"Treehouse of Horror XXVIII" is the fourth episode of the
twenty-ninth season of the American animated television series ''
The Simpsons
''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer Simpson, Homer, Marge ...
'', the 28th episode in the ''
Treehouse of Horror
''Treehouse of Horror'' is an annual series of special Halloween-themed episodes of the animated sitcom ''The Simpsons'', with 33 anthology episodes between 1990 and 2022. Also known as ''The Simpsons Halloween Specials'', each episode typica ...
'' series of
Halloween specials, and the 622nd episode of the series overall. It aired in the United States on
Fox on October 22, 2017.
Plot
Opening Sequence: The Sweets Hereafter
The Simpson family is in a bowl with other treats left for
trick-or-treaters in front of a house on Halloween. When the
Barterfinger bar fears being taken, the
Marge bar comforts him by saying he is always the last taken, and the
Oh Homer! bar adds that even a box of stale
raisin
A raisin is a dried grape. Raisins are produced in many regions of the world and may be eaten raw or used in cooking, baking, and brewing. In the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia, the word ''raisin'' is reserved for the ...
s gets taken before him.
Nelson's Crunch and
Kirkish Taffy get taken, and an
apple
An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, ' ...
complains about no one ever wanting the apples, as people are afraid of
razor
A razor is a bladed tool primarily used in the removal of body hair through the act of shaving. Kinds of razors include straight razors, safety razors, disposable razors, and electric razors.
While the razor has been in existence since bef ...
blade
A blade is the portion of a tool, weapon, or machine with an edge that is designed to puncture, chop, slice or scrape surfaces or materials. Blades are typically made from materials that are harder than those they are to be used on. Histor ...
s being inside them. The Marge bar tries to reassure her by saying apples are taken when
dipped in caramel, to the apple's disgust. Shauna takes the
Senior Mints, after the Oh Homer! bar moves aside to evade her grasp, and eats its contents.
The next day, the Simpsons are the only ones left, and they get placed on a
shelf when the residents of the house remove the
Halloween decorations. Already on the shelf is a
chocolate
Chocolate is a food made from roasted and ground cacao seed kernels that is available as a liquid, solid, or paste, either on its own or as a flavoring agent in other foods. Cacao has been consumed in some form since at least the Olmec civ ...
Easter bunny
The Easter Bunny (also called the Easter Rabbit or Easter Hare) is a folkloric figure and symbol of Easter, depicted as a rabbit—sometimes dressed with clothes—bringing Easter eggs. Originating among German Lutherans, the "Easter Hare" ori ...
that tells them they will be left there, forgotten. Seeing his discomfort as no one ever takes him, the Oh Homer! bar starts eating him. The Marge bar tries to stop him, but he tells her chocolate does not feel anything, and resumes eating it, with the rest of the family joining in when he eats the bunny's mouth to silence his objections. The camera pans to the wall, where "The Simpsons Easter Special" is written, but the chocolate from the bunny splatters all over it, covering the words, and dark chocolate resembling blood spells out the episode's title.
The segment was loosely inspired by ''
Sausage Party
''Sausage Party'' is a 2016 adult computer-animated comedy film directed by Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan and written by Kyle Hunter, Ariel Shaffir, Seth Rogen, and Evan Goldberg from a story by Rogen, Goldberg, and Jonah Hill. The film follo ...
''.
The Exor-Sis
On a pre-Christian temple site in northern
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...
(a parody of the opening scene of ''
The Exorcist
''The Exorcist'' is a 1973 American supernatural horror film directed by William Friedkin and written for the screen by William Peter Blatty, based on his 1971 novel of the same name. It stars Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Lee J. Cobb, Kitty ...
''), a
Pazuzu
In ancient Mesopotamian religion, Pazuzu ( akk, , translit=pà.zu.zu; also called Fazuzu or Pazuza) was a personification of the southwestern wind, and held kingship over the lilu wind demons.
