The Simpsons: Every Sideshow Bob Episode Ranked Worst To Best

Cape Feare isn’t just the best Sideshow Bob instalment - as well as The Simpsons’ crowning spoof - it’s one of the best episodes of the show full stop. The Simpsons was of course influenced by, and eager to send up, pop culture from the off, but this is the most in depth and well studied parody of their oeuvre, and one used to further develop Bart’s nemesis.

The remarkably faithful adaptation of Cape Fear (specifically the Scorsese remake) serves to complete Bob’s evolution from bitter sidekick to full fledged, if somewhat incompetent, supervillain. It’s here that Bart becomes his true target, an antagonistic relationship which would pay dividends in years to come.

It’s also, typically for the era, simply packed full of jokes, from the endless parade which tramples Bob to Homer’s inability to remember his new name to his insistence on bursting into Bart’s room brandishing sharp items. It’s Kelsey Grammer’s most deliciously pompous performance, too - light opera is his ultimate undoing.

Cape Feare was where the writers knew they had something great, and they’d never quite reach these heights again. The continued use of Sideshow Bob was a no-brainer, though: from performance to character design, he brings something to the show that no other character can.