The Simpsons (TV Series) Bart Gets an F (1990) User Reviews

A Funny Beginning!

[g-bodyl · 9/10 · 22 February 2014]

The Simpsons are back for a second season and what a way to kick it off. This first episode features much better animation and boasts a pretty good story to go along with. While not reaching the perfect animation of latter seasons, I like the animation is crisp and clear. I liked the story and I liked how this episode pushes across a good message based around education.

This episode, "Bart Gets an F," is about how Bart repeatedly receives failing grades and is in danger of being held back in the fourth grade, so Bart promises to do well on his history exam and he needs all the luck he can get......including a blizzard?

Overall, this is a very promising start to what hopefully turns out to be a great second season. It's funny, written well, and has all the Simpsons characters we are familiar with. I rate this episode 9/10.

The season two premiere immediately boasts more confidence and is a great leap closer to the Golden Age of The Simpsons

[SLionsCricketreviews · 8/10 · 14 January 2018]

"Bart Gets an F" is a superb episode with an excellent dramatic hook. As the title would have you believe, this is a Bart episode and given how excellent the character was in the first season alone, this episode does not disappoint. For a show that could be as wacky and absurdly hilarious as The Simpsons, it could also be incredibly poignant and I rank the climax of this episode as one of the strongest emotional moments of early Simpsons as well as my single favourite moment up to this point in the show's run.

The voice acting, especially Dan Castellaneta as the voice of Homer immediately is closer to that of the show's legacy and the animation immediately is far crisper and smoother. Among the key cast players in this episode are the late Marcia Wallace as Ms. Krabappel and of course, Nancy Cartwright as Bart Simpson (among other voices). Cartwright in particular is fantastic here, really selling the emotional beats of many of her scenes none more so than the aforementioned climax though the "We all know it, I'm stupid!" moment earlier in the episode ranks a close second.

There's such heart and sincerity to this episode and it really highlights some of the wonderful qualities of Bart Simpson that make him an endearing character. His determination to try his hardest to succeed at something he feels almost destined to fail is incredibly touching and affirming and the lengths he goes to in order to try and ensure his attention is focused entirely on the task at hand is indeed admirable. As someone who often struggles to focus attention towards studying, Bart's struggle really speaks to me.

There's some nice Martin material too and the dynamic between he and Bart is a nice additional element to the episode's main narrative. The punchline at the end of the episode with Martin being caught by Skinner for vandalizing school property as Bart runs out celebrating his successful test result is a wonderful throwback to a story thread from earlier in the episode.

If anything, "Bart Gets an F" is perhaps a little low on humour but it mostly compensates with plenty of excellent dramatic material and depth. There's such heart and honesty in Bart's struggling efforts to succeed in an area of life he finds incredibly difficult to be attentive towards and the ending works beautifully. His family are ultimately all very pleased of Bart's hard work and he is rewarded by having his D- test paper put on the fridge alongside the far superior work of her sister. That in itself is a touching element to the story that Bart's younger sister Lisa finds success easy in an area that he finds very difficult and the detrimental task of 'living up' to a younger sibling.

Very Good Season Opener(SPOILERS)

[I_Am_The_Taylrus · 8/10 · 7 February 2007]

SPOILERS

I also like the fact that this is the first episode to have the new and very much improved opening sequence. This is also of course the first episode of the second season of the Simpsons. This is also the first appearance of Mayor Diamond Joe Quimby. I love the ending of this episode. It is so heartwarming.

Here is the plot of this episode. Bart is not doing very well in school. To skip tests, he pretends to be sick, and he still flunks. He learns that if he does not pass the next test he is going to have to repeat the fourth grade. He tries to get help from a very smart child named Martin. Unforatunaty, he makes Martin a rebel just like Bart. Then the big test comes. Bart fails. Then he tells Mrs. Krabappel about some very advanced history. Krabappel bumps his grade up to a D-, so he passed the test, just barely.

