The savior teacher/deficit parent narrative has become a public pedagogy in America, evidenced by the rise of Teach for America, and the threat of extreme neoliberal education reforms by the Trump administration. In this paper, I examine how the popular television show, "The Simpsons," upholds and challenges familiar tropes of the savior teacher/ deficit parent narrative. Drawing on Michael Apple's theory of the enterprising individual as a trait of neoliberal education ideology, I analyze the ways in which the episode "Lisa's Substitute" strays from predictable narratives through a focus on parent/child relationship vs. teacher/student relationship. I conclude that while this episode highlights and satirizes tropes of the savior teacher/deficit parent narrative, ultimately, the resolution does not challenge assumptions about working class parents as a barrier to their children's success or the missionary role of teacher saviors.