'The Simpsons' Season 24, Episode 16: 'Dark Knight Court' Recap

“The Simpsons”, season 24, episode 16, “Dark Knight Court”

The town of Springfield celebrates Easter by having the women don blue bonnets. The students of Springfield Elementary prepare a musical rendition of “Here Comes Peter Cottontail”. However, as the horns are cued to begin, their sounds are muted. As they blow harder, eggs are shot out from them. The town gets covered in eggs, and Bart Simpsons laughs. The town chase him down.

In an effort to hide, Mr. Burns and Smithers hide in The Android’s Dungeon (the Comic Book Shop). Burns spots a comic and is reminded of his love of them as a child. He offers to buy out the stock of comics, and the Comic Book Guy obliges.

Back at home, Marge picks eggs out of her hair to make dinner. Lisa confronts Bart, but he claims he didn’t do it. The school band appears outside their house, playing the funeral dirge. They demand that Bart be handed over so they may administer “band justice”.

Bart tries convincing his family again, and wins them over. Lisa addresses the band, and demands a “youth court” to prove Bart’s innocence.

Lisa reads through the youth court manual and finds they can pick their own judge, except that everyone who could be a judge already hates Bart. Grampa shows up and says he knows someone who would fit. Back in his day, he met Attorney General Janet Reno, and they’ve kept in touch since then, and she’d be perfect for it.

In his mansion, Mr. Burns reads the comics that he purchased and realizes that he, as a millionaire, can become a crime-fighting bat. He vows to become Fruit Bat Man.

In the auditorium, Superintendent Chalmers introduces the judge for the trial, Janet Reno. Lisa is shocked that Grampa’s story was true. Judge Reno dismisses most of Principals Skinner’s testimony, and Bart is feeling optimistic about the outcome.

Meanwhile, on a rooftop, Smithers and Mr. Burns, the new Fruit Bat Man poses for dramatic pictures. Burns spots a stickup, and dives off the rooftop. Smithers hurries into the building and offers to pay the robber (Snake) and robee (Apu) if they allow Fruit Bat Man to stop them. They agree. Fruit Bat Man stops Snake, and then flees into the night. Smithers hands them both wads of cash.

In trial, Lisa cross examines the lunch lady. She reveals that the eggs were, indeed, stolen, but that Bart couldn’t have done it since she had the key to the room where they were kept.

Fruit Bat Man continues his crime fighting, but with Smithers always anticipating him and hiring actors to play the parts of the bad guys. Burns throws a party in honor of Fruit Bat Man.

Skinner cross examines Milhouse, who reveals that he was with Bart the whole weekend, so he couldn’t have done it. Lisa moves for the case to be dismissed, but Janet Reno denies it. She points out that Lisa made an error in her closing argument, and they must now open the trial to witnesses speaking against Bart’s “sweet and loveable” nature. Skinner calls “everyone in the world” to the stand.

Skinner calls Moe to the stand, who recounts the various prank calls Bart has pulled on him, and he gives an emotional testimony.

Lisa decides to go to Burns and ask him, or rather Fruit Bat Man, for his help finding the truth to set Bart free. Burns sends her away, and Smithers points out she was the only one he could have actually helped, and reveals that all the other cases were hired by him.

Marge and Lisa were doing laundry (Marge volunteered to wash the egg stains out of the towns folks clothes), and they spotted one item that stood out: a kilt with a smashed egg on it, rather than splattered. It leads them to Groundskeeper Willie.

They confront him about framing Bart and he reveals that he hates Easter, so that’s why he did it. And he got the key from Lunch Lady Dorris after sleeping with her and copying the key. He grabs the kilt and destroys it, being the only evidence against him. Just as he does, Fruit Bat Man shows up and takes him down.

Fruit Bat Man interrupts the trial and Willie confesses. Bart thanks Lisa for saving him. Janet Reno dismisses the case, and gives everyone a lecture on how the legal system works.

Moe gets a call saying the trial was acquitted and weeps in fear as his phone continues to ring.

Elsewhere, Fruit Bat Man is captured by the evil Dr. Lenny. He sends out a beacon, and a Nick Fury-esque figure calls together the octogenarian initiative, The Dependables, featuring The Rambler, Early Bird, Hot Flash, and Iron Lung.