The Simpsons - Treehouse of Horror Ranked
Introduction
Growing up in the 90s, The Simpsons was a quintessential part of my upbringing. And in that vein, the yearly Halloween Treehouse of Horror special was my signal that Fall was beginning, a new season of The Simpsons was underway, and it was almost the time to eat my body weight in Halloween candy.
This year, I decided to marathon every Treehouse of Horror episode with the intention of ranking them. To be fair, in many seasons, these episodes are a highlight, so ranking them is difficult. As such, I decided to create slightly more methodology than usual:
First, I gave each individual segment its own score between 1 and 10. The segments in each episode are rarely connected except for some loose threads, so trying to come up with an overall ranking for an episode without individually scoring the segments was hard.
Second, I decided to score on a weighted curve. I love The Simpsons, and it would be boring (and hard to rank) if most of the segments just got 9s and 10s. The curve is not exact, but centers close to a 7 out of 10. Trust me, this made it hard on some that I would have loved to have given a higher score. I limited the 10/10 scores to only 10 segments.
Third, even with a weighted curve, there were a lot of episodes with tied scores when averaging the segments. As such, the unifying elements of the episode (e.g., the introduction, the couch gag, etc.) were taken into consideration to break ties.
Fourth, this ranking is only of the proper Treehouse of Horror episodes. I did not include the "Treehouse of Horror presents" episodes: Not It (Season 34, Episode 5) or Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes (Season 36, Episode 7). I similarly did not include non-Treehouse of Horror Halloween or Halloween-adjacent episodes. The list is just Treehouse of Horror I through XXXVI.
Fifth, and probably the hardest in practice, is trying to not just put the "Golden Era" episodes at the top. I would be lying if I pretended that Seasons 2 through 8 were not my favorite seasons. But I think the "Golden Era" narrative has led to people ignoring some absolute gems of episodes in mid- and late-era Simpsons, including some spectacular Treehouse of Horror segments/episodes. Thus, I tried to take the most objective look as possible, avoiding nostalgia bias (even though the early Treehouse of Horror gems are impossible to ignore).
And without further ado. . . enjoy!
Treehouse of Horror Ranking:
36. Treehouse of Horror XVII
Episode: 4
Air Date: November 5, 2006
Segments:
Married to the Blob (1/10)
You Gotta Know When to Golem (6/10)
The Day the Earth Looked Stupid (7/10)
This episode is mostly brought down by the opening segment, which is one of the weakest Treehouse of Horror segments. This tribute to The Blob sadly balances a lack of funny moments with gross and dumb humor.
That said, neither of the other segments are likely to stick with you either, cementing the 17th installment in last place. The Golem bit provides a few good Krusty moments but not much else. The only real highlight is the tribute to The War of the Worlds, in which our favorite recurring aliens (Kang and Kodos) invade Springfield following a hoax radio broadcast.
35. Treehouse of Horror XXII
Episode: 3
Air Date: October 20, 2011
Segments:
The Diving Bell and the Butterball (1/10)
Dial D for Diddily (6/10)
In the Na'vi (7/10)
This is another average episode brought down by a particularly weak segment, namely, the opening segment which is a mediocre fart joke stretched over 5 minutes. Following that is a Dexter parody centered around Ned Flanders (with a few laughs but nothing special) and a surprisingly solid Avatar parody. This one gets a slight boost over XVII based on a comedic 127 Hours opening bit.
34. Treehouse of Horror XXX
Episode: 4
Air Date: October 20, 2019
Segments:
Danger Things (7/10)
Heaven Swipes Right (3/10)
When Hairy Met Slimy (4/10)
The setup was perfect: The 30th Treehouse of Horror coinciding with the 666th overall episode of The Simpsons. And the start was promising, with an entertaining parody of the first season of Stranger Things (albeit, three years late). Alas, this episode really sputters out after that, with a strange Heaven Can Wait parody involving Homer swapping bodies with random characters, and then a middling Shape of Water parody centered around Selma falling in love with Kang. What should have been a memorable milestone is instead one of the weaker entries in the series.
33. Treehouse of Horror XXVII
Episode: 4
Air Date: October 16, 2016
Segments:
Dry Hard (4/10)
BFF R.I.P. (9/10)
MoeFinger (2/10)
Beginning with the good, BFF R.I.P. is one of the best original Treehouse of Horror segments. This story about Lisa's imaginary friend murdering anyone who gets close to her is funny and really captures the spirit of these specials.
