Lisa the Simpson
The Simpsons, season 9, episode 17. First aired March 8, 1998. 134 moments of about ten seconds each: open one for its frame, what happens and what's said.
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About the episode
When Lisa can't solve a brain teaser and starts forgetting things, Grampa tells her a Simpson gene makes the family dumber with age. Homer gathers the relatives to prove her wrong; the men are all failures, but the women thrive, including Dr. Simpson, a surgeon who explains the defect strikes only males. Meanwhile, Jasper Beardly freezes himself in the Kwik-E-Mart, and Apu cashes in by renaming it the Freak-E-Mart.
- Written by
- Ned Goldreyer
- Directed by
- Susie Dietter
- Guest stars
- Phil Hartman as Troy McClure
- Couch gag
- Vegetation
- Production code
- 4F24
The synopsis is our own. Credits and guest stars from Wikipedia and the Simpsons wiki.
Every moment
-
Homer first sits in a pink car in the driveway of the yellow house, then steps out as Bart rolls…
0:00–0:12 -
Homer stands by a red bed in a purple room, mouth open and one arm outstretched
0:12–0:23 -
A school cafeteria with long blue picnic tables and a red serving counter, where a lunch lady in a white…
0:23–0:29 -
Nelson sits at a cafeteria table with Bart, who holds a sandwich, while Milhouse holds a tray with a bowl…
“Salisbury soup again?”
0:29–0:40 -
Bart sits at a school lunch counter with a sandwich while Lisa in a red dress and pearls and Milhouse…
“What are they doing with our 45 cents?”
0:40–0:49 -
Lisa and Milhouse stand at a school cafeteria counter with lunch trays
“Wow!”
0:49–1:02 -
Lisa, Bart, and Milhouse and Milhouse holds a notepad and pencil while a white-shirted cafeteria worker…
“Got it. Is this it? Excellent, Milhouse.”
1:02–1:14 -
Milhouse and Nelson stand at a cafeteria table with Bart, who wears an orange shirt, and a boy in a white…
“Oh, of course.”
1:14–1:25 -
Lisa Simpson and Milhouse sit at a cafeteria table with a small puzzle box in front of them
“Hey, some of us are still trying to solve it.”
1:25–1:36 -
Springfield Elementary School stands empty at first, then a crowd of cheering students, including Bart…
“Okay, let's see.”
1:36–1:46 -
Lisa Simpson and Ralph Wiggum are first seen at a school desk where Lisa studies a Professor Provolone's…
“Want a hint?”
1:46–1:59 -
Lisa Simpson sits alone at a desk in an empty classroom while a figure in a red cap and blue overalls appears…
1:59–2:04 -
Lisa Simpson stands at a row of blue school lockers, turning the combination dial with one hand…
“So, Lisa, did you get that brain teaser yet?”
2:04–2:14 -
Lisa Simpson stands at a row of blue lockers holding a book in one hand
“If you're suggesting I stayed up all night trying to solve that childish puzzle...”
2:14–2:19 -
Lisa Simpson works at a row of blue lockers while holding books, first fiddling with a dial…
“You're right.”
2:19–2:27 -
Lisa Simpson stands at a row of blue lockers in a school hallway beside Ralph Wiggum, a blond boy in a blue…
“Look at my agriculture project.”
2:27–2:35 -
Mrs. Krabappel stands in an orange-walled classroom with a notepad, first beside a diorama of green grass…
“Very nice, Janie.”
2:35–2:49 -
A brown-haired teacher with round glasses, a white blouse and a red bow stands before a chalkboard…
“I just got to... There.”
2:49–3:01 -
Lisa Simpson sits at a school desk holding a pink eraser and a pencil while an unnamed woman with a brown…
“Me too.”
3:01–3:06 -
Grampa walks into the Kwik-E-Mart carrying cups and a carton, passing the WELCOME mat and a Duff sign…
“What looks like somebody's Haagen-Dazs ice cream.”
3:06–3:18 -
Apu and Homer stand behind the store counter
“You'll have it in 45 seconds, sir.”
