• New article from the Springfield Shopper: Tapped Out is… tapping out as the final event, Taps, has been released.
  • New article from the Springfield Shopper: ‘The Simpsons: Tapped Out’ game to end in January 2025!!
  • Wikisimpsons needs more Featured Article, Picture, Quote, Episode and Comprehensive article nominations!
  • Wikisimpsons has a Discord server! Click here for your invite! Join to talk about the wiki, Simpsons and Tapped Out news, or just to talk to other users.
  • Make an account! It's easy, free, and your work on the wiki can be attributed to you.
TwitterFacebookDiscord

Difference between revisions of "Bart of Darkness"

Wikisimpsons - The Simpsons Wiki
m (replaced: Bart of Darkness promo.jpg → Bart of Darkness promo.png)
 
(54 intermediate revisions by 27 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
==Plot==
+
{{Tab}}
Bart of Darkness
+
{{EpisodePrevNext|Secrets of a Successful Marriage|Lisa's Rival}}
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
+
{{Episode
(Redirected from Bart of darkness)• Ten things you may not know about images on Wikipedia •Jump to: navigation, search
+
|image=Bart of Darkness promo.png
The Simpsons episode
+
|number=104
"Bart of Darkness"
+
|season=6
+
|snumber=1
Bart witnesses Flanders apparently tell Rod and Todd he has killed Maude, and will soon kill them.
+
|prodcode=1F22
Episode no. 104
+
|airdate=September 4, [[1994]]
Prod. code 1F22  
+
|blackboard="Beans are neither fruit nor musical."
Orig. airdate September 4, 1994  
+
|couchgag=The couch builds itself on top of the Simpsons.
Show runner(s) David Mirkin
+
|showrunner1= David Mirkin
Written by Dan McGrath
+
|writer=[[Dan McGrath]]
Directed by Jim Reardon
+
|director=[[Jim Reardon]]
Chalkboard "Beans are neither fruit nor musical."[1]
+
|DVD features = yes
Couch gag The family sits in midair as the couch runs in, puts itself together on top of them, and they collapse under its weight.[2]
+
}}
DVD
 
commentary Matt Groening
 
David Mirkin
 
Jim Reardon
 
David S. Cohen
 
Greg Daniels
 
David Silverman
 
Season 6
 
September 4, 1994 – May 21, 1995
 
Bart of Darkness
 
Lisa's Rival
 
Another Simpsons Clip Show
 
Itchy & Scratchy Land
 
Sideshow Bob Roberts
 
Treehouse of Horror V
 
Bart's Girlfriend
 
Lisa on Ice
 
Homer Badman
 
Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy
 
Fear of Flying
 
Homer the Great
 
And Maggie Makes Three
 
Bart's Comet
 
Homie the Clown
 
Bart vs. Australia
 
Homer vs. Patty & Selma
 
A Star Is Burns
 
Lisa's Wedding
 
Two Dozen and One Greyhounds
 
The PTA Disbands
 
'Round Springfield
 
The Springfield Connection
 
Lemon of Troy
 
Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part One)
 
 
List of all The Simpsons episodes
 
"Bart of Darkness" is the first episode of The Simpsons' sixth season, which originally aired September 4, 1994.[1] It was written by Dan McGrath, and directed by Jim Reardon. In the episode, Bart breaks his leg; his resultant isolation causes him to believe that Ned Flanders has committed murder. The episode was produced during the 1994 Northridge earthquake which held up production by a month, and is largely a parody of the film Rear Window.
 
  
Contents [hide]
+
"'''Bart of Darkness'''" is the first episode of [[Season 6]] of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' and the one-hundred and fourth episode overall. It originally aired on September 4, [[1994]]. The episode was written by [[Dan McGrath]] and directed by [[Jim Reardon]].
1 Plot
 
2 Production
 
3 Cultural references
 
4 Reception
 
5 References
 
6 External links
 
 
  
 +
== Synopsis ==
 +
{{Desc|After breaking his leg, [[Bart]] spends the Summer at his bedroom window, spying on the neighbors with a telescope. Bart finds the view boring until he sees [[Ned Flanders]] murdering his wife.}}
  
