The Simpsons Project #2

Simpsons Project: Case #2 (Season 1, Episode 2)
Bart the Genius
Original airdate: 1/14/90

Welcome back for another installment of The Simpsons Project. Today we take a look at the second episode of The Simpsons, “Bart the Genius”. Whereas “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire” provided a pretty-much perfect introduction to the family, “Bart the Genius” focuses on, you guessed it, Bart. Though this episode takes the first steps in establishing the Bart character as something more than the Devil’s cabana boy (as Lisa once termed him), it also gives us our first glimpse at the relationship between Bart and Homer.

We begin “Bart the Genius” with Bart and his school hood chums spray-painting an unflattering caricature of Principal Skinner on the wall of the school (I’m quite sure this marks the first appearances of Milhouse van Houten and Martin Prince, though they may have been background characters in the first episode). Martin, the school nerd, blows the whistle on Bart, but before he can be punished he is ushered off to class to take a scholastic aptitude test.

Edna Krabappel, Bart’s fourth grade teacher, begins her longstanding tradition of sarcastic comments and backhanded remarks in this episode, and she has the funniest lines in it. Bart, as would be expected, struggles with the exam, while Martin finishes early. Bart swaps his exam with Martin’s as revenge for telling on him earlier.

Bart has a “dream sequence” while taking the test in which he tries to visualize one of those train math problems (“one train leaves Phoenix at 6:15, the other leaves St. Louis at 7:45…”). In addition to being one of the off-beat animation sequences the early days of The Simpsons were loaded with, it does well to give us a look at Bart’s psyche. Bart does want to succeed, and he’s ashamed when he fails. As we see throughout the series, when Bart is properly motivated and puts in the effort, he can accomplish great things. While taking the test, he tries to figure out the problem, and is frustrated by how hopeless he is in solving it.

Bart is brought into Skinner’s office for the purpose of expelling him. Luckily for Bart, the school guidance counselor, Dr. Pryor, interrupts the meeting. Bart’s test scores have come in, and he’s a certified genius! Skinner wants Bart retested, but Pryor will have none of it. Arrangements are made to move Bart from Springfield Elementary to the Enriched Learning Center for Gifted Children.

Bart’s new school is one of those new-age institutions where students do as much work as they please, work on whatever assignments they want, and generally call the shots. At first, this method greatly pleases Bart, but he soon discovers that he can’t keep up. He’s soon exposed when the other students go into discussions about free will and start performing medical experiments on hamsters. Compounded with that, the other students take advantage of him for not being as smart as they are. Bart is soon miserable.

One of the interesting themes in this episode is the relationship between Bart and Homer. In the beginning, the family is playing Scrabble, and Bart creates his famous made-up word, Kwyjibo. Kwyjibo, of course, is defined as a balding North American ape, a clear knock at Homer. Homer is seen as constantly furious with Bart, while Bart holds no respect for his father. Throughout this episode, due to Bart’s intellectual misdiagnosis, we see a change in that relationship. Homer is courteous to Bart and shows him true affection. In a scene where the family attends the opera, Bart and Homer crack each other up by making continuous jokes about the performers and doing armpit farts. Later, they play catch together at twilight. At this point, 20 years later, we know there’s true affection and love between the two, but at this point in the series, we weren’t necessarily sure.

But all good things must come to an end. Bart is truly exposed when a chemical experiment goes awry and blows up the school. He returns to Springfield Elementary to explain himself, but rather than continue the lie, he admits the truth. Though he knows it may cause his relationship with Homer to revert back to “normal”, Bart is miserable in the new school and tired of living a lie. Homer reacts to the news with his usual good humor (the episode ends with him chasing a naked Bart with an axe), and things end the way they started.

This is a tremendous episode with a lot of funny lines and dialogue. Principal Skinner and Ms. Krabappel are both gold here, basically insulting Bart at every turn. The show really started firing on all cylinders right away, and it wouldn’t stop for roughly ten years. This is one of the best episodes of season 1.

A

“Now I don’t want you to worry, class. These tests will have no affect on your grades. They merely determine your future social status and financial success…if any.” – Ms. Krabbappel


John Lacey