What brings this episode down is one of my biggest peeves about some later Treehouse of Horror episodes: Neither of the other segments are horror/Halloween stories or even attempting to parody a horror/Halloween story. Dry Hard is a pretty straightforward Hunger Games parody and MoeFinger is a middling James Bond ripoff. While each have their moments, the action/spy genres feel out of place in the Halloween special.
32. Treehouse of Horror XVIII
Episode: 5
Air Date: November 4, 2007
Segments:
E.T., Go Home (6/10)
Mr. & Mrs. Simpson (2/10)
Heck House (7/10)
Speak of the devil . . . (and no, I am not talking about Ned Flanders reprising his role as the Devil in the standout Heck House segment.) Yet again, we are faced with another completely random parody, this time, romantic/action/comedy film Mr. & Mrs. Smith.
This is sandwiched between a decent E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial parody and another fun original story, Heck House, centered around a morality play turned exploration of the seven deadly sins. Honestly, just skip the middle segment, and this is a worthwhile installment.
31. Treehouse of Horror XXIX
Episode: 4
Air Date: October 21, 2018
Segments:
Intrusion of the Pod-y Switchers (5/10)
Multiplisa-ty (4/10)
Geriatric Park (6/10)
This is one of the few Treehouse of Horror episodes where there is no true stand-out segment. After a funny introduction bit involving Homer challenging Cthulhu to an eating contest, it veers off into three mostly forgettable stories. First, there is an Invasion of the Body Snatchers parody which is funny but also relies a bit heavily on "Mapple"/"Steve Mobbs" jokes. Next, is a Lisa-centered Split parody with little to offer. Last is a Jurassic Park parody with a great premise but not much beyond that. All in all, while not bad, it also lacks anything to make you come back to it.
30. Treehouse of Horror XXXV
Episode: 5
Air Date: November 3, 2024
Segments:
The Information Rage (4/10)
The Fall of the House of Monty (5/10)
Denim (7/10)
The Denim segment is not perfect, but it is a pretty damn entertaining Venom parody with some unique animation. Outside of that, this was a surprisingly weaker entry after a some bounceback years. The opening Pacific Rim segment is a political/social media parody that tries to be deeper than it is. And while I love the return to Edgar Allen Poe stories, The Fall of the House of Monty does not quite stick the landing.
29. Treehouse of Horror XXIV
Episode: 2
Air Date: October 6, 2013
Segments:
Oh, the Places You'll D'oh! (6/10)
Dead and Shoulders (5/10)
Freaks, no Geeks (5/10)
First things first: The introduction is incredible. Directed by Guillermo del Toro, this extended mash-up of horror and science fiction films sets this up to be an all timer.
Sadly, the rest of the episode is pretty bland. The opening segment is a Halloween-themed Dr. Seuss tale that goes on too long with some good moments interspersed throughout. The second segment features Bart's head being sewn on Lisa's body and goes about as expected. And the last segment is a mundane segment about Homer as a sideshow "freak". In short, watch it for the intro, but do not expect the rest of the episode to live up to it.
28. Treehouse of Horror XIX
Episode: 4
Air Date: November 2, 2008
Segments:
Untitled Robot Parody (3/10)
How to Get Ahead in Dead-Vertising (6/10)
It's the Grand Pumpkin, Milhouse (7/10)
The opening Transformers segment is a weak start to an otherwise decent episode. To that end, the middle sequence featuring Homer as a celebrity assassin is a fun premise, even if it falls apart a bit towards the end. But the bright spot is the final Charlie Brown segment, which is an imaginative Peanuts tribute with some funny twists. Plus, Milhouse is almost always a highlight when he shows up in Treehouse of Horror specials.
27. Treehouse of Horror X
Episode: 4
Air Date: October 31, 1999
Segments:
I Know What You Diddily-Iddily-Did (7/10)
Desperately Xeeking Xena (3/10)
Life's a Glitch, Then You Die (6/10)
A lot of the episodes ranked around this spot have a couple of solid segments weighed down by a dud. Here, the middle super hero segment centered around a villainous Comic Book Guy kidnapping celebrities is a major weak spot.
