Last Tap Dance in Springfield Written by Julie Thacker Directed by Nancy Kruse ============================================================================== Production code: BABF15 Original Airdate on FOX: 7-May-2000 Capsule revision A (17-Feb-2001) ============================================================================== > "TV Guide" Synopsis {bg} ============================================================================== [TV Guide] Lisa struggles in a tap-dance class taught by a former child star; Bart and Milhouse ditch camp to spend a week creating havoc in the mall. Yeardley Smith, Tress MacNeille. [Kyle M. McCowin notes the show was rated TV-PG] [TV Guide advertisement] Fox Sunday: Homer Gets Laser-Eye Surgery! (Homer:) Ahhh!!!! Stop! It burns ... it burns! (Lady Technician:) Uhhh, sir. We haven't started yet. ============================================================================== > Title sequence ============================================================================== Blackboard: I WILL NOT DANCE ON / ANYONE'S GRAVE I WILL NOT DANC at cutoff Couch: Wearing "Tarzan"-style jungle costumes, the family swings into the living room on vines. They land on the couch, with Maggie landing on Marge's lap. Homer swings past the couch and crashes offscreen. ============================================================================== > Did You Notice... ============================================================================== ... the obviously phony cat arms in the Lil' Vicki film? Matthew Anscher: ... the only male at the screening of "El Tango del Muerte" was Bumblebee man? ... the "Mexican Milhouse" sounds exactly like Kirk van Houten? ... the chocolate gold makes the "clink" sound of regular coin money? Don Del Grande: ... the blackboard quote was appropriate for the episode? ... the scene of Homer having one eye much larger than the other that were in the commercials were not in the show? ... the eye store was called "Eye Caramba", not (the incorrect) "Eye Carumba"? ... when Bart counts down on his fingers, his vocal count is always one more than his finger count? ... only kids Lisa knows are in the tap dancing class? ... "Vitamin Barn" has its own postcards? ... there are no Starbucks in the mall? ... when Sherri/Terri gets dimples, she looks like Moe? ... Lisa didn't realize at first that even if the shoes were in the "off" position, they started dancing by themselves? Joe Green: ... Apu and Manjula take square dancing lessons? ... Stan plays a "Morg" keyboard? [See "Comments" section for more -- Ed.] ... the Tam O'Shanter Collection? ... the dancers' astronaut costumes are adorned with the U.S. Air Force symbol? K Hideky: ... the satire of Anime action scenes when the lion jumps at Milhouse and Bart throws the yarn? Darrel Jones: ... Lisabella's voice appears to be Yardley Smith, who also voices Lisa? Joe Klemm: ... Miss Hoover and Mrs. Krabappel behind Marge and Lisa at the tango film? ... Vicki believes Ralph has major talent in tap dancing (why else would he be the star of the recital)? Andrew Levine: ... although "Tango de la Muerte" seems to be a foreign film, the characters speak undubbed English? Travis D. McLemore, Jr.: ... Selma was also in line [at the tango movie]? Benjamin Robinson: ... some of the characters' lips seemed animated differently? (See "Personal Comments & Observations" for more) ... Snowball I's passage appears to have saddened Bart as well as Lisa? ... while Lisa's friends Janey and Alison were both part of the tap class, they don't provide Lisa with much support? ... Ralph is such a good tap dancer that he was the star of the show? ============================================================================== > Voice Credits ============================================================================== - Starring - Dan Castellaneta (Homer, Caller [?], Stan [?], Man) - Julie Kavner (Marge) - Nancy Cartwright (Bart, Kearney, Nelson, Ralph) - Yeardley Smith (Lisa, Lisabella) - Hank Azaria (Cyborganizer, Small Robot, Dancer, Coach [?], Mexican Milhouse, Chief Wiggum, Lou, Frink) - Harry Shearer (Announcer, Cop, Skinner, Mall Announcer, Mall Guard [?]) - Also Starring - Pamela Hayden (Standard Milhouse) - Tress MacNeille (Optometrist, Vicki, Agnes) - Karl Wiedergott (Mall Guy) ============================================================================== > Movie (and other) references ============================================================================== + "Last Tango in Paris" (movie) - title of episode similar - ["And if Lisa had gotten tango lessons like she wanted, the title could have been even more similar," says {bjr}] + "RoboCop" (movie) - Cyborganizer a spoof + Brookstone's (gadget store chain) {sm} - Hailstone's a spoof + "¡Ay Caramba!" (Bart's catchphrase) {bjr} - eyeglass shop called "Eye Caramba" + Tommy Hilfinger (fashion designer) - camping supply store called Tommy Hilclimber + "The Blair Witch Project" (movie) {jk} - repellant Marge buys for Bart [See "Comments" section for more -- Ed.] - "The Cutting Edge" (movie) - "Tango de la Muerte" similar to the potentially dangerous, untested "Pamchenko" ice-skating routine, which the male and female hero execute perfectly in the finale, and which also included something like the "airplane-ride" bit + Shirley Temple (actress) - Lil' Vicki Valentine based on her [See "Comments" for more -- Ed.] - Little Vickie Valentine was popular around the same time {dj} - danced in movies as a "childhood sweetheart" {dj} - "Little Vickie", like Shirley Temple but unlike most child stars, is still around as on old lady {dj} ~ "Hey Arnold!" (TV series) - Vicki's use of "Ever so" is like Lila - one of the movies she was in was "Little Vicki vs. Big Rhonda" + Korg (brand of synthesizer) + Moog Music (brand of synthesizer) - man at the organ store plays a "Morg" synthesizer, which is a synthesis of these two names [See "Comments" section for more -- Ed.] - "Dawn of the Dead" (movie) {sb} - the old folks clawing zombie-like to get into the shopping mall ~ "Dancing Queen" by Abba (song) {jg2} - Homer calls Lisa "Daddy's dancing queen" + "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm" (movie) {al} - an African-American servant (Bill "Bojangles" Robinson) teaches Shirley Temple's depressed character how to tap-dance in this 1938 film, much like the film Lisa watches ~ "Saturday Night Live" (TV series) {ddg} - they did a Shirley Temple spoof where she was grown up and in Africa, and it included sending Morse code by tap dancing + "The Road Runner" (cartoon shorts) - someone uses Acme brand traps [Ask for them by name! -- Ed.] + "Shake Your Groove Thing" (song) {jk} - Prof. Fink's comment about the dancing can - [{al} notes the song is by Peaches & Herb -- Ed.] + Radio Shack (electronics store chain) {ddg} - Radio Hut - "Good Ship Lollipop" (song) - updated here to "Spaceship Lollipop" - [{ma} points out that the song is from the 1934 movie "Bright Eyes" -- Ed.] - "The Red Shoes" {jk} - final minutes similar to plot (a pair of shoes causes the wearer to continuously dance at an uncontrolled