History Recap / TheSimpsonsS3E21BlackWidower

* WhisperedThreat: While Bob rubs Selma's feet on their honeymoon, he repeatedly mutters under his breath his intent to murder her. When Selma overhears, he passes his statements off as loving compliments made in other languages.

The Simpsons are getting ready to have dinner with Patty, Selma, and Selma's new boyfriend. Of course, one can imagine their surprise when he turns out to be none other than Sideshow Bob, freshly released from his stay in prison after the events in "Krusty Gets Busted." While everyone is impressed at how much Bob has changed due to ThePowerOfLove, Bart still fears that Bob is planning to kill him -- or someone close to him.

* BrutalHonesty: Played with. Sideshow Bob is unable to hide his hatred for [=MacGyver=], a show he knows Selma loves. When he voices his disdain after being forced to sit through an episode, it reduces Selma to tears and nearly results in the wedding being called off. Oddly enough, it's Homer who gets the pair back on track.

* EvilLaugh: Sideshow Bob does one as he drives himself and a sleeping Selma to their honeymoon.
-->'''Sideshow Bob:''' That's right, dear. Enjoy your rest. The wedding was very tough on you. And the honeymoon is going to be... murder. *Cue EvilLaugh*

* FallingInLoveMontage: Set to Sideshow Bob and Selma singing Music/FrankSinatra and Music/NancySinatra's "Somethin' Stupid". They have a boat date, have their hair done together, they enjoy a day by the sea and walk in the sand, and they frolic in the meadow.

** It's also heavily implied throughout the episode that Bob wants to murder Bart for exposing his original crime. Bob would act on this two seasons later in [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS5E2CapeFeare "Cape Feare"]].
** When Bob publicly apologizes to Krusty during a charity event for [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS1E12KrustyGetsBusted having framed him]], Krusty tells Bob he'll be back in jail if they open the event's ledger. In [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS7E15BartTheFink "Bart the Fink"]], Krusty is arrested for tax fraud.

--> '''Sideshow Bob''': I WANTED A ROOM WITH A FIREPLACE, YOU BRAINLESS LUGGAGE MONKEY! Like the one in your brochure! (realizes Selma is capturing him on camera) Oh, Selma dear... I was just chatting with my good friend... (looks at his name tag) Dennis! Now, smile for the camera, there's a good lad! (Dennis struggles to produce a nervous smile)

-->'''Sideshow Bob''': I'll be back! You can't keep the Democrats out of the White House forever...and when they get in, I'm back on the streets, with all my criminal buddies!

* ItsAllAboutMe: Sideshow Bob has a moment of this when he and Selma have to rush back to Patty and Selma's place to watch ''[=MacGyver=]''. Bob says this when they get there: "Selma, I thought I was the only man in your life." Selma simply snaps at him: "Sit down and shut up!"
* KaraokeBondingScene: There's a scene with newly-engaged Selma and Sideshow Bob singing a karaoke duet of Frank and Nancy Sinatra's "Something Stupid".

* LameRhymeDodge: As Sideshow Bob is rubbing Selma's feet at the hotel, [[RefugeInAudacity he quietly mutters his plans to kill her]], before Selma gets confused, and he quickly counters by replacing his plots with foreign languages for how lovely her feet look.

-->'''Sideshow Bob:''' Oh, Krusty, I can't tell you how [*kick*] ''MUCH!'' I miss this.

* MeadowRun: Selma and Sideshow Bob frolic in the meadow together. It's part of their falling-in-love montage.
* MrFanservice: Selma misses the first part of the [=MacGyver=] episode she, Patty and Bob watch. According to Patty, the part Selma missed featured the title character wearing a tank top. Selma is annoyed that she missed that part.

* NoodleIncident: Sideshow Bob appears on Krusty's telethon and apologizes for sending him to jail, to which Krusty replied, "Hell, if they ever open the books on this telethon, I'm right back in there!"
* OldFashionedRowBoatDate: Selma and Sideshow Bob have a date on a row boat during their falling-in-love montage, complete with Selma holding a ParasolOfPrettiness.

* PowerOfTrust: Spoofed; Marge congratulates Bart for not losing his ''mis''trust in Sideshow Bob. (It is also an inversion of "Krusty Gets Busted", where Bart was sure that Krusty was innocent because of a straight example of this trope.)
* QuitYourWhining: At the wedding, Lisa gripes that she could have been a flower girl instead of Maggie, and would be better at it because she wouldn't keep falling down. Bart irritably tells her, "Hey, they chose Maggie, OK?"
* ReplacementScrappy: In-universe. While reuniting with Sideshow Bob on the telethon, Krusty tells him, "That jerk I got to replace you, he isn't fit to hold your slide whistle." Cut to a morose Sideshow Mel watching at home: "All I can be is myself."

* SeriousBusiness: ''Series/MacGyver1985'', of course, for Patty and Selma. Selma's love for the character is so strong that Bob proclaiming how much he hates the show drives her to tears and makes her consider calling the marriage off. In a weird way, Selma's faith in the character actually proves to be beneficial to her, as it's what provides Bart with the last piece he needs to figure out Bob's plan. Bob's disdain for the character counts as well since he'd rather jeopardize his plans regarding Selma than say he loves [=MacGyver=].

** Bob is prisoner [[Franchise/LesMiserables 24601]].

** When Sideshow Bob goes into the room to see Selma's corpse, he turns around the chair, only to see Bart sitting in it. Sideshow Bob turns around and sees Selma in the doorway. These shots, from Bob turning the chair to Selma in the doorway, are a reference to the ending of ''Film/{{Psycho}}'', right down to the music.