On the other side of the coin, the opening segment is an enjoyable twist on I Know What You Did Last Summer, with some grand Flanders moments. And the closing Y2K-themed bit is expectedly of its time, but still mostly holds up as a comedic reminder of the era. While not on par with the brilliants episodes that came in the years before it, this still feels like a classic Treehouse of Horror episode.
26. Treehouse of Horror XXXII
Episode: 3
Air Date: October 10, 2021
Segments:
Barti (3/10)
Bong Joon Ho's 'This Side of Parasite' (5/10)
Nightmare on Elm Tree (6/10)
Poetic Interlude (aka The Telltale Bart) (6/10)
Dead Ringer (7/10)
For the first (and only) time, the Treehouse of Horror special had 5 instead of the usual 3 segments. That said, Barti just feels like a slightly longer introduction segment, while Poetic Interlude is really just a quick, albeit, entertaining interlude.
As for the more substantive pieces, the Parasite parody does not divert too much from the source material up until the end, so if you've seen the movie, you may be left wanting more originality out of the bit. Nightmare on Elm Tree is a funny original story involving killer trees enraged by Homer Simpson. The best segment is likely the closing Ring segment, which is updated so a ghost inhabits a TikTok video. All in all, I think the three episode format suits these better, but this over-stuffed episode is by no means a failure.
25. Treehouse of Horror XXVIII
Episode: 4
Air Date: October 22, 2017
Segments:
The Exor-Sis (7/10)
Coralisa (8/10)
MMM. . . Homer (2/10)
This episode starts strong but crashes and burns a bit at the end. Not included in the segment rankings is an amusing opening Sausage Party introduction featuring the Simpsons family as candy that is left in the Halloween bowl. This leads to an Exorcist parody with a possessed Maggie and great conclusion.
Something that is a highlight from Treehouse of Horror episodes over the years is that they provide opportunities for some creative and stylistic animation. Here, the Coraline parody features cool animation, as well as entertaining storytelling.
And unless you love quirky body horror/humor, just skip the last bit, where Homer slowly cannibalizes himself . . .
24. Treehouse of Horror XIV
Episode: 1
Air Date: November 1, 2003
Segments:
Reaper Madness (7/10)
Frinkenstein (4/10)
Stop the World, I Want to Goof Off (7/10)
Homer killing the grim reaper and then having to take over as death is a great start here. The middle segment is a fine Frankenstein parody, but Professor Frink can be grating when he is more than a brief cameo in an episode. The final segment is another solid entry, this time parodying a Twilight Zone episode with classic Bart and Milhouse antics set in a frozen-in-time Springfield.
23. Treehouse of Horror XII
Episode: 1
Air Date: November 6, 2001
Segments:
Hex and the City (6/10)
House of Whacks (7/10)
Wiz Kids (5/10)
It would be absurd to expect The Simpsons not to do a Harry Potter parody in the middle of Pottermania, and there are at least some spooky elements to take it out of the pure "why is this in the Halloween" episode territory that dropped some of the other segments' scores. Plus, Smithers as "Slithers" the snake is hilarious.
As for the rest of the episode, the opening segment features Homer trying to end a curse after destroying a fortune teller's office. While it has some moments, it is overall unremarkable. The middle segment is the standout, with Pierce Brosnan voicing a robot house that decides to kill Homer.
22. Treehouse of Horror XXXIV
Episode: 5
Air Date: November 5, 2023
Segments:
Wild Barts Can't Be Token (5/10)
Ei8th (10/10)
Lout Break (4/10)
We have finally reached our first 10/10 segment! Ei8th is a parody of Silence of the Lambs and Seven, which is set 30 years after an alternate ending to one of the most iconic episodes of The Simpsons, Cape Feare. This time, Bart was successfully murdered by Sideshow Bob, leading Lisa to become a detective who seeks the help of an imprisoned Bob (serving in the Hannibal Lecter role). It is funny, it is clever, it is actually suspenseful, and it is probably one of the more gruesome segments that has made it into an episode.
Maybe it is just because of how great Ei8th is, but the rest of the episode feels relatively mediocre. The opening bit combines the concept of Snowpiercer with NFTs, and somehow already feels dated just two years after air. The last segment Lout Break involves a pandemic where people transform into Homer when another Homer burps around them. Funny at times, it sadly goes on too long and feels like filler.
