For many years, *The Simpsons* has consistently marked Halloween with a special episode, and they’ve created so many of these ‘Treehouse of Horror‘ specials that they can be grouped into different periods. Starting with the second season, these episodes have become a tradition, but with so many to choose from, it can be hard to pick the best. One helpful approach is to look at each era separately. As the show moved into its teenage years, *The Simpsons* began to evolve its approach to these specials.
The first nine “Treehouse of Horror” episodes are widely considered classics, but the quality shifted a bit during the show’s later seasons. While seasons 11 through 20 still had some good installments, they began to rely less on traditional horror themes. Here’s a look at the best “Treehouse of Horror” episodes from those seasons.
10). Treehouse of Horror XVIII
The later seasons of *The Simpsons* definitely weren’t as strong, especially with the show moving away from its clever horror parodies and relying more on simple movie spoofs. When judging a *Treehouse of Horror* episode, it all comes down to the best segment, and unfortunately, the eighteenth installment doesn’t have one that really stands out. “E.T. Go Home” has a promising setup with Bart and Kodos, but the idea doesn’t fully develop. “Mr & Mrs. Simpson,” which is based on *Mr. and Mrs. Smith*, just isn’t particularly funny or frightening.
Although “Heck House” finishes with some scary depictions of Hell – and includes a funny moment where Homer realizes he’s experiencing multiple punishments – it doesn’t quite deliver enough scares. By the time the episode gets spooky, it’s already ending.
9). Treehouse of Horror XIX
Thankfully, Treehouse of Horror XIX provides a decent conclusion to a long-running series. However, like many recent Halloween specials, it lacks genuine scares. The “Untitled Robot Parody” feels uninspired and doesn’t deliver laughs, simply mimicking Transformers. “How to Get Ahead in Dead-Vertising” is creative – Homer kills celebrities to use their image in advertising – but the story’s ending feels rushed and unsatisfying, as Homer avoids any real consequences for his actions, unlike typical horror stories.
Fortunately, the segment “It’s the Grand Pumpkin, Milhouse” really stands out, offering a creative take on the classic *Peanuts* special, “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.” This part of the show features a unique art style and a surprisingly fun twist: a magical pumpkin defeated by the spirit of Thanksgiving! It’s a strong finish to an otherwise unremarkable year.
8). Treehouse of Horror XII
Looking back at the earlier *Treehouse of Horror* installments, they weren’t exactly hitting their stride yet. It really felt like things were shifting with *Treehouse of Horror XII*. “Hex and the City” just didn’t quite work for me – it had some cool visuals, but leaned way too heavily on a really weak Leprechaun joke at the end. Thankfully, “House of Whacks” is a standout! That smart house voiced by Pierce Brosnan was seriously ahead of its time. But then “Wiz Kids,” which felt like a pretty lazy *Harry Potter* parody, brought it down again. Honestly, “House of Whacks” is so good, it completely overshadows everything else we’ve seen so far. The reveal of Homer missing the back of his head? That’s a *Treehouse of Horror* joke I’ll never forget – truly one of the best they’ve ever done!
7). Treehouse of Horror XVI
Treehouse of Horror XVI starts strong with “B.I. Bartificial Intelligence,” a funny but surprisingly dark segment that begins with a joke about Bart’s death. It quickly shifts to a heartfelt story about a robot replacement, leading to Bart upgrading himself to fight it. The second segment, “Survival of the Fattest,” is initially entertaining, featuring a lot of Springfield’s male residents being hunted by Mr. Burns – with a memorable line from Comic Book Guy – but the story loses momentum and feels unfinished by the end.
The story truly shines in its last section, “I’ve Grown a Costume to Your Face,” where a witch’s curse transforms the townspeople into their Halloween costumes. While this part feels a little rushed and could have been expanded, it’s packed with quick, clever visuals and moments that make the central idea really memorable.
6). Treehouse of Horror XIV
Treehouse of Horror XIV ranks highly largely because of its standout segment, “Reaper Madness.” The premise of Homer becoming the Grim Reaper is hilarious, leading to a lot of funny deaths, and the ending, where he even outsmarts God, is a real highlight. This strong opening segment more than makes up for the weaker, and frankly disappointing, “Frinkenstein.” While “Frinkenstein” does introduce Professor Frink’s father – voiced by the legendary Jerry Lewis, who inspired the character – the segment itself isn’t particularly enjoyable or frightening.
Despite some flaws, the episode ‘Stop the World, I Want to Goof Off’ is a lot of fun. The premise of Bart and Milhouse being able to stop time leads to many hilarious moments, and it’s interesting to see a more mature version of Bart. Overall, it was an enjoyable, though not particularly frightening, season.
