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| That cat can't believe how long those fake arms of hers are! |
With Homer's eyes needing checked and Bart going on a camping trip soon, Marge takes the family to the mall. With Bart sticking with Homer at the eye doctor, Marge and Lisa go to see a movie about a tango dancer's furious comeback. Lisa becomes greatly enamored with the film and upon its conclusion tells Marge that she wants to become a dancer.
Marge takes Lisa to a dancing school owned by Vicki Valentine, a famous child tap dancer back in the 40s I guess. The school doesn't offer lessons in tango, but Lisa 'decides to enroll' in tap dancing, which is Vicki's specialty. Come to find out, though, Lisa is terrible at tap dancing. She's the only one in class who can't pick up the "tappa tappa tappa" beat, and even Ralph Wiggum is doing much better than her. Lisa becomes discouraged, but only sticks with it as both of her parents are very proud of what she's doing. Still, her tap dancing isn't improving, such that she's not even including in an upcoming tap dance recital. Professor Frink, who is setting up the stage for the recital, overhears Lisa's dilemma and decides to help.
Meanwhile, Bart and Milhouse were getting ready for their camping trip, but upon learning that Nelson will be around to beat them up the entire time, they hop off the bus before it leaves. Realizing that everyone will think they're at camp, Bart decides to spend that time having fun at the mall. They're able to stay in the mall after closing time, and make a mess of things overnight. The mall owner calls Chief Wiggum over to deal with it and Wiggum, believing the mess to of been caused by a giant rat, eventually brings out a mountain lion to find and kill it. Bart and Milhouse are able to use a ball of string to distract it, and the color of the string allows the cops to believe the tiger ate the rat, thereby saving Bart and Milhouse as well as their alibi.
Frink attaches devices to Lisa's tap shoes that respond when hearing percussion noises, such as claps or even taps. Somehow, the devices allow Lisa to tap flawlessly, but even so she isn't able to get into the dance recital. Still, she goes to it (because she has to pull the curtain, but even then Vicki does that for her), and the shoes go into action once the tapping begins. Vicki, not wanting to be upstaged, goes on a furious tap rampage, and Lisa's shoes follow suit. When the crowd starts applauding, Lisa's shoes go haywire, and Lisa goes off on a new level of tap rampage until Homer trips her. The secret of the shoes is revealed, and Lisa is disappointed that she won't become a dancer (or a tap dancer, anyway) but relieved her parents understand.
Quick Review
This was an enjoyable episode. The main plot works well for the most part, and Bart's subplot has its moments as well. I liked the character of Vicki Valentine and jokes around her complimented the episode well. Its one of Season 11's stronger episodes.
Final Score: 8.3
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