The Telltale Head

"The Telltale Head" is the eighth episode of The Simpsons' first season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 25, 1990. It was written by Al Jean, Mike Reiss, Sam Simon and Matt Groening, and directed by Rich Moore. In the episode, Bart cuts the head off the statue of Jebediah Springfield in the center of town to impress Jimbo, Kearney and Dolph, three older kids he admires. The town's residents, including the three boys, are horrified and Bart regrets his actions. After telling his family, Homer and Bart head to the center of town, where they are met by an angry mob. After Bart tells the mob he has made a mistake, the townspeople forgive Bart and he places the head back on the statue. The episode's title is a reference to the short story "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe.

The episode begins in medias res: Homer and Bart are chased through the streets of Springfield by an angry mob while carrying the head of the statue of their town founder, Jebediah Springfield. Surrounded by the mob, Bart begins to relate the events of the previous day.

Bart suffers through a boring morning at church and is forbidden by Marge to see the violent new Space Mutants movie. After church, he runs into three of Springfield's bullies, Jimbo, Dolph, and Kearney. The three invite Bart to sneak into the Space Mutants movie with them.