I'm finally back to finish my ranking of the last batch of Treehouse of Horror segments! I'll admit that June is not a particularly creepy month, but it felt weird to jump back into my season rankings without finishing this first. I'm saving my "Top 20 and Bottom 20 Treehouse of Horror Segments of All Time" list for October, probably after I have watched their most recent Halloween episode. This way, I will still have something thematic for the Halloween season. Now, back to finishing off this ranking! The nice thing about my lengthy absence is that it gave me the chance to include "Treehouse of Horror XXXIII" from 2022. The two most recent seasons have had much stronger writing across the board, and I think that really is evident in the most recent special. Their parody segments work best when they can do something new and interesting with the concept, especially if you can enjoy the segment without needing to see the original. I'm excited to talk about these, so let's get started!
Top 7 Best Segments
7. "Simpsonsworld" ("Treehouse of Horror XXXIII")
I've never had much of a desire to watch Westworld, so I'm glad that the Simpson version of the story does not require you to have seen the show at all. Instead, this segment is full of nostalgic moments for fans as you get to see the fans reenact meme-able Simpsons moments. It is so sweet to see robot Homer try to save his family from this place. You can see both how it would be a fun place for fans and a nightmare for the robots. I like how Homer plays around with the self-awareness settings for his family members so that they will understand him. This segment also has some sweet moments between Homer and Lisa. The ending where you find out that each of the other animated shows has its own similar world was a cool idea, and I loved to watch them visit Bob's Burgers. I don't think this segment is as deep or creepy as the others, but it is still a fun adventure that speaks to the creativity of the current Simpsons writers!
6. "Death Tome" ("Treehouse of Horror XXXIII")
Because this episode is a Simpsonized take on Death Note, we get to see the Simpsons as anime characters! I think the animation is very impressive, and they even add some elements of Japanese culture to make it look even more like an anime. In terms of the story itself, I like that they make Lisa the one with the Death Tome and Bart the one who is hunting her down. I don't know the anime as well, but it seems like the other way around would have been the safer, more predictable way, so I like that they mix up the character roles. Lisa's efforts to use her power to punish evildoers are interesting, and I like that she cannot use the same method of death twice. Because of this, you get a really interesting montage of different kinds of death. It's also just so funny that the news predicts that someone with a tome is at the heart of these attacks. I think the ending was a bit sudden, and I wish there was more time to show the cat-and-mouse game between Bart and Lisa, but otherwise, it was a fun premise that they did really well!
5. "Be Nine, Rewind" ("Treehouse of Horror XXXI")
This segment is mostly based on the TV show Russian Doll; that's why it plays the same "Gotta Get Up" song. But the nice thing is that the story works with a lot of other time-loop movies and shows. I initially thought that they were parodying Happy Death Day, and I think there are still some elements of this movie as well. They are so creative with all the ways that Lisa and Nelson die while they are trying to find a solution to the looping. I am a big fan of Stargate SG1's time loop episode "Window of Opportunity," so it was fun seeing the Simpsons find their way out of their own time loop. I think it's interesting that they decided to do a time loop episode in October 2021 when the pandemic was still in full swing. It makes me think of a YouTube episode by Patrick H. Willems where he points out that quarantine was a lot like a time loop, with days blurring together and feeling very samey. He points out that these kinds of films were cathartic for viewers during this time because they gave people hope that someday the quarantines and isolation would end. I've included that video here in case you want to watch it!
This segment doesn't have the same time to work through the existential issues of these other movies and shows, but it is still a fun ride!
4. "Dead Ringer" ("Treehouse of Horror XXXII")
The Simpsons finally decide to offer their take on The Ring, a movie that is perfect for Treehouse of Horror! I like the way that this show modernizes the video so that it is a TikTok rather than a VHS or DVD recording. These advancements in social media since the original movie came out make it even more of a threat now that it's so easy to send out viral videos. I like seeing Lisa challenge the phone voice, as well as the fact that the monster was lonely but still felt a bit too smothered by Lisa. I also love the backstory that they give to the Ghost, those backstory scenes are the best parts of many horror and thriller films, so it felt satisfying for Bart and Lisa to find out more about what was happening to the other kids. They do some great horror here, and I love the way they update the story as well.
3. "Toy Gory" ("Treehouse of Horror XXXI")
This segment is a chilling twist on Toy Story that really brings out the underlying horror elements in the story. The segment makes Bart into a Sid-like character who enjoys tormenting his toys. Though they hint at it in Toy Story, this segment really makes it clear that the toys can feel pain, a fact that makes it much easier to see his demise in the end. While you would expect the new Buzz Lightyear-inspired toy to be part of the resistance against Bart, the writers subvert this by making his time extremely short-lived. The animation is great at still looking like The Simpsons while also capturing some of that Pixar style. The way the toys finally take their vengeance by killing Bart and turning him into a puppet is so creepy! Especially when the family finds him. Their reaction afterward really pushes the envelope, but I don't think it goes too far. Overall, this segment is short and simple, but the writers use the time to make a fun and chilling segment.
