Difference between revisions of "Bart's Comet"
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{{EpisodePrevNext|And Maggie Makes Three|Homie the Clown|number=117|season=6}} | {{EpisodePrevNext|And Maggie Makes Three|Homie the Clown|number=117|season=6}} | ||
| − | {{ | + | {{quote|What's everyone so worked up about? So there's a comet. Big deal. It'll burn up in our atmosphere, and what's ever left will be no bigger than a chihuahua's head.|[[Homer Simpson]]}} |
{{Episode | {{Episode | ||
|number=117 | |number=117 | ||
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== Synopsis == | == Synopsis == | ||
| − | {{Synopsis|The townspeople think that [[Springfield]]'s days are numbered when [[Bart]] discovers a [[comet]] is heading straight for them. They must then decide who will brave the comet's arrival and who can stay in the [[Ned Flanders|Flanders]]' bomb shelter.}} | + | {{Synopsis|The townspeople think that [[Springfield]]'s days are numbered when [[Bart]] discovers a [[Bart Simpson Comet|comet]] is heading straight for them. They must then decide who will brave the comet's arrival and who can stay in the [[Ned Flanders|Flanders]]' [[Flanders family bomb shelter|bomb shelter]].}} |
== Plot == | == Plot == | ||
| − | + | It is [[Science Week]] at [[Springfield Elementary School]] and [[Principal Skinner]] is getting ready to launch his weather balloon, which even [[Bart Simpson]] is cheering for. Skinner launches the balloon and Bart pulls on a string, which causes parts of it to unfurl and reveal that Bart has vandalized it to make "[[Big Butt Skinner]]", horrifying Skinner. Skinner tells the students that whoever knocks the balloon down won't have to learn fractions, so they all start throwing rocks at it. However, the balloon gets away from the students and Skinner gives Bart detention helping him take astronomical readings at 4:30 in the morning. | |
| − | + | Bart arrives at school in the early morning to help Skinner. Skinner tells Bart that he's always wanted to discover an astronomical object and have it named after him and that he came close to doing so one time, but someone else beat him to it. So he started bringing a cell phone with him to call the [[Springfield Observatory]] quicker. After an uneventful few hours, Skinner spots something and phones the observatory, only to realize that it's the weather balloon. Skinner realizes the balloon is close to the ground, so he goes to try and catch it, telling Bart not to play with the telescope. Bart ignores him and immediately starts messing with the telescope, only to discover a [[Bart Simpson Comet|comet]] in the sky. Bart calls the observatory and has the comet named the "Bart Simpson Comet", upsetting Skinner when he returns with the weather balloon, causing the balloon to escape again. | |
| − | Springfield | + | [[File:Comet simulation.png|thumb|left|The simulation of the comet's collision with [[Springfield]], destroying [[Moe's Bar]].]] |
| + | After Bart's discovery, [[the Superfriends]] invite Bart to join them, calling him "Cosmos". When [[Database]] asks if Bart could show them the comet one night, Bart tells them to look out the window. The nerds are shocked to see the comet so close to them as this means it's on a collision course with [[Springfield]]. The Superfriends and Bart head to the Springfield Observatory to report it to them and soon an emergency siren is going off in town. A meeting is called at the [[Springfield Town Hall]] where [[Mayor Quimby]] and [[Professor Frink]] reveal a plan to launch a rocket at the comet to break it apart and save the town. This alleviates the fears of the townspeople who all watch the rocket launch. However, the rocket misses the comet and destroys the [[Only Bridge Out of Town]] instead, trapping everyone in Springfield. | ||
| − | + | As the people of Springfield have only six hours to live, the [[House of Representatives]] in [[Washington, D.C.]] has a vote on a bill to evacuate the people of Springfield. However, because congressman [[Bob Arnold]] tacks on a rider for $30 million of taxpayer money to support the perverted arts, the bill is denied. Homer isn't worried as he believes that the comet will burn up in the atmosphere and end up no bigger than a chihuahua's head. Since the rest of the family aren't so convinced, Homer takes them to the [[Flanders family bomb shelter]], which [[Ned]] had built big enough to support both families. As they settle in for the end, more people turn up at the shelter wanting in because they don't have shelters of their own. Ned lets them in and the shelter becomes so full the door can't close. The people try to work out who to kick out of the shelter so they can close the door and eventually settle on Ned. | |
| − | + | After Ned is kicked out, he heads to the top of a nearby hill and begins singing "[[Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)]]". Meanwhile, the people in the shelter try to pass the time by playing a barnyard animal guessing game, which leads to arguments. Homer decides to leave the shelter and face the end with Ned, and soon everybody else follows him. As they gather on the hill, the comet begins breaking up in the atmosphere, bursts the Big Butt Skinner balloon, hits the bomb shelter, destroying it, and ends up no bigger than a chihuahua's head, just as Homer predicted. As the townspeople leave to burn down the observatory so this never happens again, Bart pockets the remains of the comet and the Simpsons are worried about Homer's prediction being correct. | |
