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==Plot==
==Plot==
[[Homer Simpson|Homer]] and [[Bart Simpson|Bart]] are chased through the streets of Springfield by an angry mob led by [[Barney Gumble]], Mr. Burns, and [[Krusty the Clown]] while carrying the head of the statue of their town founder, [[List of recurring characters from The Simpsons#Jebediah Springfield|Jebediah Springfield]]. Surrounded by the surly crowd, Bart pleads for understanding and relates the events of the previous day. The tale begins when Bart sneaks a radio into [[Religion in The Simpsons#The Western Branch of American Reform Presbylutheranism|church]] which is quickly caught by [[Marge Simpson|Marge]]. Homer, who is still in the car, decides to sneak the radio himself and manages to embarrass Marge when he loudly celebrates his team winning in a football game right in the middle of the sermon. Afterward, Bart borrows $5 from Homer and sneaks away to see ''Space Mutants IV'' at the local movie theater. On his way to the movie he runs into a gang of troublemakers. One of them, [[Jimbo Jones|Jimbo]], invites Bart to sneak into the movies with him and his buddies.
The episode begins [[in medias res]] - [[Homer Simpson|Homer]] and [[Bart Simpson|Bart]] are chased through the streets of Springfield by an angry mob while carrying the head of the statue of their town founder, [[List of recurring characters from The Simpsons#Jebediah Springfield|Jebediah Springfield]]. Surrounded by the mob, Bart begins to relate the events of the previous day. Bart suffers through a boring morning at church and is forbidden to see the violent new Space Mutants movie. After church he runs into local troublemakers [[Jimbo Jones|Jimbo]], [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_recurring_characters_in_The_Simpsons#Dolph_Starbeam|Dolph]], and [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kearney_%28Simpsons%29#Kearney_Zzyzwicz|Kearney]], and, wanting to seem cool, sneaks into the Space Mutants movie with them.


Later, as the boys throw rocks at Jebediah's statue and watch clouds, 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 and say "I thought you were cool." Later during the night Bart sneaks out of the house and saws the statue's head off.
After being thrown out of the movie, the troublemakers shoplift from the Kwik-E-Mart, throw rocks at the Jebediah Springfield statue, and watch clouds. Bart remarks that one cloud resembles Jebediah Springfield, but without a head. His new friends remark that they wish someone would cut off the statue's head, saying it would be funny to see the town so upset. Bart is conflicted and asks Homer whether it's okay to compromise your beliefs to be popular. Homer tells Bart that popularity is the most important thing in the world, as long as Bart isn't talking about killing someone. That night, Bart sneaks out of the house and saws off the statue's head.


The next day, all of Springfield grieves the horrible deed done on the town founder. Bart finds Jimbo and his pals and discovers they are as distraught as everyone else. Jimbo tells Bart that the [[decapitating]] was just cloud talk and they hope to meet the one who did this, so they can break every bone in his body. Feeling scared, Bart decides not to tell. Feeling remorse, Bart returns home and confesses to his family. As Homer, who also feels more than a little responsible for this incident, takes Bart to place the head back on the statue, 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, the head is placed back onto the statue, and Bart is forgiven.<ref name="officialsite"/><ref name="bbc"/>
The town is shaken by the crime. Even Jimbo, Dolph, and Kearney are upset, telling Bart that if they met the person responsible, they would break every bone in their body. Bart begins to feel guilty for what he has done, and his conscience manifests itself as the statue's severed head, which begins speaking to him. Unable to go on, Bart confesses his crime to the family. Homer, feeling responsible because of his bad advice, goes with Bart to return the head. They are found by the angry mob, returning the story to the beginning. Bart tells the mob that his act has actually brought the town closer together. The mob, easily manipulated, forgives him. Homer and Bart leave, Homer reminding Bart that "not all lynch mobs are this nice."<ref name="officialsite"/><ref name="bbc"/>


==Production==
==Production==

Revision as of 10:50, 4 August 2010

"The Telltale Head"
The Simpsons episode
File:SimpsonsMPG 7G07.jpg
Episode no.Season 1
Directed byRich Moore
Written byAl Jean
Mike Reiss
Sam Simon
Matt Groening
Original air dateFebruary 25, 1990[1]
Episode features
Chalkboard gag"I did not see Elvis"[2]
Couch gagBart is squeezed off the couch, flies out of frame, and lands in front of the TV.
CommentaryRich Moore
Al Jean
Mike Reiss
Episode chronology
The Simpsons season 1
List of episodes

"The Telltale Head" is the eighth episode of The Simpsons' first season, and it originally aired February 25, 1990.[1] It was written by Al Jean, Mike Reiss, Sam Simon, Matt Groening, and directed by Rich Moore.[2] 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 boys Bart admires. When the boys tell Bart that they would be appalled (unaware that Bart stole the head), Bart sees the error of his ways and eventually does not show them the head. After telling his family, Homer and Bart head to the center of town, where they are met by an angry mob. After Bart tells the mob he has made a mistake, the townspeople forgive Bart.[1] The episode's title is a reference to the short story "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe.[3]

Plot

The episode begins in medias res - Homer and Bart are chased through the streets of Springfield by an angry mob while carrying the head of the statue of their town founder, Jebediah Springfield. Surrounded by the mob, Bart begins to relate the events of the previous day. Bart suffers through a boring morning at church and is forbidden to see the violent new Space Mutants movie. After church he runs into local troublemakers Jimbo, [[1]], and [[2]], and, wanting to seem cool, sneaks into the Space Mutants movie with them.

After being thrown out of the movie, the troublemakers shoplift from the Kwik-E-Mart, throw rocks at the Jebediah Springfield statue, and watch clouds. Bart remarks that one cloud resembles Jebediah Springfield, but without a head. His new friends remark that they wish someone would cut off the statue's head, saying it would be funny to see the town so upset. Bart is conflicted and asks Homer whether it's okay to compromise your beliefs to be popular. Homer tells Bart that popularity is the most important thing in the world, as long as Bart isn't talking about killing someone. That night, Bart sneaks out of the house and saws off the statue's head.

The town is shaken by the crime. Even Jimbo, Dolph, and Kearney are upset, telling Bart that if they met the person responsible, they would break every bone in their body. Bart begins to feel guilty for what he has done, and his conscience manifests itself as the statue's severed head, which begins speaking to him. Unable to go on, Bart confesses his crime to the family. Homer, feeling responsible because of his bad advice, goes with Bart to return the head. They are found by the angry mob, returning the story to the beginning. Bart tells the mob that his act has actually brought the town closer together. The mob, easily manipulated, forgives him. Homer and Bart leave, Homer reminding Bart that "not all lynch mobs are this nice."[1][2]

Production

The idea to have the episode in flashbacks was originally thought up in the color screening stage of production.[4] This is the first episode directed by Rich Moore.[5] This is the first time Jebediah Springfield is mentioned, as well as the first time the Simpsons went to church. The announcer of the football game Homer is listening to at church is based on Keith Jackson.[6] Bart awakening and finding the head of Jebediah Springfield in bed next to him is a reference to the famous scene in The Godfather where Jack Woltz, a Jewish movie producer, finds the head of his prize racehorse next to him one morning.[3]

This is the first episode of the series in which Sideshow Bob, Reverend Timothy Lovejoy, Krusty the Clown, Jimbo Jones, Kearney Zzyzwicz, Dolphin "Dolph" Starbeam, Ms. Albright, and Apu Nahasapeemapetilon appear.[2]

Reception

Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, said they enjoyed: "the Simpsons [being] grossly dysfunctional in church, Homer dispensing terrible advice, and a real moral dilemma for Bart."[2] In a DVD review of the first season, David B. Grelck gave the episode a rating of 3/5 and added that "This is a strange episode, touching on many bizarre aspects of the show to come".[7] Colin Jacobson of DVD Movie Guide said "Good little moments abounded, and this was a generally solid episode. I liked the objects the boys saw in the clouds, and quite a few other funny bits appeared. “Telltale” wasn’t a great episode, but it was generally entertaining and clever.".[8]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "The Telltale Head" The Simpsons.com. Retrieved on August 20, 2008
  2. ^ a b c d e Martyn, Warren; Wood, Adrian (2000). "The Tell-Tale Head". BBC. Retrieved 2008-08-20.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) Cite error: The named reference "bbc" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Richmond, Ray (1997). The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to our Favorite Family. Harper Collins Publishers. p. 24. ISBN 0-00-638898-1. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ Reiss, Mike (2001). The Simpsons season 1 DVD commentary for the episode "The Telltale Head" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  5. ^ Moore, Rich (2001). The Simpsons season 1 DVD commentary for the episode "The Telltale Head" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  6. ^ Jean, Al (2001). The Simpsons season 1 DVD commentary for the episode "The Telltale Head" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  7. ^ Grelck, David B (2003). "The Simpsons: The Complete First Season". WDBG Productions. Retrieved 2008-08-20.
  8. ^ http://www.dvdmg.com/simpsonsseasonone.shtml
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