Plot

After Krusty is found guilty of robbing the Kwik-E-Mart following Homer's eyewitness testimony, Bart and Lisa set out to prove his innocence.

While shopping at the Kwik-E Mart, Homer is caught in the middle of an armed robbery. The suspect is dressed like Krusty the Clown, Bart's television idol. Homer confirms the identity and is arrested, tried and convicted (under the pretense that he was trying to recoup gambling losses). Bart is convinced that he is innocent, with Lisa's help, eventually deduces that someone was trying to frame him. Tying information together from news reports, their own knowledge and logical reasoning, Bart and Lisa expose Krusty's sidekick, Sideshow Bob as the culprit. Bob, it seems, had grown weary of being the butt of Krusty's physical gags and being part of an inane show, and with Krusty out of the way he could reshape the show into his more scholastic vision. Bob is arrested and swears revenge, while Krusty is freed.—Brian Rathjen <briguy_52732@yahoo.com>

Bart's idol, Krusty the Clown, is under arrest. Homer is shopping at the Kwik-E-Mart to buy items for himself, but an armed robber who is dressed like Krusty robs the mart and runs with no one harmed. Bart, Lisa, and Maggie find out that Krusty is arrested, which makes Bart heartbroken. Krusty is placed into trial, but he says that he didn't do it. With Homer as a witness, he points to Krusty that he was the perpetrator, putting him in jail. Parents are having their kids put items of Krusty in a pile that will be burnt. With kids upset, Krusty's partner, Sideshow Bob, hosts the show and sees Bart unhappy in the audience and asks what he's down about. But Bart realized something: He noticed that Krusty had small feet and Sideshow Bob having big feet. In the tape of the robbery, Homer accidentally steps on the edge of his long feet. Bart accuses him and Bob confesses that he did it and hated him. With Krusty freed, kids are happy once again.—kevindklenke

Krusty the Clown is accused, tried and convicted of robbing the Kwik-E-Mart, and Sideshow Bob takes his place as TV show host. Bart, however, believes that Krusty was framed. He enlists Lisa's help, and together they uncover the truth behind the robbery.

Opening Credits:

Blackboard joke: They are laughing at me, not with me.

Couch gag: The family runs in and sits down on the couch, Maggie is squeezed in between Lisa and Bart and pops up into the air where Marge catches her.

Act One:

The episode begins with Bart, Lisa and Maggie watching Krusty the Clown on TV. During the show a reluctant and unhappy Sideshow Bob is launched from a cannon as requested by the birthday girl, also an episode of Itchy and Scratchy is aired (titled: Burning Love).

Marge calls Homer at work and asks him to stop on his way home to pick up some ice cream. When he asks what the occasion is, he instantly shudders when he learns that Patty and Selma are coming over later to show slides of their vacation in Mexico. Homer stops at the Kwik-E-Mart for ice cream on the way home, and talks to Apu while he's there. Homer relays why he's unhappy to buy ice cream is because he and his family has to watch a slide show starring none other than his sisters-in-law, whom he unlovingly dubs them the "Gruesome Twosome". He and Apu laugh for a bit unaware that Krusty is standing behind him with a mask covering his eyes. When he's about to leave, Homer accidentally steps on his clown shoes. This causes Krusty to curse at Homer for not watching where he was going in stepping on his foot. Just before he had a chance to apologize, he sees that Krusty is armed with a gun and quickly jumps in the pile of potato chips in terror as he witness the clown rob Apu at gunpoint.

Cut quickly to the Simpson house, as the rest of the family watches Patty and Selma's slides. Cut back to Homer, who gives a description of Krusty to the police. Meanwhile at Krusty's apartment, he's relaxing with a drink when a SWAT team busts down his door and take him into custody. At the police station, Homer identifies Krusty as the armed robber. He finally makes it home just as the news report about Krusty's arrest comes on the air. While watching the news, Marge is embarrased that he called her sisters that on National TV. However, it was Patty and Selma that were infuriated him for calling them that on the security cam of the Kwik-E-Mart. Bart is devastated that his idol Krusty could have done such a thing. Marge tries to tell him that it was a misunderstanding, but Homer is convinced that he guilty and wants his son to see it the same way. However, a devistated Bart refuses to believe that Krusty's guilty without proof.

Act Two:

On the news, Kent Brockman reports on the upcoming trial and history of Krusty the Clown including the fact that Krusty has a pacemaker. Reverend Lovejoy calls for a public burning of all Krusty merchandise. The next day, as Krusty walks up the steps to the courthouse Bart and Lisa watch in disbelief and they noticed that Krusty has small feet. Inside the courtroom during the trial, even after he begs his father not to, Homer points him out to the jury as the armed robber.

Later back at the house, Homer and a reluctant, Marge gather up all the Krusty merchandise in the house and head to the public burning. An irate and hurt, Bart watches as the pile of merchandise goes up in flames. Marge tries to sympathize with him, but Homer will have none of it and convinces him to join the winning team. Bart angrilly refuses his father's demand and tells him off he will prove Krusty's innocence even if it means going against his wishes. The next day at the trial, it is revealed after being asked to identify some evidence that Krusty is illiterate. Later, the jury reaches a guilty verdict.

