Top 10 Treehouse of Horror Episodes

With Halloween almost within our grasp, there's still one thing I feel I need to discuss before all hallows eve falls upon us, that is of course, The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror. The annual Simpsons Halloween special has become embedded in the holidays tradition for over 20 years now, giving us some truly iconic segments and characters that have been quoted and referenced uncountable times. While the quality of the Treehouse of Horror may have declined in recent years, like the show in general, some of the earlier seasons had some truly terrific specials that have become staples of Halloween pop culture. So now I have decided to rank my top 10 favourite episodes of Treehouse of Horror in preparation for Halloween, but before I do that..

Honourable Mention- The Springfield Files (S8, EP10)

Technically it's not a Treehouse of Horror episode so I couldn't include it on the list, however, it would be criminal if I didn't give a mention to The Springfield Files. This legendary episode sees Homer encounter a mysterious extra terrestrial in the woods and subsequently attempt to convince his friends and family that he didn't make it up. The episode brings in guest stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson who reprise their X-Files roles of Mulder and Scully respectively, while the late Leonard Nimoy also pops up for yet another strange cameo as himself. The reason I've decided to give this episode a mention is simply because it used to terrify me, and many others, as a child. The alien that Homer encounters used to send chills down my spine with its high-pitched voice and glowing appearance, I sometimes used to hide when he would appear onscreen. Of course, now I can laugh at all that after having seen the episode countless times since then, but the nostalgia of myself cowering behind my hands at this particular episode makes me feel obliged to give it a shout out on the list.

Now, let's get a move on shall we?

10. Treehouse of Horror VIII (S9 EP4)

The first segment, The HΩmega Man sees Homer of all people emerge from a bomb shelter to discover he is the last man on earth, of course one of the first thing he does is dance naked in the local church. This is followed by Fly vs Fly in which Bart accidentally swaps heads with a house fly after using a teleportation device. Then in Easy Bake Coven, sees Marge being accused as a witch in Ye Olde Springfield and essentially inventing the tradition of trick r treating. The episode was supposedly controversial with the censors as the opening scene sees a Fox censor being accidentally decapitated, but thankfully the gag was kept in. Some consider this to be the last great Treehouse of Horror episode, but I disagree as there have been some genius episodes in some of the later seasons, but regardless it still is a great episode.

9. Treehouse of Horror XIII (S14 EP1)

The only post-season 10 episode on the list, and with good reason. The episode kicks off with Homer buying a new hammock only to discover its magic cloning abilities in Send in the Clones, then some gun-happy zombies invade Springfield in The Fright to Creep and Scare Harms, before finishing off with The Island of Dr. Hibbert. The concept of more than one Homer alone is quite funny, so seeing thousands of them plummet into Springfield Gorge (along with Peter Griffin) is hilarious. The true highlight however, and the reason it makes the list, is The Island of Dr. Hibbert which parodies The Island of Dr. Moreau. It's strangely unsettling seeing the usually friendly Dr. Hibbert turn evil and transform the residents of Springfield into human-animal hybrids, but it's a hilarious segment nonetheless that has some incredible character designs for the newly animalised characters. Flanders' cow-centaur creature is particularly comical, especially when he needs to be milked.

8. Treehouse of Horror VII (S8 EP1)

What a great way to kickstart season eight. We begin with The Thing and I in which Bart discovers his evil twin Hugo who has been living in the attic and feeding on fish heads his whole life, watching and waiting. Then Lisa finds herself as a god among a tiny community of bacteria in The Genesis Tub, before resident aliens Kang and Kodos disguise themselves as Bill Clinton and Bob Dole in order to run for President. While the Hugo story is a stroke of genius, and The Genesis Tub isn't bad, the real highlight of this episode is the final installment that parodies the 1996 Presidential Election. The episode is full of clever political satire and makes some nice social commentary on peoples views towards the election itself. Even after Homer exposes the alien duo, the citizens of America still have to vote for one of them in the end, resulting in Kang becoming president and enslaving humanity. As Homer firmly points out at the end of the episode however, he voted for Kodos.