rate). ============================================================================== > Previous episode references ============================================================================== - [7G08] A Simpson undergoes laser surgery at the mall {jg2} - [7F22] Tam O'Shanter Connection seen {bjr} - [8F24] Kids go to camp {bjr} - [9F04] Shirley Black referenced {dj} - [9F08] Homer says, "I like those odds!" (cf. Chief Wiggum) {ddg} - [1F04] Milhouse (cf. Bart) uses Three Stooges noises to express fear {jg2} - [2F14] A Simpson takes dancing lessons {ma} - [3F02] Milhouse's grandmother referenced {dj} - [4F17] Someone given "Lil'" title {bjr} - [5F03] Bart considered husky {bjr} - [5F20] Alex Whitney is in Lisa's dance class {jg2} - [5F21], [AABF18] Prof. Frink has a significant scene {pm} - [5F23] Last appearance of Baby Gerald (not sure on this) {dj} - [AABF17] Another good-sized part for Frink {al} - [BABF11] Yay! A significant non-Lisa role for Yeardley Smith {bjr} ============================================================================== > Freeze frame fun ============================================================================== - Poster on "The Cyborganizer" set {bjr} DETOX [something ] [I couldn't] [model] [make out ] Great Looks FOR NOW - Movie poster {bjr} TANGO DE LA MUERTE - And in line for that movie (front to rear) {bjr} Luanne [what is her last name now?], Edna Krabappel, Patty and Selma Bouvier - In the theater {bjr} Bumblebee Man and his wife, Mrs. Lovejoy - Sign for movie's dance contest {bjr} TONIGHT: CONTESTO DE LA DANCE TOMORROW: ¡REVOLUCION! - Sign at the dance studio {bjr} [animatronic] Lil' Vicki [Lil' Vicki ] Valentine's School of Dance - Lil' Vicky posters {bjr} LITTLE LITTLE VICKI HELL VICKI VS. HATH NO FOR BIG RHONDA LITTLE VICKI PRESIDENT [Vicki in a] [Vicki boxing] [Vicki shooting] [patriotic ] [bigger girl ] [from Allied ] [dress ] [bomber ] - Camp bus sign {bjr} CAMP FRANKS'N'PRANKS - The List -- (Partial List of) Stores in the Mall {ddg} - Hailstone's, Eye Caramba, Ice Cream Cones(?), Tommy Hillclimber, Giftland, Electronics, Yogurt Time, Sports, Stan's Keyboards, Love Your Computer {bjr}, Hobbies, Fancy Lingerie, Bookstore, Insurance, The Tam O'Shanter Collection, (someone's) Frozen Jelly(?), Leftorium, Prints, Nick's Nax, Martial Arts, Party Harties, Beauty Supply, Sweats, Radio Hut, Frame Anything, Maternity Shop, Origami Designs ============================================================================== > Animation, continuity, and other goofs ============================================================================== * Shouldn't Lisa already be familiar with (and maybe even disdainful of) the "plain girl becomes pretty girl" movie cliché? [Maybe not. See "Comments" section for more -- Ed.] {bjr} * How come the "Tango de la Muerte" dialogue was in English? {jg2} = When Dolph, Kearney, and Jimbo are in the car with Homer, Jimbo's stocking cap is yellow instead of its usual purple? {djm} + How can Lisa be a bad dancer if dancing was part of the beauty pageant in 9F02? {jk} * Bart is going on a one-week summer camping trip -- over President's Day weekend in February. {al} = Milhouse wasn't wearing shoes when he started running from the tiger, but had them while he was running. {ddg} - The Leftorium is first to the right of "Prints", but then it's to the right of "Beauty Supply". {ddg} - The Leftorium is usually on the second floor, but in some shots, it is on the first floor. {js} * Frink gave Lisa only one shoe controller, yet both her shoes respond to ambient sound. {bjr} * Somehow, the automatic shoes knew the choreography of the routine. {ddg} * Okay, Frink invented automatic dancing shoes. Even if we accept that, though, wouldn't they only affect Lisa's FEET? They wouldn't allow her to do full-body moves like that slide, and it wouldn't really have been THAT hard to stop dancing: just sit down. I guess Lisa didn't have time to think of that. {nd} * Lisa's shoes kept going even after everybody had stopped clapping and the theater was pretty much empty. {ddg} ============================================================================== > Reviews ============================================================================== Wilson Banswell: After a season of (mostly) crap, this was, err less crap. I loved Ralph as a tap prodigy, the shoes not being on, etc, it was all great! I loved the stupid, but not insane, screaming "Jerkass Homer!". I don't remember a good episode this year with as less Homer as this. And I also liked Lisa as an average eight year old. I mean come on people she hasn't quite been acting like one the last few seasons! And the tango movie was superb! I'm still laughing after seeing the Hispanic Milhouse. The one thing I disliked was the mountain tiger sequence, but besides that, everything thing else was good. (A) Nate Birch: I wasn't looking forward to this episode much, what with Swatzwelder's bad showing last week, and Julie Thacker's previously crappy episode, but I must say I was pleasantly surprised. This episode actually had a cohesive plot, which included the first decent subplot we've seen in a while, as well as characters that actually behaved like real people. The episode was very funny as well, with some great gags we've never seen before (tons of great Millhouse stuff). On top of that this episode made better use of the cast than usual, as a number of characters that we haven't seen much of lately god major parts (Wiggum and Frink). Finally there wasn't even much jerkass Homer or annoying wackiness, damn good episode! (A) Nathan DeHoff: Overall, I thought this was pretty good, as far as recent episodes go. Aside from the automatic shoe thing, the tap-dance plot was developed well, and the subplot with Bart and Milhouse in the mall provided some good gags. All three media parodies ("Tango del Muerte," Cyborganizer, and the Little Vicky movie with the dancing cat) were quite amusing. I definitely could have done without Homer's eyes crusting over, though, and, thanks to the commercials, I saw this unpleasant bit approximately five times during the night. I'd say this episode is worth a (B-) Curtis Gibby: Kudos to Julie Thacker for crafting an episode that had me laughing out loud a number of times. The writing was original, and most of the show was a delight to watch. The "Looney Tunes" lion scene in the mall was pretty lame, but other than that, I would rate "Last Tap Dance in Springfield" as very good. (A-) Joe Green: Better than "Kill the Alligator and Run", but that's not saying much. Despite some funny bits (specifically, Wiggum evoking Wile E. Coyote), this episode consisted of three totally different subplots, only one of which went anywhere. (C-) K. Hideky: I too thought this episode was hi-larious. It had some of the best situation jokes and one liners of the season. "I think my biggest mistake was to go for the cheese." "You are now carrying my child." "But how is this possible?" "It is just one of the mysteries of the Tango de la Muerte!" Since I base the rating of this comedy cartoon by how much it made me laugh, I give it an A+. Excellent all around except not enough done with Homer's laser