3:18–3:29 -
Homer Simpson stands before a SNACK TREAT sign and red snack racks, handling a slim pen-like object…
“Why would I want to look at a pen with a...”
3:29–3:43 -
Homer Simpson and Apu stand at the store counter beside a tall pile of ice cream tubs stained with drips…
“Lift off!”
3:43–3:55 -
Homer and Apu stand in the aisle of the Kwik-E-Mart while a frost-covered, pale blue elderly man, who is…
“Hey!”
3:55–4:09 -
Apu in a green shirt stands at the left and Homer in a white shirt holds a paper list at the right, both…
“Dome out when robot wives are cheap and effective.”
4:09–4:18 -
Lisa Simpson sits on a blue bed in her pink bedroom playing a green saxophone, with a Jazz Fest poster…
“Now you're swinging, honey.”
4:18–4:28 -
Lisa sits on a blue bed in her pink bedroom playing a green saxophone, eyes closed and cheeks puffed as she…
“Darn it.”
4:28–4:35 -
Marge Simpson cuts the hair of Grampa, a wrinkled old man with white tufts, in a kitchen while he sits…
“Oh, no, no, no.”
4:35–4:48 -
Marge cuts the hair of Grampa, a wrinkled old man in a white robe, while he holds up a hand mirror…
“No apology. Not until he admits he's a jerk.”
4:48–4:56 -
Marge Simpson stands in a kitchen with purple cabinets and a ceiling light, cutting the hair of Homer…
“You're just having a bad day. I had one last week.”
4:56–5:06 -
Grampa sits in a white bathrobe holding a purple hand mirror while Lisa stands beside him in a kitchen…
“Maybe you're just a lousy cook. Ow!”
5:06–5:19 -
Lisa and Grampa first stand in the kitchen beside a table, with Maggie in a blue bow visible at the right edge
“What are you talking about?”
5:19–5:29 -
Lisa stands beside Grampa, the wrinkled old man with white tufts of hair, in a pink sweater and glasses…
“Oh, your dad used to be smart as a monkey.”
5:29–5:42 -
Lisa stands beside Grampa, who sits on a couch in a blue-walled room with a lamp and a partly visible sign…
“Back when he was your age, he was smart as a chimp.”
5:42–5:56 -
Lisa and Grampa are in a blue-paneled room with a pink lamp, a stool and a red NUKES poster
“This is crazy.”
5:56–5:59 -
Lisa stands with her back to the viewer in a blue-walled attic full of boxes, a lamp and a dresser
“Just because you and Dad and Bart went downhill doesn't mean it's gonna happen to me.”
5:59–6:08 -
Lisa Simpson first walks across a dim attic with blue walls, cardboard boxes, and a green-shaded lamp…
“Dear Log, can it be true? Do all Simpsons go through a process of dumbening?”
6:08–6:17 -
Lisa sits at a vanity writing in a diary with a pencil while her reflection in a purple oval mirror crosses…
“Dear Log, can it be true? Do all Simpsons go through a process of dumbening?”
6:17–6:28 -
Lisa Simpson sits at a purple vanity writing in a notebook with a pencil while looking at her reflection…
“I've got to find out more.”
6:28–6:41 -
Lisa Simpson is examined by a doctor in a white coat with a stethoscope, who is not named in the who's-who
“So you're worried about your jeans, huh?”
6:41–6:53 -
Lisa sits on a blue couch in a kitchen beside a film projector as a man in a white lab coat walks…
“I think the film should answer all your questions.”
6:53–7:06 -
Troy McClure stands in the centre of a lab in an orange hazmat suit, and a second worker in a similar suit…
“It's no coincidence. It's because of D-N-A.”
7:06–7:20 -
Troy McClure holds a clear blue beaker in a lab with blue cabinets, test tubes and pipes
“You may remember me from such medical films as Alice Doesn't Live Anymore.”
7:20–7:27 -
Troy McClure stands in a lab beside a blue machine stacked with discs and dials, holding a clear container…
“And Mommy, What's Wrong With That Man's Face?”
7:27–7:35 -
A brown-haired man in an orange lab jumpsuit with a red tie, and a blue-haired boy in a green shirt, likely…
“Let's find out together. DNA is God's recipe for making you.”