21. Treehouse of Horror XXVI
Episode: 5
Air Date: October 25, 2015
Segments:
Wanted: Dead, Then Alive (8/10)
Homerzilla (6/10)
Telepaths of Glory (5/10)
Maybe it is because I also grew up watching Frasier, but anytime Kelsey Grammer appears as Sideshow Bob, the episode gets an instant boost. Thus, the opening segment, where Sideshow Bob finally manages to kill Bart, is obviously the high point. The rest of the episode is weaker, with a Godzilla parody that tries a little too hard for meta humor, and a parody of the movie Chronicle which feels random and uninspired. Still, the Sideshow Bob segment is well worth the watch.
20. Treehouse of Horror XVI
Episode: 4
Air Date: November 6, 2005
Segments:
B.I. Bartificial Intelligence (7/10)
Survival of the Fattest (6/10)
I've Grown a Costume on Your Face (6/10)
Three solid segments put the 16th segment in the middle of the pack. The opening A.I. Artificial Intelligence parody is the highlight, with the Simpson family choosing a robot son over Bart leading to some classic Bart antics. Survival of the Fattest is a decent Most Dangerous Game parody with some laughs sprinkled in. And last involves a witch who transforms everyone into their Halloween costumes; a good Treehouse of Horror concept, even if the end result is nothing special.
19. Treehouse of Horror XI
Episode: 1
Air Date: November 1, 2000
Segments:
G-G-Ghost D-D-Dad (8/10)
Scary Tales Can Come True (7/10)
Night of the Dolphin (5/10)
G-G-Ghost D-D-Dad has some top notch Homer moments, with him being nearly killed repeatedly following a horoscope prediction, only for him to die choking on broccoli. Homer's subsequent attempts at salvation make for a humorous opening segment.
The Grimm's Fairy Tales piece in the middle slot is also funny and packs a lot into its runtime. The last segment is the weakest bit, with Lisa freeing the king of the dolphins leading to a large group of dolphins waging war on Springfield.
18. Treehouse of Horror XXV
Episode: 4
Air Date: October 19, 2014
Segments:
School is Hell (6/10)
A Clockwork Yellow (7/10)
The Others (8/10)
This episode opens with Bart and Lisa finding a portal to hell, where Bart unsurprisingly excels at school, followed by a Kubrick tribute centered around Moe's Clockwork Orange style gang.
The ending sketch is the most notable, with the Simpson family interacting with ghosts of themselves from The Tracy Ullman Show. Even if the jokes are not on the same tier as some of the higher ranked Treehouse episodes, this callback makes this segment well worth the watch.
17. Treehouse of Horror XXIII
Episode: 2
Air Date: October 7, 2012
Segments:
The Greatest Story Ever Holed (8/10)
Un-normal Activity (6/10)
Bart and Homer's Excellent Adventure (7/10)
Fitting to the year, there is a lengthy 2012 Mayan-themed opening to this episode which is among the better introductions in Treehouse of Horror. It carries right in to an excellent original story about Lisa finding a small black hole which, of course, causes all kinds of chaos in Springfield.
The middle Paranormal Activity parody is the weakest of the bunch, though demon Moe is good for some laughs. But it ends on a stronger note with a Back to the Future story where Bart travels back in time and causes Marge to marry Artie Ziff instead of Homer. The United Federation of Homers Throughout History (a/k/a the multiverse of Homers) taking on Ziff really ties the episode together nicely.
16. Treehouse of Horror XV
Episode: 1
Air Date: November 7, 2004
Segments:
The Ned Zone (9/10)
Four Beheadings and a Funeral (8/10)
In the Belly of the Boss (5/10)
The Ned Zone just barely missed one of the coveted 10/10 spots. When Ned Flanders is hospitalized (due to Homer, as expected,) Ned discovers that he can see how people die when he touches them. Ned having a vision of himself killing Homer and then trying to avoid it is a top-tier Simpsons story that makes this one of the better Treehouse segments.
Four Beheadings and a Funeral is another great entry, with Lisa and Bart portraying detectives trying to solve murders in 1890s London. The last segment is the weakest link, with this story about the Simpsons family shrinking themselves to enter Mr. Burns' body not providing many laughs. Nonetheless, the first two segments make this episode worth the price of admission.