5). Treehouse of Horror XIII
As a huge Simpsons fan, Treehouse of Horror XIII always stands out to me! It was the first Halloween special they *officially* called a “Treehouse of Horror,” which is kinda cool. But more importantly, it had three really solid segments. “Send in the Clones” was just pure Homer gold – the idea of a whole bunch of Homers running around copying everything he did, and then… well, you know. And “The Fright to Creep and Scare Arms” was brilliant! Bringing back all those old outlaws was fun, and the whole bit with them getting rid of their guns, then Homer going back in time to fix things? The image of them shooting into the graves is still hilarious!
The “Island of Dr. Hibbert” segment featured a transformation of the characters into animals, reminiscent of H.G. Wells’ *The Island of Doctor Moreau*. While this year’s Treehouse of Horror wasn’t especially frightening, the segments still retained some elements of classic horror, similar to what made the earlier specials so memorable.
4). Treehouse of Horror XVII
Treehouse of Horror XVII is a surprisingly good installment from the later seasons. While the middle segment, “You Gotta Know When to Golem,” doesn’t quite hold up – its jokes haven’t aged well – it does introduce a memorable monster. The episode gets off to a fantastic start with “Married to the Blob,” a hilarious story where Homer consumes alien goo and transforms into a creature that devours everything in sight. Despite the darkly comedic premise, it’s packed with jokes and doesn’t fully explore the horror potential.
The episode “The Day the Earth Looked Stupid” cleverly incorporates Orson Welles’s famous “War of the Worlds” broadcast, showing how the town of Springfield would react to the news. It ends with a surprisingly somber and impactful feeling, like a truly great horror story. Everything about it just works perfectly.
3). Treehouse of Horror XV
The same holds true for Treehouse of Horror XV. The first segment, “The Ned Zone,” is particularly funny, filled with jokes at Ned Flanders’ expense as he tries to help Homer. The visual effects during Ned’s visions are also quite entertaining. The second segment, “Four Beheadings and a Funeral,” isn’t quite as strong, but its setting in 16th century England allows for some clever humor. It’s also noticeably darker due to the high number of female characters who die.
However, the *Fantastic Voyage* parody, “In the Belly of the Boss,” is arguably the best. While it doesn’t focus much on horror, it’s filled with funny sci-fi jokes reminiscent of the 1960s. The episode culminates in a disgusting but hilarious scene of Homer growing inside Mr. Burns. It’s simply a really enjoyable episode from beginning to end, even if it isn’t particularly frightening.
2). Treehouse of Horror X
The last two segments offer some classic Halloween thrills. “Treehouse of Horror X” parodies *I Know What You Did Last Summer*, featuring Ned Flanders returning as a vengeful spirit – and eventually a werewolf – much to Homer’s amusement. While “Desperately Xeeking Xena” isn’t very scary, it’s filled with funny moments, especially the antics of Stretch Dude and Clobber Girl as they battle an over-the-top evil version of Comic Book Guy. The highlight of this segment is really Lucy Lawless’s fantastic guest appearance as herself.
The segment “Life’s a Glitch, Then You Die” is what makes this episode stand out. It features Homer accidentally causing a Y2K catastrophe, and it has one of the darkest endings seen in *Treehouse of Horror* up to that point. Even if you don’t remember the Y2K scare, this segment perfectly captures the fear of a technology-based apocalypse.
1). Treehouse of Horror XI
Treehouse of Horror XI is widely considered the best of its time, largely due to its three strong segments, with the final one being a standout. The episode begins with a clever opening sequence parodying *The Munsters*, but with a dark twist – the family is killed off. The fun continues with “G-G-Ghost D-D-Dad,” where a ghostly Homer, who died after eating broccoli, must complete a good deed within 24 hours. In a darkly comedic turn, he accidentally kills Agnes Skinner before attempting to redeem himself.
“Scary Tales Can Come True” continues the darkly humorous tone with a surprisingly grim twist on classic fairy tales. While still funny, it features a shockingly brutal scene where a witch is burned alive as others laugh – a jarring but effective moment. However, the standout story is “Night of the Dolphin,” which imagines dolphins reclaiming the land and driving humanity back into the ocean. It’s consistently funny, though it doesn’t shy away from showing characters meeting terrifying ends.
Honestly, this one just sticks with you – it has that perfect, downbeat ending that the best ‘Treehouse of Horror’ segments always nail, and everyone ends up losing to the invaders. It’s amazing how well it holds up, even now! You’d swear it was from a much earlier season, it’s that brilliantly crafted.
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2025-10-13 02:12