eye surgery ... but perhaps it's for the best. How many times can we replay the old James Bond and the laser gag? (A+) Carl Johnson: Julie Thacker presents a nice bundle of well-phrased satire in this sitcom's obligatory dance episode, but unfortunately, the story structure is severely lacking, and the first act is downright gruesome. Still some pretty good scenes involving Chief Wiggum and John Frink, and a nicely executed third act. (C) Darrel Jones: About par for the course for Season Eleven, but that's a good thing. This time, the best gags included the "retooling" of the Cyborganizer and the scenes with Bart and Milhouse in the mall. As always, Ralph was good for a few laughs. And the Little Vicki movie, along with the "old Broadway-style" ending and closing credits, were excellent. (B) Andrew Levine: Like "They Saved Lisa's Brain" and "Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder," BABF17 is a lousy episode disguised as a neo-classic, using the formula of giving ATSers what they keep saying they want (more Lisa, less Jerkass Homer, Baby Gerald, etc.) to hide the fact that the writing is lazy and the script is a schizophrenic hydra spliced together by committee writers. Vicki is inconsistent and unlikable and the plot follows the road most traveled by. "Tap Dance" reminded me of that old Alaska Airlines commercial where cheerful stewardesses on a competitor's airline serve hungry passengers a measly bag of peanuts surrounded by plastic garnish. Bon appetit, my fellow Lisa lovers. (C-) Michael Nusair: Wow. After what was definitely the worst episode of the season, and probably ever, comes the best (of the season, *not* ever). Almost all of the jokes worked for me. While at first I thought Homer's whole 'eye-crusting' thing was stupid, I thought the punchline was pretty funny (Kearny tricking Homer into buying him Booze and Cigarettes). Also, the foreign movie was pretty good ("I think your father is watching you right now"), and of course, so was Professor Frink. Overall, not a classic, but a very solid episode - especially compared to last week's crap-o-rama. (A) Matt Rose: An incredibly refreshing and surprising episode. No overhyped appearances by lousy flash-in-the-pan pop singers, no jockey-elf trolls, no mysterious plot twists, no stupid Homercentric antics. A sweet ending that didn't leave you scratching your head. Good one-liners. EXCELLENT characterization of Lisa; good with the rest of the family. Lots of Professor Frink (still perhaps the funniest minor supporting character). The whole bit with the shoes was a bit strange and wacky, but it was a lot more convincing than most of the far-fetched stuff we've seen this year. Last week I was convinced the Simpsons were dead with no chance for revival. It might not be the case if the writers would produce more episodes like this. A real diamond in the rough that really felt good to watch after three mostly unwatchable seasons. (A) Eric Sansoni: One of the funniest episodes of the season, this also restores some humanity to the increasingly all-too-cartoonish cartoon family. The eye-crusting "sight gag" is the only indicator of recent excesses. Lisa's desire to dance is convincingly developed, and provides the center of realism needed to bounce good jokes off of. There are many, including a great parody of dance films and their "sexual energy," good moments with Chief Wiggum, Ralph, and Frink, and a hilarious bit with a cat from old kiddie films. Miss Vicky is one of the most intriguing satirical characters in a while, and provides at least one classic line. The ending, too, in the way it kids the cliches usually found in a story like this, is in fine Simpsons form. (B+) Jessy Scholl: What in the world was that carnage that flew across the screen tonight? Ok, so it wasn't that bad, but I seriously think that the main plot, with Lisa dancing, was weak. The things that I found funny with this episode was Homer getting Laser Eye surgery after trying on 46 odd pairs of glasses, and then running Dolph and his friends around town. I also liked the Bart plot in which he and Millhouse spend a week in the Mall. (This should be the main plot.) The only thing that I like about Lisa tap dancing was the last scene where she steals the show. Mike, here is some advice. This episode would have made a good movie. (C-) Fox Wolf: Good by means of humor, but in the wackiness department ... well, you know. Self-Tapping shoes? That was a little ... off. Well, Professor Frink, who knows what he can do, but I can't really let it slide that way. So, the final grade suffers for that. But anyway, I liked the first act, just not Homer's eyes crusting over. The subplot was good, and revealed even more stupidity of Chief Wiggum's. The main plot was good, and had some very good Ralph lines in it, too. But I really can't let the shoes just pass by. [It's gotta be the shoes! -- Ed.] (B) Yours Truly: I'd call this episode "ever so average" if that didn't sound ever so ridiculous. Both major plots -- Lisa is inspired to take dancing lessons, which don't work out, while Bart and Milhouse "camp" at the mall -- are solid. Some of the jokes, like the one with the mountain lion, are great. Too many of the rest are flat, though, as if the writers didn't bother to look past the most obvious humor idea. We've also seen the archetype of the overly-demanding teacher before. "Last Tap Dance" isn't bad, but lacks the zing to be the terrific episode I was hoping it would be. (C+) AVERAGE GRADE: B+ (3.32) Std Dev.: 0.8373 (27 reviews computed) ============================================================================== > Comments and other observations ============================================================================== >> Meta-reference corner Someone known only as "tw9jd5" observes: When part is laying down on the floor at the mall and begins his countdown to his tantrum, he holds his hand open and starts with 5, then 4, 3 etc. Bart and everybody else only have 4 fingers per hand. If he had gotten down to 1, he would not have any fingers left. A little odd I thought. >> Musical Reference Joe Green: Professor Frink quotes Carl Douglas' "Kung Fu Fighting" while backstage with Lisa. >> "My gosh, she's beautiful" Jojo Macross writes: I do agree that the way she got into it [dancing] was contrived, though. Smart, perceptive Lisa taken in by a stupid B-movie. Seth Miller responds: I knew someone was gonna bitch about this so I was prepared to swoop in with a response immediately. You can't have it both ways, either she is going to explain a joke (there's no cane in "Citizen Kane") or she is going to miss it (else she would have said "this is so trite, we all know she's going to turn out to be beautiful".) If you'd prefer, they can write her out of the series so her perceptiveness won't ruin jokes and her occasional gullibility won't be out of character. Jojo Macross, again: No, I don't prefer that they write her out of the series. But surely there can be a different setup to her getting into dancing than like this. For someone who is unfamiliar to the show, this is funny, but for someone who has seen Lisa