15. Treehouse of Horror XXXVI
Episode: 3
Air Date: October 19, 2025
Segments:
The Last Days of Crisco (6/10)
Clown Night with the Devil (8/10)
Plastic World (9/10)
Recency bias could undoubtedly be a factor, but the most recent entry in the Treehouse of Horror series seemed to continue the renaissance of quality in these episodes.
To be fair, the opening segment where Officer Lou investigates a grease monster terrorizing the city is nothing to write home about. But the rest of the episode keeps up the quality from recent seasons. Clown Night with the Devil is a Krusty-centric found footage segment that sticks the landing. And the final segment, Plastic World (which takes elements from Waterworld and Mad Max) is funny, fast-paced, and has multiple great twists.
14. Treehouse of Horror I
Episode: 3
Air Date: October 25, 1990
Segments:
Bad Dream House (7/10)
Hungry Are the Damned (8/10)
The Raven (8/10)
It feels weird to rank the episode that started it all outside of the top ten, but The Simpsons took a few tries to perfect the formula. Nonetheless, this is a high quality beginning to the specials.
Bad Dream House serves up some haunted house horror with typical early-era Simpsons humor. Next we get our introduction to aliens Kang and Kodos, who abduct the Simpson family for a feast on their home planet. But my favorite will always be the somewhat faithful adaptation of The Raven, with the legendary voice of James Earl Jones narrating. It is fortunate that this episode was so well-done, leading to a glorious 35 more installments (and counting).
13. Treehouse of Horror XIII
Episode: 1
Air Date: November 3, 2002
Segments:
Send in the Clones (9/10)
The Fright to Creep and Scare Harms (6/10)
The Island of Dr. Hibbert (8/10)
Another Treehouse sandwich, where the bookend segments shine with a weaker middle segment. Send in the Clones is a hilarious Multiplicity spoof with Homer discovering a hammock where he can clone himself (which, of course, leads to disaster). Next up is an original bit, where Lisa convinces Springfield to ban guns leading to a zombie attack led by Billy the Kid. Finally is an Island of Dr. Moreau parody where Dr. Hibbert turns Springfield residents into various animals. Blue panther Marge and cow Ned Flanders will forever be favorites.
12. Treehouse of Horror VII
Episode: 1
Air Date: October 27, 1996
Segments:
The Thing and I (8/10)
The Genesis Tub (8/10)
Citizen Kang (7/10)
This is where the episodes start to get really hard to rank. "Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos."
Bart having an evil twin who is locked in the attic is a perfect way to kick off this episode. The Thing and I involves some great visual gags to go along with its darker tone. Next up is The Genesis Tub, where Lisa accidentally creates a miniature civilization that sees her as God (and Bart as the Devil, no surprise).
The last segment features Kang and Kodos kidnapping Bill Clinton and Bob Dole and then taking their places in the 1996 Presidential Election. There are genuinely hilarious moments, along with some as-to-be-expected jokes that were very of the time (it was 9 days before the election it is mocking after all). Nonetheless, this whole episode is a notable entry to the series.
11. Treehouse of Horror III
Episode: 5
Air Date: October 29, 1992
Segments:
Clown Without Pity (7/10)
King Homer (8/10)
Dial 'Z' for Zombies (8/10)
Early Treehouse of Horror episodes mastered the balance of horror/scary elements with typical Simpsons humor. The third Treehouse entry nails this, opening with a cursed Krusty the Clown doll attempting to kill Homer in more and more ridiculous ways. The last segment similarly channels this, with Bart's attempted resurrection of the family cat accidentally resulting in a zombie attack on Springfield.
These early episodes also served as enjoyable tributes to classic movies, this time King Kong. Watching a giant ape-like Homer in variations of timeless scenes is pure gold.
10. Treehouse of Horror XXI
Episode: 4
Air Date: November 7, 2010
Segments:
War and Pieces (9/10)
Master and Cadaver (9/10)
Tweenlight (6/10)
Despite kicking off the 2010s decade of Treehouse, this episode feels like it is for the 90s kids. Jumanji was an essential 90s movie, and the opening parody is a fantastic tribute. Of course, we were also teens and young adults during the height of the Twilight era, so the last segment is fitting (albeit, weaker than the rest of the episode).
