Homer becomes a hairdresser while Lisa tries to save Milhouse from a manipulative fifth grade girl.
Tropes:
- Absurdly Sharp Blade: Homer's scissors are so sharp that they're capable of cutting the steel cables of a suspension bridge.Homer: These are really good scissors.
- Barbershop Episode: In this episode, Homer becomes Springfield's most popular hairdresser when he miraculously styles Patty and Selma's hair. However, he soon gets upset from having to listen to the inane chatter of numerous women in Springfield. Eventually, Homer lets Julio style Marge's hair for a party, resulting in the women demanding Julio to style them.
- Big Damn Kiss: Lisa and Milhouse. Though it is on Lisa's part to make him feel better after both turning him down and destroying his new relationship with Taffy.
- Blessed with Suck: Homer's hairstyling skills are magnificent, but he grows to hate it when the women of Springfield won't let him quit and won't stop talking his ear off with their problems. Even when he tries to purposely ruin a client’s hair (Helen Lovejoy's), he physically can't.
- Bowdlerize: In-universe. Milhouse is such a wimp, that his mother censors out the prelude for Finding Nemo where Coral and most of her unborn children are eaten (offscreen) by a barracuda. When he gets a chance to watch the prelude for the first time, he reacts as if Coral was raped, and it takes the fire brigade to pull him out from underneath the sofa. Bart's reaction ("Nemo has a mother?") suggests the beginning was skipped for him as well.
- Can't Live with Them, Can't Live Without Them: Lisa says she doesn't like Milhouse, but she can't stand to see him with another girl. Even after kissing him she herself is not sure it means she really likes him.
- Continuity Nod: Milhouse says "Everything's coming up Milhouse!", recalling Season 10's "Mom and Pop Art."
- Despair Event Horizon: Milhouse highlights how sick he is of having his heartstrings pulled by Lisa from her not liking him back and yet ruining his attempt at leaving her behind with the following question:You don't want me to be with you. You don't want me to be with someone else. How miserable do I have to be before you're happy?
- Dreadful Musician: Milhouse's love song to Lisa does not impress anyone and clearly creeps her out. Even Bart slaps his face with disbelief.
- Give Geeks a Chance: To Milhouse. During lunch, Taffy overhears Milhouse proclaim his love for Lisa, only to be rebuffed by her. Impressed by Milhouse's action, she falls in love with him and begins dating him.
- Green-Eyed Monster:
- Lisa gradually becomes jealous of Taffy and starts doing things like looking through her social media page and following her and Milhouse on a date.
- Taffy also gets jealous of Lisa and breaks up with Milhouse because she suspects that he still likes Lisa despite being rejected by her earlier.
- Insane Troll Logic: Taffy dumps Milhouse when they spot Lisa, who followed them to Reaching Hands Point, because she thinks Milhouse might still love Lisa... despite the fact that he didn't do anything.
- Satellite Love Interest: Taffy, most of her scenes involve interacting with Milhouse and we vaguely know the character.
- Ship Tease: While Milhouse's crush on Lisa is a longstanding element of the show, this episode is actually the first time she seems charmed by him at the end. She even kisses him, though partially because she felt guilty for interfering with his relationship with Taffy.
- Suicide as Comedy: Unable to quit the hair-cutting business by any means, Homer tries to commit "barbicide" by downing a whole container of the stuff, then questions why nothing can kill him.
- Unrequited Love Switcheroo: Milhouse attempted a declaration of love to Lisa, who rejected him. Taffy actually thought the act was cute and they started dating, which in turn made Lisa jealous because Milhouse was no longer showing her any romantic attention (she struggles picking up her own books because Milhouse usually does it for her).
- What Does She See in Him?: Lisa’s subplot focuses on her wondering why Taffy is so interested in Milhouse and assuming she must want something from him rather than being genuinely interested in him.