7. Treehouse of Horror IX (S10 EP4)

Mama took those batteries, she took them away, mama took those batteries, size double A. This episode begins with Homer getting hair implants, unbeknownst to him that his new hair once belonged to recently deceased criminal Snake who vowed revenge against Bart before he dies. Then, in The Terror of Tiny Toon, Bart and Lisa find themselves in an Itchy and Scratchy cartoon where they learn the true dangers of cartoon violence. In the final segment, Maggie learns of her alien parentage, prompting Jerry Springer to get involved. I particularly like this episode because of its first segment Hell Toupée in which Homer, possessed by Snakes hair, attempts to kill Bart. Homer strangles Bart on a regular basis, but seeing him genuinely want to kill the boy is actually somewhat unnerving and surprisingly adds a layer of tension to the segment. However, the one everyone remembers is Starship Poopers where Maggies real father is revealed to be Kang, taking the family onto the Jerry Springer show before Kang and his brother vow to kill every politician in Washington. The Simpsons weren't the only ones overjoyed with this prospect. 

6. Treehouse of Horror II (S3 EP7)

The second Treehouse of Horror episode sees Lisa, Bart, and Homer have three very strange nightmares. Lisa's nightmare involves a mysterious monkey's paw that grants four wishes, granting Maggie a new pacifier, Bart fame and fortune, world peace, and finally, a turkey sandwich that's a little bit too dry. The second segment parodies The Twilight Zone episode 'It's A Good Life' as Bart discovers strange new abilities, prompting him to turn Homer into a jack-in-the-box. Homer's nightmare then involves his brain being implanted into a robot by Mr. Burns, with naturally catastrophic results. Each segment just gets better than the last here, with Homer's nightmare being the most hilarious of the three as he continues his incompetant ways in his robotic body, much to the frustration of Mr. Burns. The wraparounds also help to tie the segments into each other nicely, making for a well-structured and memorable installment into the Treehouse of Horror tradition. It is all a dream after all.. or is it?

5. Treehouse of Horror (S2 EP3)

The first ever Treehouse of Horror, and still one of the most iconic, sees Bart, Lisa, and Maggie in their treehouse as they tell scary stories to each other. The first story entitled Bad Dream House parodies a number of haunted house films as the Simpsons move into a mysterious house that attempts to pit them against each other. Then in Hungry are the Damned, the family are abducted by aliens who they believe plan to eat them. Then the episode concludes with Lisa's rendition of Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven, pitting Homer as the protagonist, Bart as the raven, and James Earl Jones as the narrator. Being the first Treehouse of Horror episode the writers were still finding their feet in that department, but they surprisingly deliver with three excellent segments that culminate in one of the greatest Simpsons pop-culture references ever with The Raven. The episode also introduced the aliens Kang and Kodos who would become a staple of the Treehouse of Horror tradition in subsequent seasons. The misunderstanding involving their book, How to Cook For Forty Humans still remains one of the best Treehouse of Horror gags to date. 

4. Treehouse of Horror III (S4 EP5)

Killer dolls, zombies, and froghurt, the third Treehouse of Horror special really sees the annual tradition come into its own. The first segment, Clown Without Pity, sees Homer pick up a cursed Krusty doll for Bart's birthday, then Homer takes on the role of a giant ape in Kong parody King Homer. Finally, the dead begin to terrorise Springfield after Bart and Lisa attempt to resurrect their dead cat in Dial Z For Zombie. This is by far one of the most quotable Treehouse episodes, especially the first segment and Homer's encounter with the sinister shop owner (the toppings contain potassium benzoate). In fact, the 'women and seamen' quote from the King Homer segment was actually referenced in 28 Days Later, making it one of the few times in which a horror film made reference to a Simpsons episode instead of the other way around. The zombies segment is also particularly enjoyable, as the family fend off a number of zombified celebrities and Springfield residents alike. I still have no idea why Shakespeare was buried in Springfield cemetery however, but it's best not to ask these questions at the end of the day.

