Like Father, Like Clown (S03, E06-041)

At this point I don't think the rabbi knows what's going on exactly.

Plot Summary
In this episode, Krusty (eventually) has dinner with Bart after the latter proved Krusty's innocence in Krusty Gets Busted.  Its a fine affair at first, but at the dinner table, Krusty is asked to say grace.  He says it in Hebrew, and its quickly learned he's Jewish.  However, saying grace in Hebrew brought back some memories to Krusty, and he can't help but shed tears.

As it turns out, one Herschel Krustofsky was born to a rabbi, whose father was a rabbi, and so on and so forth.  Herschel, however, found enjoyment in making people laugh, but his father Hyman Krustofsky would have nothing of it.  Herschel would attempt to continue a clown routine in secret, but was found out during a show which his father was attending.  Right then and there, Hyman denounced Herschel, claiming he had no son.

The memories begin to eat away at Krusty, affecting his on-air work.  Bart and Lisa agree to have Krusty reunite with his father.  While it wasn't difficult to track the rabbi - he is one of Springfield's leading Jewish leaders apparently - it is much more difficult to convince him to reconcile with Krusty, citing phrases from various religious texts to justify his decision.  Lisa tries to fight fire with fire by having Bart recite similar phrases to counterpoint the rabbi's decision, but Hyman refuses to listen.

Finally, in a last ditch effort, the two give the rabbi a powerful quote passionately depicting the Jewish people's struggles in the past and their victories in the present.  Impressed with the tidbit, the rabbi is stunned to learn that the quote is from Sammy Davis Jr., a Jewish entertainer.  Realizing that entertainers can also provide wisdom, Hyman regrets the time he's lost with his son, but quickly Bart and Lisa have him reunite with Krusty on the latter's program, and the two share a happy reunion together.

Quick Review
Its a touching episode, one that is a strong developer of Krusty's character.  I liked the idea behind the episode and the way it played itself out, but the jokes just weren't there.  Its a good episode, but its not really a funny episode, you know what I mean?

Final Score: 7.2