* ToiletSeatDivorce: Selma and Sideshow Bob's near-breakup over ''Series/MacGyver1985''.

* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: As mentioned above, when it looks like the wedding will have to be called off, Homer is the one who suggests to Bob going out for a walk when Selma watches ''Series/MacGyver1985'', unknowingly helping Bob out with his plot, as then he can be out of the room when the match blows Selma up.
* VanityLicensePlate: Sideshow Bob is seen making these in prison during a flashback which are all related to wanting to kill Bart; BART DOA, RIP BART, DIE BART, I H8 BART. The final one appears on Bob's car after he and Selma leave their wedding.
* VillainLoveSong: "Somethin' Stupid" may count in this context, as it is a duet between Sideshow Bob and his current {{Love Interest|s}}, Selma. It's not really needed to seduce her, as they're already engaged.

* WhamShot: Bob returns to his destroyed room and walks towards Selma's chair, expecting to see her corpse in it. Instead, it's Bart. Selma is actually standing in the doorway behind Bob.

* FaceHeelTurn: Despite this being Bob's second appearance, it's the first time he does something genuinely evil. All he did in his first appearance was frame Krusty for robbery (which, given how Krusty treated him on the show, would fall under MistreatmentInducedBeyrayal). This time, he's the attempted murderer he is in all future episodes.

* FaceHeelTurn: Despite this being Bob's second appearance, it's the first time he does something genuinely evil. All he did in his first appearance was frame Krusty for robbery. This time, he's the attempted murderer he is in all future episodes.

** He later tosses a lit match into Selma and Bob's gas-filled hotel room, causing it to explode. Thankfully, everyone had evacuated the room beforehand.

* CharacterizationMarchesOn: This episode features Sideshow Bob at a transitional stage between his Season 1 persona and the one he'd have in future episodes. He's a little bit sore at Bart for exposing him, but is indicated to mostly blame himself for his sloppy job of framing Krusty, and is much less ObviouslyEvil than in his later appearances.

* KaraokeBondingMoment: There's a scene with newly-engaged Selma and Sideshow Bob singing a karaoke duet of Frank and Nancy Sinatra's "Something Stupid".

** While being taken away, Bob says they can't keep Democrats out of the White House forever and, once they get in, he'll be back on the streets with his fellow convicts. According to Groening, this wasn't a knock on Democrats (who are perceived to be weak on crime) but a knock on the ''Republican allegation'' that Democrats are weak on crime. Of course, this ended up backfiring on the writers, as Bob was released from prison less than a year after UsefulNotes/BillClinton became president.

** To Bob's plan: Selma's honeymoon footage not only shows him assaulting a bellhop due to their room not having a gas fireplace (which was in the brochure), but ''also'' shows him fiddling with it near the end, all while musing over the destructiveness of fire.

** It's also heavily implied throughout the episode that Bob wants to murder Bart for exposing his original crime. Bob would act on this two seasons later in "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS5E2CapeFeare Cape Feare]]".

** It's also heavily implied throughout the episode that Bob wants to murder Bart for exposing his original crime. Bob would act on this two seasons later in "[[recap/TheSimpsonsS5E2CapeFeare Cape Feare]]".

** It's also heavily implied throughout the episode that Bob wants to murder Bart for exposing his original crime. Bob would act on this two seasons later in ''Cape Feare''.

* ToTheBatnoun[=/=]{{Thememobile}}: Once the Simpson family learn of Bob's plan to kill Selma, Homer shouts out, [[Series/{{Batman}} "To the Simpsonmobile!"]]... [[MundaneMadeAwesome which is actually their car]].

* FaceHeelTurn: Despite this being Bob's second appearance, it's the first time he does something genuinely evil.
All he did in his first appearance was frame Krusty for robbery. This time, he's the attempted murderer he is in all future episodes.

** To Bob's plan: Selma's honeymoon footage not only shows him assaulting a bellhop due to their room not having a gas fireplace (which was in the brochure), but ''also'' shows him fiddling with it near the end.

** He later tosses a lit match into Selma and Bob's gas-filled hotel room, causing it to explode.

* FallingInLoveMontage: Set to Sideshow Bob and Selma singing Music/FrankSinatra and Music/NancySinatra's "Somethin' Stupid".

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar:
** This episode has a goodly amount of innuendo: Sideshow Bob's line to Bart, "[[IfIWantedYouDead If I'd wanted to murder you, I would have choked you like a chicken]]," Krusty's reference to PrisonRape when Bob wins an Emmy ("Just don't drop that thing in the shower, Bob!"), and Krusty trying to tell the joke about the 12-inch pianist.
** Bob plays a violin while conjugal visit trailers rock back and forth.

* IfIWantedYouDead: Bob offers one to Bart while at the Simpson household (combined with GettingCrapPastTheRadar):

* FallingInLoveMontage: Set to Sideshow Bob and Selma singing Music/FrankSinatra and NancySinatra's "Somethin' Stupid".

* FallingInLoveMontage: Set to Sideshow Bob and Selma singing Music/FrankSinatra and NancySinatra's "Somethin' Stupid"

-->'''Sideshow Bob''': That was a well-plotted piece of non-claptrap that never made me want to wretch.

* VillainLoveSong: "Somethin' Stupid" may count in this context, as it is a duet between Sideshow Bob and his current {{Love Interest|s}}, Selma. It's not really needed to seduce her, as they're already engaged.