The Italian Bob
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"The Italian Bob" is the eighth episode of The Simpsons
Synopsis
After Mr. Burns' car breaks down, he tells Homer to pick him up a brand new Lamborgotti Fasterossa car in Italy. The rest of the family comes along with him, and after they pick up the car, they have a great time touring the country. However, after a huge wheel of Mortadella lands on their car, they push it into a small Tuscan village nearby called Salsiccia. When they get there, they ask an elderly woman for help, and she tells them that the mayor speaks English. However, they find out the mayor is none other than Sideshow Bob. He explains to them that after he attempted to kill Bart, he came to Italy to begin a new life. After a rough start, the natives warm up to him after he helped them crush grapes into wine (using his enormous feet). After that, they elected him mayor of their village. Bob no longer has any intention of killing Bart, and it is revealed that he has a wife and son, Francesca and Gino, and they don't know anything about his past life in America. Bob begs the Simpsons not to tell anyone, and they agree in order to have the car fixed.The Simpsons enjoy spending time in the village, and they continue to keep Bob's past a secret. However, after Lisa drinks some wine at a party, she starts to spout off about him being an attempted-murderer. He leads her away from the table, but as she stumbles backwards, she rips off his suit and everyone can see that underneath is his outfit from Springfield Prison. They find out the Bob is an attempted killer, and they take away his title as mayor. The Simpsons take off in the fixed car, and Bob swears vendetta on them.
After the family flees, Bob begins to follow them on a motorcycle. Homer drives into a ditch and ends up driving on ancient Roman ruins, and after they go off the end, the car ends up on top of Trajan's Column in the Roman Forum. Bob's wife meets up with him, and she tells him that they will kill the Simpsons together as a family (Gino, too).
Meanwhile, the Simpsons are wondering what they should do next. Lisa spots a bus with a poster advertising Krusty the Klown's performance in Pagliacci. They meet up with him at the Colosseum, and he puts them in as extras. However, Bob, Francesca and Gino find them and corner them in on the stage while Krusty, who went into a trap door, flees the stage, allowing Bob to perform the climax of Vesti la Giubba. Before they can kill them, though, Krusty's limo picks them up. The Terwilligers walk away with evil smiles, no doubt plotting revenge.
Trivia
- The rake-to-the-face gag is recycled from "Cape Feare".
- Lisa mentions Jean Valjean. Both Bob, Principal Skinner and Arrested Development's Oscar Bluth have worn Valjean's prison number in the past.
- This episode marks the first cameo appearance of Stan Smith. He, like fellow "plagiarismo" Peter Griffin is shown with their regular skin color rather than yellow skin.
- The Italian police book features Snake as Invasione Di Casa (home invader), Mayor Quimby as Drinko Drive-O (drunk driving), Peter Griffin as Plagiarismo (plagiarism), Stan Smith as Plagiarismo Di Plagiarismo (plagiarism of plagiarism), and Sideshow Bob as Omicidio Attentato Multiplo (multiple attempts of murder)
- The two year old town drunk looks and sounds like a young Barney Gumble. He may actually be one of Barney's innumerable children, thanks to the Springfield sperm bank.
- When Homer gives an Italian woman a mug with Kentucky emblazoned on it as a peace offering, this may be a reference to Behind the Laughter, in which the Simpsons are referred to as a "Northern Kentucky family."
- When Lisa rips Sideshow Bob's clothes off revealing his prison suit, his prison number is HABF02, the production code of this episode (a running gag on The Simpsons, where the episode's production code is seen on-screen).
- The Lamborgotti Fasterossa is virtually identical to the real-life Lamborghini Gallardo. As a play on the names of Italian exotic cars, the Fasterossa's name is also derived from the Ferrari Testarossa. The 'rossa' root might explain the car's red color, despite Lamborghini's signature yellow color.
- The song Lisa chants as the cheeses bounce towards the Fasterossa is to the tune of "Italiano Calypso", a song on The Seven Hills of Rome.
- The writing in the book of fugitives from America on the opposite page from the pictures appears to be Arabic.
- Homer and, to a lesser extent, Bart manifest profound knowledge of the history of Italy in this episode.
- When the family visits Pompeii, there are the remains of a Roman family strongly resembling the Simpsons, which Homer refers to as "savages."
- The PBS logo has the Simpsons' overbite, which was also featured in .
- In Sideshow Bob's flashback, he is wearing the same clothes as he was at the end of his last appearance, in The Great Louse Detective.