At the Simpson house, Lisa and Maggie watch Sideshow Bob who has now taken over for Krusty on TV with a more scholastic affair. When Bart walks in and sees this, he is upset. Lisa tells him that he should be thankful that Sideshow Bob is keeping the Itchy and Scratchy show. Bart quickly snaps and tells her off that he knows that Krusty is innocent for a crime he didn't commit. He convinces Lisa to help him prove his innocence by going to the Kwik-E-Mart, which was the scene of the armed robbery the night Homer had to get some ice cream for Patty and Selma's slide show of their vacation, because she's smart and he needs her.

Bart and Lisa go to the Kwik-E-Mart to examine the crime scene after they convinced a reluctant Apu, they just need to look around. They immediately noticed that the microwave at the check-out counter that has a sign warning that people with pacemakers and clown shoes should keep away. Lisa recalls that in the security camera footage Krusty was reading a magazine, but that couldn't be true since he is illiterate, even remembering a "Get Well Soon" card she and Bart given him. She also recalls that while she watching the footage, she noticed that when Homer had previously stepped on the robber's clown shoes, he adamantly yelped in pain and he cursed at their father for his clumsiness in not watching where he was going. That was an indication that the robber had big feet, not small ones like Krusty has. Lisa finally realises Bart was right all along about Krusty the Clown in being framed for a crime he didn't commit and was innocent the whole time.

Cut to Sideshow Bob who after just finishing taping of his show enters his changing room and emits an evil diabolical laugh, knowing that Krusty is now in jail for the armed robbery he did.

Act Three:

At the television studio Bart, Lisa, and Maggie pay a visit to Sideshow Bob, he dismisses them because his show is about to start, but he offers them free tickets. While in Bob's room, they noticed his enormous feet. In the audience, a visibly saddened Bart watches the show. When Sideshow Bob notices his sadness he invites him on stage for a new psychological segment called Choices. While on stage, Bart reveals he is sad because he thinks that Krusty was framed and wrongfully jailed. However, Sideshow Bob tries to convince him otherwise and as he continues talking to Bart and the audience, he confesses that he has "big shoes to fill." as he replaced the Krusty the Clown Show.

The phrase "Big shoes," echos through Bart's mind as he remembers that Homer stepped on the thief's foot and he yelped in pain, yet Krusty has small feet. On the other hand, Sideshow Bob has large feet and he realises the truth. His sidekick on the now cancelled "Krusty The Clown Show" show was truly responsible for the armed robbery at the Kwik-E-Mart that night.

Bart's emotions immediately changes from sadness into anger, embarrassment and irriation as he rightfully levels his accusation towards Sideshow Bob. Then, he jumps to his feet, snatches the microphone from Bob and faces the kids in the audince. Bart makes a truthful and heartfelt announcement to the audience that Krusty didn't rob the Kwik-E-Mart that night, his sidekick, Sideshow Bob, framed him and has evidence to show it. He proves it well by whomping Bob's feet with a comedy mallet causing him to fall down to the floor and grabbing his feet in pain. The kids are disgusted and horrified by the truth as Sideshow Bob angrilly continued cursing at him on the air, as indication to the words utter on the security cam footage. Bart honestly continued relaying that even though Krusty had worn clown shoes on his show all the time, he always has little feet like all good hearted people. He also mentions that Bob had the most to gain in framing him for the armed robbery by filling his hero's clown shoes with "his big feet". To prove his point, Bart removes Sideshow Bob's clown shoes to reveal his big, ugly feet on the air, angering him further.

At the Springfield Police Station, Chief Wiggim and the police officers are seen eating donuts and are watching the show. While they were watching Bart's announcement on Sideshow Bob's new show, they realized that he was right because they missed one key piece of evidence that could've kept Krusty out of jail. After watching the show to hear his heartfelt, truthful accusation and his proof of evidence, Chief Wiggim orders the officers to go down to the studio and arrest Sideshow Bob for the Kwik-E-Mart Armed Robbery.

The final act:

At the studio parking lot, Sideshow Bob is humilated and moritified beyond belief as he's arrested and handcuffed by the police. He immediately, although iratedly, confesses to his crime in committing the armed robbery at the Kwik-E-Mart on the night Homer witnessed it. He dramatically reveals that he framed Krusty for the armed robbery, because he couldn't stand being the constant victim to the clown's antics: including all of his pranks on the show, just to garner more ratings. Sideshow Bob felt his intelligence was being wasted away and wanted "The Krusty The Clown Show" gone because he wanted to make a more scholastic show where his intelligence can be appreciated, rather than laughed at and considered a joke. While he was being taken away to jail, Sideshow Bob swears a personal vendetta against Bart and warn those to treat children like equals because they're people who were smart to catch him and they'll be smart to catch them too.

Later at the Springfield Prison, Krusty's released from prison and he's in full clown make up as everyone cheered for him. Immediately, Homer and all the other residents of Springfield gave him a heartfelt apology for their poor judgment against him. He eventually forgives them for their misjudgment. However, Krusty thanks Bart for his help, since he was the only one who beleived in his innocence. He knew that his faith for him never waivered and kept supporting him thoughout the tough times he was in jail.

The handshake is captured in a photo, which Bart proudly tacks on his wall of his bedroom. The picture is inscribed in shaky handwriting, ``To my best pal Bart, Krusty''. That night, Bart goes to bed much happier in his newly refurnished bedroom, with all the Krusty the Clown merchandise(that his hero gave out for free).