7:35–7:43 -
Troy McClure stands at a lab bench beside Milhouse, who has blue hair and glasses
“You take a dash of Dad, a pinch of Mom,”
7:43–7:51 -
Milhouse stands in a room with grey cabinets, gesturing and speaking with wide eyes in the first three images
“Mr. McClure, what does DNA stand for?”
7:51–8:04 -
Lisa Simpson sits on an examination table in a clinic room with a sink, cabinets and folded towels…
“Would you like to see it again?”
8:04–8:17 -
Lisa looks worried in a close-up beside a light switch and a blue window
“Hi, frozen Bobby.”
8:17–8:28 -
A doctor with black slicked-back hair, a goatee, a white coat and a pink tie listens with a stethoscope…
“Hmm, he's got a lob, but I don't hear a dub.”
8:28–8:34 -
Chief Wiggum holds a rolled paper while talking to Apu, who wears a green shirt, as a frost-covered old man…
“Yeah, lucky he's still alive.”
8:34–8:48 -
Apu stands among aisles and freezer cases with Chief Wiggum and a frost-covered old man with a white beard…
“Check it out. A freezer geezer. Please, young customers,”
8:48–8:59 -
Apu waves his hands in front of store freezers while a pale blue-skinned old man with a long white beard…
“No, this is a convenience store. Not a freak show.”
8:59–9:12 -
Apu stands on a sidewalk in front of the Kwik-E-Mart with a red balloon, puffing and inflating it…
“Also, gaze at the frito found in a bag of Doritos.”
9:12–9:22 -
Lisa Simpson sits at a purple desk in her pink bedroom, chin resting on one hand while she writes in an open…
“Dear Log, my worst fears have been confirmed.”
9:22–9:33 -
Ralph stands beside a blue mailbox with a red flag on a wooden post, first raising the flag, then gazing up…
“Well, Ralph seems happy enough.”
9:33–9:46 -
Lisa Simpson stands on a staircase in the Simpson home, gripping the banister
“We now return to When Buildings Collapse!”
9:46–9:59 -
Lisa climbs the stairs of the house, passes framed family portraits on the wall, then peeks around a corner…
“Hey, Elise, want to join us? Room for one more.”
9:59–10:11 -
Homer, Bart and Lisa sit on the blue couch in the living room, with Bart on the left and Lisa at first…
“We're watching the TV.”
10:11–10:23 -
Homer, Bart and Lisa sit together on their blue couch, with Homer laughing and holding his belly while Bart…
“Ha-ha!”
10:23–10:34 -
Homer, Bart and Lisa sit side by side on the blue living room couch, with Homer in the middle
“Oh!”
10:34–10:46 -
Bart and Homer sit together on a blue couch beside a pink lamp, Bart grinning and then talking while Homer…
“The best part was when the buildings fell down.”
10:46–10:56 -
Homer Simpson sits in the middle of a blue couch in the living room, holding a remote control, flanked…
“Hey, yeah. And now, a Channel 6 editorial reply.”
10:56–11:07 -
Apu stands behind a red-draped table at a stall under a 'Dead Presidents' banner, presenting 'The Can…
“Behold the can of mystery.”
11:07–11:18 -
Apu gestures beside a sign reading "Haunted Cash Machine: Dispenses Images of Dead Presidents" while a woman…
“What strange wonders lie inside? Treasure?”
11:18–11:29 -
Ned Flanders hugs two curly-haired children, one with dark red hair and one with auburn hair, while a third…
“Show me your tie!”
11:29–11:40 -
Grampa stands in a pink sweater and grey trousers at the Kwik-E-Mart, gesturing with one arm outward…
“Me and Frostelicus go back a long way.”
11:40–11:52 -
Apu stands counting a fan of cash and grinning in front of stacked Duff Beer cartons and a Duff Beer sign
“Actually, it's not so much funny as it is long.”
11:52–12:03 -
Apu counts a fan of cash in front of a Duff Beer sign, then turns a wall thermostat dial pointed at COLD…
“Oh, my goodness.”
