Bart the Genius

The Simpsons of course started off with Christmas special "Simpson's Roasting On An Open Fire" which had basic drawings and not laugh out loud jokes, but this episode has probably the first laugh out loud joke in it and from here the show just gets better and better. This episode centers around Bart who in this episode swaps on a test from Martin and gets into a school for the highly gifted, this leading to Bart mending his friendship with his Dad and losing all of his mates. The Episode is very humorous and shows what was to become the greatest show ever to come out. Overall fans of the show will love this episode as it features the character's exactly as they became 20 years later. So watch this episode in a pack of Season 1 and enjoy early Simpson's doing what it was meant to, Making people laugh. I rate this episode 73%.

To me this is more of a pilot then Simpsons Roasting on a open fire. The Pictures above the couch are different many characters have different attitudes Martin is built up as Bart's foil and nemesis Homer is overly proud of Bart being a genius where as he wouldn't care less later on. This Episode is one of the reasons for the theory that Bart Or the family are secretly intelligent. Bart is alienated by his friends Even Milhouse. One of the things I have to mention is the opening theme that is noticeably Different it's cut out in Syndicated airing but you can tell it's not like the traditional theme.It has a Different feel I suggest watching just to see how far the show has change since 1990.

Definitely a step up from the first episode. This time we get an in depth look at Bart and his education troubles. It's done cleverly.

We start to get an idea that there is more going on here than simple laughs. This is a character that we are made to Genuinely feel For. They show us a show that has a lot of heart behind the jokes. That has heartfelt messages and stories to tell.

The animation is still crude and there are funny things like Milhouse's hair being black that seem strange to us now.

We are introduced to Martin Prince and he is incredibly obnoxious at this stage of the show. I don't remember disliking him that much.

Lisa is shown to be more onboard with homer and bart's childish shenanigans at this stage - I think she'll evolve to be more like the disapproving Marge.

Homer is shown to have a lot in common with Bart. He loves him but he isn't equipped to know how to show that love. A very relatable concept.

This episode really does a great job of setting up Bart as a character and showing different sides of his personality. The loveable hoodlum or the brat with a heart of gold.

Bart the Genius continues Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire's good work introducing the cast while providing more laughs than the opening episode.

For most episodes in the early seasons Bart was the star of the show and this is the clearest indication. There is no discernible B story, instead we only see the family react to the unexpected news that Bart is a gifted child.

The episode opens with a real slice of Americana as the family sit down to play scrabble. It doesn't take long for this illusion to be shattered however and for The Simpsons to show how different it is to other comedies available at the time.

Homer and Marge agonise over what words to play before choosing 'he' and 'do'. When Lisa plays 'id' nobody believes her until she rescues the dusty dictionary from under the couch to prove it.

We only had a brief glimpse into Springfield Elementary in the first episode, Bart the Genius dives into Bart's school life in a lot more detail. Martin is absolutely insufferable on debut, much more abrasive than he will later be which means we feel no sympathy when Bart takes his place.

Bart and Homer have never been closer than they are in this episode and it seems set up for a touching finale. As the sentimental music starts and Bart comes clean about his deception you can almost hear Homer's response before he says anything, 'It's ok son, we love you for who you are. Always be yourself.' Instead Homer shouts and chases Bart through the house forcing him to lock himself in his room.

From the get go The Simpsons was determined to show it wasn't your typical family sitcom. The fact they were able to do this with so much heart was truly a work of genius.

The animation is still the slightly rougher style of the first episode, Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire, but already, with this first regular episode, Bart the Genius, the humor is beginning to be more "layered", quicker and greater depth of characterization is already appearing.

This episode firmly establishes Bart's "slacker" personality, and more subtly, Lisa's intellectual superiority to the whole family. Although that's the main theme of the whole episode (there's also a nice secondary theme of Bart and Homer's father/son relationship), it's given to us first in a nutshell as the episode opens with the Simpsons playing Scrabble. Lisa comes up with "id" for her word--short, but something you have to be well educated to know. She has to read the definition to the rest of the family from the dictionary, which has been serving as a way to prop up the couch. Marge can only come up with "he". Homer has "oxidize" already sitting on his tray in order, but doesn't recognize that it's a word, so he presents "do" instead. Bart comes up with "kwyjibo", which he insists is a word. Similarly, in the main plot line of the episode, Bart cheats on his IQ test, which leads to his being put into a special school full of gifted kids. We know that's not likely to last long.

"The Simpsons" has always had a lot of fun playing with varying degrees of intellectual abilities among people through its characters, and more importantly, they way that people with vary degrees of intellectual abilities fit into (or not), are accepted (or not) and are perceived in society. Aside from beginning to present Bart, Lisa, Homer and Marge's place in this context, this episode already starts respectfully poking fun at nerds and geeks outside of the Simpsons family. Via some of the dialogue from the students at the special school, as well as some of the other references, including purely visual ones, this episode also shows that "The Simpsons" isn't going to pull any punches by means of writing or talking down to its audience. It may be just a cartoon, but it's a cartoon that intellectuals, geeks and nerds are going to understand more than anyone else. And that fact, aside from it just being a very funny show, is the key to the show's longevity.