Ep 21. The Hateful Eight-Year-Olds

The Simpsons season 31 episode 21, titled "The Hateful Eight-Year-Olds," follows Homer as he tries to bond with his young daughter Lisa by taking her to an amusement park. However, Lisa is less than thrilled about spending time with her dad, and she becomes even more frustrated when she is paired up with a group of misbehaving eight-year-olds on a ride.

The bulk of the episode centers around Lisa's interactions with the other kids, all of whom are pretty unlikable in their own way. There's a spoiled rich kid, a bully, a know-it-all, and a couple of troublemakers who seem to delight in causing chaos. Lisa tries to befriend them and get them to behave, but she quickly realizes that they have no interest in being nice or following the rules.

Meanwhile, Homer is dealing with his own set of problems. He's upset that Lisa doesn't seem to enjoy spending time with him, and he's frustrated by the behavior of the kids on the ride. As he tries to find a way to connect with his daughter, he ends up getting into a heated confrontation with the ride operator, who tells him to calm down or leave.

As the day wears on, Lisa becomes increasingly fed up with the other kids. She tries to ignore them, but they continue to cause trouble and make her life miserable. When they eventually sneak off and break into a restricted area of the park, Lisa decides enough is enough and confronts them.

What follows is a tense and dramatic showdown as Lisa stands up to the other kids and tries to get them to see the error of their ways. It's a powerful moment that shows just how strong and mature Lisa can be when she needs to be.

Eventually, the ride comes to an end and Homer and Lisa head home. Although they've had a difficult day, they both come away from it with a newfound respect for each other and a deeper understanding of their relationship. The episode wraps up with a heartwarming moment between father and daughter that reminds us just why we love The Simpsons so much.