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Difference between revisions of "Black Widower"

Wikisimpsons - The Simpsons Wiki
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{{EpisodePrevNext|Colonel Homer|The Otto Show}}
 
{{EpisodePrevNext|Colonel Homer|The Otto Show}}
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{{episode
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{{Quote|The wedding was very tough on you. And the honeymoon is going to be...murder!|[[Sideshow Bob]]}}
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|image=lo.jpg
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{{Episode
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|Episode Number=56
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|name= Black Widower
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|productionCode=8F20
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|image=Black Widower.png
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|originalAirdate=April 9, 1992
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|number=56
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|blackboardText="Funny noises are not funny"
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|season=3
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|couchGag=Two thieves are stealing the couch. The family sit on it, but are tipped off and it is taken away.
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|snumber=21
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|specialGuestVoices=[[Kelsey Grammer]] as [[Sideshow Bob]]
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|prodcode=8F20
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|Show Runner=[[Al Jean]] and [[Mike Reiss]]
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|airdate=April 9, [[1992]]
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|Written By=[[Jon Vitti]] (story)<br>[[Sam Simon]] and [[Thomas Chastain]] (teleplay)
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|blackboard="Funny noises are not funny"
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|Directed By=[[David Silverman]]
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|couchgag=Two thieves are stealing the couch. The family sit on it, but are tipped off and it is taken away.
 +
|guests=[[Kelsey Grammer]] as [[Sideshow Bob]]
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|showrunner1= Al Jean
 +
|showrunner2= Mike Reiss
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|writer='''Teleplay:''' [[Jon Vitti]]<br>'''Story:''' [[Sam Simon]] and [[Thomas Chastain]]
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|director=[[David Silverman]]
 +
|DVD features=yes
 
}}
 
}}
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{{Quote|And here's another breathtaking sight... my brand new hubby!|[[Selma]] to [[Sideshow Bob]]}}
 
  
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"'''Black Widower'''" is the twenty-first episode of [[Season 3]]. It was first broadcast on April 9, 1992. The episode was written by [[Jon Vitti]] and directed by [[David Silverman]]. [[Kelsey Grammer]] reprises his role as [[Sideshow Bob]].
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"'''Black Widower'''" is the twenty-first episode of [[season 3]] of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' and the fifty-sixth episode overall. It originally aired on April 9, [[1992]]. The teleplay was written by [[Jon Vitti]], the story was written by [[Sam Simon]] and [[Thomas Chastain]] and the episode was directed by [[David Silverman]]. It guest stars [[Kelsey Grammer]] as [[Sideshow Bob]].
  
 
== Synopsis ==
 
== Synopsis ==
−
[[Sideshow Bob]] gets paroled, and marries [[Selma Bouvier|Selma]]. However, [[Bart]] suspects that Sideshow Bob has something else up his sleeve.
+
{{desc|[[Selma]] decides to marry her prison pen-pal, [[Sideshow Bob]]. When he gets out of prison, he convinces the [[Simpson family]] he has changed for the better, but [[Bart]] remains skeptical and is determined to find out what Bob is really up to.}}
  
 
== Plot ==
 
== Plot ==
−
The Simpsons are having dinner with [[Selma Bouvier|Selma]] and her new boyfriend, but it turns out it is Bart's enemy [[Sideshow Bob]]. During dinner he tells the story of his terrible time at the prison. He wins an Emmy that gets taken away. He tells that he wanted to kill [[Bart]], but also that he changed. Then he tells the story of how he and Selma met, which was during a prison pen-pal program. He supposedly turns a new leaf after he met Selma. He is then released from the prison, and the story ends. Everyone enjoyed it except for Bart. Then Sideshow Bob asks Selma to marry him, and she eagerly accepts.
+
The Simpsons are having dinner with [[Selma]] and her new boyfriend, but it turns out it is Bart's enemy [[Sideshow Bob]]. During dinner, he tells the story of his terrible time at the prison. He wins an Emmy that gets taken away. He tells he wanted to kill [[Bart]], but also he changed. Then he tells the story of how he and Selma met, which was during a prison pen-pal program. He supposedly turns a new leaf after he met Selma. He was released from the prison, and the story ends. Everyone enjoyed it except Bart. Then Sideshow Bob asks Selma to marry him, and she eagerly accepts.
  
