Being an early 2000s child with an 80s Dad, I was frequently witnessing ‘older’ cartoons, movies, shows, and even books from his generation. One big part of that was the show “The Simpsons.” Prior to the age of 10, I was shown the first episode, a Christmas special, on a VHS tape which I’d force my Grandpa to watch all the time. I knew from the very beginning I would be obsessed with the show – which has shown to be true with my preference for not only the funnier episodes, but also the Treehouse of Horror halloween specials. Since I have extensive experience with this longest running show of over 30 years, I’ve decided to list my favorite spooky episodes. Here they are:
- “The Shining” (Season 6, Episode 6, Treehouse of Horror V)
This episode is a parody of The Shining, which is a commonly known horror movie that takes place in a hotel in Colorado. This animated special on this horror-fanatic classic takes a hilarious turn. Some scenes in particular make the ‘gore’ more comical and more enjoyable. This one easily takes first place as it’s well known and the end has a twist that differentiates it from the original movie.
- “Fly vs Fly” (Season 9, Episode 4, Treehouse of Horror VIII)
This episode isn’t technically scary, however, it does fill the viewer with that feeling of ‘that’d be unsettling if that was real’. In this special, Bart and a fly switch bodies and well… It takes a turn for the worse (per usual). You get to see how everything plays out as people who enjoy The Simpsons are knowledgeable of Bart’s insatiable and dangerous curiosity.
- “Nightmare Cafeteria” (Season 6, Episode 6, Treehouse of Horror V)
The classic school cafeteria nightmare that everyone has thought of and no one wants to become real. It has been seen in many shows, especially ones involving forensics or cops, where the lunch meat is human… big yikes. This episode plays on that idea where the school staff feasts on their own students! Bart and his buddies discover this in an attempt to stop it, but you have to watch it play out on your own.
- “Time and Punishment” (Season 6, Episode 6, Treehouse of Horror V)
As the title implies, fantasy-inspired shows or movies often involve time travel and how that impacts the timeline. This episode portrays that specific event, or rather multiple events, where Homer messes around and ends up going back in time. Now we know he isn’t the brightest so every action he takes affects the future. The question is, however, does it change for the better or worse?
- “The Thing and I” (Season 8, Episode 1, Treehouse of Horror VII)
This case is also a little unsettling because it’s where Bart discovers he has a twin! And not just any old identical twin, he’s an evil twin. No one was expecting that. At first, the family locked up the twin but their minds have changed now. They thought the twin could change over time, but can he?
- “The Nightmare on Evergreen Terrace” (Season 7, Episode 6, Treehouse of Horror VI)
This episode is similar to the Nightmare Cafeteria episode with its nightmarish feel, although this special is specifically designated for nightmares themselves. Bart and Lisa and many of the other kids in their school begin to be haunted and hunted by good ol’ elementary school groundskeeper Willy. He attacks the kids through entering their nightmares which is a daunting idea in and of itself, but to bring it to life through the show adds another dimension of spook.
- “The Raven” (Season 2, Episode 3, Treehouse of Horror I)
This episode is an animated version of the popular poem The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe. The story behind it too also has a horror feel given that the main character is mourning for the loss of the love of his life and starts to go insane. This one is my personal favorite. Now, it isn’t ‘scary’ or ‘unsettling,’ but it is a great animation playing out the poem.