Treehouse of Horror

Series: The Simpsons
Season: 2
Episode: 3

Tonight's post is the first in three ways. It marks the first Simpsons review, the first review of an episode, and finally the first of many Halloween themed episode reviews. Not to mention the first Treehouse of Horror reviews, of which there will be 5.

Due to the nature of episodes, there will be another post after this outlining how episode reviews/tv series reviews will work. For now though, on with the Treehouse of Horror.

This episode is full of nostalgia. I remember watching this as a kid, through the 90's every year when they would put it on. Unlike most Simpsons episodes, this one departs from the usual method of the episodes, and instead becomes episodic as we encounter three different scary tales. The filler between stories shows Bart, Lisa and Maggie discussing what is scary as the two older siblings have different ideas of horror. Meanwhile, Homer sits outside listening in, growing more frightened with each story told.

The first of the stories told is "Bad Dream House" and revolves around the family as they move into a spooky, haunted house. Like all Treehouse episodes, there are references abound in here, which is what makes these episodes such a treat to watch. The Shining, Amityville Horror, Poltergeist, The Exorcist, and the Addams Family home all provide inspiration to various moments in this segment. While this segment is enjoyable, I do recall enjoying the Shining segment more from a later Treehouse of Horror episode.

Our second segment is "Hungry Are the Damned" and features the Simpsons being beamed up into space, though it takes two beams to lift Homer, and encounter a trio of aliens who wish to take them to their home world. Kang and Kodos tell the family that upon arrival that the Simpsons will enjoy a world of infinite delights. Not trusting the aliens, Lisa uncovers a dust ridden book initially called "How to Cook Humans" though it is soon revealed the aliens truly did wish to bring the family to paradise. Hurt by the distrust, they leave the family on Earth. This segment is largely inspired by a Twilight Zone episode from 1962 called "To Serve Man" and is my least favorite of the three segments, though that isn't saying much since it is still fairly enjoyable.

The final segment, based off of Edgar Allen Poe's poem of the same name, is "The Raven" and features James Earl Jones giving the narration of the poem as Homer squares off in battle against a raven sporting Bart's head. This segment is a lot of fun to watch, especially if one is a fan of Poe's work. Like all three segments, and the wraparounds the animation is a step up from the first season of the show, though it does feel obvious that this is a much earlier episode in the series' run.

All together, this is the first of several great Treehouse of Horror episodes, and it can only get better from here. With that said, let the month of Halloween reviews begin, especially on a good note such as this one.

4/5