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- Every year, fans of The Simpsons look forward to the Treehouse of Horror specials. While these are often the highlight of each season, some Halloween-themed Simpsons episodes are not as popular as others. As fans get ready for this year's installment, they can look back at the top-rated episodes, those that fans felt were just alright, and the biggest disappointments.
The Simpsons has been on the air for 30 years, and its "Treehouse of Horror" Halloween specials have been running almost as long as the series itself. Each year for the spooky season, the series delivers a set of gory tales told campfire-style.
Every character has made at least one appearance throughout the Halloween specials over the years. Long-time fans of the show look forward to the Treehouse special every year, as they know they are always in for morbid laughs. No pop culture figure is safe during these episodes. These are all the Halloween episodes, ranked according to IMDb.
Updated on October 20, 2022 by Colin McCormick:
Every year, fans of The Simpsons look forward to the Treehouse of Horror specials. While these are often the highlight of each season, some Halloween-themed Simpsons episodes are not as popular as others. As fans get ready for this year's installment, they can look back at the top-rated episodes, those that fans felt were just alright, and the biggest disappointments.
Treehouse of Horror XXIX (2018) - 5.9
Just as The Simpsons overall is past its prime in the eyes of many fans, the more recent "Treehouse of Horror" episodes have been largely disappointing.
With parodies of Jurassic Park and Invasion of the Body Snatchers, this episode seems to be jumping from one lukewarm gag to another, never feeling like it has time for a story.
Treehouse of Horror XXXI (2020) - 6.1
It seems that the newer "Treehouse of Horror" episodes don’t necessarily deal with horror parodies, and that doesn’t seem to be received as well by fans. With this episode involving Toy Story and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse segments, it feels like pop culture references just for the sake of it rather than the clever jokes from The Simpsons' golden age.
Treehouse of Horror XXII (2011) - 6.4
One segment in this special is a mashup parody of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly and Spider-Man. That seems to be a perfect encapsulation of the issue with some of these lesser episodes. Throwing random pop culture moments at the audience, hoping something sticks wasn't what made these Halloween special popular to begin with.
Treehouse of Horror XXVI (2015) - 6.5
Sideshow Bob finally fulfills his desire to kill Bart but then doesn't know what to do once his mission is complete. Radiation exposure leaves Bart, Lisa, and Millhouse with strange powers. Homer wakes up one day to find he has short-term memory loss.
Treehouse of Horror XXXII (2021) - 6.7
Though slightly better than some of the more recent offerings, this episode is still a mixed bag. While the segment about killer trees feels a bit like the classic bits, trying to cram a parody of Parasite into one short sequence makes for an incoherent mess.
Treehouse of Horror XVII (2006) - 6.8
Bart conjures a Golem, a creature from Jewish folklore, and Homer gets turned into a blob monster from a meteor's radiation.
Of course, it wouldn't be a "Treehouse of Horror" special without an appearance from aliens Kang and Kodos. The duo appears in a period segment recreating Orson Welles' War of the Worlds broadcast, only for it to become real.
Treehouse of Horror XXX (2019) - 6.8
The 30th annual Halloween special takes on Stranger Things and sees Selma find love with an alien. Homer also dies and his spirit drifts between bodies.
Treehouse of Horror XXVII (2016) - 6.8
This Halloween special parodies The Hunger Games franchise and has the Springfield kids fight each other to the death. Lisa's tale tells the story of an imaginary friend who kills real-life friends, and Bart's tale shows him ing Moe's secret bartender agents.
Treehouse of Horror XXIV (2013) - 6.9
Bart is beheaded and they sew his head onto Lisa's body to help him survive. A Dr. Seuss-type rhyming creature visits the children when they're sick and slaughters others like it in Springfield. Homer sets out to kill Moe, the freak-show king, in a circus tale of horror.
Treehouse of Horror XVIII (2007) - 6.9
The Simpson kids and their friends pull pranks on Springfield and are sent to Ned Flanders' Heck House. Marge and Homer turn into expert assassins like Mr. and Mrs. Smith. The final tale parodies E.T., with Bart befriending Kodos the alien.