3. Treehouse of Horror VI (S7 EP6)

After stealing Lard Lad's colossal doughnut, the statue comes to life and chases Homer down, along with a number of other statues and mascots across town in Attack of the 50 Foot Eyesores. Then, Groundskeeper Willie takes a page out of Freddy Krueger's book after being accidentally killed one grim Smarch day in Nightmare on Evergreen Terrace. Finally, in perhaps the most groundbreaking Treehouse of Horror segment, Homer enters a mysterious new dimension where everything is in 3D in Homer^{3. 
The third segment has since become iconic for its use of 3D animation, remember this would have been pretty new stuff by 1995 standards, especially for television. Also, the final scene where Homer enters our world is still one of the highlights of the show as a whole. It's one of the more clever treehouse of horror segments, and while it may not be as macabre as some of the others on the list, it's balanced out by the other two spooky segments in this episode. Notable highlights include a musical performance by Paul Anka (the real one, for all you Gilmore Girls fans), and one of the shows most important messages: do not touch willie.}

2. Treehouse of Horror IV (S5 EP5)

How far would you go for a doughnut? This episodes first segment, The Devil and Homer Simpson sees Homer go to hell and back after selling his soul to the devil in return for a doughnut. Oh and also, in a clever twist, the devil is revealed to be Ned Flanders himself. In the next segment that parodies Twilight Zone episode 'Terror at 20,000 Feet', Bart tries to prove to his peers that there is a malevolent gremlin on the side of the school bus attempting to sabotage their journey. All before Bart Simpson's Dracula, a segment that pits Mr. Burns as the vampire king himself and the Simpsons family as his unsuspecting prey. I'm a big fan of vampire fiction and the final installment is one of the best Dracula parodies since Abbot & Costello Meet Frankenstein, with the segment making reference to the likes of Bram Stoker's Dracula, Salem's Lot and surprisingly, A Charlie Brown Christmas. I particularly love the scene with vampire Burns' shadow. By far the funniest segment however is the first, with Homer literally selling his soul for a doughnut, even more hilarious is his ultimate 'punishment' in hell. As well as that, the casting of Flanders as the devil was a stroke of pure genius and it's a pleasure to see the usually friendly neighbouroony don the iconic horns and hooves. He may not get Homer's soul in the end, but he meets a much worse fate in the middle segment. A consistently funny and marvelously morbid Halloween special, but there's still one more that just about tops it..

1. Treehouse of Horror V (S6 EP6)

I've got a gut feeling Uter's around here somewhere. After all, isn't there a little Uter in all of us? In fact, you might say we just ate Uter, and he's in our stomach right now! That's right, fifth times the charm, the best Treehouse of Horror episode in my opinion is number 5. We begin with The Shinning (shh, you wanna get sued?), a Shining parody that sees Homer and the family mind Mr. Burns' mansion over the winter season. However, a lack of television and alcohol soon makes Homer..something something. The second segment Time and Punishment sees Homer go on a bizarre adventure through time after inadvertently turning his toaster into a time machine while trying to fix it. Finally, the staff of Springfield Elementary obtain a taste for human flesh in the grizzly Nightmare Cafeteria. This is by far the most consistent Treehouse of Horror episode, with each segment being just as hilarious and as creative as the last. It's got countless memorable gags such as Willie dying tragically in each segment, and the shocking revelation of the doughnut rain that Homer unfortunately misses. The episode has a laugh a minute and some of the most iconic quotes in Treehouse of Horror history, most notably Principal Skinner's intention to literally eat Bart's shorts. It's funny, it's morbid, it's consistent, it's the pinnacle of Simpsons Halloween hijinx and a must watch every Halloween season. Can't murder now, eating.

So there you have it that's my top 10 Treehouse of Horror episodes. What's your favourite episode/segment? If you're interested in more Halloween content you can read some of my previous posts from this month, or in general, I tend to talk about horror a lot on here. I probably won't have another post for a couple of weeks due to holidays and college work, so until next time, have a safe and spooky Halloween, and always remember if you ever go back in time, don't step on anything.