The Boy Who Knew Too Much

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The Simpsons episode
"The Boy Who Knew Too Much"

Episode no.	101
Prod. code	1F19
Orig. Airdate	May 5, 1994
Show Runner(s)	David Mirkin
Written by	John Swartzwelder
Directed by	Jeffrey Lynch
Chalkboard	"There are plenty of businesses like show business"
Couch gag	The family runs to the couch, but they look around to see that they aren't at their house, they're on the set of David Letterman's talk show.
DVD commentary by	Matt Groening David Mirkin David Silverman
Season 5 September 30, 1993 – May 19, 1994
Homer's Barbershop Quartet Cape Feare Homer Goes to College Rosebud Treehouse of Horror IV Marge on the Lam Bart's Inner Child Boy-Scoutz N the Hood The Last Temptation of Homer $pringfield Homer the Vigilante Bart Gets Famous Homer and Apu Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy Deep Space Homer Homer Loves Flanders Bart Gets an Elephant Burns' Heir Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song The Boy Who Knew Too Much Lady Bouvier's Lover Secrets of a Successful Marriage
List of all Simpsons episodes...

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

[edit] Synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

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 to school, Bart and the rest of the class have to sit in extremely uncomfortable chairs with their desks, 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).

[edit] Cultural references

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - The episode plot is similar to the Injun Joe/cemetery subplot. Bart also dreams of being outside on the river, on a raft with a Huck Finn type character.
Dirty Harry - The character "McGarnigle" bears a striking resemblance to Clint Eastwood/Dirty Harry.
The Man Who Knew Too Much - episode title.
The Kennedy family - Quimby's family is similar to this family.
Free Willy - The new 'director's cut' of this movie features the boy being crushed by Willy.
Westworld - The scene of Principal Skinner chasing Bart borrows heavily from the film.
"The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll" - Freddy's supposed assault is similar to Zanzinger's actual assault.
Ferris Bueller's Day Off - Principal Skinner on Bart's trail references Principal Rooney's quest to bust Ferris Bueller for playing hooky. However, Skinner is much more dogged than Ferris' principal and ultimately wins in punishing Bart for his truancy.
Frasier and SeaQuest DSV - Jasper makes reference to Eddie, pet dog of Martin Crane on Frasier, riding Darwin, the talking dolphin character from the science fiction series SeaQuest DSV.
Matt Groening - appears in a cameo as the court illustrator in the Quimby trial; can be seen signing his name on his sketch.
Meow Mix - Homer "sings" the jingle when Bart reads his thoughts in court.
When Bart and Chief Wiggum speak to Ranier Wolfcastle about his latest film, Wiggum quips "magic ticket, my ass, McBain"- a possible reference to the Arnold Schwarzenegger film Last Action Hero.
Wolfcastle's wife is named Maria; Schwarzenegger's wife is Maria Shriver.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit - The waiter's accident in the kitchen is very reminiscent of the cartoon being filmed at the beginning of this film.
12 Angry Men - Possible reference to the movie as Homer is called up to the jury and is the only member to find the accused innocent. Although Henry Fonda invoked reasonable doubt, Homer was casting a not guilty vote to intentionally deadlock the jury mainly to avoid having to return to the nuclear plant.