Line #16 Recap/TheSimpsonsS18E14YokelChords


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/yokel_chords_103.JPG]]
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3	'''Original air date:''' 3/4/2007 ''(produced in 2006)''
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5	'''Production code:''' JABF-09
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7	When Lisa threatens to expose Principal Skinner (Creator/HarryShearer) and Superintendent Chalmers (Creator/HankAzaria) for refusing education to Cletus Spuckler's kids due to their low social standing, she becomes their homeschool teacher, only to lose them to Krusty (Creator/DanCastellaneta), who exploits them. Lisa reaches out to Brandine Spuckler (Creator/TressMacNeille), who is currently serving in the Army in Iraq. A helicopter brings her to Sprinfield so she can rescue her kids.
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9	Meanwhile, Bart is sent to therapy after manipulating his classmates with an {{urban legend}} of a cannibalistic LethalChef. Guest starring Creator/MegRyan as Dr. Stacey Swanson.
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11	!! Tropes:
12	* AccidentalTruth: Bart wanted to scare a free lunch out of his classmates so he came up with a fake story about a murderous chef. Except he didn't know it was real... ...or that Stanley killed Dr. Swanson's son...
13	* AsHimself: Music/StephenSondheim, Creator/AndyDick and Creator/JamesPatterson.
14	* ArtShift: The "Dark Stanley" sequences are based on the illustrations of Creator/EdwardGorey.
15	* BigNo: Krusty gives one after being told by Brandine that only two of the seven Spuckler children were fathered by Cletus--the one that can't sing and the one that can't adlib.
16	* BitingTheHandHumor: Bart tells Dr. Swanson that he once dreamt that the Simpsons were cartoon characters, and that their success led to a "crazy propaganda network called Fox News."
17	* BrickJoke: Bart was sent to therapy for making up a story about a child murdering chef known as "Dark Stanley." But when Dr. Swanson goes to see her own psychiatrist, it turns out that Dark Stanley was actually real-- not only that, but Dr. Swanson's own son was murdered by Dark Stanley, by whom she's still deeply traumatized.
18	* ComicallySmallBribe: Initially, Skinner and Chalmers consider giving Lisa a 5 dollar gift card to the Gap (a clothing store).
19	* CouchGag: At a vending machine, Ralph buys Homer.
20	* CrashingDreams: Marge is dreaming of James Patterson, and he's about to ask her to kiss when he suddenly sounds like an alarm clock, waking her up.
21	* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything:
22	** Bart's relationship with Dr. Swanson plays out like a romantic relationship in which he's miserable to be "dumped" upon running out of paid-for sessions. [[UnrequitedLoveSwitcheroo The tables are turned when]] Marge buys another session and Bart walks out without using the last 20 minutes.
23	--->'''Dr. Swanson:''' Will I see you again?
24	--->'''Bart:''' Anything could happen. One of these days I might have a complete psychotic breakdown.
25	--->'''Dr. Swanson:''' I'd like that.
26	** Two of Dr. Swanson's clients are [[FoeRomanceSubtext Apu and Snake]], who are working on their relationship as though they're in couples counseling.
27	* FreudianExcuse: Bart speculates that he acts out with behavior like scaring everybody with the "Dark Stanley" story because he was conceived before his parents were ready to raise a kid, and getting both of them angry at him was preferable to seeing them fight with each other. That and [[WeirdAside his dad used to hit him with a Stanley-brand hammer]].
28	* HalfwayPlotSwitch: Krusty largely hijacked the main plot on whether or not Lisa can teach the Spuckler children by getting them into a contract on his show.
29	* HeroicBSOD: After her own psychologist alludes to her losing her son [[RealAfterAll to Dark Stanley]], Dr. Swanson curls into a ball on her chair, saying she's not ready to remember that yet.
30	* HilariouslyAbusiveChildhood: We learn more about Bart's when he's in therapy. A game of Mad Libs leads him to confess, "My dad never takes me on the merry-go-booger. [[TheAlcoholic He's always passed out in the parking snot]]."