criticize so many similar movies and situations ... it's not as funny. Jesus Zimman: Lisa's character is deeper than that. She's extremely intelligent, yes, but she's also an 8 year old girl and she's affected by the fantasy of being swept off her feet like most young girls are. She wants to be intelligent and beautiful and have someone appreciate her for all of that but thinks it will never happen because one has to be a buxom idiot to "snag a man." This gives her hope otherwise. Even the most intellectual of us are sometimes susceptible to socialization; especially intelligent children. Jeremey Vitrano: Agreed. I think that it is not out of character for an 8- year- old girl to get caught up in fantasy every now and then and be a little dreamy. She was much more like this in the early episodes. Back then, she was just a smart little girl rather than a smart little girl who points out everything that's wrong. Heather Garvey adds a personal note: I was a smart, saxophone-playing girl as a child, too. That doesn't mean we can't appreciate learning something new, or get excited over seeing someone else do something new and beautiful. Hell, I still wish I could figure-skate like a pro. And I *did* go out for lessons once and did about as badly as Lisa did. (Ow! Shin splints!) Does that mean I suddenly turned into a gullible sucker because Paul Wylie skating to "Carmina Burana" inspired me to give it a try? Don't think so. >> On the spaceship lollipop ... Benjamin Robinson: Lisa's dance teacher, "Lil'" Vicky Valentine, was based on the real- life child actress Shirley Temple. Ms. Temple was to the 30s what the Olsen twins were to the 90s -- a cute little moppet with broad audience appeal -- except Temple had much greater critical acclaim. Her movies were mainly just excuses for her to look adorable and show off her talent for song-and-dance numbers. The upbeat fare was just what the doctor ordered for Depression-era audiences who needed a break from the bread lines, and Temple became a huge star. Her career faded out at about the time the Depression did. By then, she was growing into a teenager (and even had a screen kiss), which is kind of a career-limiting move when you're a child star. Ms. Temple did better for herself than Vicki Valentine, though. A friend from her Hollywood days, President Ronald Reagan, named her ambassador to the UN. This brings up another interesting parallel. Ms. Valentine takes a quick time-out to rail against the Communists. Since Shirley Temple (now named Shirley Temple-Black) was appointed by the decidedly anti- Communist Reagan, it's safe to assume she had the same "better dead than Red" philosophy. Tom Restivo adds: [At the time this episode originally aired] Shirley just celebrated her 72nd birthday. If Miss Vicky is about the same age, it's a credit to her stamina (any Real Life dancers who were still hoofing at 70- plus?) Shirley and Bill "Bojangles" Robinson danced together in "The Littlest Rebel", "The Littlest Colonel" (both 1935), and "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm" (1938). They became the first interracial dancing team in cinema history. >> Val Kilmer, ¡Si! Yoko Ono, ¡No! Benjamin Robinson explains: Val Kilmer is an actor who (among other things) starred as Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone's "The Doors." Homer apparently has the impression he was an actual band member. Yoko Ono was John Lennon's second wife (and Sean Lennon's mother). Her persona was very similar to Barney's girlfriend's in "Homer's Barbershop Quartet (9F21)." John liked to bring her around to Beatles' recording sessions, and her presence there tended to disrupt the band. Today, many Beatles fans blame her for instigating or at least accelerating the group's breakup. In the aftermath, she and John formed the Plastic Ono Band. It's kind of funny that Homer blames her for that band's demise, as well. >> Yeah, but what I want is "Blair Witch" parody repellant Joe Klemm tells us why Blair Witch repellant is a handy thing to have: The Blair Witch Project is a low budget horror film that was big at Sundance and the summer movie race last year. Recorded on a video camera and a black and white DAT camera, the film is about three filmmakers who are making a documentary about the Blair Witch, a mythical being living in Maryland. Unfortunately, they get lost in the woods and eventually disappear, very likely the Blair Witch's latest victims. Thus, the footage they shot while in the woods shows the last days of the filmmakers before their disappearance. Buying Blair Witch repellant for Bart is a wise idea, considering that many of the Blair Witch incidents, according to the legend, involved children, including one where a 1940's hermit was told by the Blair Witch to kill some children in a strange fashion (killing one kid while having another stand in the corner), which explains the shot of one of the filmmakers standing in the corner at the end of the film. >> Morg synthesizers Carl Johnson writes about the inspirations for the name: When Bart and Milhouse first enter the mall, they mention how lucky they are not to have to listen to cheesy camp songs. The irony here is that the pass a music store wherein a man is singing a cheesy camp song. But notice the keyboard the man is playing. It reads "Morg". Morg is not a real keyboard company. If you're relatively familiar with synthesizers, you probably know that there is a company called "Korg", which is one of the most popular brands out there. But the "M" in this Springfieldian company is most likely derived from Bob Moog, considered by many to be the inventor of the synthesizer. (Don Buchla might also get that credit, but his synthesizer wasn't marketable.) Moog's company, R. A. Moog, Inc., and later, Moog Music, produced some of the first marketable synths. Moog Music eventually went the way of the early personal computer companies, and was never as successful as large companies such as Yamaha and Korg. I'm surprised the writers know of this Mr. Moog, as nobody I know has heard of him, and I didn't hear of him until I read a book about synthesizers which could only be obtained through Amazon.com because none of the bookstores around here carried it. I think Moog is one of those men who will be lost in history, and I'm glad the Simpsons were able to reference this man's fine work before it dissolved into the sludge of history. Daniel McConnell adds: I've known about Bob Moog for years, and so have many of my musician colleagues - I don't think he's nearly as obscure as you portray him. Many bands used Moogs and mini-Moogs, and some still do (e.g. Beck, Radiohead(?), Rush, maybe Flaming Lips). >> If they had two holidays, they could have two sales Benjamin Robinson explains: Presidents' Day was created when Congress decided that giving both Washington's *and* Lincoln's birthdays off was one holiday too many. It falls on a Monday in mid-to-late February. Presidents' Day is most often used as an excuse for store sales, which explains why the mall's manager was reluctant to close. >> Mall Walkers Benjamin Robinson: "Mall walking" has become a popular