- On Sideshow Bob's globe, Tuscany looks like it is a city, but it is actually a region.
- This episode was shown during the Super Bowl XL Halftime show (February 5, 2006).
- The name of the village (Salsiccia) means "sausage" in Italian.
Goofs
- Homer did attend college--later in life, though. However, his character would be known to forget something like that.
- Lisa does not appear to speak much Italian in this episode, despite learning from Milhouse in the previous episode. However, she does translate the old woman's dialogue and correctly identifies all the cheeses that fall off the truck.
- Sideshow Bob has a child now, who appears to be older than Maggie, seeing as he can talk, whereas in previous episodes Maggie has existed but Bob has had no son.
- Pompeii was spelled "Pompei" when they arrived. Pompei in fact is the correct Italian name of the city.
- The Italian spoken in the show is a quite literal translation of the English phrases shown as subtitles. It's not grammatically and phonetically correct sometimes, but the literal translation of the English idiomatic expressions would sound nonsensical to an Italian native.
- Bob becomes the "Il Mayore" of Salsiccia but the correct Italian word would be "Sindaco". Mayore is probably an intentional Italianization of the term mayor, as the word doesn't even exist in Italian.
- When the family is at the Lamborgotti assembly line, the sign shows "Limea Montaggio No. 1". The correct word would be "LiNea". Plus, "No." is the English abbreviation of "Number", in Italy that would have been "N°", "Num." or simply "N.". "#" is not used in Italy.
- When the Italian Police searches the book of American criminals, Sideshow Bob is listed under "omicidio attentato multiplo". The correct Italian term would be "Tentato Omicidio Multiplo". Attentato is a wrong, although largely intelligible, translation of attempted, as the word in Italian means more or less "act of terrorism", and not the act of attempting to do something.
- "Plagiarismo" is a Spanish translation from the English "plagiarism". The correct Italian word is "plagio".
Quotes
- Bart: Hey Crypt Keeper, I like your Dodge Scare-avan! (the children laugh)
Burns: How dare you mock my Mobile-a-mobile! It was the first car to outrun a man!
Nelson: A caveman! (children laugh) I thought of that because I slept in a cave last night.
Mr. Burns: Oh, of all the... I will not be lampooned by school children! Kill them, Smithers!
Smithers: Uh, you could just buy a new car, sir.
Burns: Well, whatever's easier.
Martin: A new car? May I suggest an Oldsmobile?
(dead silence)
Nelson: Mr. Burns sucks!
(everyone laughs)
Burns: I won't forget who mocked me! I'm taking your picture! (takes out an old fashioned view camera) Now, hold perfectly still for seventy-eight minutes. (after a few seconds, the children leave and Mr. Burns falls asleep)
- Homer: You're sending me to Italy?
Burns: Yes.
Homer: Can I take my family?
Burns: Sure.
Homer: Do I have to hang out with them?
Burns: It would be nice.
(Homer groans)
- Homer: Why can't you people learn to speak my language? I learned to eat your food!
- Marge: Gee, I wish we could explore a little more of Italy.
Homer: (excited) Marge, are you encouraging me to be irresponsible?
Bart: Why don't you encourage him to get us some health insurance?
Homer: Why you little-! (strangles Bart) (Bart then pulls a lever, and a robotic arm holding a car part begins to hit Homer on his head. They eventually pass out)
Line Manager: (to Marge) So, first time in Italy?
- Homer: (sees a man in first class on the plane) Hey, that man has a TV in his seat. I wonder what I got. (rips off the top of the armrest) Oh, just a bunch of stupid wires.
(Homer rips off some of the wires and one of the engines falls off, landing in Cletus' front yard)
Cletus: Hey, Brandine! The kids just gots themselves a new playpen!
Brandine: Cletus, you're the most wonderful husband and son I ever had.
- Bart: (At the airport) What's up with the Canadian sticker on your backpack?
Lisa: Well, some people in Europe think that America has made some stupid choices for the past, oh, five years. So for the next week, I'm from Canada.
Bart: Uh, I think Dad may blow your cover.
Homer: (pushing through the crowd) That flag is mine! (takes an American flag off the conveyor belt and stands on top of suitcases, waving the flag around) Don't mess with Texas! Shock and awe, losers! Shock and awe!
