Springfield's Easter is ruined by a prank and all fingers point to Bart. It is up to Lisa to save her brother, in a student court presided over by Attorney General Janet Reno. Meanwhile, inspired by an old comic book, Mr. Burns becomes an ineffectual superhero—fruit bat man.
WAR
45.7
Wins Above Replacement
“Dark Knight Court” ranks #214 of 552 The Simpsons episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 79.9 — Elite. The episode packs 63 scored jokes at 3.8 per minute, averaging 7.0 on craft and 6.4 on impact, with Mr. Burns landing the most laughs. Every joke is ranked below with its individual craft and impact scores.
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Top Jokes
Mr. Burns: I am the squeak in the rafters, the flutter in the chimney, the tiny teeth marks in the peach.
Mayor Quimby: as decided in the case of Rubber v. Glue and reaffirmed by I Know You Are v. What Am I.
Mr. Burns · Smithers: Look at those delightful children, Smithers. All those healthy organs, ripe for the harvesting.
Mr. Burns: I shall be Fruit Bat Man!
Mr. Burns Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch Mr. Burns · Smithers: Which side won? Good or evil? Good. And which side was I on? Also good.
All Jokes — 63 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Homer Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Springfield resident: Hollow? We paid for solid!
Chief Wiggum: Chief, the company's named Bunny Hollow. I thought that was where they lived.
Mr. Burns · Smithers: Look at those delightful children, Smithers. All those healthy organs, ripe for the harvesting.
Smithers: Not here, sir. Not now.
Smithers Reaction Beat Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Band conductor: Blow, you little disappointments!
Angry mob member: His amusement is tantamount to culpability!
Angry mob member: Egg don't belong in a chicken's eye. It belongs in her pee-poo-birth-hole.
Mr. Burns: It's Easter; why aren't these people at work?
Mr. Burns Character Comedy Observational ★ Rewatch Comic Book Guy: Just don't exhale your death breath directly on them.
Comic Book Guy: The adventures of The Good Shepherd and his sidekick, The Fleecy Kid. Bah! That's his battle cry. Baa!
Mr. Burns: You should be out in the fresh air, kicking dogs.
Mr. Burns Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Comic Book Guy · Customer: Um, the speed of light, expressed in dollars. Just give him Faraday's Constant.
Lisa: You've ruined Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. The legendary grand slam.
Lisa Escalation Callback ★ Rewatch Nelson: Now do me wearing a sombrero. Now have me sleeping under a cactus.
Nelson Character Comedy Escalation Bart: I would never lie to Maggie. I did not do that prank.
Bart Character Comedy Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Lisa: Wow, he passed the Maggie test. And remember how Maggie solved Cookiegate?
Lisa Callback Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch Callback Springfield resident: There's only so many kids.
Mayor Quimby: as decided in the case of Rubber v. Glue and reaffirmed by I Know You Are v. What Am I.
Homer: It's so frickin' boring. Run, boy! I'll create a distraction.
Homer Character Comedy Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Homer: Anyone can conduct Sousa.
Homer Character Comedy Observational Grampa Simpson · Kids: Would you kids believe your Grampa once argued in front of the Supreme Court? No. Sorry. Not a chance.
Grampa Simpson · Janet Reno: Attorney General Janet Reno? That's right. And that better not be your gum on the ground. Uh, it's not, but I'll take care of it.
Bart: why would you play chess through the mail when you can play chess through the Internet? Or preferably, not play chess at all?
Bart Escalation Character Comedy Bart · Grampa Simpson: It's not a threat if I don't know what it means. I'll fix your wagon! Thanks. I'd like that.
Mr. Burns: Reclusive millionaire, stately mansion, damaged psyche. He's just like me.
Mr. Burns: I shall be Fruit Bat Man!
Mr. Burns Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch Mr. Burns · Smithers: That's not your mother, that's your bear. Well, then, where's my stuffed mother?