exercise program for America's senior citizens. Malls present an ideal environment for a low- impact walking program: They're air-conditioned, free of automobile traffic, (relatively) free of street crime, and are on nice level ground. Some mall owners have even taken the step of opening the mall early, before the stores open and shoppers arrive, so the mall walkers can wander around without getting jostled by crowds. >> Read my lips Benjamin Robinson notes: I noticed in the first act (and possibly the other two as well) that, while they were talking, the characters' mouths made that "stressed smile" expression. The particular smile I'm talking about can be seen clearly in "E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt) (AABF19)," when Marge finishes saying, "And I'll repress the rage I'm feeling." In this episode, it shows up, fleetingly, when the character said something with an "m" in it. >> Fun with promotions Benjamin Robinson: Fox USA's promotion of this show was even more off-kilter than usual. It made it appear that Homer's eye surgery was the focus of the story, rather than just a first-act diversion. Lisa's plot wasn't even mentioned. To top it off, two of the scenes weren't in the final product: a Bart-and-Milhouse reaction shot (making that Three Stooges "we're in trouble" sound), and a shot of Homer with a grossly inflamed eyeball. I think the second shot was lifted from a different episode, "Lard of the Dance (5F20)." Sheesh, whatever happened to truth in advertising? >> Miscellaneous, Etc. The Andrew Levine alterna-title for this show is: This is Spiteful Tap Don Del Grande: If Turner ever gets the rights to this episode, will the ending be colorized? Benjamin Robinson: As anyone who watched "Married ... With Children" knows, tap is the nerdiest form of dance. Seems fitting that Lisa would get sucked into it, albeit slightly against her will. Jessy Scholl: In Bart and Millhouse's case, I feel that the Exit that Springfield mall was putting in is a new main exit with a high ceiling. ============================================================================== > Quotes and Scene Summary {jp} ============================================================================== % The television is on at the Simpson house. Announcer: The Cyborganizer -- a high-tech robocop created for one purpose only: to help the NYPD tackle its tedious paperwork. [The Cyborganizer sorts through piles of paper. A cop enters] Cop: Good work, Cyborganizer. Cyborganizer: I can streamline any procedure, except this thing you call love. Homer: [sitting a foot away from the TV] Aw, poor Cyborganizer. Marge: [enters] Homer, sitting that close to the TV can't be good for you. Homer: Talking while the TV's on can't be good for *you*. Marge: You should get your eyes checked. I'm taking Bart to the mall to buy camping supplies. Why don't you come along? Homer: Nah, I want to enjoy this show before the network retools it. Cyborganizer: How can I organize this modeling agency and still be a good single father? Small Robot: [enters] I love you, Daddy. Homer: Aw, too late! -- "Last Tap Dance in Springfield" % At Eye Caramba, Marge talks to the optometrist. Marge: We need something quick. My husband's eyes are really shot. Homer: [throwing a baby in the air] Whee! Touch the sky, Maggie! Whee! Touch the sky! Lisa: Dad, I've got Maggie. Homer: Who said that? [baby Gerald's mother takes him from Homer] -- "Last Tap Dance in Springfield" Marge: Come on, Bart. While your dad gets his glasses, we'll go shop for your trip. Bart: [groan] I hate shopping. Just get me a deck of cards and I'll win whatever I need from the other kids. Marge: But you need to try things on. Every brand has a different idea of husky. Bart: [lies on the floor] I'm in tantrum position. T-minus five, four, three -- remembering dead cat for real tears. [sobbing] Marge: Fine, you win. I'll do your shopping for you. Bart: Tantrum averted ... but now I can't forget the cat! [sobbing] -- Bart gets out of shopping, "Last Tap Dance in Springfield" % In the examination room, the optometrist puts the phoropter in front of % Homer. She turns out the lights which causes Homer to fall asleep. She % wakes him up and instructs him to read the first line, which is "I 8 P P". % Somehow, Bart had snuck into the room and wrote it. With a "Why you % little!", Homer begins strangling Bart. While looking at Bart gagging % through the lenses, the optometrist adjusts them a couple times, each time % asking Homer if it is better or worse. % % Now it's time to try on glasses. Optometrist: That pair's popular with celebrities like Val Kilmer. Homer: Ooh, my favorite Door. Optometrist: ...And Yoko Ono. Homer: Eew, she ruined the Plastic Ono Band! [throws glasses on a large pile of rejected glasses] Optometrist: Maybe you're a candidate for laser eye surgery. Homer: Will it get me out of having to choose glasses? Optometrist: Well, yes, but I must warn you it's an experimental procedure and we still don't know the long-term effe-- Homer: [finds the laser and aims it at his eyes] Less yappin', more zappin'! -- Problem solved, "Last Tap Dance in Springfield" % Marge and Lisa finish shopping for Bart's trip. Marge: Well, looks like we got everything for Bart's camping trip: Blair Witch repellent, antler saw, and deep wood Scrabble. [They come along a movie poster] Ooh, "Tango de la Muerte"! I've been dying to see that movie! Lisa: It got rave reviews from both the Entertainment Radio Network and the Radio Entertainment Network. Let's go! -- "Last Tap Dance in Springfield" % Back at Eye Caramba, Homers screams as his eyes are being zapped. Once it's % done, he immediately leaves. The optometrist warns him he needs to use some % eye drops to keep his eyes from crusting. Homer dismisses them as "add-ons" % and his eyes then crust over just as predicted. % % Marge and Lisa watch Tango de la Muerte in the cinema. Dancer: Now that my severed foot has been reattached, I must win back the coveted dance title "Loco Legs". Coach: As your wise but alcoholic dance coach, I know that somewhere your father is looking down on you and smiling. Oh, there he is! [his father, on a balcony, smiles and gives two thumbs up] -- The plot is set, "Last Tap Dance in Springfield" % Tango de la Muerte continues. The dancer needs a beautiful partner for the % dancing contest. He passes by a row of women and tests a couple of them % with a pelvic thrust before finding a woman who was not intending to be in % the lineup. Lisa: [in audience] Oh, he'll never dance with her. She'll have to settle for some Mexican Milhouse. Dancer: I demand to know your name. Lisabella: [timidly] My name is Lisabella. Lisa: [gasp] That's my name with "bella" on the end of it! Ask her! Oh, God, please, ask her to dance! Dancer: I shall dance ... with her. [points to Lisabella, thrusts pelvis] Mexican Milhouse: ¡Qué malo! Once again I must sugar my own churro. Lisabella: But I am just a simple librarian. I have only read about dancing in books. Dancer: [chuckle] I will show you something that is in no book. [takes the book she was holding and throws it away] [crowd gasps] [The