IMDb user comments for
"The Simpsons" Summer of 4 Ft. 2 (1996)

Brutally honest, mildly funny Lisa episode, 8 October 2008

Author: gizmomogwai from Canada

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

The seventh season's Lisa episode, following in the footsteps of Moaning Lisa (season 1), Lisa's Substitute (season 2) and Lisa's Wedding (season 6), tries to be funny and emotional at the same time. Here, Lisa feels lonely when she realizes she has no friends. It's the end of the school year and no one signs her yearbook. She realizes it's because she's a nerd. As the family plans to go to another community (Little Pwagmattasquarmsettport) on vacation, Lisa takes the opportunity to present herself as a different person to new people. She makes a few friends- until a jealous Bart shows her yearbook to the kids, outing her as a teacher's pet. Bart and Lisa turn against each other, but in the end the kids still accept Lisa and Bart gets them to sign her yearbook.

Coming in a good season, Summer of 4 Ft. 2 is consistently funny, though the laughs aren't major. The episode pokes fun at Milhouse's geekiness, Homer's antics with fireworks, and the kids' way of talking ("I can totally hear him going that.") The episode's not a tear jerker like Lisa's Substitute and Lisa's Wedding, but it's got heart. Like Marge and Lisa, I've had a lot of trouble making friends, and the episode is honest in portraying the bitterness of it and how being yourself doesn't always work. I see some fans criticized the episode on snpp.com, saying this episode ignores the fact that Lisa does have friends like Janey, but episodes like Dancing Homer (season 2) established that while friendly with other girls, Lisa was never actually close to them. As always, Bart and Lisa feuding makes for good material because it's natural and still involves heart- see Lisa on Ice (season 6). Altogether, a nice episode.

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