The Girl on the Bus
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| "The Girl on the Bus" | |
|---|---|
| The Simpsons episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 30 Episode 12 |
| Directed by | Chris Clements |
| Written by | Joel H. Cohen |
| Production code | YABF04 |
| Original air date | January 13, 2019 |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
| Episode features | |
| Couch gag | Thanos sits on the couch and uses the Infinity Gauntlet to disintegrate all of the Simpsons except Maggie. |
"The Girl on the Bus" is the twelfth episode of the thirtieth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 651st episode overall. The episode was directed by Chris Clements and written by Joel H. Cohen. It aired in the United States on Fox on January 13, 2019.
In this episode, Lisa befriends a girl she sees from the school bus but lies about her parents when she meets the girl's sophisticated parents. Patti LuPone guest starred as Cheryl Monroe. The episode received negative reviews.
Channel 6 news opens up with the city's history of the founding and development of Springfield, which leads to the run down school bus Lisa and Bart ride to school every day. On the bus, Lisa wishes she had a close friend, then notices a girl sitting on her front porch playing a clarinet. The next day, Lisa asks Otto Mann to stop the bus, and he drops her off. Exploring the Springfield Heights neighborhood, she finds the girl's house and notices her crying through a window. Lisa introduces herself to the girl, whose name is Sam, and finds that they have much in common.
Sam's parents invite Lisa over to dinner, then ask her about her family. Wanting to not reveal her embarrassing family, Lisa lies about them, saying that Homer is a sculptor, Marge is a chemist, Maggie is a precocious professor, and Bart does not exist. Sam's parents want to meet Lisa's parents, but then reveal that they are moving. When Sam's father drops Lisa off, she tells Ned Flanders to pretend that he is her dad. Eventually, Sam's family announces they are not moving, so Lisa then lies that her parents are going to Lithuania, not wanting her lies to be exposed. She then begins a short double life with Sam's family and her own. After a while, Marge catches her. Marge forces Lisa to invite Sam's family over to dinner and tells Homer to be on his best behavior.
At the dinner table, Homer uses the lines Marge gave him to talk, but then when Sam's father asks Homer about his life, Lisa finally admits she lied about her family. Sam's father admits to lying as well; he previously stated that he was from Nigeria, but he is actually from Cameroon. Noticing the sudden awkwardness, Bart invites everyone to hang out in his redecorated room, which he worked on secretly while everyone was focused on Lisa, who is ecstatic to have her story have a happy ending.
Over time, Bart's room becomes a hit, and he invites everyone to his room to use as a hang-out except his own parents, who are worried the situation is getting out of hand. Bart's appointed bouncer Nelson Muntz does let in Marge, who promises Homer she will talk to Bart.
Production
In July 2018 at San Diego Comic-Con, the producers announced that Patti LuPone would guest star as Sam's mother.[1][2]
Cultural references
Homer texts Lisa the internet meme of himself backing into a bush. The meme originated from the season 5 episode "Homer Loves Flanders".[3][4][5]
