The Simpsons (TV Series) Bart of Darkness (1994) User Reviews

Summer's almost gone

[RainDogJr · 9/10 · 21 November 2008]

and was such a unusual one for some of the people from Springfield and definitely a memorable and hilarious episode the summer's adventures delivered. First the summer was not very nice thanks to the heat wave, certainly was intolerable and by writing that Homer said "Marge, can you set the oven to cold?", after enjoying some fresh minutes thanks to the refrigerator, is enough to let you know how desperate the citizens of Springfield were because of the heat wave. But we have some more unusual things like Homer buying a swimming pool! Certainly is unusual but maybe not because we saw what would happened if Homer doesn't buy the swimming pool but anyway there we see every kid of Springfield basically waiting for the swimming pool outside the Simpsons' place ("Hello, uh, Mrs.…uh, Bart. Is you pool ready yet"?). Then with the pool more strange things will come, Bart will be alone in the summer (he broke his leg while trying to do a dive) and Lisa will be popular thanks to the pool. So we have our Rear Window when Bart begins to do what James Stewart did in that terrific Alfred Hitchcock film (check the hilarious two little appearances of James Stewart!), Bart will believe that Flanders killed his wife ("but why? she's such a fox") and that he is going to kill Rod and Todd also. The conclusion for our Rear Window is simple hilarious and memorable just as the little participation of Martin, basically his and Lisa's experiences were similar, Lisa at one point was simply the queen of summertime and Martin wanted just that, Martin wanted to be the queen of summertime! "I mean king, king". Certainly both enjoyed their popularity, the very last scene is great, poor Martin!

"Beans are neither fruit nor musical!

I was at bible camp....

[snoozejonc · 9/10 · 13 September 2022]

The Simpsons get a pool and Bart breaks his leg.

This is a very enjoyable episode with good character moments and humour.

The opening sketches relating to the hot weather are great and set the scene very well.

Lisa and Bart are both written very humorously, with Bart used for a great tribute to the movie Rear Window. The scenes involving him before and after the accident are all very good.

Lisa and Martin Prince also have mini arcs relating to their quest for popularity via swimming pools and these are great little parodies of human behaviour.

For me it's an 8.5/10 but I round scores upwards.

Window in the Rear

[Hitchcoc · 10/10 · 26 May 2022]

It is incredibly hot in Springfield which leads the kids to beg for a swimming pool. Bart jumps out of his tree house and breaks his leg and can't enjoy the summer treat. But every kid from anywhere shows up. Meanwhile, Bart, doing a Jimmy Stewart bit, thinks Flanders has killed his wife and has buried her in the garden. Lots of fun stuff here including Lisa gaining great popularity because of the pool.

The Springfield poolmobile

[richspenc · 9/10 · 11 February 2016]

When Bart asks Otto, "same time tomorrow?" about the pool mobile, Otto says " no way man, one day a summer is all we're budgeted for". Then comes Bart and Lisa begging Homer for their own pool."can we hava pool dad? can we hava pool dad? can we hava pool dad?" The fast repeated asking bears some resemblance to when they asked Homer " can we go to Mt Splash more?" over and over again in "Brush with greatness". But that time was funnier because Homer kept answering " no" after each time asking and he continued to make each "no" louder and angrier each time they asked until Homer was finally screaming "NO!!!!", NO!!!!!!"," NOOO!!!!!!!" I guess maybe the Simpsons writers only thought it was funny to use that joke just once. But in this episode, Homer didn't say no, and he said OK right away to buying a pool. Right after that's when the best jokes of the episode started. First they accidentally build a barn instead, an Amish man shows up to correct them. Homer: D'ohith!" Then about a million kids show up to use the Simpsons pool, some of them not even knowing who Bart was (a few kids saying "hi Bart" to some strange kid) or who Marge was ("hello Mrs. Cumberdale"), and Jimbo calling Marge Mrs.uh Bart. Nelson going "ha ha" even when Bart really injured himself, that's when Bart broke his leg. Bart couldn't go into the pool now, and further very funny moments included when he asked Milhouse to sign his cast, he was so interested in getting into the pool over sitting with Bart that he signed Milpool. Then at night, Marge and Homer skinny dipped and Chief Wiggum catching them from an overhead chopper; Wiggum: "do not be alarmed, continue swimming naked. Oh come on, continue". Then Martin was jealous over all the attention the Simpsons were getting. Martin had a pool built in his own backyard while yelling "soon I'll be queen of summertime!", then noticing the pool construction men looking at him not too nicely, then him saying " king.. I meant king". Hilarious. Then Bart, confined to his room, is further disappointed to see the Krusty the Klown show is over for the summer. Then we get the "klassic Krusty" show that even made modern Kristy groan while saying it Hilarious. Then begins the whole subplot of Ned maybe having killed his wife and Bart watching the possible assumption through his telescope (and Bart saying "if that's not Ned Flanders, then he's done his homework"). That whole scene leads to the funniest joke of the whole episode on finding out who really produced the woman's scream Bart heard.

Good start to season 6

[gridoon2024 · 7/10 · 14 March 2017]

"Bart Of Darkness" is a fun homage to Alfred Hitchcock's "Rear Window", with an awesome Busby Berkeley/Esther Williams-type water ballet sequence as well. The people who made this episode have obviously done their homework. It also contains one of the most gruesome Itchy & Scratchy cartoons. The animation is first-rate, especially in a "shadowy" sequence in Bart's room. Only the bizarre ending (the last few seconds) feels a little "off" in this episode. *** out of 4.