| + | |||
| + | == Production == | ||
| + | The producers got the idea from an issue of ''[[Time]]'' magazine where there was a story about comets potentially hitting the planet. At the time, "Bart's Comet" was one of the first pieces of media to feature a storyline about a comet hitting the Earth, which would later become prevalent in disaster films and shows. Writer [[John Swartzwelder]] was interested in the idea, so he took on the episode. The scene where Bart uses a generator on his bike to power the flashlight was based on [[David Mirkin]]'s childhood, when he had a similar device on his bike.<ref name="Mirkin">{{Com|Mirkin, David|Bart's Comet|Sixth|(2005).|link=David Mirkin}}</ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | An early scene in the episode has Skinner giving readings to Bart to write down. Part of the challenge of this scene was making it boring, but in a funny way. According to David Mirkin, the way the readings were taken and reported was "fairly accurate."<ref name="Mirkin"/> Director [[Bob Anderson]] wanted to cut to a shot of the [[Earth]] when Skinner shouts "Nooo!" for the third time. However, this wasn't animated in the end. The scene in the bomb shelter was animated in four separate layers, with each layer being a different group of characters.<ref name="Anderson">{{Com|Anderson, Bob|Bart's Comet|Sixth|(2005).|link=Bob Anderson}}</ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Bart's Comet" marks the first appearance of [[Database]].<ref name="Mirkin"/> According to [[Matt Groening]], Database "drives me up the wall".<ref name="Groening">{{Com|Groening, Matt|Bart's Comet|Sixth|(2005).|link=Matt Groening}}</ref> However, many of the producers love the character.<ref name="Mirkin"/> The list of people who are gay that scrolls on ''Channel 6 News'' is made up of production staff for ''The Simpsons''. Everybody on the list had to sign an agreement that they wouldn't sue the show and Fox. Due to this list appearing on the show, the names of the people frequently appeared on lists of celebrities who are gay on the Internet.<ref name="Groening"/> | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Reception == | ||
| + | Showrunner David Mirkin calls the episode one of his favorite episodes ever and says that it's an almost perfect ''Simpsons'' episode, and he likes it from start to finish.<ref name="Mirkin"/> | ||
| + | |||
| + | In a [[2013]] review of the episode, David Sims of ''{{W|The A.V. Club}}'' calls the episode "a surprisingly grounded, heartfelt episode." Sims ends his review by saying "I could watch “Bart’s Comic” ''[sic]'' every day and never get tired of it."<ref>[https://www.avclub.com/the-simpsons-classic-bart-s-comet-1798177883 The A.V. Club - "The Simpsons (Classic): “Bart’s Comet”]"</ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | As of August [[2026]], "Bart's Comet" has an 8.7 rating on {{W|IMDb}}.<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0778447/ IMDb - "Bart's Comet"]</ref> | ||
== In other languages == | == In other languages == | ||
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|jpTrans=Springfield's last day | |jpTrans=Springfield's last day | ||
}} | }} | ||
| + | |||
| + | == References == | ||
| + | {{Reflist}} | ||
{{Images|ep=yes}} | {{Images|ep=yes}} | ||
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[[Category:Education-themed episodes]] | [[Category:Education-themed episodes]] | ||
[[Category:Environment-themed episodes]] | [[Category:Environment-themed episodes]] | ||
| + | [[Category:Science-themed episodes]] | ||
[[Category:Episodes written by John Swartzwelder]] | [[Category:Episodes written by John Swartzwelder]] | ||
[[Category:Episodes directed by Bob Anderson]] | [[Category:Episodes directed by Bob Anderson]] | ||
Latest revision as of 07:27, September 1, 2026
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- "What's everyone so worked up about? So there's a comet. Big deal. It'll burn up in our atmosphere, and what's ever left will be no bigger than a chihuahua's head."
- ―Homer Simpson
"Bart's Comet"
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Episode Information
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"Bart's Comet" is the fourteenth episode of broadcast season 6 of The Simpsons and the one hundred seventeenth episode overall. It originally aired on February 5, 1995. The episode was written by John Swartzwelder and directed by Bob Anderson.
Synopsis[edit]
- The townspeople think that Springfield's days are numbered when Bart discovers a comet is heading straight for them. They must then decide who will brave the comet's arrival and who can stay in the Flanders' bomb shelter.
Plot[edit]
It is Science Week at Springfield Elementary School and Principal Skinner is getting ready to launch his weather balloon, which even Bart Simpson is cheering for. Skinner launches the balloon and Bart pulls on a string, which causes parts of it to unfurl and reveal that Bart has vandalized it to make "Big Butt Skinner", horrifying Skinner. Skinner tells the students that whoever knocks the balloon down won't have to learn fractions, so they all start throwing rocks at it. However, the balloon gets away from the students and Skinner gives Bart detention helping him take astronomical readings at 4:30 in the morning.
