{{For|the titular character|Allison Taylor (The Simpsons){{!}}Allison Taylor}} {{Use American English|date=January 2025}} {{Good article}} {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}} {{Infobox Simpsons episode | image = | caption = | season = 6 | episode = 2 | director = [[Mark Kirkland]] | writer = [[Mike Scully]] | production = 1F17 | airdate = {{Start date|1994|09|11}} | guests = * [[Winona Ryder]] as Allison Taylor | blackboard = "No one is interested in my underpants" (recycled from "[[So It's Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show]]")<ref name="book">{{cite book |last=Groening |first=Matt |authorlink=Matt Groening |editor1-first=Ray |editor1-last=Richmond |editor1-link=Ray Richmond |editor2-first=Antonia |editor2-last=Coffman |title=[[The Simpsons episode guides#The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family|The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family]] |edition=1st |year=1997 |location=New York |publisher=[[HarperPerennial]] |lccn=98141857 |ol=433519M |oclc=37796735 |isbn=978-0-06-095252-5 |page=[https://archive.org/details/simpsonscomplete00groe/page/150 150] |ref={{harvid|Richmond & Coffman|1997}} }}.</ref> | couch_gag = The Simpsons swim to the couch.<ref name="BBC">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season6/page2.shtml |title=Lisa's Rival |access-date=2008-03-27 |last1=Martyn |first1=Warren |author-link1=Gary Russell |last2 = Wood |first2=Adrian |author-link2=Gareth Roberts (writer) |year=2000 |publisher=[[BBC]]}}</ref> | commentary = [[Matt Groening]]<br />David Mirkin<br />Mike Scully<br />[[Dan Castellaneta]]<br />[[Yeardley Smith]]<br />Mark Kirkland | prev = [[Bart of Darkness]] | next = [[Another Simpsons Clip Show]] }}
"'''Lisa's Rival'''" is the second episode of the [[The Simpsons season 6|sixth season]] of the American animated television series ''[[The Simpsons]]''. It originally aired on [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] in the United States on September 11, 1994. [[Winona Ryder]] guest stars as [[List of recurring The Simpsons characters#Allison Taylor|Allison Taylor]], a new student at [[Springfield Elementary School]]. [[Lisa Simpson]] begins to feel threatened by Allison because she is smarter, younger, and a better [[saxophone]] player. The episode's subplot sees [[Homer Simpson|Homer]] steal a large pile of sugar from a crashed truck and sell it [[door-to-door]]. This episode was originally going to air as part of Season 5 but aired as a season six episode due to the [[1994 Northridge earthquake]].
The episode was written by [[Mike Scully]] and directed by [[Mark Kirkland]]. "Lisa's Rival" was the first episode written by Scully. The episode was originally pitched by former writer [[Conan O'Brien]], while the subplot was suggested by [[George Meyer]]. It features references to films such as ''[[The Fugitive (1993 film)|The Fugitive]]'' and ''[[Scarface (1983 film)|Scarface]]''. Production of the episode was affected by the [[1994 Northridge earthquake]].
==Plot== [[List of recurring The Simpsons characters#Allison Taylor|Allison Taylor]] joins the second-grade class at [[Springfield Elementary School|Springfield Elementary]]. Noticing she and Allison have many interests in common, [[Lisa Simpson|Lisa]] befriends Allison. However, Lisa discovers that Allison's academic and creative talents are superior to her own and begins to doubt herself. Lisa and Allison both audition for first chair in the [[school band]]. Lisa, overcome with jealousy, plays her [[saxophone]] so intensely she passes out. To Lisa's horror, Allison wins first chair.
Meanwhile, [[Homer Simpson|Homer]] finds an overturned sugar truck and steals large amounts of sugar. Homer hatches a scheme to get rich by selling sugar [[door-to-door]]. He keeps the sugar piled in his backyard, where he obsessively guards it. [[Marge Simpson|Marge]] grows annoyed by Homer's scheme and paranoia and tells him to get rid of the sugar pile at once. He refuses and accuses her of trying to sabotage his business prospects. Soon, the sugar attracts bees from a local [[apiary]]; two [[beekeeper]]s track the swarm to Homer's yard and offer to buy the bees back for $2,000. Before the transaction is completed, rain starts to fall, dissolving the sugar. The bees fly away, leaving Homer with no money and no sugar.
Like Lisa was before her, Allison is teased by students who mock her interests. Allison invites Lisa for a play date at her house, where Lisa's insecurity increases further due to Allison's cultured family and her vast number of academic awards. Prior to Springfield Elementary's annual [[diorama]] competition, [[Bart Simpson|Bart]] offers to help Lisa sabotage Allison's well-constructed entry. Bart distracts the teachers and other students, allowing Lisa to switch Allison's diorama of "[[The Tell-Tale Heart]]" with one featuring a cow's heart. When [[Principal Skinner]] discovers the cow's heart diorama, he humiliates Allison in front of the students and faculty. Overcome by guilt, Lisa retrieves Allison's real diorama from its hiding place under the floor. However, Skinner is unimpressed by both Allison and Lisa's entries and gives first prize to [[Ralph Wiggum|Ralph]]'s collection of ''[[Star Wars]]'' figurines. Lisa apologizes to Allison for sabotaging the contest; Allison forgives Lisa, and they become friends again. Ralph trips over his action figures, and Lisa and Allison invite him to play with them.
==Production== [[File:Mike Scully by Gage Skidmore 2.jpg|upright|thumb|left|This was the first episode to be written by [[Mike Scully]]. |alt=A man speaks into a microphone.]] Production of the episode was disrupted by the [[1994 Northridge earthquake]],<ref name=Kirkland>{{cite video |people=Kirkland, Mark |date=2005 |title=The Simpsons season 6 DVD commentary for the episode "Lisa's Rival" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> which also affected the previous episode "[[Bart of Darkness]]".<ref name=Darkness>{{cite video |people=Mirkin, David; Reardon, Jim |date=2004 |title=The Simpsons The Complete Sixth Season DVD commentary for the episode "[[Bart of Darkness]]" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> The [[Film Roman]] building used by the staff was so badly damaged it had to be condemned. They were relocated to a new building for a year, and much of the animation for the episode was done by people at their own homes.<ref name=Kirkland/> The day after the earthquake, the only ''[[The Simpsons]]'' staff members who turned up for work were [[Bill Oakley]] and [[Josh Weinstein]].<ref name=Mirkin>{{cite video |people=Mirkin, David |date=2005 |title=The Simpsons season 6 DVD commentary for the episode "Lisa's Rival" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> Overall production of ''The Simpsons'' was disrupted for six months,<ref name=Mirkin/> with a month of production time being lost.<ref name=Darkness/>
Although written by [[Mike Scully]], the episode's original concept was [[Pitch (filmmaking)|pitched]] by [[Conan O'Brien]] before he left the show.<ref name=Scully>{{cite video |people=Scully, Mike |date=2005 |title=The Simpsons season 6 DVD commentary for the episode "Lisa's Rival" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> O'Brien suggested having an episode about a rival for Lisa, but the rest of the episode's storyline was written by Scully and other staff members.<ref name=Mirkin/> It was the first episode Scully wrote for the show,<ref name=Scully/> and he would later become [[showrunner]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Gimple |first=Scott |title=[[The Simpsons Forever!: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family ...Continued]] |year=1999 |publisher=Harper Collins Publishers |isbn=0-06-098763-4}}</ref> [[Winona Ryder]] guest starred as Allison Taylor. She was a [[Fan (person)|fan]] of the show and was popular amongst the staff. [[David Mirkin]] recalled that more writers came to her recording session than any other.<ref name=Mirkin/> Her character's name was derived from the names of two of Scully's daughters, Allison and Taylor.<ref name=Scully/> The subplot was pitched by [[George Meyer]].<ref name=Mirkin/> Homer's sugar diatribe was pitched by Meyer off the top of his head and animated by [[David Silverman (animator)|David Silverman]], who specifically asked to animate the scene after listening to [[Dan Castellaneta]]'s performance.<ref name=Kirkland/><ref name=Mirkin/>
==Cultural references==
Marge is seen reading the maritime romance ''Love in the time of Scurvy'', the title of which plays on [[Gabriel Garcia Marquez]]'s ''[[Love in the Time of Cholera]].'' Milhouse's sub-story is a reference to ''[[The Fugitive (1993 film)|The Fugitive]]'' (1993). It is principally parodied in the scene where Milhouse is at the end of a dam drainpipe and dives into a waterfall when being held at gunpoint by an FBI agent resembling [[Tommy Lee Jones]], who uses the film's famous line "I don't care".<ref name="BBC" /> Homer's "In America" speech while guarding his sugar pile is a reference to [[Tony Montana]]'s speech in ''[[Scarface (1983 film)|Scarface]]'' (1983), and his line "Oh what a world!" when the sugar melts is from the [[Wicked Witch of the West]] in ''[[The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)|The Wizard of Oz]]'' (1939).<ref name="BBC" /> The speech patterns of the beekeeper voiced by [[Hank Azaria]] are based on [[Adam West]]'s portrayal of [[Batman]].<ref name="Mirkin" />
At Allison's house, the family plays a game of [[anagrams]], rearranging the letters in a person's name to make a description of that person. Allison's father gives her [[Alec Guinness]] and she comes up with "Genuine class". He gives Lisa [[Jeremy Irons]] and she comes up with "Jeremy's iron". Lisa imagines herself playing with "The Second Best Band in America", featuring the less-famous halves of pop music duos: [[Art Garfunkel]] of [[Simon & Garfunkel]], [[Jim Messina (musician)|Jim Messina]] of [[Loggins and Messina]] and [[John Oates]] of [[Hall & Oates]].<ref name="BBC" /> Allison's [[diorama]] is based on [[Edgar Allan Poe]]'s "[[The Tell-Tale Heart]]", and Lisa's hiding of it under the gym floorboards is a parody of Poe's tale. For her diorama, Lisa constructs "all 75 characters from ''[[Oliver Twist]]''.<ref name="BBC" /> Ralph's diorama contest entry is just original ''[[Star Wars]]'' action figures: his collection includes [[Luke Skywalker]], [[Obi-Wan Kenobi]], and [[Chewbacca]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nohomers.net/content/info/articles/11.shtml |title=I Bent My Wookiee! Celebrating the Star Wars/Simpsons Connection |access-date=2022-01-16 |date=2007-07-24 |first=Scott |last=Chernoff |publisher=No Homers Club |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110622034718/http://www.starwars.com/community/news/media/f20070724/index.html?page |archive-date=2011-06-22}}</ref>
==Reception== In its original American broadcast, "Lisa's Rival" finished tied for 23rd place (with ''[[Dateline NBC]]'') in the weekly ratings for the week of September 5 to September 11, 1994, with a [[Nielsen rating]] of 9.9. It was the second highest rated show on the [[Fox Network]] that week.<ref>{{cite news |title=Nielsen Ratings/Sept. 5-11 |date=1994-09-14 |page=D-6 |work=[[Press-Telegram]] |agency=Associated Press}}</ref>
In a 2008 article, ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' named [[Winona Ryder]]'s role as Allison Taylor as one of the sixteen best ''The Simpsons'' guest stars,<ref name="EW">{{cite magazine |title=16 great 'Simpsons' guest stars |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=2008-05-11 |url=https://ew.com/gallery/springfield-dreams-16-great-simpsons-guest-voices/ |access-date=2022-01-16}}</ref> while ''[[IGN]]'' placed her sixth on their list of the "Top 25 Simpsons Guest Stars". They also highlighted Ralph's "classic" lines: "I bent my [[Wookiee]]", and "My cat's breath smells like cat food".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/01/04/top-25-simpsons-guest-appearances |title=Top 25 Simpsons Guest Appearances |access-date=2022-01-16 |author1=Goldman, Eric |author2=Iverson, Dan |author3=Zoromski, Brian |work=[[IGN]]|date=4 January 2010 }}</ref>
[[Gary Russell]] and [[Gareth Roberts (writer)|Gareth Roberts]],<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://doctorwho.org.nz/archive/tsv51/garyrussell.html|title=Gary Russell: From Peladon to Placebos|author=Preddle, Jon|date=June 1997|magazine=Time Space Visualiser|issue=51|access-date=20 August 2020|publisher=The New Zealand Doctor Who Fan Club|quote=I've just done my first non-fiction book, Oh No It's A Completely Unofficial Simpsons Guide for Virgin, co-authored with Gareth Roberts which has, to be frank, been more of a nightmare than it needed to be [the book was published as I Can't Believe It's An Unofficial Simpsons Guide, with Gary and Gareth writing under the pseudonyms Warren Martyn & Adrian Wood].}}</ref> the authors of the book ''I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide'', stated: "Despite being a Lisa show, it is poor Ralph Wiggum who steals the show with three great irrelevant replies, especially those concerning his cat's breath." They also highlighted "great scenes between the Simpson siblings, especially Bart's idea to conquer Allison using a hose pipe".<ref name="BBC"/>
==References== {{Reflist|2}}
==External links== {{wikiquote|The_Simpsons/Season_6#Lisa.27s_Rival|"Lisa's Rival"}} {{Portal|The Simpsons}} *{{snpp capsule|1F17}} *{{IMDb episode|id=0701162}}
{{The Simpsons episodes|6}}
[[Category:The Simpsons season 6 episodes]] [[Category:1994 American television episodes]] [[Category:Fiction about rivalry]] [[Category:Television episodes written by Mike Scully]] [[Category:Television episodes directed by Mark Kirkland]]