[edit] Plot
+
== Plot ==
A heat wave in Springfield leads Bart and Lisa to pester Homer for a swimming pool, who, to avoid months of nagging, gives in. Word soon spreads that the Simpsons have a pool and every child in the town comes to use the new facility. After being dared, Bart tries an ambitious dive into the pool. However, after being distracted by Nelson, he falls and breaks his leg. This forces him to spend the rest of the summer in his bedroom wearing a cast. His isolation slowly makes him more and more irritable and paranoid. Lisa loans Bart her telescope to entertain him. Soon, Bart hears a scream next door, and witnesses Ned Flanders burying something in his backyard. He becomes convinced that Flanders has murdered his wife Maude, and vows to reveal the truth.
+
At the start of a very hot summer vacation, the Simpsons' fridge breaks after a failed attempt to beat the heat. Fortunately, Otto comes to their salvation with the [[Springfield Pool-Mobile]]. Bart and Lisa and the rest of the neighborhood kids enjoy the pool time until Otto tells them that their time is up and that the city doesn't have enough money in the budget to come back. Upon hearing this, Bart and Lisa convince Homer, rather easily, to buy them a pool. The Simpsons buy a pool kit from [[Pool Sharks]]. On their first try, they mistakenly build a barn instead of a pool, which an [[Amish man]] admires, but which frustrates the family because they still can't go swimming. On the second try, the Simpsons build a proper pool and suddenly Bart and Lisa become the most popular kids in the neighborhood. All the kids at Springfield Elementary, as well as kids they don't know (and who also don't know them), show up at the Simpsons house every day to swim. However, when Bart is dared to jump from his treehouse into the pool, he gets distracted by Nelson ("Your ''epidermis'' is showing!") and falls and breaks his leg. Bart is forced to stay indoors with a cast on his leg while Lisa enjoys her newfound popularity with the other kids swimming in their pool. Marge and Lisa soon take notice that Bart is becoming isolated and weird. To suppress Bart's sudden paranoia, Lisa gives Bart her telescope for something to do. He first comes to the conclusion that the universe is boring and instead uses the telescope to spy on Springfield residents. He finds nothing even remotely interesting to spy on, until he hears a female scream and spots Ned Flanders burying something in his backyard.
  
Meanwhile, Lisa basks in the glow of her new popularity. However, Martin Prince gets a larger pool, and everyone abandons Lisa. Bart convinces her to go and look for evidence of the murder. When Ned returns early, Lisa is trapped in the Flanders house, eventually being cornered in the attic; Bart painfully makes his way over there on his own, just in time to discover that Ned is actually putting away an axe, not threatening Lisa with it. Maude, it turns out, is alive and well, and had just gone to Bible camp for the weekend, learning to be more judgmental. The victim of Ned's "murder" was merely her favorite ficus plant.[3]
+
After hearing a conversation between Ned and Rod and Todd, Bart thinks that Ned will kill them too. When Lisa becomes unpopular again when Martin Prince sets up a better pool in his backyard, Bart convinces Lisa to sneak into Flanders's house and snoop around for evidence. However, Bart sees Ned coming into his house with an axe. Certain that Ned intends to kill Lisa, Bart tries to call 911, but only gets an answer from an automated recording. Bart decides to save Lisa on his own and struggles to get down the stairs and out the door, encountering many setbacks on the way to Ned's house. Meanwhile, Lisa becomes aware that Ned has returned home and is carrying an axe. She hides in the attic and Ned follows her. Bart arrives just in time for Ned to put the axe on a mount on the wall. He is dumbfounded when he sees Bart, who demands to know why he killed his wife. Ned is shocked to hear Bart say that he murdered his wife and passes out.
  
 +
The police arrive to the scene with both families, including Maude. Maude explains that she was actually at Bible camp for a week, learning how to be more judgmental. When Bart asks Ned about the "murder" that he saw, Ned breaks down and says that he accidentally overwatered Maude's favorite ficus plant, panicked, and then buried the remains; he had planned on replacing it before Maude got home. Bart then asks about the woman that he heard scream, and Ned says that he can't explain that. When Lou digs up Maude's dead ficus, Ned lets out a shrill-like scream. Bart then concludes that everything is normal.
  