12:03–12:15 -
Homer, Bart and Lisa sit side by side on a maroon couch in a pink living room, with Bart leaning…
“Marge, we need 5,000 cc's of snacks. Stat!”
12:15–12:29 -
Homer, Bart, and Lisa are in the pink living room with a striped oval rug, a red couch, and a lamp
“Relax, Lee. Stat and I always have a plan B.”
12:29–12:41 -
Bart and Homer are eating a red chocolate-covered candy snack that has been torn open and scattered…
“What?”
12:41–12:52 -
Homer, Bart and Lisa are gathered on a striped rug, with Bart and Homer on their hands and knees…
12:52–12:56 -
Lisa Simpson stands in the pink living room beside Homer and Bart, with a pile of chocolate-covered cookies…
“Quit it.”
12:56–13:03 -
A large woman in a teal floral dress and pearl necklace sits on a couch in a cluttered living room…
“You kids knock it off. Mama's watching her stories.”
13:03–13:11 -
A spiky-haired girl in a teal dress with pink flowers and a pearl necklace lies in a netted hammock…
“Hi, honey. It's me, your husband, Ralph.”
13:11–13:23 -
A small spiky-haired boy in a white shirt and blue jeans, a one-off character, stands beside a wooden hammock…
“Wesley, get Mama's prying bar.”
13:23–13:34 -
Homer, Lisa and Bart are in the pink living room, with Homer and Bart kneeling on a rug beside a pile…
“No.”
13:34–13:42 -
Homer and Bart crouch on a multicolored oval rug in a pink living room, both with messy mouths as they eat…
“Lisa, come on!”
13:42–13:55 -
Homer and Bart Simpson sit at the kitchen table in front of a red flower vase on a purple-and-blue sideboard…
“Fine. She doesn't get her skin.”
13:55–14:07 -
Lisa Simpson stands at a purple oval mirror in her bedroom, her reflection showing her in front of a teal…
“Dear log, it won't be long now before my mind melts into a soft, simpson-y sludge.”
14:07–14:16 -
Lisa Simpson stands in her bedroom holding a pencil and faces a mirror where her reflection stands…
“Soon, the arts and literature I love will be replaced by talk radio and vulgar mudflaps.”
14:16–14:25 -
Lisa stands in a gallery before a large purple abstract painting, with a bronze statue of a nude man with one…
“Oh, Kenny, look at the interplay of light and shadow.”
14:25–14:38 -
Lisa first stands in front of a purple abstract painting with her eyes squeezed shut, then opens them wide…
14:38–14:45 -
Lisa Simpson sits at a bar table with her chin resting on her hands, while a man with swept-back light brown…
“Hmm, sounds like she's hitting a baby with a cat.”
14:45–14:55 -
Apu sweeps litter across the floor of the Kwik-E-Mart while a heavy man in a white cowboy hat and tan jacket…
“Son, I represent a group of oil tycoons who make foolish purchases.”
14:55–15:07 -
A stout cowboy-hatted man with dark blue hair, a tan jacket and a bolo tie stands beside a red 'SNACK TREAT'…
“Now we need your Iceman.”
15:07–15:15 -
Apu stands in the Kwik-E-Mart holding a wooden stick and frowning, with stacked Duff boxes behind him
“By gum it worked.”
15:15–15:27 -
A bald, white-bearded old man in a green sweater and grey vest takes a Moon Pie package from a shelf…
“Moon pie.”
15:27–15:40 -
An elderly bald man with a green sweater and a large white beard-like tuft, along with Apu stand…
“Time has ravaged your once-useful looks.”
15:40–15:46 -
A heavy, bald man in a grey vest over green sleeves and blue jeans pushes through the red-curtained glass…
“Oh, well, Sanjay, that is the end of our freak show.”
15:46–15:54 -
Apu stands with his back to the viewer beside a second, unnamed man in a white coat, facing the glass…
“We must relinquish the giddy glamour of show business and return to the humble pleasures”
15:54–16:02 -
Mr. Burns and a heavy brown-haired man in a green shirt stand outside the Nude-E-Mart under a sign…
“Time traveler discount!”
