The Simpsons: Every Sideshow Bob Episode Ranked Worst To Best

A markedly different outing for the character, here Bob is used as a Hannibal Lector-style master criminal whose nous must be used to foil Homer’s murder. Homer and Bob are rarely paired up, but their statuses as Springfield’s ultimate aesthete and premier oaf make them a natural double act.

The mystery element is put to great use as an unknown assailant looks to take out Homer - he lists off all the many many plausible suspects, putting his unpopularity down to a symptom of being a people person who drinks.

Bob coming to live with the Simpsons is the kind of plot contrivance that the earlier years of the show would have mocked, but it means more lines for Kelsey Grammer to get stuck into, and that’s never a bad thing. His character is downright heroic here, solving the puzzle and rescuing Homer (though he does briefly muse on committing the murder himself).

This is a strong outing for Springfield’s most nefarious resident, making the most of a solid concept, fresh character interactions, and putting the character front and centre.