Sideshow Bob (Kelsey Grammer) has spent the better part of two decades trying to kill Bart Simpson, the ageless son of Homer and Marge and — if you squint intellectually enough — the bastard child of the American dream. This fall, Bob will finally get the chance to fulfill his life's work by ending Bart's existence — or, at least, temporarily pausing it.
Speaking at Saturday's ATX Festival panel in Austin, Texas, executive producer Al Jean revealed that this year's annual Halloween Simpsons special will revolve around Bob's murder of Bart and the ensuing existential crisis Bob must face following the fulfillment of his lifelong desire. According to EW, the Simpsons producers were inspired by their collective frustration surrounding the tease-centered plot of the classic Looney Tunes bit involving Road Runner. "I hated frustration comedy," Jean told EW, "so we’ll scratch that itch [with this episode]." Of course, the annual Halloween episodes consistently defy the narrative of the series as a whole — meaning Bart's demise will likely not be acknowledged beyond this singular episode.
Elsewhere during the ATX panel, the producers also revealed plans for a Boyhood-themed episode — also centered around Bart:
