Lisa the Greek utilizes one of the methods that made the early Simpson's episodes so great, the use of one "main"subject to help relay the "real" objective of the story. For an episode about football Lisa The Greek couldn't have any less to do with it. Football is just used as a set piece to help portray a struggling relationship between a father and his daughter.
Lisa the Greek does fund itself in the underrated column that is for sure, since it usually compared with the classics Lisa's Pony and Lisa's Sub since they are all Lisa/Homer bonding stories. While not as good as those episodes Lisa the Greek succeeds in an area where the other two don't quite manage to do as well, and that is to truly develop the relationship between Homer and Lisa. While Lisa's Sub is only focused on their relationship for the second act on and Lisa's Pony is really only a conflict for one character , while this episode is truly a Homer/Lisa relationship episode.
We are able to peer into a realistic human relationship, where sometimes greed overtakes what really is important. We see Homer sharing in these "heartwarming" moments with Lisa, but it is only because he knows that if he keeps her happy she will keep on winning him money through football bets. Lisa doesn't realize this of course until a truly heart breaking scene in the Simpson's kitchen when she finds out that their "Daddy-Daughter day" was nothing , but an excuse Homer used to get her to watch football with him so he could win money and not because he liked spending time with her.(If you don't tear up a little in that scene I highly doubt you have a soul). Even after this scene we still see Homer try to suck information out of her for Superbowl Sunday We only see Homer change his ways when Lisa gives him the ultimate bet, if the Redskins win she still loves him, but if Buffalo wins she does not. Cliche and cheesy I know , but the Simpson's were able to pull it of without it feeling forced or contrived. Of course the Redskins win and Homer realizes the error of his ways. The next weekend on "Daddy-Daughter day" Homer takes Lisa on a hike and it is truly a heart warming moment.
The subplot of this story also deals with another family relationship and that is the one between Marge and Bart. The subplot is less emotional and deals with more of the humorous side of a family relationship. Since Homer and Lisa start spending their Sundays together Marge decides to take Bart out to buy him new clothes. The only problem is the clothes Marge picks out for Bart are very dorky and he doesn't like them, but she gets them for him anyway and shouts down his complaints. A definite case of "it's funny because its true".
For an episode based mostly on the emotional side of things it is defiantly not short on humor. Many of the best jokes come from satirizing football and the gambling world that surrounds it. From the betting commentators(The shoe in of the week, the lock of the week and the Gamble. If you're right 52% of the time, you're wrong 42% of the time), the betting phone line(which speaks at about ten words a minute and just spews off random facts never telling you who to really pick) and just how Homer doesn't understand they are just there to suck his money away. Lisa telling her class about how the Saints kicked a meaningless field goal to cover the spread was simply hilarious and so were the scenes with her watching football with Homer. This episode also contained one of my favorite "crowd" jokes, when Bart is in Wee Monsieur and everyone is laughing you here the one guy yell "look at that stupid kid".
This one only had one media reference that I picked up on(besides the obvious ones to the Bud Bowl and the Odd Couple) and that is when Homer goes into Moe's Tavern after he keeps winning bets and says to Moe " I used to hate the smell of your sweaty feet. Now it's the smell of victory" which is play on a line of dialogue form Apocalypse Now. So this episode wasn't packed with references, but it was a pretty memorable reference.
The only problem I really have with this episode is the couch scene with Homer and Lisa at the beginning. Lisa just wants to spend time with Homer but he doesn't care so he just keeps telling her to move further and further away from him on the couch. It is defiantly unsettling to say the least.
Also why does Herman have a pool cue in Moe's Tavern? He only has one arm, how does he shoot pool?
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