- Homer: (talking to an elderly Italian woman) I honor you and your country. (gives her a coffee mug with the word "Kentucky" on it)
Elderly woman: (shrieks) Kentucky! In Italia, this-a means whore! (smashes the mug and slaps Homer)
- Marge: Excuse me, Mr. Mayor. They say you speak English.
Man behind chair: Indeed I do.
(man turns around to reveal that he is Sideshow Bob)
Simpsons: Sideshow Bob!
Bob: The Simpsons!
(they all scream)
- Homer: Yes, tell us your story. But it better have a beginning, a middle, and an end. (threateningly) And you better make us root for the protagonist!
Bob: (gets up and faces the window) My tale begins after I had once again attempted to murder Bart.
Homer: Okay, so far I'm rootin' for ya.
(in a flashback, Bob opens the front door of his old house in Springfield, takes off his hat and puts in on the coat hanger, puts his knife away and sits down)
Bob: (narrating) I needed a fresh start. But where? (He walks up to the globe and spins it around. He covers his eyes and stabs the knife into the globe, which lands on Orlando, Florida) Not in this lifetime! (He spins it again, and the knife lands on North Korea) Damn it! (He spins it again, and the knife lands on Shelbyville) Never! (He spins it again, and the knife lands on a fictional country called Bartovia that looks like Bart winking; it is supposedly located near Italy) Now cut that out. (He moves the globe slightly and stabs the knife in Tuscany) Ah, Tuscany. Fortune is finally smiling upon me. (steps on a rake and groans in annoyance, then throws it on the floor)
- Woman crushing grapes: (in Italian) I give up. This is too difficult.
Man crushing grapes: (in Italian) Our tiny feet suck.
- (Homer gestures like Mussolini on the balcony)
Lisa: (whispering) Dad, don't act like Mussolini.
Homer: Ooh, I thought I was doing Donald Trump.
- Bob: This is my bride, Francesca, and my son, Gino.
Homer: Holy moley! I always thought that you were, you know, out loud and proud.
Bob: Well, I experimented in college as one does.
Homer: Yeah. I never went to college.
Bob: (sarcastically) Stop the presses.
- Marge: (to Francesca) Hello. I'm Marge. This is my husband, Homer, my daughters, Lisa and Maggie, and my son, Bart Simpson.
Francesca: Bart Simpson? The name Roberto cries when he has the bad dream?
Gino: (making stabbing motions with his hand) Bart Simpson! Bart Simpson! Bart Simpson! I make-a like my daddy! (grunts and makes more stabbing motions)
Bob: (takes Gino from Francesca and laughs nervously) Yes! Bart and I used to go, uh, fly fishing together.
Gino: (running around on the floor in a circle and making more stabbing motions) Die, Bart! Die, Bart! (steps on a miniature rake and groans in annoyance, then falls over)
- Bart: Bob, your family will find out the truth. Sooner or later, you'll try to kill me again! Watch, I'll prove it. (lifts up his shirt and moves his hips around) Come on, Bob. Slice, dice, and serve on rice!
Bob: (chuckling) You little scamp! (laughs and puts down Bart's shirt) You know, you'll make some murderer very happy one day. But, it shan't be me.
- Francesca: (talking about Bob) He's so wonderful. They must miss him in America.
Marge: Uh, well...
(in Springfield, Chief Wiggum, Lou, and Eddie burst into Sideshow Bob's old home)
Wiggum: Eat justice, Sideshow Bob! (the cops unload their machine guns. When they're done, they see that there are little kids having a birthday party)
Lou: Chief, I tried to warn you. Sideshow Bob hasn't lived here for months.
Wiggum: Oh, God, am I sorry. (chuckles) Oh, hey, is that a Penn State banner? 'Cause my cousin went there. Did you know him? Mark Wiggum, fat kid? Played a lot of Tetris? (the kids still stare, shocked beyond comprehension)
- Bob: We are here to honor my old friends, the Simpsons. Tomorrow they return to America, taking with them my gratitude, my friendship, and my heartfelt wish that they never return.
- Marge: (looking in an Italian to English Dictionary) Vendetta means...vendetta! (all the Simpsons scream)
- Marge: Boy, that Sideshow Bob goes from zero to murder awfully fast.
Bart: At least this time it was Lisa who ruined Bob's life.
Lisa: (groaning) Oh, I feel so sick!
Homer: (chuckles) It's called a hangover, sweetie. And it's an unavoidable part of life.
- Francesca: Roberto!
Bob: Francesca, you've come to me. Well, you've caught me at the right time because I swear (hold up his arm) never to raise this hand in vengeance again.