[edit] Production
+
Meanwhile at Martin's house, his pool becomes too overcrowded and bursts. Everyone leaves and Martin becomes unpopular again. Before the credits roll, Nelson rips his swimming trunks off.
Dan McGrath was chosen to pen the episode, while Jim Reardon directed.[1] The episode was originally produced as the season finale of the fifth season, but was held-over and aired as the premiere of the sixth.[4] This was because, along with "Lisa's Rival", the episode was in production at the time of the Northridge earthquake of 1994. The earthquake damaged much of the Film Roman building in which The Simpsons writing and animation staff worked, forcing them to move out for three months and continue production in a temporary building.[5] David X. Cohen came in the weekend after the earthquake to see what had happened, as was told that "it was no more dangerous than it was before the earthquake," as the building was "a ninety year old, decrepit shack."[6] The only staff members that came in expecting to work were future show runners Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein.[4] As a result, the staff were given a month more than they would usually have had to work on the episode, which Reardon described as "greatly benefiting" it.[5] Having been a director on the series for five years before this episode, he believed that this "was closer to what [he] was trying to achieve as a director then [he] had done before."[5] He credited this to the extra time, and used it to insert little details, such as having Bart get stuck on the fabric of the chair he was in,[5] and wearing his underwear instead of a swimsuit.[7]
 
  
Many of the heat wave jokes at the start of the episode were based on past events of the crew's lives. The sitting in front of the fridge-freezer joke, came from McGrath, who had done a similar thing as a child.[8] The Springfield Pool-Mobile was based on a similar vehicle from David Mirkin's childhood, where a truck with a "spinning cars" fairground ride on the back would often come around his neighborhood.[4] Flanders' feminine scream was performed by Tress MacNeille and not his regular voice actor Harry Shearer.[7] Krusty's mispronunciation of Ravi Shankar's name was an ad-lib, than Mirkin kept in after the editing process because he liked it so much.[4]
+
== Production ==
 +
Dan McGrath wrote the episode and Jim Reardon directed. Originally produced and planned to air as part of [[Season 5]], this plan fell through when the Film Roman studio (who animate the show) was damaged in Northridge earthquake of 1994. Because of this, the writers and animators had to move to a temporary studio, which delayed production. The episode was later broadcast as part of [[Season 6]].  
  
 +
It should be noted that Ned Flanders' (rather feminine) scream was performed by voice actress Tress MacNeille and not his regular voice actor Harry Shearer - one of the few times in the series where such a thing has happened.
 +
== In other languages ==
 +
{{LanguageBox
 +
|de=yes
 +
|deName=Ein grausiger Verdacht
 +
|deTrans=A terrible suspicion
 +
|es=yes
 +
|esName=Bart de Oscuridad
 +
|esTrans=Bart of Darkness
 +
|la=yes
 +
|laName=El diabólico Bart
 +
|laTrans=The devilish Bart
 +
|fr=yes
 +
|frName=Bart des ténèbres
 +
|frTrans=Bart of Darkness
 +
|qu=yes
 +
|quName=Bart des ténèbres
 +
|quTrans=Bart of Darkness
 +
|it=yes
 +
|itName=La finestra sul giardino
 +
|itTrans=The window on the garden
 +
}}
 +
== Reception ==
 +
The episode received positive reviews from critics and was generally named "a great start to the season". Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, called it a "fine episode" and found that the "eventual explanation for Flanders' murderous behavior is hilarious."
  
[edit] Cultural references
+
{{Images|ep=yes}}
+
{{Season 6}}
James Stewart caricatured in the episode.The episode is largely a parody of Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window. As in the film, a wheelchair-bound Bart witnesses an apparent murder through his telescope, with musical cues from the film also being used.[1] James Stewart's character L. B. "Jeff" Jefferies appears twice, caricatured as he looks in the film.[2] Also, the pictures on the wall of Jeff's room are a racing car accident and a plane, the same as in Rear Window.[1] The barn building scene, including the on looking Amish man is a reference to Peter Weir's film Witness.[2] The Itchy & Scratchy episode's title is a reference to The Planet of the Apes, with the mutants being a reference to the Star Trek episode "The Menagerie", as well as Beneath the Planet of the Apes.[2] At the end of the episode Martin sings Frank Sinatra's "Summer Wind".[2] Springfield's wax museum features models of The Beatles and the cast of M*A*S*H,[2] and Bart plays Stratego on his own.[8] The pool dance scene sees Lisa in a role like those of Esther Williams, whilst Bart's play has similar elements of the works of Anton Chekhov.[2] The title of this episode comes from Heart of Darkness, a novella by Joseph Conrad.
 
  
 +
[[Category:1994]]
 +
[[Category:Season premieres]]
 +
[[Category:Lisa episodes]]
 +
[[Category:Bart episodes]]
 +
[[Category:Ned Flanders episodes]]
 +
[[Category:Episodes written by Dan McGrath]]
 +
[[Category:Episodes directed by Jim Reardon]]
  
[edit] Reception
 
Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, called it a "fine episode" and found that the "eventual explanation for [Flanders'] murderous behaviour is hilarious."[2] Tim Knight called it "a terrific opener to the season."[9]
 
 
 
[edit] References
 
^ a b c d e Richmond, Ray; Antonia Coffman (1997). The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to our Favorite Family. Harper Collins Publishers, p. 148-149. ISBN 0-00-638898-1. 
 