Overall, this is a good episode of the Simpsons. It is not the best season opener of all time, Who Shot Mr. Burns (Part Two) is, but this is still a very well-done and emotional episode. I also thought when Bart cries at the end when he realizes he failed his tears look deformed and psychotic. At least they do not look like all that anime tears. I hate anime. Anyway, this is a very good episode of the Simpsons, but not the greatest.

8/10

Awesome Episode

[PirateLordJackSparrow · 10/10 · 31 December 2006]

Bart Gets an F is an awesome episode. This episode is one of many favorites like Bart The Daredevil, Deep Space Homer, The Computer Wore Menace Shoes, The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson and many others. In this episode Bart is constantly underachieving in school. Due to Bart's underachieving he is faced with the possibility of flunking the 4th grade and therefore having to repeat fourth grade. To pass fourth grade Bart must pass a history test. This is a great episode where you are on Bart's side and want to see him succeed. This episode also has some good dreamlike sequences and a song as well. So overall Bart Gets an F is an awesome early season 2 episode.

Superb.

[haz567 · 10/10 · 13 April 2008]

The earlier seasons of The Simpsons were a different beast to the constant barrage of pop culture references that became ingrained in its formula later on, being much more story based it was often very poignant in its message and commentary on middle America at the time.

Bart Gets an F is one of these episodes in its prime, defining Bart as the underachieving rascal and proud of it figure in the early 90s. Constantly failing class through not studying, Bart weasels his way out a test several times to face the reality he ultimately has to do something or he is going to get an F and repeat the fourth grade. The story itself is quite saddening, despite being peppered with humor anybody growing up in the early 90s with difficulties at school can relate to Bart's situation and the effect it has on his family.

It certainly brings nostalgia watching it with the early 90's animation in place, not as rough as the first season but still not as crisp as later on. The narrative flows, the simple story a vehicle for commentary regarding that one kid who just didn't fit in the school system as hard as they may try which still remains relevant today.

Great episode, one of many in the early seasons.

One of the best episodes ever

[User6482828 · 10/10 · 21 September 2021]

This is one of the best episodes of the simpsons and possibly one of the best episodes ever made out of tv history.

10/10!

[Analog_Devotee · 10/10 · 3 June 2021]

I think a lot of people can relate to this Bart-centered episode wherein he struggles with tests and exams and the studying in which they require. I was definitely that kid for more than a few years of my childhood.

Bart's dialogue with Otto also cracks me up in this one. Good stuff.

An uplifting episode

[safenoe · 10/10 · 3 September 2016]

One of the major twists in Bart gets an F is his sincere thankfulness to God at the end of the episode. The episode explores the seriousness of making promises to God and not breaking them, especially with Lisa highlighting this to Bart when he's desperate to pass his exam and not be held back. One of the charming scenes was when Springfield residents were playing in the snow to "Walking in a Winter Wonderland".

I know it's a real cliché to talk about the golden years of The Simpsons, and I think this episode is part of the golden years for sure. I have little time for episodes post-season 12 unfortunately but I guess that's the way it is.

An Improvememnt On Season 1

[LedZep712 · 8/10 · 27 November 2007]

Bart Gets An F

Season 2 is in several ways superior to season 1 in my view. Animation-wise it's far more detailed, the voices are stronger (though still not their distinctive selves in later seasons) and the writing is stronger. Bart Gets An F is also stronger than most of the 1st season episodes.

It's setup is similar to earlier episodes, focus on Bart is still strong and certain characters that were ignored much in later years are used strongly (for example, Martin.) The episode does seem quite formulaic in structure (though the snow day is slightly unexpected.) and Bart (whilst being a slacker and a cheat) is probably a stronger character morally than later seasons with his prayer and feeling of responsibility.

Some bugs definitely need to be worked out, and would be worked out eventually. But keeping that in mind, it's a very strong episode with some of the most in-depth character development for Bart.