Francesca: (grabs his arm) No, Roberto! If the Simpsons have dishonor you, they have dishonored our family. And we should take revenge as a family.
Gino (pulls out a knife): Vendetta! Vendetta! Vendetta for me papa! (tosses the knife in the air and skillfully catches it with his finger)
Bob: Ah! Revenge is a dish best served...family style!
(Bob laughs manically, as does Francesca and then Gino. Gino than falls to the ground and begins crying. Francesca picks him up, and he laughs again while Bob and Francesca smile menacingly)
- Marge: Here's a cute fact. This sausage shop has been grinding the same family of pigs for six hundred years.
Butcher: (in Italian) Sono abitato dai fantasmi di diecimila maiali morti. (English captions read: I am haunted by the ghosts of ten thousand dead pigs).
- Francesca: Oh, he makes love like a man who just got out of jail. (kisses Bob)
Bob: (chuckles nervously) Yes, you crave my skillful touch. Now take the boy and shut the door. I'll rock your world anon. (gets Francesca and Gino out, closes the door, then gets on his knees in front of the Simpsons) Simpsons, I beg of you. Please don't destroy the new life I've created here! Surely the most heinous criminal deserves a seventh chance.
- Lisa: Hey, Krusty's in an opera here in Rome! He can save our lives! Come on, let's go!
Homer: (groans) Opera? They have that here too?
- Lisa: You have to help us! Sideshow Bob has sworn a vendetta against us!
Krusty: Vendetta? What's that, an Italian vending machine? (the Simpsons stare at him for a few seconds before Krusty bursts into tears) Aw! That's my opening joke! And my closer, and my saver, and my topper!
- Krusty: Put on these costumes and mix in with the crowd scenes. He won't kill you in front of all those witnesses!
Homer: Can I be the Phantom of the Opera?
Lisa: Dad, the Phantom isn't in this.
Homer: But I do such a great impression of him! (turns around and turns back to them with his hand covering one of his eyes) Ooh, I am the gayest supervillian ever! Beware my scented candles! Ooh, scented!
- Bob: I can't believe what that clown is doing to Leoncavallo! And they call me a murderer!
Gino (sighting the Simpsons): Vendetta! (puts a knife in his mouth and slide down a rope) (muffled) Vendetta! Vendetta! Vendetta!
Bob (to Francesca): I don't wish to brag, but he's evil at an eighth grade level!
- Bart: Krusty, you saved us!
Krusty: Yeah, well, I need someone to help me smuggle antiquities back to America. Take a piece and hide it on your person. Hide it well.
- Lisa: (on an ancient Roman aqueduct; to Homer) Dad! You're driving on an ancient Roman aqueduct!
Homer: (to Lisa) Well, what am I supposed to do about it? Transport water from distant cities?
Homer: (about to drive off an end of the aqueduct) Lazy Romans!
- Bob: (stomping grapes to the tune of "These Boots Are Made for Walking") "These feet are made for stomping, and that's just what they'll do. One of these days these feet will make Chianti out of you!"
- Marge: We're in a foreign city with no car, being stalked by a killer. I feel like I'm The Bourne Identity.
- Krusty: (talking to the audience at the Colosseum) ... So, I had this beautiful tour guide, right? And I tell her "I want to see your naples!" She slaps me! (he laughs but the audience is silent)
Man from audience: We call it "Napoli"!
Krusty: Yeah, well it sounds like you're all taking a Napoli! I know you're out there, I can hear you being greasy!
- (in Venice, the Simpsons take a gondola ride)
Marge: Oh, Homie, isn't Venice romantic? This gondola ride was a wonderful idea!
Gondolier (singing to the tune of That's Amore): When a wife looks like that and her husband's so fat, that's immoral. When she kisses that jerk while I do all the work, that's im...
Homer: Hey, knock it off!
Gondolier: Excusi, no speak-a English. (singing) When that big tub of lard...
Broadcasting Information
USA/Canada- 1st Airdate: Sunday, December 11, 2005
- 2nd Airdate: Sunday, February 5, 2006
- 1st Airdate: Sunday, January 15, 2006
- 2nd Airdate: Friday, January 20, 2006 (Encore Screening)
- 3rd Airdate: Sunday, April 23, 2006
- 4th Airdate: Thursday, June 22, 2006
- 5th Airdate: Sunday, August 6, 2006
- 6th Airdate: Saturday, August 26, 2006
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