^ a b c d e f g h Martyn, Warren; Wood, Adrian (2000). Bart of Darkness. BBC. Retrieved on 2007-07-25.
 
^ "Bart of Darkness". The Simpsons.com. Retrieved on 2007-08-03.
 
^ a b c d Mirkin, David. (2004). The Simpsons The Complete Sixth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Bart of Darkness" [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
 
^ a b c d Reardon, Jim. (2004). The Simpsons The Complete Sixth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Bart of Darkness" [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
 
^ Cohen, David. (2004). The Simpsons The Complete Sixth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Bart of Darkness" [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
 
^ a b Groening, Matt. (2004). The Simpsons The Complete Sixth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Bart of Darkness" [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
 
^ a b Daniels, Greg. (2004). The Simpsons The Complete Sixth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Bart of Darkness" [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
 
^ Tim Knight. The Simpson: The Complete Sixth Season (1994)(4 DVD Set). Reel.com. Retrieved on 2007-08-01.
 
 
[edit] External links
 
Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:
 
"Bart of Darkness" The Simpsons Portal
 
"Bart of Darkness" at The Simpsons.com
 
"Bart of Darkness" episode capsule at The Simpsons Archive
 
"Bart of Darkness" at TV.com
 
"Bart of Darkness" at the Internet Movie Database
 
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bart_of_Darkness"
 
Category: The Simpsons episodes, season 6
 
 
 
{{spoiler}}
 
On a hot summers day a pool mobile stops by the Simpsons’ house which makes Bart and Lisa develop a taste for it. Bart and Lisa agreed that getting a pool is the only wat to go. They make an offer to Homer he could not refuse. "Now, before you respond, you must understand that your refusal will result in months and months of - Can we have a pool, dad? Can we have a pool, dad? Can we have a pool, dad? Can we have a pool, dad? Can we have a pool, dad? Can we have a pool, dad?" and so on
 
 
The Simpsons agree to get their own pool which attracts many kids. While attempting to jump from the roof of the treehouse, Bart falls and breaks his leg. Bart has to miss the summer and stays in his room and starts acting strangely.  Lisa becomes popular but gives Bart a telescope. While spying on the neighbourhood, Bart sees various signs that Ned Flanders has killed his wife Maude. Martin gets a bigger pool than Lisa and all the kids leave. Lisa now has time for Bart and breaks into Ned’s house to find evidence of Maude’s murder. Ned comes home with an axe and Bart tries to save Lisa. Maude is revealed to have been at bible camp and Ned actually killed Maude’s plant.
 
 
{{Season 6}}
 
  
[[Category:Season 6]]
+
[[sv:Bart of Darkness]]
[[Category:Episodes]]
 

Latest revision as of 12:10, August 30, 2024

Season 6 Episode
103 "Secrets of a Successful Marriage"
104
"Bart of Darkness"
"Lisa's Rival" 105
"Bart of Darkness"
Bart of Darkness promo.png
Episode Information
Episode number: 104
Season number: S6 E1
Production code: 1F22
Original airdate: September 4, 1994
Chalkboard gag: "Beans are neither fruit nor musical."
Couch gag: The couch builds itself on top of the Simpsons.
Showrunner: David Mirkin
Written by: Dan McGrath
Directed by: Jim Reardon
DVD features


"Bart of Darkness" is the first episode of Season 6 of The Simpsons and the one-hundred and fourth episode overall. It originally aired on September 4, 1994. The episode was written by Dan McGrath and directed by Jim Reardon.

Synopsis[edit]

"After breaking his leg, Bart spends the Summer at his bedroom window, spying on the neighbors with a telescope. Bart finds the view boring until he sees Ned Flanders murdering his wife."


