Cape Feare
| "Cape Feare" | |
|---|---|
| The Simpsons episode | |
| File:Cape Feare.gif | |
| Episode no. | Season 5 |
| Directed by | Rich Moore |
| Written by | Jon Vitti |
| Original air dates | October 7, 1993 |
| Episode features | |
| Chalkboard gag | "The cafeteria deep fryer is not a toy" |
| Couch gag | The family forms a chorus line, which turns into a large production number |
"Cape Feare" is the second episode of The Simpsons' fifth season. The title—and plot—are a spoof of the 1991 film Cape Fear.
Synopsis
Template:Spoiler Bart gets many letters, which threaten to kill him, all written in blood. One letter which is not written in blood was actually written by Homer, because Bart tattooed "Wide Load" to his butt. Homer believes it could be "probably the person you least suspect". Later that day, Marge, holding a knife, tells him that she is going to get him... some ice-cream. Ned Flanders, with Freddy Krueger-like finger-razors, tells him to say his prayers... because the schools can't make him like they should. Edna Krabappel tells him that he will be her murder victim... in the school production of "Lizzie Borden", who will be played by Martin Prince.
Marge pleads with Chief Wiggum for protection, but in vain. Lisa thinks the culprit could be Moe, who may have discovered that it was Bart who had been making prank calls to his bar. It turns out that Moe is only stocking pandas in the backroom. Bart wonders who the culprit really is...
The scene switches to the Springfield State Prison, and we see that the writer is Sideshow Bob. He writes another threatening letter in blood to Bart and then proceeds to "Reader's Digest" (in blood). He faints due to the blood-loss and his cell-mate, Snake, advises him to use a pen. The next day, Sideshow Bob's parole hearing is up. Wiggum and Selma give their testimonies, which Bob's lawyer rebuffs. After promising that he is no threat to Bart, he is paroled. Later, the Simpson family goes to watch a movie "Ernest Goes Somewhere Cheap". Sideshow Bob is also there sitting in front of them, smoking a cigar and laughing quite exaggeratedly. Homer (who is smoking his own cigar) bends over to Sideshow Bob, asking him to quieten down, but a funny moment in the film causes Homer to nearly bust Bob's eardrums. When Bob protests, the family on seeing who it is, realise that Bob had actually sent those letters.
At the Simpson home, Chief Wiggum helps set up a network of trap strings attached to a Krusty doll, with Wiggum assuring the Simpsons that the trap is infallible and once someone is in your home, whatever you do to him is nice and legal. Homer, eager to try that theory out, invites Flanders over, but Wiggum says that it doesn't work when you invite them over. Later, Homer goes to a shady-looking vigilante, who promises to run Sideshow Bob out of town, but actually pleads with him and fails. The next day, Bob goes around Evergreen Terrace in an ice-cream truck, calling out all the people whom he won't kill, and Bart's name is not on that list.
The Simpsons decide to opt for the FBI's Witness Relocation Program. After a lengthy tutoring by the Fed, Homer becomes Homer Thompson. The Thompsons move to Terror Lake, with new identities, jobs and a new houseboat to live in. The Feds also throw in a free set of cassette tapes, "The FBI Light Opera Society Sings the Complete Gilbert and Sullivan". As they drive in the car, we see that Sideshow Bob has strapped himself to the underside of the car. But Homer racing on speedbumps, throwing out extremely hot coffee and driving through a cactus patch don't exactly give him the smoothest ride ever.
We see an intro sequence very similar to that from "The Simpsons", except the name is "The Thompsons". They go inside their houseboat, after driving away all their neighbours with their manic laughing. Bob gets out, bruised and battered, from under the car and steps on a set of rakes repeatedly with his oversized feet in an absurd, prolonged sequence. Later, as Bart walks down the road, he hears Sideshow Bob's sinister voice and sees him extricate himself from the underside of another car. As he lies in the middle of the road, a parade (with elephants) comes through, celebrating Hannibal crossing the Alps. The elephants then start walking on him.
Bart runs home and warns his parents that Sideshow Bob is threatening to kill him. That night, as Bart sleeps, Homer runs in with a knife... to cut him some brownies before he goes to bed. Again, Homer busts in the room asking Bart if he saw his new chainsaw and hockey mask. Bart nearly goes catatonic with shock.
