Review: The Simpsons “Lisa the Boy Scout”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

When the Boy Explorers become coed, Bart and Lisa vow to “out scout” each other at the annual jamboree.

Our Take:

Lisa had gone through hell and back when she was assigned to jury duty in a flawed court system. This week’s episode has her participating as a boy scout with her brother, much to Bart’s dismay. The two siblings have butted heads against each other multiple times throughout the series, so there’s nothing unique that we haven’t seen before. Although, that doesn’t make the feud any less amusing.

However, this plot isn’t the only thing happening in the episode. “Lisa the Boy Scout” started things off with Bart being annoyed at Lisa joining the Boy Explorers despite not being a boy. But before things escalate, the episode gets hacked by a hacker duo, both of whom are named Ashley, threatening to show unseen footage of the series if Disney refuses to pay them the ransom. As they show off the footage, the hackers gradually fall in love with each other.

You read that right. The episode flipped itself on its head and provided a sketch-based plot involving the Simpsons and the other characters in bizarre situations. Some are parodies of specific movies, including 21 Jump Street and Field of Dreams, while a few display alternate sequences from the show’s classic episodes. This all happened while Bart and Lisa did something off-screen that resulted in them getting lost in the woods.

It’s an interesting twist that comically pokes fun at Mickey Mouse’s ever-growing kingdom, especially their acquisition of Fox. However, it risks disappointing viewers expecting a comedic and heartfelt sibling-focused episode. Even worse, none of them stand out as memorable or funny after the first couple of sketches. What seemed to be a brief gag that’s humorous at first is actually a drawn-out series of pop culture references that irritatingly overshadows a more exciting storyline.

“Lisa the Boy Scout” is not only frustratingly misleading regarding the plot and episode title, but it’s also a tiring fourth-wall-breaking joke that wore out its welcome after the first few minutes. It’s not without its decent guest stars, including Anna Faris, who’s no stranger to animation, in her performance as the female hacker. Unfortunately, they’re not enough to elevate the mediocre execution of its satire. It’s disheartening that this season started well with its first two episodes, only to decline tremendously with something as annoying as getting hacked by someone. Some of its skits are enjoyable, but the overall experience was one of the most disappointing things to happen to The Simpsons.