Ep 11. Bart's New Friend

Bart's New Friend is the eleventh episode of the twenty-sixth season of the iconic animated sitcom, The Simpsons. It originally aired on January 11, 2015, and was directed by Bob Anderson, with the screenplay by Judd Apatow.

The episode opens with the Simpson family attending a celebratory event at a local park, where they encounter a new family who have moved into their neighborhood. Their new neighbor's son, named Declan, is the same age as Bart, and the two boys hit it off instantly, bonding over shared interests in video games, pranks, and general mischief-making.

Over the course of the episode, Bart begins to spend more and more time with Declan at the expense of his other friendships, even going so far as to push away his best friend Milhouse in favor of his new pal. Marge grows increasingly concerned about the negative influence that Declan seems to be having on Bart, particularly when she learns that he has a reputation for being a troublemaker at his previous schools.

Things come to a head when Bart and Declan are caught stealing from a convenience store, and Bart is forced to confront the reality that his newfound friendship with Declan may have been more trouble than it's worth. In the end, he reconciles with Milhouse and learns a valuable lesson about the importance of true friendship and the dangers of peer pressure.

As with most episodes of The Simpsons, Bart's New Friend is full of sharp humor, pop culture references, and hilarious hijinks, but it also touches on some more serious themes, such as the challenges of fitting in, the pitfalls of succumbing to peer pressure, and the importance of standing up for oneself and one's values. It's a poignant reminder that even the most seemingly carefree and adventurous of childhood friendships can come with a price, and that sometimes the best course of action is to trust in one's own instincts and be true to oneself.