The surprise here is the middle segment about a castaway interrupting Marge and Homer's romantic boating trip. It has mystery, suspense, and some first-rate Simpsons comedy.
9. Treehouse of Horror VIII
Episode: 4
Air Date: October 26, 1997
Segments:
The Homega Man (8/10)
Fly vs. Fly (7/10)
Easy-Bake Coven (10/10)
It took awhile, but we have reached our second 10/10 segment. Easy-Bake Coven opens with witch trials, before quickly revealing that Marge is, in fact, a real witch. This segment serves as an outstanding Marge, Patty, and Selma showcase.
While Easy-Bake Coven is the clear standout, the rest of the episode is no slouch either. The Homega Man starts with France nuking Springfield and leads to Homer fending off mutants in a post-apocalyptic world. And Fly vs. Fly is a funny take on The Fly, with Bart in the titular role.
8. Treehouse of Horror II
Episode: 7
Air Date: October 31, 1991
Segments:
The Monkey's Paw (9/10)
The Bart Zone (8/10)
If I Only Had a Brain (8/10)
One thing I miss from the early Treehouse of Horror episodes was how despite the disconnected segments, they were still nicely tied together by an overarching backstory (for example, here the stories were nightmares after eating too much candy).
The first nightmare is the best, and involves the Simpson family wishing on a monkey's paw to disastrous results. This segment feels like it set up the blueprint for numerous Treehouse bits to come. Following that is Bart terrorizing his family and Springfield with superpowers, necessitating family therapy. And closing this fine episode is one of the better Frankenstein parodies from the series, with Mr. Burns implanting Homer's brain in a robot.
7. Treehouse of Horror XX
Episode: 4
Air Date: October 18, 2009
Segments:
Dial "M" for Murder or Press "#" to Return to Main Menu (10/10)
Don't Have a Cow, Mankind (8/10)
There's No Business Like Moe Business (8/10)
Not all of the Treehouse of Horror tributes to movies or directors nail the execution, but the opening Hitchcock bit here sure does. It is not the funniest segment of the bunch, but it does not need to be, with stellar animation and well-done references.
The middle segment is a parody of a variety of post-apocalyptic stories centered around Krusty Burger turning Springfield into cannibalistic zombies. Treehouse has done zombies multiple times, but this is one of the better entries. The closing Moe-based Sweeney Todd parody is a nice close to a top notch episode.
6. Treehouse of Horror XXXIII
Episode: 6
Air Date: October 30, 2022
Segments:
The Pookadook (7/10)
Death Tome (9/10)
Simpsons World (10/10)
Something about classic Simpsons moments re-enacted in a Westworld style amusement park was way funnier than it had any right to be. Meta humor can go either way, but I think they nailed it, making this segment one of the best in the series.
This episode also features the fantastic anime-style parody Death Tome. This is one of, if not, the best example of these episodes allowing creative and stylistic animation. And it is bolstered by the storytelling and solid humor. The opening Babadook parody is by no means bad, but it is lost in the shuffle with these other top-tier bits.
5. Treehouse of Horror IX
Episode: 4
Air Date: October 25, 1998
Segments:
Hell Toupee (9/10)
The Terror of Tiny Toon (9/10)
Starship Poopers (8/10)
The opening segment is another that is bordering right on a 10/10. Homer getting a hair transplant from Springfield's favorite criminal, Snake, and then going on a murderous rampage will never not be hilarious.
Next up is Bart using plutonium in place of batteries in the remote, accidentally transporting the Simpsons children into the violent cartoon world of Itchy and Scratchy. There can never be too much Itchy and Scratchy in an episode (as long as there is no Poochie . . . ).
Finally is the revelation that alien Kang is actually Maggie's father, as she transforms into a half-alien half-human baby. An absurd premise, taken to the next level by a Jerry Springer Show appearance, this is the perfect ending to a classic episode.
4. Treehouse of Horror XXXI
Episode: 4
Air Date: November 1, 2020
Segments:
Toy Gory (10/10)
Into the Homerverse (8/10)
Be Nine, Rewind (9/10)
If you had told me at the start of this project that there would be not one, but two, post-Season 30 Treehouse of Horror episodes in the top 10, I would have thought you were crazy. But here we are!