Later, Sideshow Bob arrives on the houseboat, cutting it loose from the dock, as he holds a knife that he hopes to kill Bart with, and he approaches Bart in his bedroom. Bob has also tied up the other members of the Thompsons. Bart escapes out the window and tries to hide from Bob, but he can't jump off the boat, as there are crocodiles and electric eels in the water. He sees that they are 15 miles from Springfield. Bob advances on Bart and asks if he has any last requests. Thinking fast, Bart asks Bob to sing the entire score to the H.M.S. Pinafore, much to Bob's delight and he obliges. After he finishes, he advances on Bart again, but the boat runs aground and Bob is apprehended by the cops there (who were incidentally visiting a nearby brothel).
Bob is taken away and the Simpsons (no longer the Thompsons) return home, to find Grampa looking like a lady, because he could not take his medication when the family was away.
Trivia
- There is a classic scene where Sideshow Bob steps on 9 rakes, just as soon as the Thompsons move to Terror Lake. DVD Commentary on the episode reveals that this sequence was extended because the episode ran short. This gag was repeated in Day of The Jackanapes and The Italian Bob as a tribute to its infamy.
- Tattoos appear prominently in this episode: Bart writes "WIDE LOAD" on Homer's butt (which prompts him to write an angry letter in black ink), and Sideshow Bob has many tattoos throughout the episode, which include a tattoo of Bart's severed head saying "Ouch, man!" on a skateboard, a skull and crossbones on his right arm, a tombstone on his left arm, the infamous "Die Bart, Die!" tattoo on his chest, and tattoos of three-letter words on three fingers on hands, which are "L-U-V" and "H-Ā-T", similar to the tattoos "L-O-V-E" and "H-A-T-E" on Robert Mitchum's character's fingers in The Night of the Hunter. Another reference to Mitchum can be inferred if one considers the fact that Mitchum starred in the original Cape Fear, the remake of which is parodied here.
- "Die Bart, Die" is German for "The Bart, The" indeed (as Bob claims), but "die" is the feminine German article. For a boy the masculine article "der" would be have to be used, though using an article with a given name is very uncommon and colloquial in German anyway.
- This episode spoofs two of horror films' most renowned characters - Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees. When Ned Flanders encounters Bart, he is wearing the trademark Freddy Krueger finger-razors (albeit to trim his hedges). Later, in Terror Lake, Homer scares Bart, wearing a hockey-mask (like Jason) and brandishing a running chainsaw (although he was simply showing them off).
- The motel that Sideshow Bob was in when writing his plans to kill Bart was called the "Bates Motel", the name of the motel where the classic thriller Psycho takes place.
Quotes
- Lisa: It's from my pen pal Anya! (Lisa reads letter, Anya's voice can be heard: "Dear Lisa, As I write this I am very sad. Our president has been overthrown and (turns into man's voice) replaced by the benevolent General Krull. All hail Krull and his glorious new regime! Sincerely, Little Girl." Lisa moans)
- Bart: But who'd want to hurt me? I'm this century's Dennis the Menace.
Homer: It's probably the person you least suspect.
- Milhouse: Um, I checked around. The girls are calling you "fatty-fat fat fat", and Nelson's planning to pull down your pants, but nobody's trying to kill ya.
Bart: Well, that's a relief.
(Suddenly, Nelson pulls down Bart's pants)
Girls: (chanting in unison) Fatty-fat fat fat! Fatty-fatty fat fat!
- Marge: (holding scissors menacingly with word DIE visible below hand) Bart, I'm going to get you...
(Bart gasps)
Marge: (cheerfully) ...some ice cream at the store since I'm saving so much money on diet cola! (Marge holds up a "DIET COLA: 75¢ OFF!" coupon)
(Scene switches to the Flanders family house.)
Ned Flanders: (threateningly) Say your prayers, Simpson... (brandishes a Freddy Krueger-style glove)
(Bart gasps)
Ned Flanders: (cheerfully) ...because the schools can't force you like they should! (brushes the hedge with glove) (Maude walks outside) Maude, these new finger razors make hedge trimming as much fun as sitting through church!
