The Boy Who Knew Too Much/References

Episode	References	Gags	Appearances	Gallery	Quotes	Credits

◄ Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song

The Boy Who Knew Too Much

Lady Bouvier's Lover ►

Trivia

• Matt Groening is the court-appointed artist.
• When Bart is running away from Principal Skinner, one of the scenes is of Bart running down a hill, which was reused and mirror-flipped from the Season 4 premiere "Kamp Krusty".
• Also, when Bart is running away from Principal Skinner, one of the scenes is of Bart running across a field to a wall, which was reused from Season 3 episode "Dog Of Death".
• This is the first episode to feature Bart's "Li'l Bastard" prank kit. Here he uses the "Li'l Bastard Clock-Tampering Kit".
• There is "El Barto" graffiti outside the courthouse.
• The sign outside Quimby's house says, "Thursday Is Ladies' Night."
• Bart catches a fish while lying near the river.
• The Rat Trap Delivery truck that the waiter falls into has the date "Since 1989" written on the side, which is a reference to the year The Simpsons first premiered.
• Bart apparently is capable of reading minds, due to Skinner mentally threatening Bart from the jury box.
• Bart misspells Abraham Lincoln's surname as "L-I-N-C-O-N," missing the silent 'L'.

Citations

• The title is a reference to the Alfred Hitchcock film The Man Who Knew Too Much.
  • The film title was also punned in the episodes "The Girl Who Slept Too Little" and "The Dad Who Knew Too Little."
• More similarities between Rainier Wolfcastle and the man on which he is based, Arnold Schwarzenegger, are revealed in this episode, including:
  • Both have wives named Maria.
    • On a related note, this also is a reference to the Kennedys, as Maria Shriver, Schwarzenegger's former wife, is related to the Kennedys, and Maria, Rainier's wife, is implied to be related to the Quimbys.
  • Both drive a Humvee.
  • Bart also tells Wolfcastle his last movie "sucked," while Chief Wiggum says, "Magic ticket, my ass, McBain!" These are references to the critically panned Schwarzenegger film Last Action Hero .
• The scene featuring Principal Skinner chasing Bart (both the music and animation) is based on the Gunslinger's chase of Peter Martin from the film Westworld.
• The whole plot of the episode is based on the movie 12 Angry Men.
• The chalkboard gag is a reference to a song from 1976 film Bugsy Malone.
• Bart's fantasy, is based on Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn. His fantasy also features Abraham Lincoln.
• Skinner picking up the cigar butt in the hotel room with an umbrella references the opening credits of The Odd Couple.
• In the court, Homer sings the jingle for Meow Mix cat food in his head.
• Homer watches the "director's cut" of Free Willy, which features Willy the whale crushing Jesse to death.
• Freddy Quimby's lawyer uses the Blue-Haired Lawyer's voice, but is a far more contemporary design compared to that character.  In the commentary, the participants erroneously call him "Burns's Lawyer" due to the voice, not paying attention to the design.
• Mr. Lacoste, the clumsy waiter, voiced by Hank Azaria, is an homage to Peter Sellers's Pink Panther film series character, Jacques Clouseau, the Inspector of the Paris, France Police Department.
• Bart hides from Skinner under a green blanket in a convertible, a reference to Back to the Future Part II.
• The character McGarnagle appears to be a spoof of the Clint Eastwood character 'Harry Callahan' from the 'Dirty Harry' series.  
• The police chief in McGarnagle speaks like and resembles Dennis Franz's character Andy Sipowicz from NYPD Blue. Franz would later play himself (portraying Homer in a movie) in the episode Homer Badman.

Goofs

• There are pencils and Bart's nameplate on his desk, but when he stands up, they aren't there.
• Bart's lip sync is off when he says, "The system works. Just ask Klaus von Bulow."

◄ Season 4	Season 5 References/Trivia	Season 6 ►
Homer's Barbershop Quartet • Cape Feare • Homer Goes to College • Rosebud • Treehouse of Horror IV • Marge on the Lam • Bart's Inner Child • Boy-Scoutz 'n the Hood • The Last Temptation of Homer • $pringfield (Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling) • Homer the Vigilante • Bart Gets Famous • Homer and Apu • Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy • Deep Space Homer • Homer Loves Flanders • Bart Gets an Elephant • Burns' Heir • Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song • The Boy Who Knew Too Much • Lady Bouvier's Lover • Secrets of a Successful Marriage