7F03 - Bart Gets an F (October 11, 1990)

I'm adding a new feature that will help me a lot on this project called Episode Timeline. It'll help you figure out how I come up with the Minimum Time Span for each episode, as well as help me chronicle scenes for easy reference. I'll be sure to edit old posts so that they include this feature.

Summary: Bart learns he may have to repeat fourth grade if he fails his next test.

Episode Timeline:
Monday:
- Bart fails to give an adequate book report after Martin's rousing version of "The Old Man and the Sea"
- After school, Bart has detention and is lectured by Krabappel
- After detention, Bart plays "Escape From Grandma's House" at the arcade, promising to study after a couple more games
- Bart watches Itchy and Scratchy with his sisters, promises to study after dinner
- Lisa got an A on a vocab test, Homer covers Bart's first grade cat drawing with it
- Bart and Homer watch "Gorilla the Conqueror"
- Bart falls asleep while trying to study
Tuesday:
- Marge wakes up Bart, who is going to be late for the bus
- Bart gathers answers about American History from Sherri and Terri on the bus
- Martin tells Bart that the answers were lies as the bell rings for class
- Bart collapses out of his seat as the test is about to be handed out
- Bart fakes some symptoms to the school nurse
- Bart has apparently stayed home the rest of the day eating ice cream, and he orders the TV from Homer, who is watching another gorilla-themed movie
- Bart calls Milhouse to get the answers for the history test
Wednesday:
- After school (or maybe during lunch), Bart makes up his test, and does worse than Milhouse, failing
- Bart, his parents, Krabappel, and Pryor have an after school meeting about Bart
Thursday:
- Bart chats with Otto on the morning bus
- During class, Bart fantasizes about repeating the 4th grade until he's an adult
- During recess, Bart asks Martin for tutoring, and he'll make Martin more popular in return
- Back at home, Martin tells Bart to clean his room
Friday:
- On the morning bus, Bart tells Martin to sit in the back with the cool kids
Friday afternoon - Sunday:
- After school, Bart and Martin do bike tricks
- Martin and Bart marvel at Bart's clean room, and Martin presents a plant
- Martin and Bart play with a slingshot
- Bart and Martin read textbooks/comic books under a tree
- Bart and Martin spray paint
- Bart and Marting make faces in the bathroom mirror
- Martin whips Bart while he falls asleep "studying"
Monday:
- After school, the boys push another boy into the girls room, Martin snaps with glee
- Bart stays up late doodling in his textbook
- Bart prays for a miracle, it then begins to snow
Tuesday:
- It's a snow day, schools are closed
- Bart prepares to play outside, but Lisa reminds him that he has to study
- Bart sees all the fun people have on their snow day while he is inside
- Bart studies in the basement and imagines himself at the signing of the Declaration of Independence
Wednesday:
- Bart finishes his final test, fails, but demonstrates applied knowledge and Krabappel passes him
- Homer puts Bart's D- on the fridge

References to Time:
- Bart's in Krabappel's class, and his grades have gotten steadily worse since the beginning of the term
- Maggie walks
- It's Big Gorilla Week on Million Dollar Movie
- Dr. Pryor knows the Simpson family
- Bart has failed his last four history exams
- Bart may have to repeat the fourth grade
- Otto repeated fourth grade twice
- Mayor Quimby declares the snow day "Snow Day - The Funnest Day in the History of Springfield"
- The citizens of Springfield sing Winter Wonderland, implying that it maybe around Christmastime or winter

References to Other Episodes: All the characters introduced in the first season are seen singing on Snow Day, but that does not necessarily mean the first season absolutely has to proceed this episode.

SLH Presence:
- SLH is present
- Bleeding Gums Murphy is alive
- Dr. Marvin Monroe is alive
- Sideshow Bob is not in prison

Minimum Time Spanned: 10 days (Monday - next Wednesday)

Canon: All canon, although Krabappel cares less about her students as the series progresses.

Favorite Moment: Bart crying after he fails the final test, then mentioning George Washington's defeat to the French and Krabappel giving him an extra point for the obscurity of his remark.

Review: This is a delightful episode. I always feel that it's like a better version of Bart the Genius, for some reason. And once it actually made me cry (when Bart cries). There are still some kinks that could be worked out, but it's a nice story that feels very truthful. A-