa, who holds a sheet of paper and wears a pearl necklace, as a one-off woman…
“Mr. Simpson, I'd like to ask you a few questions about your daughter's essay.”
7:10–7:21 -
Homer stands in a green hallway with purple doors and a red EXIT sign beside a woman with curly red hair…
“Are you a professional writer?”
7:21–7:35 -
Lisa Simpson stands in a school hallway beside an unnamed woman with bouncy orange-red hair, an olive-green…
“Lisa, after meeting your father, I've decided to award you an additional five points.”
7:35–7:46 -
Homer and Lisa stand together in a green-walled room
“Woo-hoo!”
7:46–7:57 -
Homer and Marge sit in an airplane cabin with Maggie, the baby with a pacifier and blue bow, seated…
“Yes, sir? Can I get you something? Playing cards, notepad, aspirin, sewing kit,”
7:57–8:10 -
Bart sits by a window on a passenger plane beside Lisa, the girl with spiky hair, while a man with blue hair…
“I'll see what I can do.”
8:10–8:21 -
Bart first appears in a close-up with wide eyes and a toothy grin, then is seen in a cramped cockpit-like…
“Ooh, baby.”
8:21–8:31 -
Homer Simpson sits in a crowded airplane cabin beside Marge, whose tall blue beehive shows among the rows…
“No.”
8:31–8:41 -
Homer Simpson walks ahead of Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie as they push a cart of teal suitcases…
“Look, Marge, that guy has the same last name we do.”
8:41–8:53 -
Homer, Marge, Lisa and baby Maggie step out of an elevator in a lobby where a bellhop in a red uniform…
“Here we are, kids.”
8:53–9:05 -
Bart Simpson walks past an elevator as a man in a blue suit with brown hair steps out carrying a briefcase…
“Hey!”
9:05–9:16 -
Marge Simpson stands at the doorway pointing while Homer Simpson sits on the edge of a green bed…
“Oh, and a welcoming mint on your pillow.”
9:16–9:30 -
Lisa and Bart are in a bedroom with two purple beds, a desk with a mirror, a small television, and a purple…
“Hey, I call first Bedsies. Sorry, there's no such thing as first Bedsies.”
9:30–9:43 -
Lisa Simpson and Bart Simpson sit on a purple bed in a bedroom with an orange wall, a wooden chair, a purple…
“You want that one? Well, it's all yours, whatever you say.”
9:43–9:54 -
Homer lies in bed beside Marge, whose tall blue beehive rests on the pillow, with a grey-green telephone…
“Oh, stupid welcoming mint.”
9:54–10:03 -
Homer sits up in bed holding a phone to his ear beside a lamp, with Marge's tall blue beehive visible…
“Wake-up call? It's 2 a.m. Sorry, Fatso.”
10:03–10:15 -
Lisa stands in the foreground with her hands clasped while a woman with lavender-pink bouffant hair, red…
“Lisa, I'm Faith Crowley, Patriotism editor of Reading Digest.”
10:15–10:27 -
Selma stands in a living room holding a black folder and sweeping her arm toward a group, while Lisa is…
“Well, good.”
10:27–10:35 -
A young girl with spiky star-shaped hair and a pearl necklace, wearing an orange dress, stands in a grey room…
“Maria is the National Spelling Bee Champion,”
10:35–10:48 -
Homer and Marge stand with Bart, Maggie and Lisa in a carpeted room with a lamp and a window
“Hmm. Sure, I guess.”
10:48–10:58 -
Homer Simpson talks with a woman who has a pink bob haircut, a blue shirt and a red vest, and who holds up…
“Miss, what does the I stand for?”
10:58–11:11 -
Protesters with signs reading "Things Are Fine!", "No Opinion", "No Complaints Here", "One Happy Camper"…
“On the spot, Richard Nixon bowed back-to-back 300 games.”
11:11–11:22 -
Homer stands in the doorway of a bathroom with a checkered floor, a red rug, and a pedestal sink…
“The President's bathroom.”
11:22–11:34 -
Lisa and Marge stand beside a pampered elderly woman with a big grey bouffant and pearl necklace who lies…
“Okay, this tub was installed in 1894.”
11:34–11:45 -
A bald, heavyset man in a grey shirt with an ID badge stands behind a grey counter in front of a purple wall…
“Hey, Lodgy Chief.”
11:45–11:47 -
A tour guide in a red blazer, blue tie and white gloves stands in a purple-walled room beside two visitors…
“Folks, we print more than 18 million bills a day.”
11:47–11:59 -
Bart Simpson grips a control stick while seated in a cockpit-like enclosure and scowls, then Homer Simpson…
“Mark!”
11:59–12:11 -
Homer and Marge stand in a park with Lisa, Bart, and a small child in blue holding a pink face-shaped…
“Hey, what's so funny?”
12:11–12:21 -
A moustached man in a blue suit and red tie gestures while talking beside an easel holding a map…
“Congressman, this is Springfield National Forest.”
