The Telltale Head

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

- Jimbo Jones

The Telltale Head was the eighth episode of The Simpsons' first season and it originally aired February 25, 1990. It was written by Al Jean, Mike Reiss, Sam Simon, Matt Groening, and directed by Rich Moore. In the episode, Bart cuts the head off of the statue in the center of town to impress Jimbo Jones, Kearney Zzyzwicz, and Dolphin "Dolph" Starbeam, three children Bart admires. When the children tell Bart that they would "break every bone in the body of the person who cut the head off the statue" (unaware Bart stole the head), Bart sees the error of his ways. After telling his family, Homer and Bart head to the center of town, where they are met by a mob. After Bart tells the mob he has made a mistake, the townspeople forgive Bart. The episode's title is a reference to the short story "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe.

Plot
Homer and Bart are chased through the streets of Springfield by an angry mob. Someone has sawn off the head of the statue of town founder Jebediah Springfield. Surrounded by the surly crowd, Bart pleads for understanding and relates the events of the previous day.

As the story unfolds, Bart borrows $5.00 from Homer and sneaks away to see Space Mutants IV at the local movie theater. On his way, he runs into a gang of troublemakers. One of them, Jimbo, invites Bart to sneak into the movies with him and his buddies. Later, as the boys throw rocks at Jebediah's statue, Jimbo wishes someone would cut off the statue's head. When Bart tries to defend the town's hero, Jimbo and the boys laugh at him. To be cool, Bart sneaks out of the house that night and saws the statue's head off.

The next day, all of Springfield grieves the decapitation of the town founder. Bart finds Jimbo and his pals, only to discover they are as distraught as everyone else and never meant what they said. Feeling remorse, Bart returns home and confesses to his family. Saying he won't let his son take the blame alone. Homer escorts Bart to the authorities, they are confronted by the angry mob. Bart tells the crowd that his act has united the town and taught people to appreciate their heritage. The townspeople agree, and Bart is forgiven.

The Telltale Head

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