Ever since they first premiered, the yearly Halloween “Treehouse of Horror” episodes of the Simpsons have delighted—and even chilled—fans of the beloved animated show. Each Treehouse of Horror episode contains three different segments, which are sometimes connected through a framing device such as the Simpsons telling scary stories at night or having nightmares. But, like any long-running series, there are some Treehouse of Horror episodes which are more entertaining than others. The following are some great Treehouse of Horror episodes that are definitely worth a watch, even if it’s not Halloween!
The show’s seventh episode isn’t necessarily the most well rounded. Two of the segments–Citizen Kang and the Genesis Tub–are entertaining but nothing special. It’s the segment titled The Thing and I that really boosts this episode to the top of the list. In The Thing and I, Lisa and Bart begin hearing mysterious noises in the walls of the house. They investigate the mysterious noises and find out that there is a monster living in the attic. That monster? Bart’s conjoined twin, Hugo. Dr. Hibbert reveals the truth: that Hugo and Bart were separated shortly after birth because one of them was evil and was sure to harm the other if they weren’t taken apart. The twist at the end is especially entertaining!
The second segment of Treehouse of Horror, like the first episode, featured a framing device: after Homer, Bart and Lisa scarf down too much candy on Halloween, they each have a terrifying dream. Lisa’s dream features the classic tale ‘The Monkey’s Paw,’ while Bart’s dream features references to a popular Twilight Zone episode, and Homer’s dream revolves around Homer being the unwilling subject of a mad science experiment. The twist at the end of the last segment—like so many Treehouse of Horror twists—will leave you grinning.
Treehouse of Horror V is often considered the best Treehouse of Horror segment, and for good reason: its terrifying, horrifying and even gruesome. The Shinning is a parody of The Shining and features the classic line: No beer and no TV make Homer go crazy. Nightmare Cafeteria is a violent and gruesome segment where the teachers of Springfield Elementary suddenly desire food made from their students. Time and Punishment isn’t quite a horror segment, but it features Homer warping in and out of strange timelines due to his accidental alteration of the past.