16:02–16:10 -
Lisa Simpson stands on the sidewalk outside The Jazz Hole then walks over toward a red hatchback whose open…
“Great set.”
16:10–16:24 -
Lisa Simpson stands on a blue sidewalk at night facing a woman with short black hair, a pink top, a blue vest…
“Oh, good.”
16:24–16:37 -
Lisa sits across a desk from a grey-haired man in a brown suit and red tie, seated in a red chair…
“I'm sorry, little girl.”
16:37–16:46 -
Lisa Simpson sits in a purple chair behind a wooden desk, wearing her red dress and pearl necklace, and talks…
“Uh, I am. I'm strongly opposed to... Proposition,”
16:46–16:57 -
Lisa Simpson sits at a news desk in a purple chair wearing her red dress and pearl necklace, glancing…
“Uh, you bet I am.”
16:57–17:08 -
Kent Brockman sits at a desk on a television screen, first centered and then leaning on the desk with a sheet…
“Authorities believe the wave of towel snappings will get worse before it gets better.”
17:08–17:19 -
Marge Simpson stands in the living room beside a purple lamp and a blue telephone while Homer sits…
“I'm supposed to talk to you about Proposition 305.”
17:19–17:24 -
Lisa Simpson sits at a wooden table in front of a blue curtain inside a purple TV-style border
“Mooch and war, widows. But I have something more important to say.”
17:24–17:37 -
Homer sits at a control room console beside an older grey-haired man in a brown jacket and red tie…
“What is she doing out there?”
17:37–17:43 -
Lisa Simpson sits in a green chair behind a wooden table in front of a blue curtain, inside a purple…
“And please don't deprive yourself of wonderful books like To Kill a Mockingbird,”
17:43–17:54 -
Chief Wiggum lies in bed reading a green copy of Yertle the Turtle, grinning and then scowling at the page…
“She's got that right. Beauty is all around us, and not just in pageants and parlors.”
17:54–18:04 -
Marge stands in the living room with Homer and Bart, a spiky-haired boy in an orange shirt, who sits…
“That's a good idea. Let's go out for some frosty swirls.”
18:04–18:13 -
Grampa stands in the living room with Homer, Marge in her green dress with a tall blue beehive, and Bart…
“Oh, she's just upset because I told her her brains turn into mush.”
18:13–18:25 -
Lisa Simpson sits at a wooden table in front of a blue curtain, first looking wide-eyed and speaking…
“No, baldness too. So please, I beg you,”
18:25–18:39 -
Homer Simpson, Marge Simpson and Bart Simpson stand in the family living room, with a red couch, a sailboat…
“Simpson Jean, somebody's got to set that girl straight, and I know how to do it.”
18:39–18:47 -
Homer Simpson stands in a pink room holding a teal telephone to his ear and gritting his teeth as he grows…
“Arch, get me your address book, four beers, and my conversation hat.”
18:47–18:56 -
Marge stands beside a bed where Lisa lies under a blue blanket with a grinning blue pillow
“Lisa?”
18:56–19:06 -
Marge pulls the cord to draw the beige curtains open at a bedroom window while a spiky-haired girl in a teal…
“Better.”
19:06–19:09 -
Homer stands in the middle of a crowd of look-alike Simpson relatives gathered on a grey pavement…
“Lisa, it's me, Daddy, your father.”
19:09–19:21 -
Homer stands at left beside a heavy, balding older man in a brown jacket, black tie and light shirt, a man…
“This is your great-uncle Chet. Go ahead, Chet.”
19:21–19:29 -
Homer stands in front of a row of onlookers on a suburban street, with a bald, heavy man in a white shirt…
“Oh, but you run it, right?”
19:29–19:37 -
Lisa watches from the foreground through a pink-framed window as Homer gestures with his arms among a crowd…
“Everybody hates birds, right?”
19:37–19:41 -
Homer stands in a crowd outside a blue house with pink windows, with Bart in an orange shirt at the bottom…
“You look pretty successful.”
19:41–19:53 -
Marge and Lisa watch from a window as a crowd of townspeople gathers outside
“What about you?”
