Bart's Friend Falls in Love

episode of The Simpsons (S3 E23)


"Bart's Friend Falls in Love" is the 22nd episode of the 3rd season of The Simpsons. It was first shown on television on May 7, 1992. In the episode, Bart's friend Milhouse gets a girlfriend named Samantha Stanky. Bart gets jealous and tells Samantha's father about the relationship. Samantha's father sends her to a different school that only allows girls. While this happens, Homer tries to lose weight using a subliminal stimuli cassette tape. However, Homer is given a tape about using better vocabulary instead.

"Bart's Friend Falls in Love"
The Simpsons episode
Episode no.Season 3
Episode 23
Directed byJim Reardon
Written byJay Kogen
Wallace Wolodarsky
Production code8F22
Original air dateMay 7, 1992 (1992-05-07)
Guest appearances
Kimmy Robertson as Samantha Stanky
Phil Hartman as Troy McClure
Episode features
Chalkboard gag"I will not snap bras"[1]
Couch gagThe Simpson family makes the couch fall and break the wall behind them.[2]
CommentaryMatt Groening
James L. Brooks
Al Jean
Mike Reiss
Julie Kavner
Nancy Cartwright
Yeardley Smith
Jay Kogen
Wallace Wolodarsky
Jim Reardon
Episode chronology
← Previous
"The Otto Show"
Next →
"Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?"
The Simpsons (season 3)
List of episodes

The beginning of the episode is a parody of the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark.[3] The end of the episode is a parody of the movie Casablanca.[2]

Story change

Milhouse shows Bart his new toy, a Magic 8-Ball. Bart asks the Magic 8-Ball if he and Milhouse will still be friends at the end of the day. The Magic 8-Ball says that they will not. A girl from Phoenix, Arizona named Samantha Stanky becomes a new student at the Springfield Elementary School. Milhouse falls in love with Samantha. When school is over, Milhouse brings Samantha to Bart's treehouse and kiss each other.

Milhouse does not spend time with Bart anymore. This makes Bart feel jealous and left out. Bart tells Samantha's father about her relationship. Samantha's father gets angry at her and puts her in a catholic school that is for girls. Bart starts to feel guilty when he sees that Milhouse is very sad, so he tells Milhouse that he told Samantha's father about the relationship. Milhouse gets very angry and fights Bart. When they calm down, they go to the school that Samantha has been put in. Samantha loves the new school, but she still loves Milhouse. She kisses Milhouse, knowing that she will get punished for doing so.

While this happens, Lisa thinks that Homer is too obese. Marge orders a cassette tape that will subliminally get Homer to lose weight. However, they are given a tape on how to have better vocabulary. Homer has been using more complex words, but he is also getting more weight. When Homer finds out that the tape is only making him more obese, he throws the tape away and no longer uses complex words.

Reception change

Colin Jacobson of DVD Movie Guide said that the episode is a "keeper". He says that the episode "gets into pre-teen emotions but never becomes sappy." He also says that the other story with Homer "provides terrific laughs as well."[4] Nate Meyers of Digitally Obsessed thought it was tough to see Milhouse in a relationship, but said "Still, the love triangle makes for some interesting drama".[5] Bill Gibron of DVD Verdict thought that the main story was "drawn out" but liked the story with Homer.[6] Nathan Ditum of Total Film and Colin Kennedy of Empire said that the episode's parody of Raiders of the Lost Ark is the best movie parody of the show.[7][8]

References change

  1. Groening, Matt (1997). Richmond, Ray; Coffman, Antonia (eds.). The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family (1st ed.). New York: HarperPerennial. p. 88. ISBN 978-0-06-095252-5. LCCN 98141857. OCLC 37796735. OL 433519M..
  2. 2.0 2.1 Martyn, Warren; Wood, Adrian (2000). "Bart's Friend Falls in Love". BBC. Archived from the original on November 12, 2012. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  3. "Simpsons keep the laughs coming". BBC News. January 20, 2004. Retrieved July 22, 2009.
  4. Jacobson, Colin (August 21, 2003). "The Simpsons: The Complete Third Season (1991)". DVD Movie Guide. Archived from the original on June 29, 2009. Retrieved June 6, 2009.
  5. Meyers, Nate (June 23, 2004). "The Simpsons: The Complete Third Season". Digitally Obsessed. Archived from the original on March 13, 2016. Retrieved June 6, 2009.
  6. Gibron, Bill (December 15, 2003). "The Simpsons: The Complete Third Season". DVD Verdict. Archived from the original on June 29, 2009. Retrieved June 6, 2009.
  7. Ditum, Nathan (June 6, 2009). "The 50 Greatest Simpsons Movie References". Total Film. Archived from the original on June 22, 2009. Retrieved July 22, 2009.
  8. Kennedy, Colin (September 2004). "The Ten Best Movie Gags In The Simpsons". Empire. p. 76.

Other websites change