Dear readers, once more we come to the end of our season of dark tales and reviews. But we do not end on a whimper.

Today’s entry in the yearly tradition of Simpsons Halloween anthology tales is considered the scariest of them all. Three tales that stand above all others. So let’s pull the curtains and hide behind the sofas for this entry.

One thing I’m saddened about by going into this episode is it’s the last time we get a member of the family informing us that it is too scary. Marge gets informed it’s too scary and won’t be shown, only for Bart to take over in the style of the Outer Limits. Unlike last time there is no wrap around segment as that has now gone and will not be back.

The first story is “The Shinning”, which is so obviously based on “The Shining” its lampshaded with Groundskeeper Willy (who will be used in all of the stories as a recurring joke) shhing Bart warning him about being sued. It’s based on the movie adaptation and not the novel, which is for the best. We later got to see a more faithful adaptation and it’s not as good for the most part. While doing a fairly dark story, it uses what drives Homer to madness as a more appropriate joke to his character and leaves us with a somewhat dark image of the family frozen together round a portable TV.

The next story ” Time and Punishment” is based on the story “A Sound of Thunder”. If you have not read the story, it’s where the notion of if you go into the past, even if you do only a minor seemingly insignificant thing it will send ripples that will drastically change the future in ways that you can’t imagine, something according to the episode, Grandpa told Homer on his wedding day. It has Homer consistently traveling back in time and each time trying to avoid doing something that alters history only for him to fail and see a different version of the present. The main horror sequence is the first iteration of this where Ned Flanders runs an Orwellian future complete with lobotomization, while the rest are more just played for straight laughs at Homer’s expense.

“Nightmare Cafeteria” is the last of the stories (though there is a bonus sequence after) and is hands down one of, if not the scariest story, the Simpsons ever did. It features the school staff beginning to farm and eat the children. Despite their pleading to their mother they find no help and ultimately, in a shocking ending are killed falling into a giant blender. The growing horror at what the staff are doing (except Willy who gets axed in the back for a third time, commenting he’s bad at this) while the children’s pleas for help being ignored by their own mother claiming they need to fight their own battles. It just has such a hopeless situation complete with the gory images in the last parts.

All three tales have effective horror elements, though with the second one only being a part of the section. AND YET the sections get off a good amount of comedic appeal too. The Shining parody has them toying with famous lines from the film as well as the moments leading up to the arrival at the estate. The second section’s part about Grandpa warning Homer works so well as it’s such a weirdly specific yet high concept warning that is so out of the ordinary it gets a chuckle. The final section has the least laughs, has a few, but as the hopelessness builds there are none left.

After that, I feel the Treehouses only go down hill. These first 5 were definitely the height of the anthologies. Yes there would be some good stories and sequences that are worth watching. But these early entries were definitely the strongest as a whole. Not that later Treehouses don’t have good stories, many do and many are great, just these first 5 are definitely the strongest both for laughs, chills and creativity.

Rating: 📺📺📺📺📺