Janet Reno · Grandpa Simpson: First, I would like to say, rook to E-8. Checkmate. Dagnabbit!
Janet Reno · Principal Skinner · Ralph: You're wearing sneakers to a trial? Oh, God, the press is gonna have a field day with this. Yay, field day!
Janet Reno: That's exactly what George W. Bush said when he was inaugurated. People don't remember that.
Mr. Burns: Look, I'll give you each $1,000 if you pretend to let that old man out there stop this crime.
Mr. Burns Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Mr. Burns: I am the squeak in the rafters, the flutter in the chimney, the tiny teeth marks in the peach.
Mr. Burns · Criminals: Feel the crumbling fist of justice! Ouchers. Oh, dear. Who are you, mysterious octogenarian of the night?
Mr. Burns: You have to keep squeezing this thing? Who has the strength for that?
Lunch lady: Him? All he takes are sodas and desserts.
Lunch lady: No one could have touched those eggs except me and the seagulls that laid them.
Mr. Burns · Smithers: who certainly isn't me. Smithers, wink my eye.
Smithers · Mr. Burns: Want to hit the hot tub, Burnsie? Well, I hate to get all pruney, but heated tubbery is what we playboys do.
Milhouse · Nelson: Yeah, but I'd pee my pants. Nelson. Dry as a bone.
Principal Skinner: Now, that's what I call 'legal briefs.' I thought of the joke and rushed over.
Prosecutor: The prosecution calls everyone in the world!
Moe: He asked for, um... ...Mike Rotch. And then what did you say? Well, I said, um... I said, 'Mike Rotch.' Um, 'Mike Rotch.'
Moe Cringe/Discomfort Running Gag ★ Rewatch Callback Moe: I just had to make sure that he never did this to another bartender.
Moe Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Homer · Lisa: Pass the gravy, Gloria All-Wrong. The trial's not over, and gravy is dead animal juice.
Marge · Homer: Just remember this: a Simpson never gives up. You got to be kidding!
Smithers: a man who claims to be a hero but is nothing more than a fraud with a cute little bod.
Mr. Burns: And so I've learned that the only true Batmen are Christian Bale and Adam West.
Lisa · Willie: This skirt has a small splatter. Splatter as if the egg had been crushed against it by hand. Like someone faked being hit, so they wouldn't be a suspect. It's not a skirt. It's a kilt!
Willie: Because I hate Easter. You see, ladies, I'm not just a Presbyterian, I'm a Scottish Old Believer Presbyterian!
Willie Character Comedy Escalation ★ Rewatch Willie: I made sweet love to Lunchlady Dora, then copied the key as she slept.
Willie Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Willie: You're so light. It's like fighting a silk scarf! Or a kimono sash!
Willie Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Mr. Burns: Yes, feel the weightless tickle of justice.
Mr. Burns Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Mr. Burns · Smithers: Which side won? Good or evil? Good. And which side was I on? Also good.
Smithers · Mr. Burns: We have a school full of professionals, sir. Really? Where is that school? Inside your head?
Bart · Lisa: You saved me, Lis. For the rest of my life, you'll always be my one phone call. Aw, but I do hope you'll try to be good from now on. Don't need to; I got you.
Bart Lisa Character Comedy Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Bart: Don't need to; I got you.
Bart Character Comedy Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Mr. Burns · Lisa: Maybe I should wrap them around your gabby little throat. Ah! Tenting, tenting! Back to the tenting!
Unknown character: Acquitted? Then my nightmare isn't over!
Mr. Burns: Gentlemen, this threat is too great for just one elderly hero. We have no choice but to activate The Octogenarian Initiative.
Mr. Burns: Gentlemen, this threat is too great for just one elderly hero. We have no choice but to activate The Octogenarian Initiative.
Grampa Simpson: The Rambler... And then there was the time I taught a dog to make oatmeal.
Elderly superheroes: I open one, no trump. Double. You've just made a powerful enemy.
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