31	* LastSecondWordSwap: Upon meeting Krusty, one of the Spuckler kids (Birthday) remarks that he's "one of those funny people with a big crazy nose"; Krusty assumes he means a clown, but then Birthday clarifies, "No, a j-", at which point Krusty yells out "Joker". Krusty [[LampshadedDoubleEntendre then lampshades the whole thing]] by joking how he isn't a "[[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything practicing joker]]" and that he isn't offended.
32	* LikeAnOldMarriedCouple: Apu and Snake go to therapy acting like this.
33	-->'''Apu:''' He used to rob me two, three times a week. Now, I'm lucky if I get it once a month.
34	-->'''Snake:''' He never initiates it. I have to do all the work. He just stands there.
35	-->'''Dr. Swanson:''' Now, now, don't talk through him; talk to him.
36	-->'''Snake:''' Apu, sometimes when I rob you, it's like you're not even there.
37	-->'''Apu:''' That is because you're robbing my brother Sanjay.
38	-->'''Snake:''' Dude, I didn't know.
39	-->'''Apu:''' Oh, just shut up!
40	* MarriedTooYoung: Bart feels this way about Homer and Marge and blames their ShotgunWedding in the wake of Marge becoming pregnant with him for their relationship problems in the present.
41	* MusicalEpisode: Half the plot has several songs. There's the Springfield Elementary staff singing about how to prevent Lisa from telling everyone that they denied' Cletus' kids education, Lisa gets a brief song about being a tutor, there's a musical montage of all the artistic sights downtown, and Cletus's kids get a song on Krusty's show.
42	-->'''Chalmers''': Let's sing while we think. It'll make it more fun for everyone.
43	* NeverLearnedToRead: Cletus merely signs the contract after pretending to read through it.
44	-->'''Cletus:''' Hamburger, hamburger, hamburger, hamburger...
45	* OutlivingOnesOffspring: Dr. Swanson's son was killed by Dark Stanley.
46	* PimpDuds: Cletus wears them after becoming his kids' manager.
47	* RealAfterAll: Shockingly enough, '''Dark Stanley'''.
48	* ShoutOut:
49	** Lisa's story is a WholePlotReference to ''Film/TheSoundOfMusic'', complete with [[SongParody parodies]] of songs from said musical. The ending parodies ''Series/TheHoneymooners''.
50	** At one point, she takes Cletus's kids to see Film/UnChienAndalou.
51	* ThatCameOutWrong: After Marge scrapes together the money for one more session with Dr. Swanson.
52	-->'''Marge:''' Bart, honey, this is all we can afford for now. If it doesn't work, maybe when you're an adult, you can pay some lady to make you happy for an hour.
53	-->'''Bart:''' You know, I'm pretty sure I will.
54	* TookALevelInJerkass: Cletus, after signing on to being a manager to the children. [[SubvertedTrope Ultimately subverted]] when Brandine saves the Spuckler family and is able to get the kids out of their contract by revealing Cletus is only the father of two of the seven children ("the one that can't sing and the one that can't ad-lib," she claims).
55	* WhamLine: While Bart's therapist is talking with her own doctor about how she can't stop thinking about Bart, her doctor puts forth a theory that winds up ''completely'' tilting the sideplot onto its head:
56	-->'''Therapist''': Do you think maybe Bart is [[ReplacementGoldfish replacing your son...]] who was ''killed'' [[RealAfterAll by Dark Stanley?]]
57	-->'''Dr. Swanson''': [[HeroicBSOD (starts going into a ball)]] ''[[HeroicBSOD Oh-]]'' [[HeroicBSOD oh, oh, I am]] ''[[HeroicBSOD not]]'' [[HeroicBSOD ready to go there...]]
58	* WingdingPupils: Invoked. Krusty gets dollar signs on his eyes when he learns that the Spuckler kids don't have agents. He then takes off the dollar sign contact lenses and comments that [[CrazyPrepared he knew he would find a use for them someday.]]

Context Recap / TheSimpsonsS18E14YokelChords