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"The Telltale Head" |
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| “ | I wish someone would cut his ugly old head off. | „ |
| ~ Jimbo |
The Telltale Head is the eighth episode of Season 1. It was being planned to be the seventh episode of the season. 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 for the first time. This was also the first appearance of Krusty the Clown (if not counting the Ullman short The Krusty the Clown Show).
Synopsis[]
Bart gets more than he bargained for when he saws off the statue head of Jebediah Springfield, the town founder, to impress some bullies, but the city gets outraged and starts looking for the vandal.
Full Story[]
Homer and Bart being chased by the mob
The episode 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 pair turn the corner a furious mob advance on them. Homer and Bart are forced to turn and flee. Then the mob corners Homer and Bart in the town square next to the headless Jebediah Springfield statue. As the mob slowly advances, Bart climbs onto the statue and begs everyone to listen to his story.
Act One[]
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While the rest of the family prepared to go to church, Homer was preoccupied with a football game. On the way into church, Marge confiscated Bart's portable radio with headphones and threw them into the car. This gave Homer an idea. During Sunday school, the teacher and students discussed the topic of who is allowed in Heaven. Back in the church, the sermon was about gambling; Homer was oblivious because he was using Bart's headphones to listen to the game. On the way home from church Marge expressed her disapproval of Homer's headphones and Bart saw that the movie theater is playing “Space Mutants 4”. As Bart wants to see it, Homer didn't care but Marge refused. Homer gave Bart $5, and he headed to the theater on his skateboard. Upon arrival, he encountered Jimbo, Dolph, and Kearney. When Bart made a good impression on Jimbo, the trio invited him to sneak into Space Mutants 4 with them.
Act Two[]
After the manager found and escorted the four out of the movie theater for no tickets, they go to Kwik-E-Mart, where Jimbo, Dolph, and Kearney shoplifted several goods as Bart buys Squishees to distract Apu in oblivion. Bart met with them in the parking lot and realized he was used as a distraction to help them steal from the store, and in an effort to stay cool with the group he doesn't say anything. They wandered over to the town square to throw rocks at the statue of the town's founder, Jebediah Springfield. Once again Bart went along with the group so they will like him. After throwing the rock, Mr. Dandy told them off and the four are scared away. Later while the group looked up at the clouds on the Grassy Hilled Area, one of the kids said it would be cool if somebody cut the head off of the statue. When Bart heard this he defends Jebediah, and then the other three ridicule and teased him for it. Bart walked away embarrassed. When Bart walked home by himself he passed by the statue again, and after thinking about what the kids said earlier he got an idea. Bart arrived home and talked to Homer in the kitchen about the importance of being popular. Homer told 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, headed to the town square and climbed to the top of the statue then decapitated Jebediah using a hack saw. When he pushed the head down, Bart guiltily asked himself what he has done.
Act Three[]
Bart has the Head in his bed
The next morning Bart waked up in bed next to the head of Jebediah (an homage/parody to “The Godfather”). Bart headed downstairs to the kitchen with the head in his backpack where everyone was eating breakfast when a report came over the radio announcing the decapitation of the town statue. Bart started to get nervous when he saw how everyone in the family becomes angry after hearing the report. Scenes from Moe's bar and the Springfield retirement home revealed that everyone else was upset about the statue as well. In town Bart met up with Jimbo, Dolph and Kearney and was about to show them the head when he heard them say they were just kidding about decapitating the statue and would like to pound whoever stole Jebediah's head. When Jimbo asked Bart what's in his backpack, a voice in Bart's head responded to him, which turns out to be Bart's guilty conscience. Bart quickly picked up his backpack and hurried away toward home, passing through a growing angry crowd downtown. Back at home Bart quickly went to the backyard and tried to bury the head, but his guilty conscience, acting as Jebediah's head, talked him out of it. As the rest of the family watches television, Bart walked in with the head and confessed, much to the shock of the family. When Bart told Homer he stole the head to become popular, Homer realized he was at fault as well, as he misleadingly told Bart that fame was the most important thing in the world. Homer and Bart headed back into town with the head.
Ending[]
The story ends where the episode began, with Homer and Bart trying to return the head and being chased by the mob. Bart is ready to face whatever punishment that citizens have in store for him, but points out that it wasn't until the head was gone that everyone realized that they had taken the town's heritage for granted and also tells everyone that his guilt outweighs any punishment they might have in store for him. Moved by his words, the townspeople chose to allow Homer and Bart to return the head. As he does, Bart asks the head for forgiveness, and he hears Jebidiah's voice granting it.
Production[]
Video[]
The Simpsons - No Pets In Heaven