Aidan Woelfel ’28
Staff Writer
35 years ago, on October 25th, those tuning in to “The Simpsons” would be greeted with a new kind of episode. Entitled “Treehouse of Horror,” viewers watched as Marge Simpson (Julie Kavner) walked onto a theater stage and warned that the following episode would be frightening. Nobody could have known it then but, with that introduction, a decades long Halloween tradition had just been started.
“The Simpsons” is arguably one of the most iconic television shows of all time, beginning in 1989 and continuing to the present, where it is on its 37th season. Since that first Halloween-themed episode released during the second season in 1990, a new “Treehouse of Horror” Halloween special has been a yearly staple of the show. Each episode features three separate stories and, throughout the years, the tales have consisted of both wacky original ideas and a nearly countless number of Halloween movie or book parodies.
As for me, rewatching different “Treehouse of Horror” episodes with my family has been a staple of our Halloween season for nearly as long as I can remember. Thus, as Halloween draws near and this “Simpsons” tradition turns 35 years old, it is only fitting that we look back upon these specials and some of their greatest stories. And, trust me, there are many.
From the get-go, the “Treehouse of Horror” episodes started off strong, with all three stories in the 1990 release being both iconic and hilarious, and the legendary James Earl Jones appearing as a special guest voice. The very first story ever told in the “Treehouse of Horror” series is also my favorite of the first episode. Entitled “Bad Dream House,” it follows a hilarious battle between the Simpson family and a haunted house and, no matter how many times I see it, I always laugh when the house chooses to destroy itself rather than tolerate the Simpsons living there.
Nevertheless, it would be remiss to discuss the first episode without also mentioning the final story, a retelling of Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Raven.” Hearing the iconic voice of James Earl Jones reading the classic poem alone would be enough to make this an experience that cannot be missed. Add to this Homer (Dan Castellaneta) acting out both faithful and parodied scenes with a Bart-looking-raven (Nancy Cartwright), and this story serves as a hysterical close to the first ever “Treehouse of Horror.”
Throughout the years, the “Treehouse of Horror” episodes have produced innumerable absolutely incredible parodies of some of the most legendary vintage horror stories of all time. The third season’s “Treehouse of Horror II,” closes with a hilarious tale that casts Mr. Burns (Harry Shearer) in the “Frankenstein” story as he tries to bring to life a robot employee. In an uproarious turn of events, Burns’ plan is foiled when he uses Homer’s brain for his creature, who then ends up as lazy and doughnut-obsessed as the original Homer.
This pattern of parodying classic horror stories led to my personal favorite “Treehouse of Horror” segment: season five’s “Treehouse of Horror IV’s” final story parodying different vampire and “Dracula” tales. Mr. Burns takes on the role of Count Dracula himself, and nearly every moment is hysterical. From the incompetent Chief Wiggum (Hank Azaria) destroying Egyptian artifacts because he believes the cape they found, which is labeled “Dracula,” must have belonged to a mummy, to the story suddenly ending with the characters parodying “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” the segment is spooky, wacky, and completely hilarious. In other words, it has all the qualities that make the “Treehouse of Horror” episodes so amazing.
However, make no mistake, “The Simpsons” did not stop at only parodying old monster stories, and have taken on many more modern Halloween classics. Season seven’s “Treehouse of Horror VI” features a hysterical parody of “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” with the children of Springfield having to battle against Groundskeeper Willie (Dan Castellaneta), who has essentially become Freddy Krueger, in their dreams. Willie’s wisecracking jokes and creative transformations, ranging from a spider to a lawnmower, make this segment hilarious.
Season six’s “Treehouse of Horror V,” opens with a spectacular parody of “The Shining,” which is my second favorite “Treehouse of Horror” segment. Highlights include Groundskeeper Willie telling Bart to say “shinning” instead of “shining” so “The Simpsons” don’t get sued and watching Homer act ridiculously as he goes crazy over having no beer or tv. This segment finds every aspect of “The Shining” that can be made hilarious and runs with it and, in doing so, becomes iconic.
Overall, looking back through the decades on this 35th anniversary of “The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror,” it is impressive to note how many amazing Halloween stories and parodies this one show has produced. Of course, not all the episodes are incredible. However, the good ones far outweigh the bad ones in my memory and, on the whole, keep me looking forward to watching the new “Treehouse of Horror” each year.
Featured image courtesy of Wikipedia
Copy Edited by Annamaria DeCamp ’27
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