Bart arrives at school in the early morning to help Skinner. Skinner tells Bart that he's always wanted to discover an astronomical object and have it named after him and that he came close to doing so one time, but someone else beat him to it. So he started bringing a cell phone with him to call the Springfield Observatory quicker. After an uneventful few hours, Skinner spots something and phones the observatory, only to realize that it's the weather balloon. Skinner realizes the balloon is close to the ground, so he goes to try and catch it, telling Bart not to play with the telescope. Bart ignores him and immediately starts messing with the telescope, only to discover a comet in the sky. Bart calls the observatory and has the comet named the "Bart Simpson Comet", upsetting Skinner when he returns with the weather balloon, causing the balloon to escape again.
After Bart's discovery, the Superfriends invite Bart to join them, calling him "Cosmos". When Database asks if Bart could show them the comet one night, Bart tells them to look out the window. The nerds are shocked to see the comet so close to them as this means it's on a collision course with Springfield. The Superfriends and Bart head to the Springfield Observatory to report it to them and soon an emergency siren is going off in town. A meeting is called at the Springfield Town Hall where Mayor Quimby and Professor Frink reveal a plan to launch a rocket at the comet to break it apart and save the town. This alleviates the fears of the townspeople who all watch the rocket launch. However, the rocket misses the comet and destroys the Only Bridge Out of Town instead, trapping everyone in Springfield.
As the people of Springfield have only six hours to live, the House of Representatives in Washington, D.C. has a vote on a bill to evacuate the people of Springfield. However, because congressman Bob Arnold tacks on a rider for $30 million of taxpayer money to support the perverted arts, the bill is denied. Homer isn't worried as he believes that the comet will burn up in the atmosphere and end up no bigger than a chihuahua's head. Since the rest of the family aren't so convinced, Homer takes them to the Flanders family bomb shelter, which Ned had built big enough to support both families. As they settle in for the end, more people turn up at the shelter wanting in because they don't have shelters of their own. Ned lets them in and the shelter becomes so full the door can't close. The people try to work out who to kick out of the shelter so they can close the door and eventually settle on Ned.
After Ned is kicked out, he heads to the top of a nearby hill and begins singing "Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)". Meanwhile, the people in the shelter try to pass the time by playing a barnyard animal guessing game, which leads to arguments. Homer decides to leave the shelter and face the end with Ned, and soon everybody else follows him. As they gather on the hill, the comet begins breaking up in the atmosphere, bursts the Big Butt Skinner balloon, hits the bomb shelter, destroying it, and ends up no bigger than a chihuahua's head, just as Homer predicted. As the townspeople leave to burn down the observatory so this never happens again, Bart pockets the remains of the comet and the Simpsons are worried about Homer's prediction being correct.
Production[edit]
The producers got the idea from an issue of Time magazine where there was a story about comets potentially hitting the planet. At the time, "Bart's Comet" was one of the first pieces of media to feature a storyline about a comet hitting the Earth, which would later become prevalent in disaster films and shows. Writer John Swartzwelder was interested in the idea, so he took on the episode. The scene where Bart uses a generator on his bike to power the flashlight was based on David Mirkin's childhood, when he had a similar device on his bike.[1]
An early scene in the episode has Skinner giving readings to Bart to write down. Part of the challenge of this scene was making it boring, but in a funny way. According to David Mirkin, the way the readings were taken and reported was "fairly accurate."[1] Director Bob Anderson wanted to cut to a shot of the Earth when Skinner shouts "Nooo!" for the third time. However, this wasn't animated in the end. The scene in the bomb shelter was animated in four separate layers, with each layer being a different group of characters.[2]
"Bart's Comet" marks the first appearance of Database.[1] According to Matt Groening, Database "drives me up the wall".[3] However, many of the producers love the character.[1] The list of people who are gay that scrolls on Channel 6 News is made up of production staff for The Simpsons. Everybody on the list had to sign an agreement that they wouldn't sue the show and Fox. Due to this list appearing on the show, the names of the people frequently appeared on lists of celebrities who are gay on the Internet.[3]
Reception[edit]
Showrunner David Mirkin calls the episode one of his favorite episodes ever and says that it's an almost perfect Simpsons episode, and he likes it from start to finish.[1]
In a 2013 review of the episode, David Sims of The A.V. Club calls the episode "a surprisingly grounded, heartfelt episode." Sims ends his review by saying "I could watch “Bart’s Comic” [sic] every day and never get tired of it."[4]
As of August 2026, "Bart's Comet" has an 8.7 rating on IMDb.[5]
In other languages[edit]
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References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Mirkin, David (2005). Commentary for "Bart's Comet", in The Simpsons: The Complete Sixth Season.
- ↑ Anderson, Bob (2005). Commentary for "Bart's Comet", in The Simpsons: The Complete Sixth Season.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Groening, Matt (2005). Commentary for "Bart's Comet", in The Simpsons: The Complete Sixth Season.
- ↑ The A.V. Club - "The Simpsons (Classic): “Bart’s Comet”"
- ↑ IMDb - "Bart's Comet"
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Wikisimpsons has 38 images related to "Bart's Comet". |
