Moaning Lisa

As with the first series of any show, time is spent fleshing out all of the characters, and on this occasion it's the turn of Lisa, and to a certain extent Marge.

Full of actual depth as well as humour this is another fab episode from the first year of the show.

Lisa Simpson, and that wonderful voice she has by Yeardley Smith, is the heart and soul of the series. Whereas the other cast members are more talented as comedians; Smith is able to get such pathos as Lisa, which makes her such a valuable member of the cast, though she is the only regular to only do one voice. Moaning Lisa is an early Lisa-centric episode, and it is one of the best. As the title implies, Lisa is afflicted by a deep sadness for a reason she can't explain. Meanwhile, Homer tries desperately to find a way to beat Bart in video game boxing. As a subplot, it works beautifully because it uses Homer in a way that is funny without being as overbearing as Homer can be in episodes devoted to him.

This episode introduced Bleeding Gums Murphy.

When watching the Simpsons as a kid, I often related more to Lisa Simpson more than Bart, and I did see this episode at least once as a kid. Watching it nowadays, I like it even more. It's also the actual debut of Janey Powell, Lisa's fair-weathered friend, who has being a fave character of my'n since childhood. There is another character called "Jamie" that appears in the episode prior, but people seem to mix her up with Janey due to how similar their names spell & sound. Anyway, if there is a flaw in this episode, its probably the Homer & Bart plot in this episode, I just find it forgettable.

A decent episode in which Lisa takes centre stage, however I found the story a little too depressing for a comedy sitcom. "Bleeding Gums" Murphy is a good character and the video game competition side-plot was for me the best parts of the episode. Not a great episode compared to the rest of them so far, but an ok episode nonetheless.

Lisa, a precocious second grader, has the gift of music. As is usually the case, the teachers are portrayed as idiots. Lisa is depressed and can't figure out why. Of course, the family hasn't a clue until Marge gets an epiphany. We are also brought into the jazz world, meeting Bleeding Gums.