12 Times The Simpsons Went Dark

12. Bart Gets An F

It's a common running gag that Bart is not a very good student.

He's lazy, doesn't focus on the material and is a constant headache for his teacher, Mrs. Krabappel. However, in season two, his antics finally catch up to him. Both Bart and his parents are informed that, if he doesn't pass his next test, he will have to repeat the fourth grade. He desperately doesn't want that to happen, so he vows to pass the test.

So, he does an '80s style montage and aces the test, right? Not exactly. He finds that he has trouble focusing and tries everything from slapping himself silly to praying to a higher power for help. In the end though, it doesn't work and he ends up failing the test.

When Mrs. Krabappel informs him that they'll have another year together, he looks at his failure and begins crying uncontrollably. It's not goofy, funny or played off for laughs like the rest of show. In his tears, he claims that he really tried his hardest to pass, adding that it was the best he could do.

For such an upbeat and wise-cracking character, this was a sad and dark look at Bart coming to terms with his academic limits.