Plot[edit]

At the start of a very hot summer vacation, the Simpsons' fridge breaks after a failed attempt to beat the heat. Fortunately, Otto comes to their salvation with the Springfield Pool-Mobile. Bart and Lisa and the rest of the neighborhood kids enjoy the pool time until Otto tells them that their time is up and that the city doesn't have enough money in the budget to come back. Upon hearing this, Bart and Lisa convince Homer, rather easily, to buy them a pool. The Simpsons buy a pool kit from Pool Sharks. On their first try, they mistakenly build a barn instead of a pool, which an Amish man admires, but which frustrates the family because they still can't go swimming. On the second try, the Simpsons build a proper pool and suddenly Bart and Lisa become the most popular kids in the neighborhood. All the kids at Springfield Elementary, as well as kids they don't know (and who also don't know them), show up at the Simpsons house every day to swim. However, when Bart is dared to jump from his treehouse into the pool, he gets distracted by Nelson ("Your epidermis is showing!") and falls and breaks his leg. Bart is forced to stay indoors with a cast on his leg while Lisa enjoys her newfound popularity with the other kids swimming in their pool. Marge and Lisa soon take notice that Bart is becoming isolated and weird. To suppress Bart's sudden paranoia, Lisa gives Bart her telescope for something to do. He first comes to the conclusion that the universe is boring and instead uses the telescope to spy on Springfield residents. He finds nothing even remotely interesting to spy on, until he hears a female scream and spots Ned Flanders burying something in his backyard.

After hearing a conversation between Ned and Rod and Todd, Bart thinks that Ned will kill them too. When Lisa becomes unpopular again when Martin Prince sets up a better pool in his backyard, Bart convinces Lisa to sneak into Flanders's house and snoop around for evidence. However, Bart sees Ned coming into his house with an axe. Certain that Ned intends to kill Lisa, Bart tries to call 911, but only gets an answer from an automated recording. Bart decides to save Lisa on his own and struggles to get down the stairs and out the door, encountering many setbacks on the way to Ned's house. Meanwhile, Lisa becomes aware that Ned has returned home and is carrying an axe. She hides in the attic and Ned follows her. Bart arrives just in time for Ned to put the axe on a mount on the wall. He is dumbfounded when he sees Bart, who demands to know why he killed his wife. Ned is shocked to hear Bart say that he murdered his wife and passes out.

The police arrive to the scene with both families, including Maude. Maude explains that she was actually at Bible camp for a week, learning how to be more judgmental. When Bart asks Ned about the "murder" that he saw, Ned breaks down and says that he accidentally overwatered Maude's favorite ficus plant, panicked, and then buried the remains; he had planned on replacing it before Maude got home. Bart then asks about the woman that he heard scream, and Ned says that he can't explain that. When Lou digs up Maude's dead ficus, Ned lets out a shrill-like scream. Bart then concludes that everything is normal.

Meanwhile at Martin's house, his pool becomes too overcrowded and bursts. Everyone leaves and Martin becomes unpopular again. Before the credits roll, Nelson rips his swimming trunks off.

Production[edit]

Dan McGrath wrote the episode and Jim Reardon directed. Originally produced and planned to air as part of Season 5, this plan fell through when the Film Roman studio (who animate the show) was damaged in Northridge earthquake of 1994. Because of this, the writers and animators had to move to a temporary studio, which delayed production. The episode was later broadcast as part of Season 6.

It should be noted that Ned Flanders' (rather feminine) scream was performed by voice actress Tress MacNeille and not his regular voice actor Harry Shearer - one of the few times in the series where such a thing has happened.

In other languages[edit]

Language Name Translation
Germany.png Deutsch "Ein grausiger Verdacht" A terrible suspicion
Spain flag.png Español "Bart de Oscuridad" Bart of Darkness
Hispanic America.gif Español "El diabólico Bart" The devilish Bart
France.png Français "Bart des ténèbres" Bart of Darkness
Flag of Quebec.svg.png Français "Bart des ténèbres" Bart of Darkness
Italy Flag.png Italiano "La finestra sul giardino" The window on the garden

Reception[edit]

The episode received positive reviews from critics and was generally named "a great start to the season". Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, called it a "fine episode" and found that the "eventual explanation for Flanders' murderous behavior is hilarious."


The Saga of Carl - title screen.png Wikisimpsons has a collection of images related to "Bart of Darkness".
Season 6 Episodes
Bart of Darkness Lisa's Rival Another Simpsons Clip Show Itchy & Scratchy Land Sideshow Bob Roberts Treehouse of Horror V Bart's Girlfriend Lisa on Ice Homer Badman Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy Fear of Flying Homer the Great And Maggie Makes Three Bart's Comet Homie the Clown Bart vs. Australia Homer vs. Patty and Selma A Star Is Burns Lisa's Wedding Two Dozen and One Greyhounds The PTA Disbands 'Round Springfield The Springfield Connection Lemon of Troy Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part One)