As an apotropaic entity, he was considered as bo ...
statue is dug up and sent through
Amazon
Amazon most often refers to:
* Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology
* Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin
* Amazon River, in South America
* Amazon (company), an American multinational technolog ...
to the Simpsons home due to Homer accidentally ordering it, thinking it said "pizza". After Homer sings a very disturbing lullaby with glowing red eyes, the statue is left on Maggie's bed as the demon within it
possesses Maggie, with the possessed infant making her presence known during the
cocktail party that Homer and Marge are hosting downstairs. The demon kills a complaining
Helen Lovejoy
The American animated television series ''The Simpsons'' contains a wide range of minor and supporting characters like co-workers, teachers, students, family friends, extended relatives, townspeople, local celebrities, and even animals. The writ ...
before locking everyone in and then killing
Dr. Hibbert while revealing that he is cheating on his wife.
Ned Flanders
Nedward "Ned" Flanders Jr. is a fictional character in the animated television series ''The Simpsons'', voiced by Harry Shearer and first appearing in the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire." He is the good-natured, ch ...
tells the Simpsons that Maggie needs an
exorcism
Exorcism () is the religious or spiritual practice of evicting demons, jinns, or other malevolent spiritual entities from a person, or an area, that is believed to be possessed. Depending on the spiritual beliefs of the exorcist, this may be ...
before being killed himself from being beaten up and choking on a toy car. An Irish
priest
A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in partic ...
arrives soon after, and performs the exorcism that purges the demon from Maggie, but the demon ends up possessing Bart, which he fearfully regrets, declaring that Bart has the evilest soul he has ever seen.
Coralisa
In a parody of ''
Coraline
''Coraline'' () is a dark fantasy horror children's novella by British author Neil Gaiman. Gaiman started writing ''Coraline'' in 1990, and it was published in 2002 by Bloomsbury and HarperCollins. It was awarded the 2003 Hugo Award for Best ...
'', Maggie is still recovering from Pazuzu while starting to violently vomit all over the dinner table, eventually flooding the kitchen. In Lisa's room,
Snowball
A snowball is a spherical object made from snow, usually created by scooping snow with the hands, and pressing the snow together to compact it into a ball. Snowballs are often used in games such as snowball fights.
A snowball may also be a large ...
V (voiced by Neil Gaiman) takes her through a secret tunnel that brings her to another version of the family that have
buttons
A button is a fastener that joins two pieces of fabric together by slipping through a loop or by sliding through a buttonhole.
In modern clothing and fashion design, buttons are commonly made of plastic but also may be made of metal, wood ...
in place of their eyes. While the alternate family are like a dream, Lisa runs back to the real world in terror when she learns they want to sew buttons over her eyes so she can remain with them forever. Lisa reconsiders the alternate family's offer after Homer kills a snake with her saxophone.
A few days later, the family finally realizes Lisa is missing, with Homer accepting it and saying Maggie gets Lisa's room and clothes, while Bart gets her homework. Upon hearing this, Bart escapes through the door and is accepted in the alternate reality. After Marge follows after her children, Homer follows suit and a meeting with the alternate family results with him inadvertently decapitating the alternate Bart while the alternate Homer injures himself on a pair of scissors trying to avenge the former. This infuriates the alternate Marge as she transforms into a spider-like monster to attack Homer, who decides to take advantage of the situation to benefit himself: bringing the surviving members of the alternate family back to the real world with his alternate counterpart attending parent-teacher meetings while the alternate Marge becomes their house's caretaker. Lisa accepts this outcome, claiming that it could have been much worse.
MMM… Homer
Lisa warns viewers about this segment's disgusting content, proclaiming that they may want to watch ''
Game of Thrones'' afterwards to calm down. The segment, a parody of "
Survivor Type", then begins when Homer remains home while the rest of the family go on vacation with
Patty and Selma
Patricia Maleficent "Patty" Bouvier and Selma Bouvier-Terwilliger-Hutz-McClure-Discotheque-Simpson-D'Amico () are fictional characters in the American animated sitcom ''The Simpsons''. They are identical twins and are voiced by Julie Kavner who ...
. Homer gets comfy, but ends up eating his food supplies, ending up with only vegetables before finding a frozen hot dog. Losing the hot dog to
Santa's Little Helper
Santa's Little Helper is a fictional dog in the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. He is the pet greyhound of the Simpson family. He was previously voiced by Frank Welker, and is currently voiced by Dan Castellaneta. The dog ...