The prime piece of this episode is Toy Gory, another segment allowing for creative animation. Bart's toys are alive a la Toy Story, only they are determined to kill Bart after he tortures them. Here, the animation combined with the writing pay dividends. This is followed by an Into the Spider-Verse parody where Homers from the Multiverse have to fight off versions of Smithers and Mr. Burns. Last is a surprisingly good Russian Doll parody involving Lisa and Nelson living and dying in the same day over-and-over.
While the top 3 episodes are from the "Golden Era", the quality of most of the recent Treehouse of Horror episodes cannot be overstated.
3. Treehouse of Horror IV
Episode: 5
Air Date: October 28, 1993
Segments:
The Devil and Homer Simpson (10/10)
Terror at 5 1/2 Feet (9/10)
Bart Simpson's Dracula (8/10)
The fourth installment of Treehouse of Horror is frequently cited as the peak of the series. And for good reason!
The opening segment is one of the absolute best. It features Homer selling his soul for a doughnut and the first appearance of Ned Flanders as the Devil. As if that were not enough, the entire concept of Homer litigating the sale of his soul at trial is incredible. If you are unsure if Treehouse is for you, there are few better places to start.
While hard to follow-up, Terror at 5 1/2 Feet does an admirable job. In this Twilight Zone parody, Bart is the only one who can see a gremlin-esque creature slowly trying to destroy the moving school bus. This segment is a great blend of tension and comedy.
Finally is the Dracula parody featuring Mr. Burns as a vampire. As with the rest of the episode, the intersection of comedy into the horror genre here is on point, leading this to be a top installment in the series.
2. Treehouse of Horror V
Episode: 6
Air Date: October 30, 1994
Segments:
The Shinning (10/10)
Time and Punishment (10/10)
Nightmare Cafeteria (8/10)
Picking between the last two episodes was nearly impossible, but the fifth installment lands in second place.
The Shinning takes just enough from the source material while turning the rest on its head for this to be one of the best Treehouse segments (I actually think I saw the Simpsons' version of The Shining before seeing the actual movie). If I am just going to put on a random segment, this is one of my go-to choices.
Another go to is Time and Punishment, where Homer accidentally makes a time-travelling toaster and subsequently butterfly effects stranger and stranger realities. Even after seeing it dozens of times, the continually changing Springfields still make me laugh.
The last bit about teachers putting students in the food does not live up to the high standards set by the first 2/3 of the episode, but nonetheless serves as a solid ending to a fantastic episode. And (mild spoilers,) while I love the anthology aspect of Treehouse of Horror episodes with each segment being its own story, Groundskeeper Willie appearing only to be murdered with an axe in each segment is peak comedy.
1. Treehouse of Horror VI
Episode: 6
Air Date: October 29, 1995
Segments:
Attack of the 50-Foot Eyesores (9/10)
Nightmare on Evergreen Terrace (10/10)
Homer3 (Homer Cubed) (10/10)
At last, we reach the top spot, with Treehouse of Horror VI. To me, this is the essential Treehouse episode, complete with a funny original story, a hilarious parody of a classic horror film, and one of the most well-known examples of The Simpsons using creative animation.
First is Attack of the 50-Foot Eyesores, where Homer steals a giant donut and sets off an assault on Springfield by giant advertising statues. The whole segment is absurd, silly, and a lot of fun.
Next is Nightmare on Evergreen Terrace, where Groundskeeper Willie is terrorizing Springfield Elementary children in their dreams. Willie's appearances in dreams get more and more ridiculous, making this an all-time segment.
Last but certainly not least is Homer3, where Homer mistakenly hides from Patty and Selma in an alternate 3D dimension in the Simpson house. Watching a 3D Homer contemplating time, space, and physics is never not funny. And the Homer in the real world ending solidifies this as the top Treehouse of Horror.
10/10 Segments
As a bonus ranking, here are all the 10/10 segments ranked.
1. The Devil and Homer Simpson
2. Nightmare on Evergreen Terrace
3. The Shinning
4. Time and Punishment
5. Homer 3
6. Ei8th
7. Easy-Bake Coven
8. Toy Gory
9. Simpsons World
10. Dial "M" for Murder, or Press "#" to Return to the Main Menu
As always, thank you for reading. And Happy Halloween!
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