'The Simpsons' Season 24, Episode 15: 'Black-Eyed, Please' Recap

‘The Simpsons’, season 24, episode 15, ‘Black-Eyed, Please’

In Lisa’s 2nd grade class, Ms. Hoover is out with severe depression, and they are introduced with a permanent substitute, Ms. Cantwell (Tina Fey).

Lisa introduces herself, but is immediately shot down by Ms. Cantwell. She asks if they had homework assignments, and Ralph brings her his. He spelled his name “Ralpa”, because if he can’t remember the letters, he writes an A, so Ms. Cantwell gives him an A as well. Lisa presents her assignment, and she earns a B, without Ms. Cantwell even reading it. She faints. She is brought to by the nurse/lunch lady, using an old meatball as a smelling salt. Once Lisa realizes it’s meat, she faints again. She’s brought to at home by Marge, who says she wrapped her in a chinchilla coat, because she thought she might be cold. Lisa faints again at the thought of fur. Marge laughs, it wasn’t really chinchilla.

Homer pays Flanders a visit and asks for some sugar, and cream… and some bacon and eggs. Flanders invites him inside for breakfast with his parents. His parents make fun of Flanders and his staunchly ways, and seem to enjoy Homer’s sense of humor. Irritated, Flanders goes for a power walk.

In class, Ms. Cantwell announces 10 minutes of free play. She notices that Lisa is still reading, and tells her that she should be playing. Lisa refuses, and Ms. Cantwell says she’s just trying to get ahead, and punishes her by removing a joey from her kangaroo of accomplishment. Lisa is shocked when she realizes that a teacher doesn’t like her.

When Flanders returns from his walk, he finds his house filled with smoke and chip wrappers. He finds Homer with his parents, stoned out of their minds. In a fit of rage, Flanders punches Homer in the eye.

In the hospital, Homer is made to wear a eye patch, and Flanders pays him a visit with flowers, saying how guilty he feels. Marge says that Flanders hurt more than his eye, but also his feeling.

In bed that night, Flanders tosses and turns, waking up Edna who tells him he needs to get sleep, regardless of the guilt. He has a dream where he goes to his own personal hell, and is confronted with all his greatest fears. He wakes up and turns to the Bible, figuring “an eye for an eye” is the answer to his problems.

The next day, Lisa confronts Ms. Cantwell, asking why she’s so mean to her. She tells Lisa if she can guess, she’ll earn extra credit. She guesses that she reminds her of herself, and has earned herself a demerit in the process.

When Lisa tries to do homework that night, she’s haunted by visions of Ms. Cantwell failing her.

Lisa goes to Marge and tells her that she has a bully in school. Marge tells her to tell her teacher, but Lisa says that the teacher is the bully.

Marge and Homer go to the principal and complain about Ms. Cantwell, but they can’t fire her because she has 2-week tenure.

At work, Flanders pays Homer a visit and says he knows how to fix things. He begs for Homer to punch him in the eye. A crowd appears to watch, but Homer doesn’t want to. He says that if he were to punch Flanders, then they’d be even. But if he doesn’t, then he’ll be the better man. Flanders isn’t happy and punches him in the eye again.

In school, Ms. Cantwell confronts Lisa about ‘tattling’ on her. She assigns Lisa to detention. She asks the bullies in the room what causes someone to become a bully, and they list various reasons.

Flanders, hoping to redeem himself, works as a crossing guard, but everyone’s scared of him because of what he did to Homer. Flanders says he’d never hurt a fly, as a fly flies into his mouth and he chokes on it. The people cower in fear.

Lisa trudges home and tells Homer that Ms. Cantwell is still bullying her. He says that he’ll fix it somehow.

Homer goes to Flanders’ house and tells him he is there to forgive him, on one condition. He wants his wife. Edna says they’ll have to go the nuclear option.

In school that day, Edna tells Ms. Cantwell that she has a new student… Bart Simpson. 2 minutes later, her classroom is destroyed. Lisa says she can make it stop as long as Ms. Cantwell likes her.

Ms. Cantwell drives off in a huff, but Lisa clings to her car, demanding to know why she doesn’t like her. She tells her that she can’t stand pretty girls. Lisa celebrates the fact that she hates her because she’s pretty.

Flanders and Homer make amends, and Marge is surprised to see them getting along so well. Flanders’ dad says that he mixed pot into the brownies he gave them.