, Homer accidentally cuts his finger off while grilling. He cooks the finger and eats it. He discovers how tasty it is, losing interest in other food when invited by Ned for lunch, and starts cooking parts of his body before his family come back. They become suspicious with Homer constantly wearing oven mitts to hide his severed fingers, being 20 pounds thinner, and walking with a limp. When Marge discovered Homer's self-cannibalism one night while he was frying his own severed leg, she takes him to an addiction counselor for help, but
Mario Batali
Mario Francesco Batali (born September 19, 1960) is an American chef, writer, and restaurateur. Batali co-owned restaurants in New York City; Las Vegas; Los Angeles; and Newport Beach, California; Boston; Singapore; Westport, Connecticut; and ...
, in search for new ingredients, convinces a despondent (and now missing the entire lower half of his body) Homer to cook his remaining body parts as ingredients sold at Chez Homer and several other restaurants across Springfield. Carl mentions that they are also eating Barney Gumble, Comic Book Guy, and horse meat. In
Heaven, Homer comments to
Jesus
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religiou ...
how he now shares people
eating his body with him, as the Springfield residents have turned into cannibals.
Reception
This episode received mostly mixed reviews. Dennis Perkins of ''
The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'' gave the episode a B− stating, "The 28th ‘Treehouse Of Horror’ carries on the venerable Simpsons institution by, as ever, tossing a whole lot of stuff at the screen and seeing what sticks. To that end, this year’s outing gives us: An 'Exorcist' parody, a 'Coraline’ parody, Homer eating human flesh (just his own, but still), stop-motion segments, horror and fantasy-specific guest stars, a little light Fox standards-pushing (Homer does, as stated, eat human flesh), and the usual string of hit-or-miss gags. That last part isn’t really a criticism in itself. Freed up from the need to calibrate the heart-yucks equation, a ‘Treehouse Of Horror’ rises or falls on the strength of its jokes, although the annual Halloween anthology provides its own unique degree of difficulty."
Jesse Schedeen of ''
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
'' gave the episode an 8.6 out of 10 stating, "The ‘Treehouse of Horror’ specials are rarely among the more memorable episodes in any given season of The Simpsons. However, Season 29 is likely to be a major exception. All three segments in this year's special were strong. The series finally plugged two major holes in its huge collection of horror movie parodies while also reminding us that it can offend and disturb with the best of them. Perhaps there's still more mileage to be found in this long-running Simpsons trope."
Tony Sokol
Tony Sokol (born March 23, 1963 in Brooklyn, New York, United States) is an American playwright, writer and composer, best known for writing the theatrical horror series La Commedia Del Sangue: Vampyr Theatre in New York City.
As a musician, Sok ...
of ''
Den of Geek
''Den of Geek'' is a US and UK-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture. The website also issues a bi-annual magazine.
History
''Den of Geek'' was founded in 2007 by Simon Brew in London. In 2012, DoG Tech LLC licensed ...
'' gave the episode four out of five stars stating, "’Treehouse of Horror XXVIII’ had chills and spills, which Marge, of course, has to clean, but the thrills were only middling. It was a very funny episode, yes. It took chances, like leaving a kid alone with a catholic
''sic">nowiki/>''sic''.html" ;"title="sic.html" ;"title="nowiki/>''sic">nowiki/>''sic''">sic.html" ;"title="nowiki/>''sic">nowiki/>''sic''priest, but ultimately doesn’t reach the dizzying highs, terrifying lows nor the creamy middles of Halloweens past. It’s better than a Butterfinger, but doesn’t have a long-enough lasting aftertaste."
"Treehouse of Horror XXVIII" scored a 1.6 rating with a 6 share and was watched by 3.66 million people, making it Fox's highest rated show of the night.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Treehouse of Horror 28
2017 American television episodes
The Simpsons (season 29) episodes
Treehouse of Horror
Television episodes about exorcism
Television episodes about parallel universes
Easter Bunny in television
Halloween television episodes