Separate Vocations

"Separate Vocations" is the eighteenth episode of Season 3.
==Synopsis==
When the results of Bart's vocational survey suggest he'd make a great cop and Lisa learns her dreams of becoming a professional sax player are doomed by genetics (she has stubby fingers, which would make saxophone playing impossible, even though she never exhibited any problems before this episode or since), their roles at Springfield Elementary are reversed: Bart becomes a hall monitor who cracks down on school misbehavior (after surviving a run-in with Snake during a police ride-along) while Lisa becomes a rebel who smokes with the bad kids, gets detention, and pulls off a teachers' edition textbook heist that could get her expelled.
== Full Story ==
After taking career aptitude tests, scored by a malfunctioning computer, Lisa discovers that the occupation she is best suited for is homemaker, while Bart's test show that he should be a policeman. Lisa is heartbroken over the result and at dinner, she complains about the chosen future for her as homemaker. Marge tells her it can't be that bad, but Homer rudely interrupts her and asks Bart of his chosen occupation. He replies that he got police officer, which makes Homer proud. However, Lisa reveals that she has future dreams of playing jazz music as a professional saxophone player and is determined to prove the test wrong. She consults a music teacher for his opinion and plays her saxophone with passion. Although he is impressed with her skills, he honestly reveals that because she has inherited her father's stubby fingers, she can never be a professional saxophone player. Much to her disgust, Lisa is therefore required by the test to spend the day doing chores with Marge, while Bart goes on a ride-along with the police.
Lisa hates her role as a homemaker and realizing that her future dreams have been shattered, she loses interest in being a good student. Without any motivation to do her best, Lisa quits playing saxophone and becomes a rebellious, sullen delinquent. Bart enjoys spending time with the police, and he even ends up stopping Snake during a car chase.
The next day, a sulky and depressed Lisa comes downstairs for breakfast. Marge warmly greets her for breakfast, but she doesn't bother to do the same. Lisa makes a snippy comment about how bad being a homemaker is. Marge tries to comfort her by telling her that being a homemaker isn't so bad and she can be creative in the kitchen with making meals, like making smiley face breakfasts for the family. Lisa stubbornly tells her not to bother making the effort because no one in the family appreciates it. Marge tries to prove her wrong, but Bart and Homer tear apart their breakfasts that she worked so hard on and forget to thank her for them. This discourages Marge and proves Lisa right about their lack of appreciation.
When Principal Skinner discovers Bart's new interest in law enforcement, as seen in the arrest of Groundskeeper Willie for burning leaves in violation of the town's clean air laws, he enlists him as a hall monitor. He soon becomes a good student with good grades. Bart starts handing out demerits to his classmates for minor infractions and has order restored to the school, much to the relief of the faculty, while Lisa has no interest in school work and is a more rebellious and sulky delinquent. She hangs out with rebellious 5th grade girls in the bad girls bathroom (the one her friend, Janey, warned her not to enter). When the girls try to kick her out, Lisa suggest hocking Skinner off completely by going after his puma pride statue ("The one thing he truly believes in"). They take this to heart, realizing Lisa knew more of Skinner's weakness than they do and ruin Skinner's puma, making him discouraged that there are still some delinquents willing to take him on despite Bart having restored order in the school. Lisa continues being rebellious by makes snippy comments to Miss Hoover, gets sent to Skinner's office for disciplinary actions and her grades drop as a result. At Skinner's office, he is dismayed to see a good girl like Lisa go bad and asks her what she is rebelling against. Taking out the toothpick, she dares him to give her his worst punishment. Skinner is horrified that Lisa has become a more sulkier and rebellious version of Bart. The girls are impressed with Lisa's recent bad behavior and offer her a cigarette. Though reluctant to accept, Lisa does and tells them she will smoke it in class.
In bed, while impressed with Bart's turn around, Marge is concerned about Lisa's lack of interest in her school work. Homer crudely tries to reassure her that things will work out, she's not convinced. Marge is also concerned that Maggie will follow Lisa's path of destruction one day. 