−
Sideshow Bob makes an appearance in the Krusty telethon, and he tells [[Krusty]] that there are no hard feelings. Bart and is terrified of his soon-to-be new uncle, since Bob swore he'd get revenge on Bart for having him sent to prison for framing Krusty the Clown for robbery, and he would never trust him. The wedding is almost cancelled when Sideshow Bob admits that he hates Selma's favorite show, [[McGyver]], but is saved by [[Homer]] when he says that when [[Marge]] watches her shows he goes for a walk or drinks some beers and comes back still in love.
+
Sideshow Bob makes an appearance in the Krusty telethon, and he tells [[Krusty]] there are no hard feelings. Bart is terrified of his soon-to-be new uncle, since Bob swore he'd get revenge on Bart for having him sent to prison for framing Krusty for robbery, and he would never trust him. The wedding is almost cancelled when Sideshow Bob admits he hates Selma's favorite show, [[MacGyver]], but is saved by [[Homer]] when he says when [[Marge]] watches her shows he goes for a walk or drinks some beers and comes back still in love. Bob decides he will go for a walk when MacGyver is on TV, and all is resolved.
  
−
During the wedding everyone is happy, that is except for Bart. During the honeymoon while McGyver is on, Sideshow Bob tries to kill Selma but his plan is ruined by Bart, who makes a "stinkin'" discovery, as Sideshow Bob referred to it. Sideshow Bob is taken away by the police, vowing to return the next time the Democrats are in power. After that, everyone thanks Bart for not losing his mistrust of Sideshow Bob.
+
During the wedding, everyone is happy, that is except Bart. However, everyone encourages him to let go of the past. Selma and Bob send Patty and the Simpsons a honeymoon video during which Bob goes crazy toward one of the staff demanding a room with a fireplace. During the honeymoon, while MacGyver is on, Bart realizes Bob is about to try and murder Selma.
  
−
=== How Bart uncovered the trap ===
+
At the hotel, Bob is walking around when his room explodes. After making a 'tearful' call to the front desk, he returns to the burnt out room expecting to see Selma's remains waiting for him, only to find Bart waiting with the police. Selma slaps Bob for trying to kill her, and tells him she wants a 'separation'. Bob asks how Bart worked out his plan. Bart explains, in Selma's video, Bob was eager to have a fireplace in their room and Bart noticed the gas tap. Bob turned the gas on before going for a walk knowing Selma wouldn't be able to smell it as she had lost her senses of smell and taste due to a bottle rocket accident as a child. Knowing she would smoke following MacGyver and the match would be enough to cause an explosion, he ran and told Homer... and after several failed attempts to explain it to him, he told Marge instead and they raced to the hotel just in time.
−
*In Selma's video, Bob was eager to have a fireplace in their room. Bart noticed the gas tap. Selma didn't smell the gas as she had lost her senses of smell and taste due to a bottle rocket accident as a child.
 
−
*Selma promised at the wedding that she'll give up smoking except for after meals and after MacGyver. The spark from a match was enough to make the room explode.
 
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*The explosion that Bob later heard was [[Chief Wiggum]] tossing his cigar behind him.
 
  
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{{Sideshow Bob}}
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Bob is confused as to why the room exploded if Selma was stopped. Chief Wiggum admits they were having celebratory cigars outside the room when he threw a match into the gas-filled room accidentally. Bob is taken away, swearing to get out the next time the Democrats are in power. Everyone admits Bob had fooled nearly everyone, and thanked Bart for never losing his distrust.
 +
 
 +
== Production ==
 +
"Black Widower" was written by [[Jon Vitti]] and directed by [[David Silverman]]. For a long time, the show's writers had wanted to craft an episode revolving around a "mystery", and so executive producer [[Sam Simon]] consulted Thomas Chastain, from the New-York based Mystery Writers of America group, to help.<ref name="Reiss">{{cite video | people=Reiss, Mike |year=2003|title=The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Black Widower"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> With the assistance of Chastain, the writers were able to include a number of small clues and details into the episode so that the viewers would be able to solve the mystery before it's conclusion.<ref name="Jean">{{cite video | people=Jean, Al |year=2003|title=The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Black Widower"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
The character of Sideshow Bob returns in this episode, after last being seen in [[season 1]]'s "[[Krusty Gets Busted]]", in which he was arrested and imprisoned. Bob's animation model was revamped and updated for this episode in order to reflect the style of [[Brad Bird]].<ref name="Silverman">{{cite video | people=Silverman, David |year=2003|title=The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Black Widower"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> [[Kelsey Grammer]] guest starred and returned to voice Bob.<ref name="Jean"/> Grammer initially expected Bob to be a one-time role, but it eventually became one the most popular roles he ever played, as well as one of the show's most iconic characters, and thus became a recurring role.<ref name="Grammer">{{cite video | people=Grammer, Kelsey |year=2003|title=The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Black Widower"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
== Gallery ==
 +
<gallery>
 +
File:Black Widower promo.png|Promotional image
 +
</gallery>
 +
 
