Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for The Simpsons season 36, episode 5, “Treehouse of Horror XXXV”
WhileThe Simpsons’ annual Treehouse of Horror Halloween specials are mostly fun parodies of famous horror movies and stories, this doesn’t mean that the show hasn’t produced a few genuinely creepy segments in its history.The Simpsonshas been around for a long time, and the iconic animated family comedy has told a lot of stories over the years. Over 770 episodes ofThe Simpsonshave aired since the show began 35 years ago and, even withThe Simpsonsseason 37’s renewalnot yet secured, the series has broken numerous records when it comes to sheer longevity.
The Simpsons Season 36 Just Parodied A Movie That Hasn’t Even Come Out Yet
The Simpsons season 36 episode 4 parodies ’80s neo-noir movies, but the episode’s plot also borrows from a movie that has not even been released yet.
As such, it is not surprising thatThe Simpsonsaired 36 Treehouse of Horror Halloween specialsbefore 2024’s season 36, and that number will soon reach 38. Season 36, episode 5, “Treehouse of Horror XXXV,” was a standard anthology outing split into three segments, while episode 7, “Treehouse of Horror Presents: Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes,” keeps a new series tradition alive. Like season 34’s spoof of Stephen King’sIT,November 2024’s Treehouse of Horror specialparodies the works of a specific horror writer. This time, it is genre legend Ray Bradbury.
10The HΩmega Man (Treehouse of Horror VIII)
Springfield’s Zombie Population Was Genuinely Unsettling
Although “Treehouse of Horror Presents: Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes” is likely to keep things PG-rated, it is worth noting thatsome ofThe Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horror segments are authentically creepy. A milder example of this can be found in “The HΩmega Man,” the opening segment of season 9, episode 4, “Treehouse of Horror VIII.” Here, Homer has the good luck to inspect a bomb shelter just as a nuclear strike wipes out Springfield, killing everyone else. Immediately after grieving his presumably dead family, Homer enjoys his newfound freedom. However, he soon encounters the town’s mutated locals, and they prove a surprisingly scary bunch.
This segment manages to make the threat of the mutants pretty intense before its hilarious twist ending.
Seeing Homer’s former friends turn on him is a bleak, creepy twist, and this segment manages to make the threat of the mutants pretty intense before its hilarious twist ending. The revelation that the rest of the Simpsons survived thanks to their house’s layers of lead paint is ingenious, while an uncharacteristically mercenary Marge killing the mutants instead of coexisting alongside them is cynically funny. However, for younger viewers, it will be hard to shake the image of a mutated Moe and the skeletal remains of the town’s citizens after watching this segment.
9Toy Gory (Treehouse Of Horror XXXI)
Bart’s Toys Getting Gruesome Revenge Was Darker Than Anticipated
Season 32, episode 4, “Treehouse Of Horror XXXI,” is a middling outing, but the episode keeps one intriguing series tradition alive.The Simpsonschanges its animation stylein this outing much like the show did earlier in “Homer3” from season 7, episode 6, “Treehouse of Horror XI.” This time, a shift to 3D animation allowsThe Simpsonsto spoof theToy Storyseries as Bart tortures his toys instead of offering them to charity. Bart’s toys eventually kill him and turn his corpse into a macabre toy in the segment’s surprisingly gruesome conclusion, even playing with his innards.
The Simpsons’ First Halloween Special Featured A Creepy Haunted House
Season 2, episode 3, “Treehouse of Horror,” is the iconic outing that started the show’s annual tradition of Halloween specials, and it doesn’t disappoint upon a re-watch. However,Homer turning homicidal asthe members of the Simpson family pursue each other with axes and knives is an unexpectedly creepy visual, even if it’s nestled within a fairly funny segment. The concluding gag of the house blowing itself up rather than enduring the company of the Simpson family ensures this segment never gets too dark, but it is a grimmer plot than viewers likely anticipated from the cartoon in 1990.
7The Fall of the House of Monty (Treehouse of Horror XXXV)
The Simpsons’ Second Edgar Allan Poe Parody Was Brutal
While “Treehouse of Horror” also included the stellar “The Raven” as its closing segment,The Simpsons’ second Edgar Allan Poe parodyis the best segment from season 36’s ”Treehouse of Horror XXXV.” Blending elements of “The Masque of Red Death,” “The Cask of Amontillado,” and “The Fall of the House of Usher,” “Fall of the House of Monty” sees Mr. Burns pursued by the vengeful ghosts of his dead employees. The fates of the workers are brutal, but it is Burns’ haunting that makes this segment memorably creepy. The ghosts turning fresh food into maggot-infested waste by passing through it is an unsettling visual that could have come from a straightforward horror story.
6Terror at 5+1⁄2 Feet (Treehouse of Horror IV)
This Segment’s Infamous Ending Was Truly Unsettling
For the most part, season 5, episode 5, “Treehouse of Horror IV,” isn’t too dark. The revelation that Flanders is the devil is inspired, and casting Mr. Burns as Dracula works perfectly. However,The Twilight Zoneparody “Terror at 5+1⁄2 Feet” earns the unique accolade of being scarier than its source material. Bart’s fruitless attempts to stop a gremlin from destroying the school bus are creepy enough, as is the monster’s appearance itself. However, it is Bart being sent to a psychiatric hospital, only to see the gremlin taunting him with Ned Flanders’ severed head, that makes this sequence nightmarish.