(Cutaway to Bart's classroom)
Edna Krabappel: (threateningly) You're going to be my murder victim, Bart...
(Bart gasps)
Edna Krabappel: (sweetly) ...in our school production of Lizzie Borden, starring Martin Prince as Lizzie!
(Martin appears as an axe-wielding Lizzie Borden in drag)
Martin: Forty whacks with a wet noodle, Bart!
- Chief Wiggum: Sideshow Bob has no decency. He called me Chief Piggum! (Laughter from everyone in the courtroom) Heh, now I get it. That's good.
- Pasty-Faced Lawyer: Robert, if released, would you pose any threat to one Bart Simpson?
Bob: (faking innocence) Bart Simpson? (chuckles) The spirited little scamp who twice foiled my evil schemes and (maliciously) sent me to this dank, urine-soaked hellhole?
Officer: Uh, we object to the term "urine-soaked hellhole" when you could have said, "peepee-soaked heckhole".
Bob: Cheerfully withdrawn.
Lawyer: But what about that tattoo on your chest? Doesn't it say, "Die Bart, Die?"
Bob: (conciliatorily) No, that's German for "The Bart, The."
(The spectators laugh and show understanding)
Officer: No one who speaks German could be an evil man.
Judge: Parole granted.
- Wiggum: Once a man is in your home, anything you do to him is nice and legal.
Homer: Is that so? Oh, Flanders! Won't you join me in my kitchen? (chuckles evilly)
Wiggum: Er, it doesn't work if you invite him.
Flanders: (outside the window) Hey-dilly hey!
Homer: (sourly) Go home.
Flanders: (unfazed) Too-dilly doo!
- Detective: Now don't you fret. When I'm through, he won't set foot in this town again. I can be very, very persuasive.
(Cutaway to detective in a bar with Sideshow Bob)
Detective: Come on, leave town.
Sideshow Bob: No.
Detective: I'll be your friend.
Bob: No.
Detective: Aw, you're mean!
- Witness Relocation Agent: Tell you what, sir. From now on, you'll be, uh, Homer Thompson at Terror Lake. Let's just practice a bit, hmm? When I say, "Hello, Mr. Thompson," you'll say, "Hi."
Homer: Check.
Agent: Hello, Mr. Thompson.
(Homer says nothing)
Worker: Remember now, your name is Homer Thompson.
Homer: I gotcha.
Agent: Hello, Mr. Thompson.
(Homer stays silent)
(The clock goes forward several hours and the rest of the family is dozing off)
Worker: (impatiently) Now, when I say, "Hello, Mr. Thompson," and press down on your foot, you smile and nod.
Homer: No problem.
Agent: Hello, Mr. Thompson! (He stomps on Homer's foot repeatedly and Homer stares blankly for several seconds)
Homer: (to other agent) I think he's talking to you.
- Bart: (pointing to Bob) Take him away, boys.
Chief Wiggum: Hey, I'm the chief here! Bake him away, toys.
Lou: What'd you say, Chief?
Chief Wiggum: Just do what the kid says.
- (As Bart is sleeping, Homer bursts in with a butcher knife and a tray)
Homer: (shouting and holding up the knife) BART, DO WANT SOME BROWNIES BEFORE YOU GO TO BED?!
(Bart screams)
Homer: Come on, let me cut you a brownie while they're still hot.
Bart: (sighs in relief) Dad, I'm kind of edgy right now. I'd appreciate you not running in my room screaming and brandishing a butcher knife.
Homer: Why? (brief pause) Oh, right, the Sideshow Bob thing. I'm sorry, boy. (kisses Bart and leaves)
(Suddenly, the door bursts open again, and Homer comes in wearing a hockey mask and holding a chainsaw)
Homer: BART, DO YOU WANNA SEE MY NEW CHAINSAW AND HOCKEY MASK?!
(Bart screams)
Homer: (turns off the chainsaw) Oh, sorry. What am I thinking?
- (Marge, Lisa, Homer and Maggie are tied up to the mast, Homer is laying there on the floor asleep dribbling on the floor)
Lisa: Oh no! Dad's been drugged!
Marge: (In an irritated tone of voice) No he hasn't!