 +
== In other languages ==
 +
{{LanguageBox
 +
|fr=yes
 +
|frName=La Veuve noire
 +
|frTrans=The black Widow
 +
|de=yes
 +
|deName=Bis dass der Tod euch scheidet
 +
|deTrans=Until death do you part
 +
|es=yes
 +
|esName=Viudo negro
 +
|esTrans=Black widower
 +
|la=yes
 +
|laName=El viudo negro
 +
|laTrans=The black widower
 +
|br=yes
 +
|brName=O Viúvo Negro
 +
|brTrans=The Black Widower
 +
|jp=yes
 +
|jpName=名探偵バート
 +
|jpTrans=Detective Bart
 +
}}
 +
 
 +
== References ==
 +
{{Reflist}}
 +
 
 +
{{Images|ep=yes}}
 
{{Season 3}}
 
{{Season 3}}
  
−
[[Category:Season 3]]
 
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[[Category:Episodes]]
 
 
[[Category:Sideshow Bob episodes]]
 
[[Category:Sideshow Bob episodes]]
 
[[Category:1992]]
 
[[Category:1992]]
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[[Category:Romance-themed Episodes]]
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[[Category:Romance-themed episodes]]
 
[[Category:Crime-themed episodes]]
 
[[Category:Crime-themed episodes]]
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[[Category:Episodes written by Jon Vitti]]
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[[Category:Episodes written by Sam Simon]]
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[[Category:Episodes written by one time writers]]
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[[Category:Episodes directed by David Silverman]]
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[[Category:Patty and Selma episodes]]
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[[sv:Black Widower]]

Latest revision as of 10:46, August 30, 2024

Season 3 Episode
← 055 "Colonel Homer"
056
"Black Widower"
"The Otto Show" 057 →
"The wedding was very tough on you. And the honeymoon is going to be...murder!"
―Sideshow Bob
"Black Widower"
Black Widower.png
Episode Information
Episode number: 56
Season number: S3 E21
Production code: 8F20
Original airdate: April 9, 1992
Chalkboard gag: "Funny noises are not funny"
Couch gag: Two thieves are stealing the couch. The family sit on it, but are tipped off and it is taken away.
Guest star(s): Kelsey Grammer as Sideshow Bob
Showrunners: Al Jean
Mike Reiss
Written by: Teleplay: Jon Vitti
Story: Sam Simon and Thomas Chastain
Directed by: David Silverman
DVD features


"Black Widower" is the twenty-first episode of season 3 of The Simpsons and the fifty-sixth episode overall. It originally aired on April 9, 1992. The teleplay was written by Jon Vitti, the story was written by Sam Simon and Thomas Chastain and the episode was directed by David Silverman. It guest stars Kelsey Grammer as Sideshow Bob.

Synopsis[edit]

"Selma decides to marry her prison pen-pal, Sideshow Bob. When he gets out of prison, he convinces the Simpson family he has changed for the better, but Bart remains skeptical and is determined to find out what Bob is really up to."


Plot[edit]

The Simpsons are having dinner with Selma and her new boyfriend, but it turns out it is Bart's enemy Sideshow Bob. During dinner, he tells the story of his terrible time at the prison. He wins an Emmy that gets taken away. He tells he wanted to kill Bart, but also he changed. Then he tells the story of how he and Selma met, which was during a prison pen-pal program. He supposedly turns a new leaf after he met Selma. He was released from the prison, and the story ends. Everyone enjoyed it except Bart. Then Sideshow Bob asks Selma to marry him, and she eagerly accepts.

