7F19 - Lisa's Substitute (April 25, 1991)

Summary: Lisa falls for her substitute teacher while Bart runs for class president.

Episode Timeline:
Monday:
- Miss Hoover has Lyme Disease
- Bart shows a video of the birth of Snowball II
- Mr. Bergstrom comes to teach Lisa's class
- Martin announces his bid for class presidency
- Bergstrom sings Home on the Range
- Bart is nominated to be president
Tuesday:
- Bergstrom reads Charlotte's Web
- Bergstrom draws out the students' talents
- Krabappel hits on Bergstrom
- Lisa plays sax for Bergstrom
Wednesday:
- Lisa and Marge do laundry
- Homer and Bart make fun of Bergstrom
- Bergstrom asks if Homer helps with Lisa's homework
- Bart demands more asbestos
- Homer encourages Bart to win
Thursday:
- Martin isn't looking for easy answers
- Bart gives a speech at lunch
- Bart and Martin put up campaign posters
- Homer makes a poster for Bart
Friday:
- Lisa and Bergstrom watch Bart lead the people
- Ralph reads his letter to Miss Hoover
- Marge asks Homer to take Lisa to the museum
Saturday:
- Homer doesn't pay the museum's suggested donation
- Homer, Lisa, and Bergstrom look at a dinosaur
- Homer, Lisa, and Bergstrom look at a mummy
- Homer and Bergstrom talk about Lisa
- Marge tells Lisa to invite Bergstrom over for dinner
Sunday is skipped
Monday:
- Hoover is back
- Bergstrom taught that life is worth living, Lisa runs out of school
- The election for president will be held during recess
- Lisa goes to Bergstrom's apartment to find he has left
- No one voted for Bart
- Martin wins
- Lisa says goodbye to Bergstrom
- Lisa calls Homer a baboon
- Homer makes amends with Lisa
- Homer cheers up Bart
- Homer helps Maggie sleep
- Homer and Marge go to bed

References to Time:
- Lisa is in Hoover's class, 2nd Grade, Bart in Krabappel's, 4th
- Krabappel is technically still married
- The Museum of Natural History will be closing forever in 2 weeks
- A calendar in Bart's class says it is April
- Homer says he's never lost anyone special to him

References to Other Episodes: None.

SLH Presence:
- SLH is not present

Minimum Time Spanned: 8 days

Canon: Yes, although there is a bit of inconsistency as to whether Bart's class is above Lisa's or vice-versa

Favorite Moment:
- Mr. Bergstrom's farewell scene. It's very touching, especially when Lisa says she needs him. "That's the problem with being middle class. Anybody who really cares will abandon you for those who need it more."

Review: This is one of the best if not the best episode of the Simpsons ever. It really stands out above all the episodes that preceded it. The Bart story is funny, the Lisa story is tragic, and it all fits nicely together, with Homer wrapping up both at the end. This is a good area for Homer to fit in, because he's not a complete idiot as he is seen in later seasons. He is just a not-to-bright father who tries his best to be a good father. Mr. Bergstrom is a great character and it's a shame that Dustin Hoffman wasn't willing to attach his name to the show, because he does such a good job and the episode is wonderful. I love every scene of this episode. A+