By Stephanie Gray

Saying farewell to Bart’s mortal enemy with a commemorative retrospective

We'll miss you, Bob
Can it really be true? Will Bart kill his most feared rival in this Sunday’s episode? Ever since Bart uncovered Sideshow Bob’s plot to frame Krusty the Clown, Bob has devoted his life to vengeance. This evil genius will forever be remembered as having a delicately complex relationship with the Simpsons.

Robert Underdrunk Terwilliger, a.k.a. Sideshow Bob, was a passionate man with a full head of wildly unruly red curls that never ceased to put a smile on childrens’ faces, especially during his time as Krusty’s mute sidekick. Despite framing his abusive boss for armed robbery at the Kwik-E-Mart, this Yale-graduate took over the Krusty the Clown Show and turned it into a critically-acclaimed success.

After Bob’s first stint in jail, courtesy of Bart Simpson, he married Selma Bouvier. It was unfortunate he attempted to blow her up, but as her other ex-husbands would attest it wasn’t the worst thing he could have done.

Bob’s evil fits of laughter never ceased to frighten all who heard. But it was his singing voice that could mesmerize an audience. He knew the entire score to the H.M.S. Pinacore and could perform it without an orchestra or proper stage props, like the time he sung it for Bart on a houseboat.

A triumphant win in the Springfield mayoral race, proved his leadership could create change. Threatening to blow the town up with a nuclear bomb was to stop the destruction of the minds caused by television, particularly the Krusty the Clown Show, which despite his outlandish attempts still managed to air from an old shack in the desert.

Cecil, Bob’s younger brother, admired his sibling’s comic flair, but harboured feelings of resentment, later framing his brother in a plot to sabotage the Springfield Dam. It was Bob who took it upon himself to join forces with his foe Bart to save the town.

Bob made restitution with Krusty, after the clown admitted to regretting how poorly he treated him during his short stint as his sidekick. Remember how his maniacal mind helped saved Homer’s life from the angry hands of Frank Grimes Jr.?

Bob leaves behind his wife Francesca, whom he met while acting as Mayor of a small Tuscan village, and his son Gino.

The Simpsons, Sunday, 8 p.m. ET, Global/Fox


Published: Friday, November 23, 2007

[entertainment1.sympatico.msn.ca]

Kelsey Grammer was a great choice as the voice of Sideshow Bob

BTW it's Pinafore not Pinacore

Dont tell me they're gonna bump off Blondie Chaplin!!

Gazza Wrote: Dont tell me they're gonna bump off Blondie Chaplin!!

[Snicker!] NO! You're thinking of Cecil! ;-)

Won't say what actually happened but... good episode!

Sohoe Wrote: BTW it's Pinafore not Pinacore

Yep - but I didn't write the article, just cut and paste...

I like how the episode referenced one of my favorite James Bond movies: Diamonds Are Forever. In that movie Bond is nearly cooked alive in a coffin, just like Bart.

Hopefully it won't be that long before they start showing the new episodes over here.

How's season 19 holding up so far?

I've hardly been near a TV, this was the first episode I've seen this year... but it was pretty good!