12:21–12:33 -
A mustached man in a blue suit and red tie, with slicked brown hair, stands beside an easel…
“In comes our logging company to thin out the clutter.”
12:33–12:37 -
A slim, orange-haired man with swept-back hair, wearing a green suit and pink tie, sits at a desk in front…
“Well, Jerry, you're a whale of a lobbyist, and I'd like to give you a logging permit.”
12:37–12:47 -
A moustached man in a blue suit and red tie stands at a desk beside an easel holding a painting of a rainbow…
“Congressman, this is where it gets awkward.”
12:47–12:57 -
A close-up shows a mustached man with brown hair in a blue suit and red tie glaring and raising his middle…
“What is it?”
12:57–13:03 -
Troy McClure sits at a desk with a microphone and a pink pencil cup beside red curtains, glancing sideways
“What is it?”
13:03–13:15 -
Lisa Simpson stands holding a book in a hallway while Bart in an orange shirt and Homer in a white shirt…
“Well, hi there.”
13:15–13:26 -
Lisa Simpson grins and looks sideways in a close-up, and then Homer, Marge holding baby Maggie, Bart…
“We have quite a few women senators, you know.”
13:26–13:37 -
A grey-haired... no, a dark-haired bartender in a white shirt and blue tie scowls…
“Oh, isn't that nice? Now there is a politician who cares.”
13:37–13:48 -
Lisa peeks around a blue bedroom doorway, then stands in the doorway looking into the room
“Mom?”
13:48–13:55 -
Marge Simpson lies in bed beside Homer, who is bald and wears a green blanket pulled up over his large body…
“Lisa, the contest isn't for three hours.”
13:55–14:05 -
Lisa Simpson stands at a bedroom door, then sees Homer and Marge asleep under dark green covers, and quietly…
“Later, she appeared on the highly unpopular 75-cent piece.”
14:05–14:19 -
Lisa Simpson stands beside a wall sign…
“I will iron your sheets when you iron out the inequities in your labor laws.”
14:19–14:32 -
Lisa peeks over a counter and a balcony railing in a marble hall, first wide-eyed and then slumped…
“Do I get my logging permit?”
14:32–14:43 -
A ginger-haired man in a green sweater and a brown-haired man with a moustache in a dark blue suit stand…
“Whoa, what a pooch. Woof, woof!”
14:43–14:52 -
Lisa Simpson stands on a grassy lawn with rows of flags and a white monument behind her, wide-eyed…
“How can I read my essay now? I don't believe my own words.”
14:52–15:05 -
Lisa looks wide-eyed and startled in front of a white monument lined with American flags
“Honest Abe, he'll show me the way.”
15:05–15:17 -
A girl with spiky yellow hair in a white collared top stands beside a woman in a long purple dress whose…
“Mr. Lincoln? Mr. Lincoln, I need your advice.”
15:17–15:27 -
Lisa Simpson stands beside Grampa, a wrinkled bald old man with a white moustache in a green shirt and brown…
“So I tried to use the turpentine, but that just make it worse.”
15:27–15:40 -
A grey-faced man with wavy hair and a stern frown appears in close-up at first, then the scene moves…
“Mr.”
15:40–15:50 -
A tiny Lisa crosses a grey domed hall past a huge green-and-purple shape at the foot of a columned wall
“Sorry, sir. It's just... No one ever comes to see me.”
15:50–16:01 -
Lisa Simpson walks between white columns beside a green statue of a man on a brown pedestal inside a rotunda…
“Uh, maybe I should be going. I caught you at a bad time.”
16:01–16:14 -
Lisa Simpson sits against a block wall on a stair landing in a white dress and blue shoes, holding a small…
16:14–16:24 -
A little girl with spiky orange hair, wearing a white dress with a blue sash, creeps along a stone-block wall…
“The truth must be told.”
16:24–16:35 -
Bart Simpson lies on a pink hotel bed while a heavyset man with black hair and a light green shirt, a towel…
“Ah.”
16:35–16:45 -
Troy McClure smiles while holding a small envelope in a doorway as Homer looks on wide-eyed
“Buy yourself something nice.”
16:45–16:58 -
A grey-haired pianist in glasses, a dark tuxedo and bow tie plays a grand piano on a stage…
“The deficit rag, oh yeah, the deficit rag.”
16:58–17:11 -
Marge Simpson sits beside Maggie, who holds a small American flag, while Bart rubs his face and grimaces…
“They really made a mess of it. That's the deficit rag.”
17:11–17:21 -
A woman with a pink bob and a blue outfit with a belt stands at a wooden podium speaking into a microphone…
“I'd like to introduce our distinguished judges who will select our scholarship winner.”
17:21–17:32 -
A brown-haired man in a blue suit and red tie waves one hand beside a woman with tall blue hair in a pink…
“Senate Page, Brad Fletcher.”
17:32–17:46 -
Lisa Simpson starts beside three people standing by a blue curtain near a doorway, then walks past a table…
“Oh, there she is. Lisa Simpson will now read her essay.”