Major focus on Bart's struggles at school

[Horst_In_Translation · 6/10 · 16 December 2021]

"Bart Gets an F" is the very first episode of season two from the long-running cartoon show "The Simpsons". As of now, this premiered over 30 years ago on American television and not much later also in my country Germany. Anyway, this one runs for slightly over 20 minutes as they always do and the focus is on Bart at school. Nothing really unusual as the school is a place that is featured in almost every episode, at least the ones I have seen, and also the intro of course with Bart writing something on the chalkboard, but here there is way more to it as the central location of the action. The reason is that Bart is in danger of having to repeat the year because of his bad grades. I mean sure the way he dealt with his Treasure Island presentation early on was as amateurish as it gets, but throughout the episode you cannot really blame him too much. He tries to learn for school when Homer basically forces him to watch a King Kong movie instead. He makes a deal with the teacher's pet, but the kinda funny consequence is that the good boy becomes bad and not that Bart shows improvement. And then Bart even studies a lot and really hard before the crucial exam after force majeure helps him a little bit with that as Springfield witness an epic onset of winter. But will it be enough to have him pass? The maybe most interesting aspect to this episode is that Bart is not indifferent at all here as he usually is when it comes to school stuff. Look at how he reacts to Otto's comment about becoming a bus driver for example or how he loses it when his parents and teacher are around. Or how he cares that something he came up with must not be overshadowed by Lisa's brilliant works.

The focus is really almost 100% on Bart this time. We even see what he looks like as a grown-up in some kind of future vision. Homer has one or two funny moments, but also not too much. Lisa's only slightly memorable scene is her pep talk to Bart about how he should thank God. And Marge is really only seen on a few occasions, but if she had been out of this episode completely, it would have been the same outcome. Even Mr. Burns is more memorable with his one funny inclusion. All in all, one of the alright quite early Simpsons episodes. Nothing great and I think the rating here on imdb is too high for sure, but I still give it a positive recommendation. More depth to Bart this time than in at least 90% of other episodes, probably 95%. Also it was interesting how at that point they wrote Martin in a way that shows us how he was not established yet as the kind of character who is super smart, but not liked at school. When he is pushed repeatedly to the ground, that was the best example. Actually, it's kinda sad though. We are basically watching with the other students and now we know how to see him. And Martin also has this outstanding costume-based Moby Dick presentation at the very start that further elaborates on how he is perceived by everybody, even if they applaud him afterwards. Maybe that is one reason why he thought too highly of himself in terms of how the others see him. I shall end this review with Bart again. The interactions with his teacher are also among the better scenes from this episode, especially the "blah blah blah" very early on. Somehow I still remembered the exact sound of the teacher's rambling after all these years since I watched the episode for the very first time. More memorable than the kiss at the very end for sure. Charming teacher by the way with how she expresses how "happy" she is to have Bart for another year. Does that mean that teachers in America always have the same grade every year? Or had back then at least? And only for one year as a consequence? Interesting. That's all. Solid episode. Worth watching.

That's why the first three seasons of The Simpsons were the best.

[santifersan · 10/10 · 24 October 2023]

The early Simpsons are undoubtedly the best phase of the show. They had relatable dramatic and therapeutic storylines for the viewer.

Iconic is the way the music unfolds in the scene where Homer, as unruly as ever, disregards the words of the school psychologist. Almost imbued with tension, the score masterfully harmonizes the shadows that lie in Homer's genetic roots, thus conveying its undeniable murkiness.

I, being from Spain, learned about the origins of the USA thanks to this episode and The Simpsons in general, and I find it very interesting.

Lastly, when I was in high school, the religious studies teacher showed us this episode because it mentions God, and is relatable to the student who, in the face of desperation and frustration from striving for good grades in school, ends up seeking divine help and intervention.

It is an example that the early Simpsons had a therapeutic function and sociological interest that was later lost.

A strong start to S2

[studioAT · 6/10 · 4 March 2020]

If the 1st series was the show finding its feet then the 2nd is more about it taken confident steps forward.

From the opening credits onwards this feels a little bit more like 'The Simpsons' that we would come to expect, and this is a good episode.

