The Bob Next Door
Bart suspects his new neighbor is Sideshow Bob in disguise.
"The Bob Next Door" is the twenty-second episode of the twenty-first season of the American animated series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox on May 16, 2010, and features the return of the recurring antagonist Sideshow Bob. The episode is notable for its plot based on the film Face/Off and for receiving positive reviews from critics.
Quick Facts
- Season
- 21
- Episode
- 22
- Director
- Nancy Kruse
- Writer
- John Frink
- Production
- MABF11
- Air date
- 16 May 2010
- Guests
- Kelsey Grammer as Sideshow Bob
Facts from the source article.
Plot
A financial crisis in Springfield leads to the sale of many houses and the release of low-level criminals from Springfield Penitentiary, including a man named Walt Warren. Walt purchases the house next door to the Simpson family and charms the neighborhood, but Bart is convinced he is Sideshow Bob in disguise because they share the same voice. Bart tries several times to find proof but fails, and Marge convinces him otherwise by taking him to the penitentiary, where they see Bob locked in a padded cell wearing a straitjacket and writing "Bart Simpson Will Die!" on the walls. Reassured, Bart agrees to go to a baseball game with Walt, who removes his small shoes to reveal long feet folded inside, exposing himself as Sideshow Bob. Bob restrains Bart in the car and plans to take him to Five Corners, a location where five states meet, to kill him. Meanwhile, the real Walt Warren escapes prison bearing Bob's hair and face and comes to the Simpsons' home. Walt explains that Bob drugged him and performed a transplant to switch their faces, leaving Walt unable to talk properly and detained in the padded cell. Walt and the Simpsons go after Bob, and after a distraction at a roadside diner, Homer, Marge and Lisa travel to Mexico in search of Bart while Walt continues to the Five Corners.
Production
The episode was written by John Frink, his second writing credit of the season after "Stealing First Base" and his third Sideshow Bob writing credit after "The Great Louse Detective" and "The Italian Bob". Nancy Kruse directed the episode, her second director's credit for the season after "The Devil Wears Nada". Kelsey Grammer returned as the voice of Sideshow Bob, marking his 11th major episode and 13th vocal appearance. The episode was originally slated to air on January 14, 2010, along with "Once Upon a Time in Springfield" and The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special – In 3-D! On Ice!.
Cultural references
The plot is based on the film Face/Off. The opening couch gag features Harold from the 1955 children's book Harold and the Purple Crayon. Bart tries to tempt Walt to sing "Three Little Maids From School Are We" from The Mikado, a song used in the earlier Sideshow Bob episode "Cape Feare". When Sideshow Bob reveals his identity, he exclaims he can now sing all the Gilbert & Sullivan he pleases, then sings the opening notes of "Behold The Lord High Executioner" from The Mikado. Marge and Homer tell Bart that many people have voices like Sideshow Bob's, citing characters played by Kelsey Grammer: Frasier on Cheers, Frasier on Frasier, and Lt. Cmdr. Tom Dodge in Down Periscope. When Sideshow Bob steps on a rake, it is a callback to a scene in "Cape Feare" where he steps on multiple rakes.
Reception
In its original American broadcast on Fox on May 16, 2010, the episode was viewed by an estimated 6.258 million households and received a 2.9 rating/9 share in the 18–49 demographic. It came second in its time slot after the season finale of Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains and was the second highest-rated show in Fox's "Animation Domination" block after a new episode of Family Guy. The episode received positive reviews. Robert Canning of IGN gave it an 8.5 rating, calling it "Great" and stating it was a return to form for Sideshow Bob after recent disappointing episodes; he later named it the best episode of the season tied with "The Squirt and the Whale". TV Fanatic gave it four out of five, enjoying the plot twists but finding the jokes unfunny compared to "Cape Feare". John Teti of The A.V. Club gave it a B+, noting the showdown at Five Corners played out like "Cape Feare" with the rake gag, which he considered a good episode to copy. Sharon Knolle of AOL TV ranked it with the better Sideshow Bob episodes, beating "The Italian Bob" and "Funeral for a Fiend".
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