The Telltale Head

Season 1, Episode 8, Aired
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Episode Summary

All of Springfield becomes enraged at Bart after he decapitates the town statue of Jebediah Springfield.
8.1
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Fan Episode Reviews (31)

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  • Perfect.

    10
    "Perfect"
    By jmbsonic555, Oct 17, 2011 Report Abuse
    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 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. Flashback to Sunday morning: the family is getting ready for church and 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 while 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", and begs to go see it; Homer doesn't care but Marge tells him no. Later at home Bart asks for 5 dollars from Homer and then takes off on his skateboard. Bart skates over to the movie theater, once there he encounters 2 of the worst kids in school: Jimbo and Kearney. Bart makes a good impression on them and when a third kid pokes his head out the emergency exit door and says the coast is clear, they invite him to sneak into Space Mutants 4 with them. Bart, a little unsure of the situation, agrees to sneak into the movie also.

    Overall, a perfect episode

    10 out of 10moreless

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  • The Tell-Tale Head: Bart cuts off the head of a statue for a dare which upsets the whole town.

    7.5
    "Good"
    By Sabrespongebob, Jul 13, 2010 Report Abuse
    Review for The Tell-Tale Head:

    This is the beginning of the classic simpsons every episode after this are great. This episode is great so funny and makes you feel for the characters. This is not a wacky far out episode it just focuses on the characters and the great story. The jokes are the seasons best and is one of the best season 1 episodes (Only behind Krusty Gets Busted) This episode also introduces some great characters (Apu, Krusty, Sideshow Bob and the bullies)
    A great story, Great jokes = A great episode

    Score for The Tell-Tale Head: B, 3.5/5, 7.5/10, Greatmoreless

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  • the town is outraged at bart for cutting off the head of the statue

    8.5
    "Great"
    By cube2k8, May 04, 2010 Report Abuse
    the ep starts out as homer and bart running from the mob and it flashes back to how it all happen which i thought was pretty good the way they did it. anyway bart sees the bullys throwing stuff and saying out rages things about jeb but bart defends the jeb statue but the bullys start think think he is uncool so he starts to agree with them. and so at night to be really cool he seeks out acting like a ninja an skate boards there and then cuts it off and hides it . the next morning he goes to meat the bullys and they say the guy who did this was a loser and say out rages things about the person who did that and bart says i thought you guys wanted it to happen and they said they were only playing around and bart startes to hear the voice of jeb and pounding come from were he hid it and that is how he got to were the ep begins from were bart and homer are infront of the mob surrounded with fire and pitch forks. and the mob forgives bart but he has to do clean up.moreless

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  • Nice

    10
    "Perfect"
    By futuramarama, Apr 05, 2010 Report Abuse
    Bart and Homer are seen with the head of town founder, Jebediah Springfield. Bart then explains what happened: he wanted to be popular with Jimbo, Kearney and Dolph, and so he thought by cutting off the head of Jebediah Springfield, they would like him. Unfortunately, when he does so, all of Springfield is mad at whoever would do this. The episode's conclusion shows that the citizens of Springfield forgive Bart for what he has done, and life goes on normally.

    decent episode, really liked the plot. My overall grade is an A+, a pretty good and well-written episode we got heremoreless

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  • Bart defaces the statue of Jebidiah Springfield.

    8.5
    "Great"
    By Hornets3, Sep 02, 2009 Report Abuse
    Bart and Homer are chased through the streets by an angry mob. They stop so Bart can recount the story of the previous day. The story unfolds. Bart goes out to see Space Mutants IV at the local movie theater. Jimbo and his gang pressure Bart to sneaking in the back without paying. They get thrown out, and they start throwing rocks at the statue of Jebadiah Springfield. Jimbo tells Bart it would be cool if somebody cut the head off the statue, so later that night, in an attempt to win friends, he sneaks out of the house and saws the statue's head off. The whole town is upset. Feeling remorse, Bart comes home and confesses to his family. As Homer escorts Bart to the authorities, the angry mob starts chasing them. The story ends, and the mob forgives him.


    Pretty good episode here. I loved the parody of the tell tale heart here. Had a couple of funny jokes. Give it a watch.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

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    • Bart tells the towns people that his story will be 23 minutes and 5 seconds. (Actual length of this episode: 22 min. 45 sec.) Edit
    • The movie marquee reads Space Mutants IV: The Triliogy Continues. Edit
    • A member of the angry mob carries a sign with the likeness of Jebediah Springfield's head and the words "Have You Seen Me". Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • This is one of the few episodes to actually put the title of the episode at the start. Edit
    • First and possibly only utterance by Bart on his skateboard of "cowabunga" in the series. For years many of the crew thought it was a line just added to T-Shirts out of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles craze. Edit
    • First Appearances: Apu, Krusty, Sideshow Bob, Jimbo, Dolph, Kearney, Reverend Lovejoy, Ms. Albright, and first time anyone mentions Jebediah Springfield. Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • (While Reverend Lovejoy preaches in church, Homer listens to a football game using a personal radio and headphones.) Football Announcer: Now they're lining up for this crucial kick. One final tick of the clock remains. If they win, it will cap an amazing comeback. But, it's a 49-yard field goal into the wind. Homer: (Quietly) Make it! Make it! Make it! Make it! Football Announcer: The kick is up. Homer: (Quietly) Oh, please, please, please, please! Football Announcer: It's got the distance. Holy Toledo, it's good! Homer: (Homer stands up and shouts.) It's good! It's good! It's good! (The entire congregation murmurs and stares at Homer.) Homer: It's...good to see you all in church. Edit
    • (Homer looks through his bowling ball catalog.) Homer: Ooh! Look at this one! "The Hammer of Thor: It will sends your pins to...Val-halla." Lisa? Lisa: Valhalla is where Vikings go when they die. Homer: Oh, that's some ball! Edit
    • (The topic of Heaven is discussed in Sunday School class.) Milhouse: Will there be cavemen in heaven? Sunday School Teacher: Certainly not! Bart: Um, ma'am, what if you're a really good person, but you get into a really, really bad fight and your leg gets gangrene and it has to be amputated. Will it be waiting for you in heaven? Sunday School Teacher: For the last time, Bart, yes! Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • Wallace Wolodarsky The football commentator mentions a player named "Wolodarsky". Wallace Wolodarsky is a writer on The Simpsons. Edit
    • The Whole Earth Catalog When Homer is selecting a new bowling ball, he flips through The Bowl Earth Catalog. This is a parody of The Whole Earth Catalog, which was published periodically between 1968 and 1998. Edit
    • The Godfather Though it isn't as drawn out as other episodes have shown it, Bart waking up to see the head of Jebediah Springfield is a parody of the horse head incident in the 1972 film The Godfather. Edit

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