The next day at school, Lisa is seen drawing a skull with crossbones on her desk. Miss Hoover asks her to answer some questions in the class' history homework. Lisa responds by insulting her in front of the class. Everyone erupts in laughter except Janey whom is becoming more concerned with her recent bad behavior. Miss Hoover points out that if Lisa had bothered to do the assignment, she would've learned something. Lisa responds by insulting her further for earning $18,000 yearly. Annoyed, Miss Hoover orders her to serve detention by cleaning the chalkboard. 
While serving detention for another nasty comment towards Miss Hoover, Lisa is annoyed in clapping clean erasers from the chalkboard and mentions how much of an idiot she is without her Teachers' Edition school book. She gets an idea and smiles as she secretly takes the first Teachers' Edition and put it in her bag. Lisa heads into Mrs. Krabappel's classroom to steal her Teachers' Editions. She secretly steals all of the Teachers' Editions of the schoolbooks from the other teachers and hides them in her locker. After closing it, Lisa walks away snickering in victory knowing the disaster that will unfold. 
During a faculty meeting, Skinner informs the teachers that some delinquent has stolen the Teachers' Editions. This exposes the teachers' lack of education and many begin to panic. Krabappel uses Martin to teach class as she escapes to her car. Miss Hoover runs out of her classroom and tries to calm herself down, but her class isn't letting up. In Skinner's office, Bart is seen coming out of the personal bathroom and Skinner admits the police isn't helping them out. It turns out that they have raided the wrong building. Before Skinner could proclaim defeat, Bart convinces him not to. He believes that the missing Teachers' Editions are still in the school and they need to search the lockers.
In the hallway, Skinner and Bart searches the lockers. This causes concern for Lisa knowing the punishment is looming her way if anyone found out it was her. Bart finds all the books and realizes she is the culprit. Realizing he now knows the truth, Lisa slams her locker shut and confesses her part in it. Bart asks her why she would destroy herself by rebelling against the system, Lisa begins crying in frustration. She reveals she was doing all this because she was rebelling against her chosen future as a homemaker after being discouraged from her original dreams as a professional saxophone player. Lisa tells Bart that before he became a hall monitor, he used to enjoy the simple freedom of rebellion. He admits so, but even he had his limits and mentions that she's looking at expulsion for it. Lisa agrees and is heartbroken knowing that she will be expelled with her reputation ruined. Skinner is overjoyed that the Teachers' Editions are found, but asks who is the culprit. Before Lisa could speak up and admit to her wrongdoing, Bart takes the blame and returns to his life as a bad student and detention regular.
Before being taken away by newly-deputized hall monitor Milhouse to Skinner's office to face punishment, Lisa questions why he did this for her and not let her be punished. Bart reveals he didn't want her ruining her own future because she had the talent and brains to do whatever she wanted in life. He encourages her to keep pursuing her future dreams as a professional saxophone player and promises to be there for her when she needs his help ("while borrowing money from her") in the future. Lisa is touched by Bart's actions, as she goes back to being a good student and playing the saxophone. As he spends his time in detention, Lisa plays her saxophone outside the classroom to comfort him. Inside while writing on the chalkboard, Bart praises her and believes she has a great future as a professional saxophone player regardless of what others tell her.
== Citations ==
es:Separate Vocations
fr:Le Flic et la Rebelle
pl:Separate Vocations
pt:Vocações diferentes
Category:Episodes
Category:Bart episodes
Category:Lisa episodes
Category:Education-themed episodes
Category:Voice-Over Performance Emmy winning episodes
Category:Crime-themed Episodes
Category:Episodes featuring guest stars
Category:Principal Skinner episodes
Category:Snake Episodes
Category:Lisa seeks understanding episodes
Category:Flash-forward episodes
Category:Flashback episodes
Category:Episodes on DVD
Category:Directed by Jeffrey Lynch
Category:Written by George Meyer
Category:Highly Rated Episodes
Category:Episodes where Lisa cries
Category:History
Category:Klasky-Csupo, Inc.