>>107794422I'm not sure if you're referring to Ullman short Lisa being "lesser Bart" or what I wish to see from Lisa. I suppose technically both are true, if we wish to narrow it down. I generally prefer early character incarnations due to them being more grounded than later versions (not just in the Simpsons, but in other shows as well). Of course, the problem with Season 1 of shows is that the plotlines are formulaic and characters/stories can seem "boring" as things are played more safe. Again, it's all about finding a happy medium.
>>107794573That's one way of going about it, but Lisa's written to be more "independent", which again makes a character harder to write. There's an episode where Lisa worries about being fat, which is an alright plot point but it seems more focused on Lisa's neurotic tendencies and addictive behavior rather than the fat issue (even then, the episode is overshadowed by the A-plot of Nelson bonding with Marge). It's a hard task because you can't please everybody. The only right move is to write what you think is right.
>>107794620Lisa does have a friend group, but they're hardly developed, let alone used. If anything, they should have used them more for her stories, but hindsight's always 20/20. At this point, it's far too late unless they start re-inventing the show. The great thing about having a large cast ensemble is a nearly bottomless amount of stories to choose from. It's the limitations the writers put on themselves (such as always involving the Simpsons themselves) that nix out options.