dancer takes her hand and swings her around, knocking off her glasses. He dips her, letting her hair down. Then he swings her again, unbuttoning her shirt and revealing her cleavage.] Lisa: She's not plain; she's beautiful! -- The dancer chooses a partner, "Last Tap Dance in Springfield" % As Tango de la Muerte continues, it's time for the big contesto de la dance. % One couple finishes their routine. Dancer: There is just one dance that will beat them: the Tango de la Muerte. Lisabella: [gasp] Only one man was crazy enough to dance that dance, and he is dead. Dancer: My twin brother, Freduardo. But where he died, I shall live ... in his apartment. -- "Last Tap Dance in Springfield" % The spectators and judges watch in awe as the couple do their wacky dance. % The crowd applauds. Dancer: You are now carrying my child. Lisabella: But how? Dancer: It is the mystery of the dance. [they are crowned the winners of the dance and they kiss] -- The perfect ending of Tango de la Muerte, "Last Tap Dance in Springfield" % Marge and Lisa leave the theater lobby. Lisa spins in circles as she walks. Lisa: Oh, Mom, I wanna be a dancer! Marge: That's wonderful, honey! We should ask your father, though. Where is he, anyway? -- Looking for you? No, "Last Tap Dance in Springfield" % Homer, with his eyes still crusty, rides in the car with Kearny, Dolph, and % Jimbo. Kearny: [as Marge] Now, Homie, when we get to the liquor store, buy me some Jack Daniels and a carton of smokes. Homer: Yes, dear. [Dolph and Jimbo chuckle and high five] -- "Last Tap Dance in Springfield" % [End of Act One. Time: 5:10] % % Lisa and Marge go to Lil' Vicki Valentine's School of Dance. They look at % posters on the wall from when Vicki was a child star. Marge: I remember Little Vicki Valentine. Her perky smile and dancing brought America right out of the depression. Lisa: Well, I think World War II helped a little, Mom. Marge: Don't smart mouth, Lisa. Vicki: A great big sunshine hello to you. Marge: Hi, Little Vicki! Vicki: [laughs] That was such a long time ago. I'm just plain Vicki now. Marge: Alright, I'd like to sign my daughter up for lessons, Vicki. Vicki: *Little* Vicki. Marge: But, you just said-- Vicki: So, what dance style were you interested in? We have ever so many! There's ballroom... [in the ballroom, Principal Skinner steps on his mother's foot] Agnes: Ow! You stepped on my toes again! Skinner: If you would just let me lead.... Agnes: You're not a leader, Seymour. Never have been; never will be. [dips him] Vicki: ...there's square dancing... Caller: Oh, the birdie in the cage, odd lady in the center, now the birdie is purty, and the crows hop in, pluck the feather, all together.... [nobody in the square does anything] Vicki: ...or, there's the dance that made me ever so famous: tap! Lisa: But I want to learn a dance I can use in real life, like the Tango de la Muerte. Vicki: Aw, bless your heart. Let's get you some tap shoes. Marge: Uh, Little Vicki, I really think she had her heart set on-- Vicki: Little advice: don't live through your child. Marge: Okay. -- Lisa joins Li'l Vicki's dance class, "Last Tap Dance in Springfield" % Bart and Milhouse board the bus for a week of fun at camp. Milhouse looks % forward to not having to use his ear medicine. However, Nelson reveals his % plans to beat them up for the duration in order to gratify his need to % pound people. Bart and Milhouse leave the bus via the rear fire escape. Bart: Now where do we go? Milhouse: I don't want to go home. My grandma's sleeping in my bed and she has skin like a basketball. Bart: Wait a minute. Everybody thinks we're at camp this week. We can stay wherever we want! Milhouse: Yeah! Like the Four Seasons! Each room has its own safe. Bart: I've got a better place! [they arrive at the Springfield Mall] Milhouse: The mall? Bart: Yeah, it's just like my dad always says: [Bart opens a thought balloon with Homer in it] Homer: For an evening or a week, there's no place like the mall. Food, fun and fashion -- the mall has it all! [Bart runs towards the mall entrance] Milhouse: [unable to read Bart's mind] What? What did he say?! -- Bart and Milhouse decide to play hooky, "Last Tap Dance in Springfield" % Back at the dance school, Little Vicki is personally teaching the children's % tap dancing class. Along with Lisa are Ralph, Allison Taylor, Janie, % Sherri, Terri, and two other girls. Vicki: Now, the key to great dancing is one word: tappa-tappa-tappa. [the children exchange looks] [demonstrating] Tappa-tappa-tappa. [the children try] Ralph: [concerned] Teacher, my shoes are making noise! Vicki: You must be Ralph. Ralph: My daddy shoots people! -- The tap dancing class starts, "Last Tap Dance in Springfield" % Many tappa-tappa-tappas later, the class progresses nicely. Then Vicki % notices someone off the beat. She has Ralph dance by himself and he does % fine (albeit entirely different from the rest of the class). Then Vicki % has Lisa dance by herself. She loses her balance and falls over backwards % into a potted plant. The class laughs at her. Vicki: Children, stop it! For all you know, she has a medical condition. Lisa: Nope. Vicki: I see.... -- Lisa has trouble dancing, "Last Tap Dance in Springfield" % Returning again to the Springfield Mall, Bart and Milhouse are enjoying % themselves until the mall closes and the mall security wants them to leave. % Instead, they climb into a vent. Unfortunately, the vent can't support % their weight and they fall into two barrels inside a shuttered store. Milhouse: [in a barrel of colorful worms, scared] Worms! Bart: [in a barrel of coins, excited] Gold! [unwraps a coin, disappointed] Wait this is just chocolate. [thinks, then excited again] Chocolate! Milhouse: And these are gummi worms! Gummi! Bart: Warheads? Jelly Bellies? We're like two kids in a candy store! Bart+ Milhouse: Yes! [high five] -- Bart and Milhouse get free reign of the mall, "Last Tap Dance in Springfield" % Bart and Milhouse continue to raid the candy store. Bart spits out his % candies once they run out of flavor. Next they go to a footwear store and % have a shoe fight. In a cookie store, Bart jumps on a jumbo tube of cookie % dough, squirting it into Milhouse's mouth and out his nose. Next, they ride % an inflatable raft down the ascending escalator. The raft gets caught % between steps and is torn to shreds. Then they have a race atop garbage % cans, dumping garbage in the hall. % % The next morning, Bart and Milhouse hide behind some bushes in a camping % store's window display as a mall guy discovers the damage and discusses it % with the police. Mall Guy: Oh, my God! Look at this place! How could this happen? Candy chewed, wigs pulled from stands, cheese packages poked and repoked. Wiggum: Every sign points to one obvious culprit: a giant rat. [Bart and Milhouse look at one another, relieved] You'll have to shut down the mall. Mall Guy: On President's Day weekend? Are you crazy? Wiggum: Crazy with concern for the public, yes. Now shut this place down before the old folks come in for their morning walk. [Abe, Agnes, Crazy Old Man, Mrs. Glick, and Jasper want in, but Lou takes