Ep 12. My Fair Laddy
- TV-PG
- February 26, 2006
- 21 min
-
6.4 (1,491)
In The Simpsons season 17 episode 12, titled "My Fair Laddy," the main storyline centers on Lisa Simpson taking on the challenge of transforming Groundskeeper Willie into a sophisticated gentleman for the upcoming school science fair.
As the episode begins, Lisa is feeling somewhat dejected about the lack of intelligent conversation in her life. She laments this fact to Marge, who suggests that Lisa take on the task of helping Willie improve his manners and speech in order to impress the judges at the fair.
Lisa takes up the challenge and begins a rigorous program of elocution lessons for Willie. Meanwhile, Bart is entranced by a new video game and is ignoring his own responsibilities, driving his mother up the wall.
As the days go by, Willie slowly but surely begins to transform into a more refined version of himself, complete with proper etiquette and an aristocratic accent. He surprises everyone with his newfound knowledge and charm.
However, things take a turn for the worse when Lisa realizes that her efforts have gone too far and Willie is no longer the rough-and-tumble groundskeeper she originally set out to help. As the science fair approaches, Lisa must decide whether to stick with her original plan and lose the essence of who Willie is, or let him be himself and risk losing the competition.
Ultimately, the episode serves as a commentary on the idea of social class and the pressure to conform to certain societal norms in order to be accepted. The addition of Bart's story line highlights the struggle between personal desires and responsibilities, adding another layer to the episode's message.
As is typical of The Simpsons, "My Fair Laddy" delivers on the show's trademark humor and heart, making it an enjoyable and thought-provoking addition to the series.