The Telltale Head

"I wish someone would cut his ugly old head off!"

- Jimbo

"The Telltale Head" is the eighth episode of Season 1. It aired on February 25, 1990. The episode was written Al Jean, Mike Reiss, Sam Simon and Matt Groening. Rich Moore directed it. This is the first episode of the series in which Sideshow Bob, Reverend Timothy Lovejoy, Jimbo Jones, Kearney Zzyzwicz, Dolph Starbeam, Ms. Albright, and Apu Nahasapeemapetilon appear. This was also the first appearance of Krusty the Clown (if not counting the Ullman short The Krusty the Clown Show).



Synopsis
Bart cuts off the statue head of Jebediah Springfield to be cool at some bullies, but the whole city gets angry and starts looking for the vandal.



Full Story
The episode is a flashback episode where it begins with Homer and Bart walking on a sidewalk in downtown Springfield at nighttime. Bart has the head of a statue in his arms. As the two turn the corner an angry mob advances on them. Homer and Bart are forced to turn and run away. The mob corners Homer and Bart in the town square next to the headless Jebediah Springfield statue. As the mob angrily advances, Bart climbs up onto the statue and begs everyone to please listen to his story.

Act One
While the rest of the family prepare to go to church, Homer is preoccupied with a football game. On the way into church, Marge confiscates Bart's personal radio with earphones and gives them to Homer. During Sunday school, the teacher and students discuss the topic of who is allowed in Heaven. Back in the church, the sermon is about sports gambling; Homer is oblivious because he is using Bart's headphones to listen to the game. On the way home from church Marge expresses her disapproval of Homer's headphones and Bart sees that the movie theater is playing “Space Mutants 4”. As Bart wants to see it, Homer doesn't care but Marge refuses. Homer gives Bart $5 and heads to the theater on his skateboard. Upon arrival, he encounters Jimbo, Dolph, and Kearney. When Bart makes a good impression, the three invite him to sneak into Space Mutants 4 with them.

Act Two
After the manager kicks all four out of the movie theater, the four head to Kwik-E-Mart and Jimbo, Dolph, and Kearney shoplift. Bart meets up with them in the parking lot and realizes he was used to help steal from the store, and in an effort to stay cool with the group he doesn't say anything. They all wander over to the town square to throw rocks at the statue of the town's founder, Jebediah Springfield, once again Bart goes along with the group so they will like him. After throwing the rock, Mr. Dandy tells them off and the four are scared away. Later while the group lays at the Grassy Hilled Area, while watching clouds one of the kids says it would be cool if somebody cut the head off of the statue. When Bart hears this he defends Jebediah, and then the other three ridicule and tease him for it. Bart walks away embarrassed. When Bart walks home by himself he passes by the statue again, and after thinking about what the kids said earlier he gets an idea. Bart arrives home and talks to Homer in the kitchen about the importance of being popular. Homer tells Bart that no matter what it takes popularity is the most important thing in life. While The Simpsons are asleep, Bart, disguised in a ninja outfit, heads to the town square and climbs to the top of the statue decapitates Jebediah using a hack saw.

Act Three
The next morning Bart wakes up in bed next to the head of Jebediah (an homage to “The Godfather”). Bart heads downstairs to the kitchen with the head in his backpack where everyone is eating breakfast when a report comes over the radio announcing the decapitation of the town statue. Bart starts get nervous when he sees how everyone in the family becomes angry after hearing the report. Scenes from Moe's bar and the Springfield retirement home reveal that everyone else is upset about the statue as well. In town Bart meets up with the 3 kids from the day before. He is about to show them the head when he hears them say they were just kidding about decapitating the statue and would like to pound whoever stole Jebediah's head. Bart quickly picks up his backpack and hurries away toward home, passing through a growing angry crowd downtown. On the way, Bart's guilty conscience talks to him in the form of Jebediah's voice. Back at home Bart quickly goes to the back yard and tries to bury the head, but his guilty conscience, acting as Jebediah, talks him out of it. Bart walks in with the head and confesses, much to the shock of the family. When Bart tells Homer he stole the head to become popular, Homer realizes he is at fault as well. Homer and Bart head back into town with the head.

Ending
Cut back to the present, Bart finishes the story and apologizes to the angry mob and they have a turn of heart and forgive him while Bart places the head back on the statue.