Season

8

Production Code

4F01

Episode Number

0

Airdate

15 December 1996

Writer

Mike Scully

Director

Susie Dietter

Executive Producer

Bill Oakley
Josh Weinstein

Editor

Jimmy Heenan

Plot At Springfield Elementary School, Superintendent Chalmers visits Principal Skinner to show off his newly purchased 1979 Honda Accord. However, he becomes distraught when he discovers the car's hood ornament missing. Principal Skinner orders a search of every student's locker, and it is discovered that Nelson Muntz is the culprit. As punishment, Nelson is forced to return all stolen items to their owners and help Groundskeeper Willie with his jobs around the school.

Mr. Largo catches Lisa looking outside at Nelson during a music lesson, and as a result is given detention. After school, she continues to watch Nelson and develops a crush on the bully.

Lisa tries to let Nelson know how she feels about him by getting Milhouse to pass a love note to him in class. However, the plan backfires, with Nelson seriously injuring Milhouse, thinking the note came from him. Lisa admits that she wrote the letter. Nelson seems indifferent about the matter but begins by visiting her house. Lisa is resolved to reform Nelson into a model student. She changes his appearance by giving him new clothes and hair style. Later, the pair share a kiss during their date at the Springfield Observatory.

However, the influence of Nelson's friends Jimbo, Dolph and Kearney proves to win out when they convince him to come along with them and throw rancid coleslaw at Principal Skinner's house. Skinner immediately phones the police, and the four flee. Nelson takes refuge with Lisa, proclaiming his innocence. Lisa believes him, until Nelson unwittingly lets the truth slip. Lisa realizes that Nelson is always going to be Nelson and ends their relationship, much to the relief of an overjoyed Milhouse.

In the subplot, Chief Wiggum arrests a scam artist for telemarketing fraud. Homer witnesses the arrest and sees the discarded autodialer in a nearby trash bin. Homer takes the autodialer home to use for tele-panhandling.

Homer ends up annoying all of Springfield with his "Happy Dude" scam, and soon enough Chief Wiggum catches him. Instead of confiscating the autodialer and taking Homer into custody, Wiggum gives him a citation and asks him to bring the autodialer with him to his court hearing, otherwise there would be no case and Homer would be let off the hook.[1][2][3]