Bart's Comet vs. Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington

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Bart's Comet

After Bart sabotages Principal Skinner's weather balloon by adding a Skinner-shaped flag that reads "Hi, I'm Big Butt Skinner" to it, Skinner decides to punish him by having him help with his amateur astronomy, which he engages in at 4 AM before school starts. Skinner dreams of finding something in the sky and having it named after him. When the weather balloon drifts by the playground, Skinner runs off to catch it, leaving Bart unattended with the telescope. Bart accidentally locates a comet which is named after him, much to the consternation of Skinner, who loses both his chance at having a celestial body named after him, and the grip on the weather balloon, causing it to fly off again. Scientists soon discover that the comet is heading straight for Springfield. Professor Frink plans to launch a missile at the comet, dispelling everyone's fears (save only by Lisa, who knows that this plan can backfire, and Moe, because in any circumstance, his tavern will be destroyed anyway). However, the missile flies past the comet, instead blowing up the only bridge out of town, dooming the people.

After a Congressional bill to evacuate Springfield is defeated due to a congressman attaching a bill to help fund "the perverted arts" to the evacuation bill, Homer decides that they should stay in the bomb shelter that Ned Flanders built. Anticipating this, Ned had built it large enough for both families. One hour before Springfield is destroyed, the rest of the townspeople arrive, demanding a place in the bunker. Homer is unable to close the door and someone has to leave. Homer decides that the only thing the "world of the future" will not need is left-handed stores and tells Ned to go. Ned tells Rodd Flanders to shoot him if he tries to come back in before leaves the bomb shelter, Moe decided that they should play a barnyard noise guessing game to pass the time; however, it causes a huge argument.

Eventually, Homer feels guilty and leaves as well, followed by the other townspeople and they all converge on a hill with Ned to await death. As the comet enters the atmosphere, it burns up in the thick layer of pollution over Springfield, popping Skinner's weather balloon and destroying Ned's bunker on the way. The town decides to burn down the observatory to prevent a similar incident from ever happening again. The Simpsons, however, are more worried at the fact Homer correctly predicted the fate of the comet---that it would burn up and fall to earth as a rock no bigger than a Chihuahua's head (it even lands next to an actual Chihuahua for comparison).

Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington

Homer takes an interest in the Reading Digest magazine after a copy is sent to the Simpson family's residence. In the magazine, he notices an ad for a children's contest in which an essay must be written about what makes America great. Lisa chooses to enter, takes a trip to Springfield Forest, and is inspired to write her essay when she sees the forest's natural beauty and when a bald eagle lands right by the branch she is sitting under. Lisa's article is approved for entry in the national finals in Washington, D.C. after the contest judge observes Homer's poor vocabulary and realizes that he could not have written Lisa's essay for her.

While Bart and Homer abuse the all-expense-paid perks of their trip, Lisa visits famous monuments for inspiration. At one particular monument, she overhears a corrupt congressman, Bob Arnold, taking a bribe from a representative of a logging industry to demolish Springfield Forest. Heartbroken and disillusioned by the dishonesty of government officials, Lisa tears up her essay and writes a more painful yet truthful essay to show the patriotic judges. The new essay, entitled "Cesspool on the Potomac", disdains and condemns the government system of corruption and greed, and mentions the names of those involved in the bribery. Lisa's essay causes a ruckus and elicits a hostile reaction from the judges and audience. Messages are quickly sent around the capital regarding Lisa's speech and Arnold is arrested, expelled from his job, and sent to jail. Lisa's essay does not win because of its content, but with the news of the congressman arrested and having become a born-again Christian while in prison, her faith in government is restored, while the contest winner commends Lisa for her courage and honesty. The episode ends with Bart slingshotting the annoying pianist that performed at the contest and as Lisa berates him, Bart tells her that she was the one who inspired him to stand up for what he believes in.

[stip]

Bart's Comet has that amazing fallout shelter sequence, but Mr. Lisa is one of the first episodes to actually turn the show into pretty solid social satire.

'Senator, some little girl is losing faith in democracy!'


Not sure here.

[Simple Torture]

[tragabigzanda]

I'm also torn. I'll try to watch them both tonight or tomorrow.

[LoathedVermin72]

Comet is maybe a top 10 episode for me.

[tragabigzanda]

Watched these tonight. Bart's Comet is my easy favorite.

[tragabigzanda]

Oooof course I'm right! If I'm not, may we all be horribly crushed to death from above somehow.