Crazy Old Man's walker and uses it as a door barricade] -- Bart and Milhouse's damage is found, "Last Tap Dance in Springfield" % At Vicki's dance class again, Lisa is still having trouble staying upright. % Lisa blames it on the floor and moves to one end of the room, where she % falls down again. Lisa's bad dancing makes my feet sad! -- Ralph's still got it, "Last Tap Dance in Springfield" % Little Vicki dismisses the class for five minutes to talk to Lisa. Lisa: What am I doing wrong, Little Vicki? Vicki: Well, you're falling a lot. Maybe you should work on that. Lisa: Yeah, well, no offense, but maybe I need a little more instruction than just "tappa-tappa-tappa". Vicki: Why, back when I was your age, I had 43 movies under my belt, and I had to do it without tappa-tappa-tappa. I would've killed for tappa-tappa-tappa. Lisa: Sorry, I'm just frustrated. Vicki: Well, you'll never save Grandpa's farm with that attitude! You've just got to turn that frown upside-down! [Lisa smiles] That's a smile, not an upside-down frown! Work on that, too! -- Lisa fails to get help from Vicki, "Last Tap Dance in Springfield" % Homer and Marge sit at the kitchen table. Homer: Hey, we got a postcard from Bart. "Dear Mom and Homer, I'm having fun." Aw, it sounds like he's havin' fun! Marge: [takes postcard] Why does it have a picture of Vitamin Barn? Homer: Didn't you ever go to camp? The old vitamin barn. [Lisa dejectedly walks through the kitchen, still wearing tap shoes] Marge: There's our Broadway baby! Lisa: [groan] Marge: Hey, dig that crazy rhythm! Lisa: I'm just walking. Listen, I know I said I wanted to be a dancer, but-- Marge: And you *will* be a dancer! Homer: Look at you, all sugar and spice instead of equations and test tubes. [puts Lisa on his lap] You're Daddy's precious dancing queen. Marge: And you look adorable! Homer: Now, honey, what were you trying to say before we kept interrupting with our loving proudness? Marge: Yes, our tiny tapper, what was it you were going to say after "I wanted to be a dancer, but"? Lisa: But, I just... [looks at her proud parents] ...need more practice! See ya! [exits the kitchen, with her shoes tapping] Homer: Oh, what's that awful sound? Marge: The furnace? Lisa: It's me! Homer+ Marge: Aww.... -- Lisa's failed attempt to quit tap, "Last Tap Dance in Springfield" % [End of Act Two. Time: 11:54] % % Lisa watches an old black-and-white Li'l Vicki movie. Vicki is in bed % petting a cat with an hot-water bottle on its head. A man enters the % bedroom. Man: Why is you so down, Little Miss Vicki? Vicki: My kitty cat's sick, and I'd be ever so sad if she should die. [cat coughs] Man: Well, I'm no animal doctor or nothing, but whenever I'm feeling poorly, you know what fixes me up? Dancin'! Vicki: Dancin'? Man: Dancin'. [does a few steps] Vicki: But I don't know how to dance. Man: Oh, I'll show you how. [Vicki copies the man's steps a few times, then they start dancing at the same time] There, now you're gettin' it! Vicki: Look at me, Powder Puff! I'm dancin'! [the cat sits up and rubs its eyes (with fake prop arms that are clearly not attached to the cat), then dances between the two humans] Lisa: Ugh. The cat dances better than I do. -- "Last Tap Dance in Springfield" % At the mall, the police set up a mouse trap involving an anvil hanging over % a piece of cheese. Wiggum: We'll catch that mall rat. Lou: Sure hope this Acme kit works. Wiggum: Gosh, that cheese looks good. Think I could grab it before that anvil hits? Lou: Oh, I don't know, Chief. It's a million to one. Wiggum: I like those odds! [grabs the cheese, anvil lands on his back] Oh! My mistake was grabbing the cheese. -- Chief Wiggum learns a lesson, "Last Tap Dance in Springfield" % In an auditorium, Professor Frink puts together a spaceship for the set. Vicki: Professor Frink, will that spaceship be ready for the recital? Frink: I have visited the future, and yes, it will. M'hey! Vicki: [addresses her class] Okay, kids, tonight's the big night! Now remember: the important thing is to just dance flawlessly. Lisa: Excuse me, why isn't my name in the program? Vicki: It is, silly. You've got the most important part of all. [flips through the pamphlet] Lisa: Curtain puller?! Vicki: No one can see the show if the curtain isn't open. Lisa: Bu-- My parents are counting on seeing me dance! And I've worked ever so hard. Vicki: I'm sorry, Lisa, but giving everyone an equal part when they're clearly not equal is called what, again, class? Class: Communism! Vicki: That's right. And I didn't tap all those Morse code messages to the Allies 'til my shoes filled with blood to just roll out the welcome mat for the Reds. Lisa: [sigh] All right, I'll be the stupid curtain puller. [yanks the rope] Vicki: Smoothly. [demonstrating] Pulla-pulla-pulla. Lisa: [under her breath] I got yer pulla-pulla-pulla. Frink: Excuse me, Lisa, but I couldn't help but overhear your nerdly predicament. Maybe I can be of assistance with the dancing and the twisting and the [singing] kung fu fighting. Deedle-deedle dee dee doo. -- Before the recital, "Last Tap Dance in Springfield" % At his house, Professor Frink places a dancing can on a table. Frink: I first observed this technology at the airport gift shop. [claps, can dances] As you see, it responds to any percussive sound with an exuberant shaking of its groove thing, yeah, yeah. Lisa: Most entertaining, but how does that help me? Frink: Observe. [removes the switch plate from the dancing can, places it in the heel of Lisa's shoe, and turns it on. Lisa's foot then moves in time with Frink's clapping] Lisa: Ooh! That's brilliant, professor! What will you think of next? Frink: Well, I also found this at the gift shop. [a weasel attached to a ball] Isn't it cute? [places it on the ground, where it bounces around] I'm hoping to turn it into a weapon. [Frink noises] It'll kill ya! Lisa: I've got to go now. [backs out] -- Lisa gets help dancing, "Last Tap Dance in Springfield" % At the mall, Chief Wiggum releases a lion to catch the mall rat. Once out % of the crate, it immediately goes for the cheese, triggering the anvil to % land on its head. Chief Wiggum has Lou and Eddie release the backup lion, % which begins roaming the halls. Hiding behind some bushes, Bart asks % Milhouse if he can see the lion. Milhouse parts the bushes and sees the % lion's angry face. Milhouse is rendered speechless and is only able to % communicate with Bart through pantomime. % % They run from the bushes to a hall labeled "Exit". Once they get there, % they see it's the name of a store that is coming soon. Cornered by the lion % in the dead end hallway, Bart goes for the long shot: throwing a ball of % yarn from a bin at the lion. The lion pounces ... on the yarn, and plays % with it like a cat. Milhouse declares Bart a genius, but then is jumped on % by the lion. Bart quickly throws another ball of yarn, again distracting % the lion. Bart: You okay, Milhouse? Milhouse: Nothing that a handfill of Gummi Bears can't fix. [laughs] [they walk down the hall, revealing Milhouse's badly scratched back] -- The boys outsmart the lion, "Last Tap Dance in Springfield" % The lion