5Nightmare on Evergreen Terrace (Treehouse of Horror VI)
WhileThe Simpsonsseason 36’s Treehouse of Horrorfocuses on parodyingPacific Rim,Venom, and Edgar Allan Poe, “Treehouse of Horror VI” spoofed one of the most famous slasher franchises in cinema history. Groundskeeper Willie stood in as Freddy Krueger in this spoof of theNightmare On Elm Streetmovies and, although the segment is filled with killer gags, his villain form is authentically creepy. Whether it is Willie’s glowing eyes as he swears revenge on the town’s parents or his final form as a spider/human hybrid, this spoof of Freddy Krueger is just creepy enough to scare younger viewers.
4Not It (Treehouse of Horror Presents)
Stephen King’s Killer Clown Was Creepy Even As Krusty
It almost seems unfair to include “Not It” in this rundown, since the Stephen King parody had much more screen time and source material to work with than earlier Treehouse of Horror segments. This season 34 outing marks the first time thatThe Simpsonsdevoted an entire Treehouse of Horror episode’s runtime to parodying one piece of media, and the show’s creators picked the right one. King’s 1986 novelIthas been adapted into a cult classic miniseries and a pair of blockbuster movies that earned over $1 billion at the box office, makingItthe perfect source material for a parody fromThe Simpsons.
Although “Not It” is much more funny than scary, the episode still manages to include some creepy moments.Krusty the Clown disguising himself as Marge to scare the Comic Book Guy is a genuine jump scare, made all the more effective by the fact that the moment isn’t borrowed from an equivalent specific scene in the movies.The SimpsonsTreehouse of Horror series mocksthe show itself and all manner of horror movies, books, and shows, but “Not It” proves that the series can pull off a jump scare if given a chance. Meanwhile, the fan art of Krusty as Pennywise in the closing credits ranges from inventive to disturbing.
3The Thing And I (Treehouse of Horror VII)
Bart’s Secret Twin Brought Some Authentic Atmosphere To The Simpsons
In “The Thing And I,” the first segment from season 8, episode 1, “Treehouse of Horror VII,” Homer and Marge admit that Bart was secretly born with an evil twin named Hugo.Hugo’s first appearance inThe Simpsonsis genuinely creepyas he takes Bart hostage and attempts to reattach himself to his former conjoined twin. Meanwhile, the revelation that Marge and Homer kept him locked alone in the attic and fed him fish heads only exacerbates this creepy factor. Even the humorous twist, wherein viewers discover Bart was the evil twin all along, can’t undo the creepiness of this one.
2The Pookadook (Treehouse of Horror XXXIII)
The Simpsons’ Babadook Spoof Was Outright Creepy
Season 34, episode 6, “Treehouse of Horror XXXIII,” might be thebest Simpsons Treehouse of Horror specialin years thanks to its consistent invention. The final segment is aWestworldparody that doubles as the show’s chance to affectionately mock its meme-obsessed online fan base, while the pitch-perfectDeath Notepastiche “Death Tome” is rendered in stunning anime-style animation. However, it is the more straightforwardThe Babadookparody “The Pookadook” that stands out as exceptionally creepy. Marge reads Maggie a cursed book only to find that, like the heroine ofThe Babadook, she is inexplicably compelled to harm her baby soon after.
“The Pookadook” stands out as the darkest and creepiest segmentThe Simpsonshas aired in some time.
“The Pookadook” effectively mines the same fears thatThe Babadookplayed upon, but the fact that Marge threatens her baby Maggie instead of an older child makes the story even more disturbing.The sight of Marge brandishing a knife at Maggie is chilling, and the segment’s optimistic conclusion doesn’t dispel its atmosphere of dread entirely. Thus, “The Pookadook” stands out as the darkest and creepiest segmentThe Simpsonshas aired in some time.
1Nightmare Cafeteria (Treehouse of Horror V)
The Simpsons Didn’t Shy Away From Depicting Cannibalism
While the visuals of “The Pookadook” are creepy, Maggie does at least emerge from her ordeal unscathed. The same can’t be said for Lisa, Bart, and Milhouse in “Nightmare Cafeteria,” the final segment from season 6, episode 6, “Treehouse of Horror V.”The show’s young heroes realize that their teachers have become cannibals who kill and eat the children of Springfield Elementary, and they soon find that they are powerless to escape this grim fate. In a shocking turn of events, Milhouse is tossed in an industrial blender and, despite their reliance on plot armor, Lisa and Bart soon follow.
The Simpsonsseason 36, episode 7, “Treehouse of Horror Presents: Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes,” is the second “Treehouse of Horror Presents” special and the 38th Treehouse of Horror episode.
The entire segment is soon revealed to be Bart’s dream, but the ordeal isn’t over yet. Just as the family reassures him there is nothing to worry about, they are gruesomely turned inside out by a mysterious mist that apparently causes this grotesque medical malady without explanation. The episode ends with the gruesome sight of the Simpson family sans their skin, a horrifying visual that makes this comfortably the scariest segment inThe Simpsons' Halloween horror history.
New episodes ofThe Simpsonsair at 8 pm on Sundays on Fox.