19:53–20:05 -
Homer stands in a residential street in front of a blue two-story house at dusk, with a group of men gathered…
“Lisa's right.”
20:05–20:17 -
Lisa Simpson stands at a window ledge in a pink room beside Marge, who wears a green dress and red beads…
“Wait a minute, Homer. You didn't ask everybody.”
20:17–20:28 -
Lisa Simpson appears first in a pink bedroom beside a purple-framed picture and a yellow curtain…
“Doctor?”
20:28–20:35 -
Four women stand close together on a suburban sidewalk at dusk, in front of a blue house under a pink sky
“You have to if you want to be an architect.”
20:35–20:45 -
Marge Simpson and Lisa stand together at a window with purple curtains
“Oh, did you hear that, Lisa?”
20:45–20:57 -
On a grey street, a ring of onlookers, many resembling Homer and one in a tan suit with sunglasses, surrounds…
“So I'm not doomed!”
20:57–21:05 -
Marge Simpson opens the arched front door of the purple house and peeks out, then Lisa steps out beside her
“Oh, Dad, I've never been happier to be your daughter!”
21:05–21:12 -
Homer, Lisa, and Bart stand in a front yard before a light blue picket fence and a purple house, with Homer…
“Remember, there's nothing that says you can't be a Simpson and a success.”
21:12–21:19 -
Bart Simpson and Homer Simpson stand together in a backyard in front of a light blue picket fence…
“Unless you're a man. So wait a minute. This means I'm gonna be a failure?”
21:19–21:29 -
Lisa Simpson sits at a purple vanity in her pink bedroom writing in a notebook with a pencil…
“Dearest log, I am me again.”
21:29–21:42 -
Lisa Simpson sits at her desk in her bedroom beside a blue bookshelf with a globe, working on a puzzle
“I got it! Woo-hoo!”
21:42–21:52 -
Lisa sits at a pink table in an upstairs window of the Simpson house, which has a pink facade, brown roof…
21:52–22:01 -
A black title card sequence of Simpsons credits in gold lettering
22:01–22:11 -
No Simpsons characters appear in this sequence; it is a black title-card segment of end credits in gold…
22:11–22:21 -
No regular Simpsons characters or one-off characters appear in this moment; it is a black closing credits…
“We'll be right back.”
22:21–22:30 -
A black end-credits sequence of text cards for the overseas production by Rough Draft, then staff credits…
22:30–22:40 -
A row of dark silhouetted audience members, one with a large bushy head at the left, sits in theater seats…
22:40–22:51
Who's in it
Bart Simpson, Homer Simpson, Lisa Simpson, Marge Simpson, Milhouse Van Houten, Krusty the Clown, Ned Flanders, Chief Wiggum, Grampa Simpson, Carl Carlson, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, Mrs. Krabappel, Dr. Hibbert, Otto Mann, Kent Brockman, Nelson Muntz, Jasper Beardsley, Martin Prince, Groundskeeper Willie, Ralph Wiggum, Lewis Clark, Wendell Borton, Miss Hoover, Todd Flanders, Jimbo Jones, Rod Flanders, Helen Lovejoy, Sherri Mackleberry, Terri Mackleberry, Kirk Van Houten, Luann Van Houten, Janey Powell, Sam, Comic Book Guy, Becky Shorter, Dolph Starbeam, Ruth Powers, Sophie Jensen, Dr. Nick, Jaffee Ziswhisky, Sanjay Nahasapeemapetilon, Troy McClure, Lunchlady Dora, Yellow Weasel, Jack Marley, Just Stamp the Ticket Man, Kyle Williams, The Rich Texan, Üter Zörker, Elvis Presley, Billy, Architect, Beggar Relative, Channel 6 Executive, Channel 6 Producer, Chet Simpson, Dr. Simpson, Environmental Lawyer, Hurt Leg, Jazz Musician, Jug Band Manager, Millionaire Actor, Museum Guard, Prison Snitch Relative, Professor Provolone, Sales Coordinator, Stanley Simpson, Suing, Unimpressed Spectator, Wesley Wiggum
Everyone who appears in it, from the Simpsons wiki. Every character