I Love Lisa

"I Love Lisa" is the fifteenth episode of The Simpsons' fourth season, and originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 11, 1993. In the episode, Lisa gives Ralph Wiggum a Valentine's Day card when she sees that he has not received any. Ralph reads too much into Lisa's gesture and, much to Lisa's dismay, relentlessly pursues her with affection. Lisa snaps at Ralph and angrily tells him they are not together and that she never liked him. Heartbroken, Ralph channels his feelings into his performance as George Washington in the school's President's Day pageant. After a thunderous applause from the audience, he is able to accept Lisa as just a friend.

Frank Mula wrote the episode, and Wes Archer served as director. Michael Carrington guest-starred as Rex. Al Jean, show runner of the episode, came up with the idea for the story when he remembered that he had received a valentine from a girl in third grade that read "I Choo-Choo-Choose You". The episode was well received by critics; Entertainment Weekly placed the episode twelfth on their top 25 The Simpsons episodes list. The episode received a Nielsen rating of 14.9 and was the highest rated show on the Fox network the week it aired. The staff received an angry letter from a Vietnam veteran because of a flashback scene depicting the fatal shooting of a Vietnam soldier.