17:46–17:58 -
Lisa Simpson stands at a wooden podium with a microphone in front of a red wall and a banner reading 'of…
“Um, okay.”
17:58–18:12 -
Lisa glares and grits her teeth behind a wooden podium against a red backdrop, while a pink-bobbed woman…
“It stank then, and it stinks now.”
18:12–18:24 -
Lisa Simpson stands on a wooden platform before a microphone at a podium with a red backdrop and blue…
“And who did I see taking a bribe but the Honorable Bob Arnold!”
18:24–18:35 -
Lisa Simpson stands at a wooden lectern in front of a red backdrop with a banner above her, speaking…
“And this will be one nation under the dollar with liberty and”
18:35–18:45 -
A brown-haired man in a blue suit and red tie, who looks like Principal Skinner, stands by a green wall…
“Senator, there's a problem at the essay contest.”
18:45–18:55 -
A man in a white cowboy hat, white jacket and blue neckerchief stands behind a desk in an office…
“Congressman, we want to drill for oil in Teddy Roosevelt's head.”
18:55–19:07 -
Troy McClure stands beside a bald man in a blue suit as both watch a small television showing a gunman…
“Congressman, you're under arrest.”
19:07–19:19 -
A group of identical-looking politicians sits at tiered wooden desks in the House of Representatives chamber…
“We will now vote on the House Bill 1022, the expulsion of Bob Arnold.”
19:19–19:28 -
An older grey-haired man in a purple suit and blue tie leans on a red ledge, glancing sideways and gesturing…
“Mr. Speaker, I'm all for the bill, but shouldn't we tack on a pay raise for ourselves?”
19:28–19:41 -
An older man with a hooked nose and grey hair at the sides, in a blue suit and red tie, sits at a desk…
“Your bosses? Yep.”
19:41–19:54 -
A thin, dark-haired man in glasses, a grey suit and a blue tie stands behind a wooden podium…
“Today, we own a nationwide chain of wheel balancing centers.”
19:54–20:03 -
A thin, bespectacled man with short black hair, a grey-violet suit and a blue tie stands behind a wooden…
“Where else but in America, or possibly Canada, could our family find such opportunity?”
20:03–20:12 -
Marge's violet-haired twin sister in a blue dress speaks at a podium under a TOMORROW sign…
“There will be a brief recess while the judges tabulate their votes.”
20:12–20:22 -
Lisa first looks glum and then grimaces and speaks with her mouth open in a close-up against a grey tiled wall
“I'm sorry, Dad.”
20:22–20:35 -
Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie stand close together in a bright room, with Homer holding a rolled…
“Imprisoned congressman becomes born-again Christian.”
20:35–20:46 -
Marge and Bart sit at a table with a small American flag, Bart clutching his head and grimacing while Marge…
“I already sang this song. No, that was about the budget gap.”
20:46–20:57 -
A tall, thin, long-faced man with shoulder-length reddish hair, a brown suit and a red tie stands…
“Will the winning essay be Bubble On, O Melting Pot,”
20:57–21:09 -
Bart grins and pumps his fists at a banquet table as a dark-haired man in a blue suit with a blue tie raises…
“Cesspool, cesspool, cesspool, cesspool, cesspool!”
21:09–21:20 -
A thin, dark-haired man in glasses and a purple shirt stands behind a wooden podium with a microphone…
“Miss Crawley, thank you for this oversized novelty check.”
21:20–21:27 -
Lisa Simpson stands beside a bald man in a sweater vest and a red-haired girl in a green dress while a figure…
“I would like to share this honor with all of my fellow essayists,”
21:27–21:38 -
Homer sits at a restaurant table with a hand raised to his ear and a startled expression, while Marge…
“Give her the check!”
21:38–21:50 -
Homer in a blue suit and Marge with her tall blue beehive sit at a banquet table with a thin man in a brown…
“She caught a crook and really made him pay.”
21:50–22:03 -
Credit text on a plain black background
“Thank you.”
22:03–22:13 -
The scene is a black screen with yellow credit text in a playful cartoon-style font
22:13–22:22 -
No characters appear in this end-credits sequence, which plays against a black background
22:22–22:32 -
This is a black end-credits sequence of yellow text on a dark background
22:32–22:41 -
A black end-credit sequence with yellow text over a dark background
22:41–22:51 -
Dark silhouettes of unidentified audience members sit in rows of theater seats, one with a large bushy head…
“Shh.”
22:51–23:02
Who's in it
Bart Simpson, Homer Simpson, Lisa Simpson, Marge Simpson, Maggie Simpson, Moe Szyslak, Grampa Simpson, Barney Gumble, Lenny Leonard, Mr. Burns, Waylon Smithers, Nelson Muntz, Jasper Beardsley, Patty Bouvier, Selma Bouvier, Santa's Little Helper, Snowball II, Troy McClure, Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Blinky, George H. W. Bush, The District Attorney, Barbara Bush, Bob Arnold, Faith Crowley, Maria Dominguez, Truong Van Dinh
Everyone who appears in it, from the Simpsons wiki. Every character