Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington

High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington is the second episode of the The Simpsons' third season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on September 26, 1991. In the episode, Lisa enters in an essay contest to write an essay about America's greatness. When she successfully wins it, she and the family travel to Washington, D.C. where the finals are to be held. Lisa is dismayed after witnessing a bribery scandal in the Senate. In her final essay, she disdains and condemns the government system, which leads to the arrest of the corrupt congressman who accepted the bribe. While Lisa fails to win the contest, her faith in government is restored. The episode was written by George Meyer and directed by Wes Archer, and it was the first episode that Al Jean and Mike Reiss served as show runners for. It features multiple references to the 1939 film Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, including the scene in which Lisa appeals to Lincoln's statue at the Lincoln Memorial for advice.