Lisa Gets an "A"

Lisa cheats on a test for the first time. Homer gets a pet lobster.

Plot


After church, Homer takes the family to a local store for Sunday brunch, by eating the free samples. After being stuffed into a freezer, by Homer who wants some ice cream, Lisa comes down with a bad cold and is forced to stay home from school. In order to keep her mind off of school, Marge encourages Lisa to play one of Bart's video games. Lisa becomes addicted to playing the game "Dash Dingo". She claims to still be sick for many more days to play video games...until Marge stops believing her. When Lisa returns to school Miss Hoover has her take a test on The Wind in the Willows, a book she was supposed to have read while she was sick. Lisa panics and excuses herself to go get a drink. While in the hallway she runs into Bart who refers her to the boy's restroom. There they meet Nelson who is selling test answers. Lisa completes the tests with Nelson's answers and gets an A+++. Later she is summoned to Skinner's office. He tells her that her A+++ increased to the school's GPA allowing the school to recieve an assistance grant. Lisa admits to Skinner that she cheated. Both he and Chalmers agree that Lisa's cheating should be kept quiet so that they can still get the grant money. At the ceremony Lisa comes up to the stage and confesses to cheating. The comptroller decides to give the school the money anyway to reward Lisa's honesty. All the family, except for Bart, leave the auditorium. It is then revealed that the ceremony and the comptroller were fake. The real ceremony takes place without Lisa's knowledge and the real comptroller gives the school their grant money.

Meanwhile, Homer buys a small live lobster at the grocery store and fattens him up with plans to feed him to the entire family. When it's time to eat him, Homer has a change of heart and keeps the lobster as a pet naming him Mr. Pinchy. Homer gives Mr. Pinchy a hot bath only to have boiled him to death. He mourns Mr. Pinchy's death by eating the lobster by himself, as he feels "Pinchy would've wanted it that way."

Cultural references

 * One of the main references is to the book The Wind in the Willows, which is part of Lisa's assignment.


 * The game Lisa plays during her absence at school, Dash Dingo, parodies the popular video game series Crash Bandicoot.


 * The console Lisa is playing Dash Dingo on bares an resemblance to the original Playstation.


 * The design for the character had previsously appeared on a clothing store sign in "Lard of the Dance".


 * In keeping with video game references, Ralph Wiggum calls Superintendant Chalmers "Super Nintendo Chalmers".

Characters

 * Homer Simpson
 * Marge Simpson
 * Bart Simpson
 * Lisa Simpson
 * Maggie Simpson
 * Reverend Lovejoy
 * Lenny Leonard
 * Carl Carlson
 * Dr. Hibbert
 * Bernice Hibbert
 * Moe Syzlak
 * Chief Wiggum
 * Barney Gumble
 * Martin Prince Sr.
 * Jasper Beardley
 * Principal Skinner
 * Luann Van Houten
 * Kirk Van Houten
 * Kent Brockman
 * Squeaky-Voiced Teen
 * Gavin
 * Gavins Mum
 * Mr. Pinchy
 * Dash Dingo
 * Ralph Wiggum
 * Miss Hoover
 * Janey Powell
 * Allison
 * Otto Mann
 * Nelson Muntz
 * Groundskeeper Willie
 * Superintendent Chalmers
 * Milhouse Van Houten
 * Edna Krabappel
 * Martin Prince
 * Gil Gunderson
 * Sea Captain
 * Controller Atkins
 * Helen Lovejoy
 * Sarah Wiggum

Vehicles

 * Pink Sedan
 * School Bus

Locations

 * First Church of Springfield
 * Eatie Gourmet's
 * 742 Evergreen Terrace
 * Springfield Elementary School
 * Sringfield Beach