I wasn't keen on the jokes about Bart faking blindness, but other than that this is a strong episode to start the 2nd year.

Brilliant!

[vikkicourts · 10/10 · 16 August 2022]

First Episode I watched and it's one of the best. By the end of the episode, I understood why it was the most popular TV show of all time.

I love how they show that grades put a lot of pressure on students and if they have bad grades they think they're stupid. Teachers also experienced this when they were kids and would only reinforce the idea to the children.

Bart doesn't do well in a test format and thinks he's stupid for getting an F. The teacher reinforces his thoughts by saying if he fails the test he's so behind he'll have to repeat the fourth grade. Luckily, he scored a 59 and referenced something that was in the book he was studying for the test. He got another point for it and passed. This shows Bart is smart, just he doesn't work under a test format.

He is so happy to have passed the test despite getting a D- which is okay. Progress is progress no matter how small. If you are writing a book and usually write nothing but now you write 100 words per day, that may seem like nothing but its an improvement and you should be happy about that. Overall, it's a 9.72 out of 10.

Emotional and wonderful episode

[mathewtoporov · 10/10 · 3 August 2023]

Bart gets and F is a fantastic episode featuring Bart as the main role. The reason I gave this episode a 10/10 is because of the pure changing personality of Bart. Unlike the most Simpsons episodes where Bart is usually just a rascal causing trouble, in this episode we really see his bright side that he's not just a troublesome kid but rather a kid who just wants to make his parents happy. And unlike the other Simpsons episode featuring Bart as the main character, I felt truly sad for him, taking in the fact it's supposed to be a comedy show but this episode was a lot different and stood out for making me feel actual emotions.

Rather Touching

[Hitchcoc · 8/10 · 19 February 2022]

Bart is in danger of repeating Fourth Grade. He can't seem to pass a test and has no skills to figure out a strategy. When given time, he wastes it. He even engages Otto to help him, trading irresponsibility for academics. Ultimately he turns to prayer and almost blows it again. His problems are sad because he has no real answers and he has set himself up by his past failures.

The last refuge of the scoundrel

[snoozejonc · 8/10 · 18 June 2022]

Bart struggles at school and faces the possibility of repeating the fourth grade.

This is a pretty good episode reflecting on Bart's behaviour.

It's Bart vs the world again as he faces up to life as an academic failure. The plot is strong, with a number of humorous ironic twists. At times you do feel for the character, particularly when he is depicted to be trying hard, which makes the ending all the more uplifting.

This is the first strong contribution from the character Martin Prince, who gets a hilarious arc in his relationship with Bart that includes some great out of character moments.

This May be "Bart get's an F", but i give this one an A++

[snickzella · 8/10 · 1 September 2022]

This episode is really good. It's such a relatable and frankly raw / honest look at the American public school system. I have learning disabilities, so education is a bit of a touchy subject. I went to both public and private schools, so I understand completely the fears and problems that Bart faces in this episode. This isn't just a problem with Bart. It's a problem for everyone. Ever since Tv began, society has made education appear to be something more desirable and beneficial. But it's not (at least here in the United States). Getting an A+ doesn't make you the best or even smart. There is no such thing as a bad student just a bad teacher. Constantly rewarding someone on pure merit while over look the rest is wrong. Not caring about the well being of the student is wrong, but so is enabling bad behavior, and refusing to put any kind of effort into your job. This episode does have a typical happy ending. But in reality, a student like Bart would have failed and not be given any comfort or respect. The American public school system ever since the invention of TV, has never been interested in the individual being an individual, they just care about the paycheck and the rules, rather than the kids their supposed to be helping. This episode, really was ahead of it's time in terms of writing, because it's so true and real to life. It's even more sad when you realize that not even Bart's parents think he can do it, and don't stick up for him, since now I days parents do advocate for their kids. This episode will always have a place in my heart because of how good it is, and how it reassured me even when I was younger, that I wasn't the only one being led to fail.