Great episodes of The Simpsons: Bart’s Friend Falls in Love

The Simpsons where Milhouse falls in love with a new student is definitely a classic episode.

Plot: A new girl named Samantha comes to Springfield Elementary and begins going out with Milhouse, which leaves Bart feeling left out. It doesn’t help matters when Milhouse says that Bart is a bit of a third wheel, but still asks to use the Simpsons’ treehouse to meet with Samantha since her father doesn’t approve of them.

Why is it a great episode? Bart’s tendency to take Milhouse for granted is well-known, so seeing them switch up that dynamic is a nice touch. But there is one big difference between the two setups. Since Bart has no attention span, it’s fair to say that he doesn’t deliberately shun Milhouse. By contrast, this episode shows Milhouse deliberately leaving Bart for someone else. Most of us have been in Bart’s shoes at one time or another and it’s not a pleasant experience.

Bart’s Friend Falls in Love is a clever look at adolescence and everything that comes with teenage angst. The dated Troy McClure educational film captures this in an funny, yet true way. The fact that Edna Krabappel is arguably the worst teacher ever to give advice on healthy relationships makes the situation all the more entertaining. The episode also does a great job of capturing that sense of optimism that your friends will always be your friends and that nothing could or would ever come between you.

Additionally, the episode’s opening sequence of Bart stealing Homer’s jar of change that parodies Raiders of the Lost Ark is a gem and one of The Simpsons all time best movie parodies. The episode’s subplot of Homer using a tape to lose weight and it winds up just being a vocabulary builder is also quite entertaining.