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Bart's Not Dead

Wikisimpsons - The Simpsons Wiki
Season 30 Episode
639 "Flanders' Ladder"
640
"Bart's Not Dead"
"Heartbreak Hotel" 641
For the film, see Bart's Not Dead (film).


"Bart's Not Dead"
Bart's Not Dead promo 1.png
Episode Information
Episode number: 640
Season number: S30 E1
Production code: XABF19
Original airdate: September 30, 2018
Title screen: The Simpsons logo shows up only for the S and O to transform into 30 and the text Years to appear beneath to form "30 years"
Couch gag: A series of clips from each season is shown (for a full list, see the references page). An alien family is then seen sitting on a couch in the Star System HD 102365 - 30 Light Years Away from Earth. The adult male alien asks why Homer sounds like Walter Matthau.
Guest star(s): Dave Attell as Luke
Emily Deschanel as herself
Gal Gadot as herself
Jonathan Groff as the actor playing Bart
Pete Holmes as Matthew
Leonard Nimoy as himself (archive footage)
Katy Perry as herself (archive footage)
Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer (archive footage)
Showrunner: Al Jean
Written by: Stephanie Gillis
Directed by: Bob Anderson


"Bart's Not Dead" is the first episode of broadcast season 30 of The Simpsons and the six-hundred and fortieth episode overall. It originally aired on September 30, 2018. The episode was written by Stephanie Gillis and directed by Bob Anderson. It guest stars Dave Attell as Luke, Emily Deschanel as herself, Gal Gadot as herself, Jonathan Groff as the actor playing Bart, and Pete Holmes as Matthew. Archive footage of Leonard Nimoy as himself, Katy Perry as herself, and Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer is also used.

Synopsis[edit]

"Bart takes a dare and ends up in the hospital. To cover for himself and Homer, he says he went to Heaven and met Jesus. Christian producers offer the Simpsons a movie deal, which Homer takes, but Bart struggles with the guilt."


Plot[edit]

At the student music festival at Springfield Elementary School, after Martin's poor performance, Lisa and Milhouse perform, with Lisa playing a sad song. Dolph dares Bart to pull the fire alarm to stop Lisa, but he refuses, signing his death wish with the bullies.

The next day, Marge is proud of him at school, but Homer at home tells him he has to take a dare like a man. Marge starts treating him well afterward in the car, which Bart doesn't take very well, imagining himself old and throwing himself out of a boat when Skinner makes fun of him too, on Mother's Day.

At Echo Canyon, the bullies dare him to jump from the dam, which Bart does, landing face-first on concrete. At Springfield General Hospital, Bart wakes up and, not wanting to disappoint Marge, makes up a lie that he went to Heaven. Ned and the police come to Bart's bedside too, and he slowly becomes popular.

After Lisa's failed attempt to scare Bart, Christian movie producers visit the house to present Homer and Bart with the opportunity to make a movie about his experience. Homer and Ned are forced to work together on the film, including interviewing Emily Deschanel and Gal Gadot.

The movie starts filming, and Bart begins to worry and have nightmares from Lisa's words. He actually ends up in Heaven in his nightmare, where he meets Clarence Bouvier and Jesus Christ, who beats him with "LOVE."

The movie, titled Bart's Not Dead, finally premieres and becomes a big hit. Afterward, Bart finally confesses to Marge and Lisa, and the Springfielders get angry. Homer and Ned give the raised money to charity, and all is forgiven—except for one thing.

On top of the house's roof, Bart asks Lisa if God will forgive him. She says if God exists, He'll forgive him—if Bart has remorse. Just after that, they fall, only to land on a pile of leaves, saving them. At the Pearly Gates, Bart is shown at his death, and Homer says Jesus wants to meet him. Instead, Homer goes to Hindu Heaven, where he is transformed into a turtle and sent back to Earth.

Production[edit]

Showrunner Al Jean told that in the episode, Bart has a concussion and wants to lie to Marge so he pretends he met Jesus, and everybody is like "Bart met Jesus" and they all wanna get his story so it turns into a musical.[1]

Reception[edit]

"Bart's Not Dead" won the 2019 Writers Guild of America award in Animation.[2]

International airdates[edit]

Country Date Channel Note
Asia December 9, 2018 Fox Asia [3]

Gallery[edit]

References[edit]


Promo videos[edit]


The Saga of Carl - title screen.png Wikisimpsons has a collection of images related to "Bart's Not Dead".
Season 30 Episodes
Bart's Not Dead Heartbreak Hotel My Way or the Highway to Heaven Treehouse of Horror XXIX Baby You Can't Drive My Car From Russia Without Love Werking Mom Krusty the Clown Daddicus Finch 'Tis the 30th Season Mad About the Toy The Girl on the Bus I'm Dancing as Fat as I Can The Clown Stays in the Picture 101 Mitigations I Want You (She's So Heavy) E My Sports Bart vs. Itchy & Scratchy Girl's in the Band I'm Just a Girl Who Can't Say D'oh D'oh Canada Woo-Hoo Dunnit? Crystal Blue-Haired Persuasion
Production season XABF Episodes
Mr. Lisa's Opus Gone Boy Haw-Haw Land Frink Gets Testy Homer Is Where the Art Isn't 3 Scenes Plus a Tag from a Marriage No Good Read Goes Unpunished Fears of a Clown Forgive and Regret King Leer Lisa Gets the Blues Left Behind Throw Grampa from the Dane Flanders' Ladder Heartbreak Hotel Treehouse of Horror XXIX My Way or the Highway to Heaven Baby You Can't Drive My Car Bart's Not Dead From Russia Without Love Werking Mom Krusty the Clown