The Boy Who Knew Too Much

"The Boy Who Knew Too Much" is the 20th episode of The Simpsons' fifth season.

Synopsis

It's a beautiful day in Springfield, but Bart isn't happy about going to school (in part because they have to go on a prison bus) and when arriving in class, Bart has enough, skipping school by pretending to go to the dentist. But Principal Skinner isn't convinced.

He goes after Bart, finally cornering him. But Bart jumps in a car in time. The car is actually driven by Freddy Quimby, going to his birthday. At lunch, Freddy is served chowder, but he asked the French waiter to say it correctly. He says 'shau-dere' but Freddy says it's 'chow-dah'.

Freddy follows the waiter into the kitchen, where Bart is hiding under a table. Soon, Bart sees the waiter get injured by various kitchen appliances, and Freddy Quimby is arrested for the crime (presumably battery) and put on trial.

Everyone says he's guilty, but Bart knows that Freddy didn't do it. He doesn't want to testify, however, because he skipped school and Principal Skinner will know that he did if he testifies. Meanwhile, Homer was selected for jury duty for the trial.

Homer discovers that if the jury is deadlocked, they will have to be sequestered and stay at the Springfield Palace Hotel until they decide on a verdict. Thanks to him, they do so.

Bart reconsiders testifying to Freddy's innocence after watching a show on TV with a similar incident. Soon, in court, Bart tells everyone that Freddy didn't injure the waiter but the waiter injured himself in a series of clumsy actions. The waiter declares he's not clumsy but in the process falls out of the window into an open-roof truck filled with mouse traps. Freddy is free to go, while Bart is given four months detention (Skinners' amending it from three to four months is cut in syndication).