returns to the general area of the cops. It has a piece of yarn % hanging from its mouth. Lou: Well, well. Looks like the cat got the rat. Wiggum: And that's the end of that ... "tail". [brushes hands off] Eddie: Uh, Chief, should we try and get the mountain lion back in its crate? Wiggum: I repeat: [brushes hands off] -- Story line concluded ... or is it? Yes, it is, "Last Tap Dance in Springfield" % It's almost time for the dance recital. Vicki: Okay, everyone, we need big smiles out there, so line up for dimpling. Now this may hurt a lot. What am I saying, "may"? [uses a nail gun-like machine to make dimples in Sherri's/Terri's cheeks] Now, that's a happy face. Lisa: [runs on stage] Little Vicki! I figured out how to dance! I can be in the show now! Vicki: I'm sorry, Lisa. People go to a children's dance recital expecting a certain level of professionalism. Lisa: But-- but you don't understand.... Ralph: [doubled up on the floor] I ate too much plastic candy! Vicki: Heavens to Betsy! The star of the show is sick! Whatever will we do? There's only one person who can get us out of this pickle ... Lisa? Lisa: Yes? Vicki: Help me into Ralph's costume. Lisa: [sigh] -- daese, "Last Tap Dance in Springfield" % It's time for the children's tap dance performance. The dancers prepare on % the stage while the curtain is closed. Vicki: Show time, children. Let's go! [to Lisa] Okay, curtain puller, this is your moment to shine. Oh, it's too important; I'll do it for you. [opens the curtain] Lisa: [groan] -- "Last Tap Dance in Springfield" % The dance recital begins. Little Vicki, Allison, Janey, and a girl come out % of the spaceship dressed as astronauts to greet Sherri, Terri, and a girl % dressed as green Martians. Vicki: Lean, muscular children of Mars, we bring you candy. [the astronauts present oversized plastic candy] [the Martians giggle] Allison: Let's walk over to them. Vicki: Why walk when you can dance? [other astronauts nod] -- Perfect segue to a dance sequence, "Last Tap Dance in Springfield" % Piano music starts and the astronauts start tap dancing. The Martians join % them and form a line. Homer and Marge watch from the audience. Marge: Where's Lisa? Homer: Shh! This plot is hard enough to follow as it is. Dancers: [singing] On the Spaceship Lollipop, gingerbread men like to do hip hop, and chocolate chips.... [Lisa's shoes activate and she dances on-stage and joins the line] ...We can start to dance on Mars, where everything's green.... Marge: Oh, there she is. Hi, honey! [waves; Lisa waves back] Wow, look at her go! Homer: Yeah, that pressure we put on her really paid off. -- Just before the trouble starts, "Last Tap Dance in Springfield" % In the dance, Little Vicki starts what is intended to be a solo dance. % Lisa's automatic tap shoes, however, force her to copy Vicki's every move. Vicki: What are you doing? Lisa: I can't help it! It's the shoes! Vicki: Nobody upstages Little Vicki! [hiss!] -- "Last Tap Dance in Springfield" % They continue to dance synchronized for a while. Lisa begs Vicki to stop % dancing, who takes it as a challenge. They each do a handspring directly % into a split. Vicki slides and stands; Lisa slides through her legs and % stands, causing uproarious applause. The clapping causes Lisa's shoes to % move randomly. She does a back flip off the wall, and more clapping ensues. % To make matters worse, Homer prods the audience to an ovation of the % standing kind. Lisa's shoes begin to spark and smoke as she continues to % dance ramblingly. Professor Frink tells the audience to stop, to no avail. % Lisa gradually makes her way down to the seating. They finally stop % clapping when they all flee except for Homer and Marge. Marge: Lisa's gone berserk! Do something, Homer! Do something! [as Lisa comes closer, Homer sticks out his foot, tripping her] Lisa: [on the ground, legs still moving] Oh, thanks, Dad. Homer: I didn't think, I ... just acted. -- The horror ends for now, "Last Tap Dance in Springfield" % Later, Little Vicki, Lisa, Homer, Marge, and Professor Frink talk in the % otherwise empty auditorium. Vicki holds up the short-circuiting shoes. Vicki: Self-tapping shoes? I'm ever so pissed! Lisa: I'm sorry, Vicki. I just wanted to be a dancer *so* badly. Vicki: [sigh] I understand. We all do crazy things when we're desperate. I once destroyed Buddy Ebson's credit rating. Lisa: Why? Vicki: He knows why. [Homer and Marge look at each other] Frink: [looking at shoes] Jesus, Mary and glavin! These shoes are in the off position! Lisa: You mean I danced all by myself? Marge: See, honey? All you needed was to believe-- Homer: [taking the shoes] What are you talking about, Professor Frink? They're clearly in the on position. See? "On". Frink: I was merely trying to spare he girl's feelings, you insensitive clod. Homer: Oh -- OH! Well, now that I look even closer-- Lisa: Forget it, Dad. Oh, I guess I'm never gonna be your Broadway baby. Homer: That's not true, honey. [they all start to walk] You can always write a depressing Broadway play of some kind. Lisa: You think so? Marge: Sure, it could be a story about people coming to terms with things. Homer: Hey, yeah! You could load it up with lots of swears! That's what David Mamet does. Lisa: Oh, I love you guys. -- "Last Tap Dance in Springfield" % They come across that ball and weasel. Frink: Uh-oh! It's out of its matrix! Nobody move! Homer: Why, it's just a cute little weasel. Hello there, Mr. Weasel. [reaches for weasel] [The screen goes black and "The End" is written. We hear zapping and Homer screaming.] I'm down! -- "Last Tap Dance in Springfield" % [End of Act Three. Time: 20:17] % % Closing credits done in the style of an old movie. The Grace Logo sound % is Little Vicki reciting, "Tappa-tappa-tappa." Meanwhile, the lower % third of the screen shows the clip of the cat rubbing its eyes in % disbelief. ============================================================================== > Contributors ============================================================================== {al} Adam Long {bjr} Benjamin Robinson {ddg} Don Del Grande {dj} Darrel Jones {djm} D J. Maniak {jg2} Joe Green {jk} Joe Klemm {js} Jessy Scholl {ma} Matthew Anscher {nd} Nathan DeHoff {pm} Paul Melnyk {sb} Syd Barrett {sm} Seth Miller ============================================================================== > Legal Mumbo Jumbo ============================================================================== This episode capsule is Copyright 2001 Benjamin Robinson. It is not to be redistributed in a public forum without consent from its author or current maintainer (capsules@snpp.com). All quoted material and episode summaries remain property of The Simpsons, Copyright of Twentieth Century Fox. All other contributions remain the properties of their respective authors. The Quote and Scene Summary itself is Copyright 2001 Jerry P. This capsule has been brought to you by The Springfield Mall. Food, fun, and fashion -- the mall has it all! This work is dedicated to Raymond Chen, James A. Cherry, Ricardo Lafaurie, Frederic Briere, and all of those who made episode capsules what they are today.