2. "Multiplisa-ty" ("Treehouse of Horror XXIX")
I have never seen Split, but the Simpson version of it is a lot of fun! Instead of going with an already dangerous/potentially insane character like Homer or Bart, this segment decides to make Lisa the kidnapper with multiple personalities. These personalities aren't too fleshed out, but I love the ominous German persona she adopts at the dinner table, as well as the family underreacting to her strange behavior. That whole scene is hilarious! Choosing Millhouse, Bart, and Nelson as her captives is also a fun choice that allows Lisa to turn the tables on the usually bully figures. I think the ending twist about Lisa losing her sanity because Bart sabotaged her test grade fits with Lisa's character for the most part, and it is funny to see her go to such lengths over something relatively minor like that.
1. "The Pookadook" ("Treehouse of Horror XXXIII")
This segment does a great job turning Marge into a threatening possessed character. I love that her bookshelf is filled with multiple copies of The Pookadook, and it's interesting that Marge actually makes the situation worse when she tries to burn the book. In addition to adding some menace to Marge (I cannot recall another segment that really goes that direction with her character), I also really enjoyed the focus on Maggie as a protagonist in the story. In the end, she is the one trying to solve the issue, which gives her a lot more focus than something like "The Exor-sis" where she was mainly an object driving the story forward. It is so sweet and sad to see Maggie try to bring Marge back with photos of the memories they shared as a family, only for Marge to point out that these vacations were not really a vacation for her. It's a small touch, but it really points to the resentment that can build up if you don't communicate with the people you love. Overall, a fascinating segment with some high stakes!
Top 7 Worst Episodes
7. "Heaven Swipes Right" ("Treehouse of Horror XXX")
I think this segment has an interesting premise, with Homer trying out different bodies when he is sent back to live again. I like seeing Marge's discomfort because the new Homer has his mind but not his body, and she is in love with her original Homer. I also think it's funny that Homer immediately sabotages his new body as well. Where the episode loses me is when Homer starts inhabiting a variety of different bodies. He becomes Principal Chalmers in order to pull a prank with Bart, for instance. I think this part is mildly amusing but doesn't really consider the consequences of Homer's body-swapping like it did at the beginning of the segment. The ending, when Moe becomes Maggie, is just a little too weird to me. It isn't terrible; it just peters out at the end.
6. "Danger Things" ("Treehouse of Horror XXX")
This one isn't actively bad; it's just a bit of a missed opportunity, given the Stranger Things source material that they're working with. They get the visuals right, and the overall 80s feel, but they don't really do much with the story and themes. I think the issue is that they are trying to capture the imagery from an entire season of a show rather than borrowing one episode or storyline. As a result, it only really has time to include a few scattered references to the show with a fairly weak storyline. It's a bit funny that they move to the Upside Down at the end, but the show didn't really do anything all that interesting with the source material.
5. "When Hairy Met Slimy" ("Treehouse of Horror XXX")
Basing a segment on The Shape of Water is an interesting choice for a Halloween segment. The original film was more of a sweet romance with a dose of suspense and commentary on discrimination in America. This segment doesn't have the time to do any of that, so it mostly goes with the weird fish-creature romance and the rescue mission. Their decision for Selma to fall in love with Kang makes sense for the characters that they wanted to tell the story, but it lowers my investment because I have never been the biggest fan of Selma. I think Homer's enthusiasm to help her leave the planet is fun, and I like that Patty joins too, but it removes the soul of the source material without contributing something new. I feel a little bad for picking on "Treehouse of Horror XXX," but I think the segments in this episode have trouble delivering on the premises they offer.
4. "Geriatric Park" ("Treehouse of Horror XXIX")
This is another segment that underdelivers on its premise. It's a fun idea to have Mr. Burns turn the elderly into dinosaurs, but it spends so much time on the set-up that it doesn't really do anything with the execution. I also think the idea is at least a bit funny that the dinosaurs just want people to listen to them rather than running amok. That said, I think the Jurassic Park movies usually juggle the majestic with the terrifying, and this segment didn't have very much of that. This one isn't particularly bad, just an underwhelming take on the source material, in my opinion.
3. "Intrusion of the Pod-Y Switchers" ("Treehouse of Horror XXIX")
I think this segment isn't actively bad, just not as interesting as it could be. The idea that Mapple products are replacing people with plantlike duplicates is a pretty interesting premise, and they add some of the same "who can you trust" themes present in Body Snatchers or The Thing. But I think it would have worked better if the plants killed those they duplicated instead of sending them off somewhere. This transportation story is a bit too similar to the ending of "The Greatest Story Ever Holed," which did it much better. Because of this, the story doesn't seem like it has much new to say.
The idea of the multiverse creates an interesting concept for a Treehouse of Horror, and the different Homers are fun, but there isn't as much substance. The different Homers are interesting, but most of them are exactly like the original Homer with only superficial differences. Into the Spiderverse does a good job meditating on what qualities make someone Spider-Man. At the same time, the movie also shows how much difference and flexibility comes within this Spider-Man category, as the different versions each maintain unique traits that come from their different worlds and personalities. This segment could have spent time exploring what makes Homer who he is, but instead, it is just a regular action ending.
1. "Nightmare on Elm Tree" ("Treehouse of Horror XXXII")
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