Sideshow Bob makes an appearance in the Krusty telethon, and he tells Krusty there are no hard feelings. Bart is terrified of his soon-to-be new uncle, since Bob swore he'd get revenge on Bart for having him sent to prison for framing Krusty for robbery, and he would never trust him. The wedding is almost cancelled when Sideshow Bob admits he hates Selma's favorite show, MacGyver, but is saved by Homer when he says when Marge watches her shows he goes for a walk or drinks some beers and comes back still in love. Bob decides he will go for a walk when MacGyver is on TV, and all is resolved.

During the wedding, everyone is happy, that is except Bart. However, everyone encourages him to let go of the past. Selma and Bob send Patty and the Simpsons a honeymoon video during which Bob goes crazy toward one of the staff demanding a room with a fireplace. During the honeymoon, while MacGyver is on, Bart realizes Bob is about to try and murder Selma.

At the hotel, Bob is walking around when his room explodes. After making a 'tearful' call to the front desk, he returns to the burnt out room expecting to see Selma's remains waiting for him, only to find Bart waiting with the police. Selma slaps Bob for trying to kill her, and tells him she wants a 'separation'. Bob asks how Bart worked out his plan. Bart explains, in Selma's video, Bob was eager to have a fireplace in their room and Bart noticed the gas tap. Bob turned the gas on before going for a walk knowing Selma wouldn't be able to smell it as she had lost her senses of smell and taste due to a bottle rocket accident as a child. Knowing she would smoke following MacGyver and the match would be enough to cause an explosion, he ran and told Homer... and after several failed attempts to explain it to him, he told Marge instead and they raced to the hotel just in time.

Bob is confused as to why the room exploded if Selma was stopped. Chief Wiggum admits they were having celebratory cigars outside the room when he threw a match into the gas-filled room accidentally. Bob is taken away, swearing to get out the next time the Democrats are in power. Everyone admits Bob had fooled nearly everyone, and thanked Bart for never losing his distrust.

Production[edit]

"Black Widower" was written by Jon Vitti and directed by David Silverman. For a long time, the show's writers had wanted to craft an episode revolving around a "mystery", and so executive producer Sam Simon consulted Thomas Chastain, from the New-York based Mystery Writers of America group, to help.[1] With the assistance of Chastain, the writers were able to include a number of small clues and details into the episode so that the viewers would be able to solve the mystery before it's conclusion.[2]

The character of Sideshow Bob returns in this episode, after last being seen in season 1's "Krusty Gets Busted", in which he was arrested and imprisoned. Bob's animation model was revamped and updated for this episode in order to reflect the style of Brad Bird.[3] Kelsey Grammer guest starred and returned to voice Bob.[2] Grammer initially expected Bob to be a one-time role, but it eventually became one the most popular roles he ever played, as well as one of the show's most iconic characters, and thus became a recurring role.[4]

Gallery[edit]

  • Promotional image

In other languages[edit]

Language Name Translation
Germany.png Deutsch "Bis dass der Tod euch scheidet" Until death do you part
Spain flag.png Español "Viudo negro" Black widower
Hispanic America.gif Español "El viudo negro" The black widower
France.png Français "La Veuve noire" The black Widow
Brasil Flag.png Português "O Viúvo Negro" The Black Widower
Flag of Japan.png 日本語 "名探偵バート" Detective Bart

References[edit]

  1. ↑ Reiss, Mike. (2003). The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Black Widower" [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Jean, Al. (2003). The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Black Widower" [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
  3. ↑ Silverman, David. (2003). The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Black Widower" [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
  4. ↑ Grammer, Kelsey. (2003). The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Black Widower" [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.


The Saga of Carl - title screen.png Wikisimpsons has a collection of images related to "Black Widower".
Season 3 Episodes
Stark Raving Dad • Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington • When Flanders Failed • Bart the Murderer • Homer Defined • Like Father, Like Clown • Treehouse of Horror II • Lisa's Pony • Saturdays of Thunder • Flaming Moe's • Burns Verkaufen der Kraftwerk • I Married Marge • Radio Bart • Lisa the Greek • Homer Alone • Bart the Lover • Homer at the Bat • Separate Vocations • Dog of Death • Colonel Homer • Black Widower • The Otto Show • Bart's Friend Falls in Love • Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?
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