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The Shinning (Treehouse of Horror V)

A pitch-perfect parody of the Stanley Kubrick horror film, The Shinning puts Homer into the crazy Jack Nicholson role and it's damn near perfect. Where "All work and no play make Jack a dull boy," "No beer and no TV make Homer something something." Yes, the something something is "go crazy," and Homer doesn't mind if he does.

This episode packs some of the best lines into the last moments of the episode, including:

"Television! Teacher, mother…secret lover."
"Urge to kill fading…fading…fading…RISING! Fading…fading."

And really, "I hope that rug was Scotchgarded" is one of the slyest lines ever on the show.

The Thing and I (Treehouse of Horror VII)

C’mon. You knew it. I knew it. Everyone knew it. Bart has an evil twin. Or wait – Bart is an evil twin. “Oh, don’t look so shocked.”

There’s a lot to like here, from sneaky jabs at Lisa’s nerdiness to Dr. Hibbert’s utter carelessness. Also, there’s the utterly fantastic comment from Hibbert, “Hillbillies prefer to be called ‘sons of the soil.’ But it ain’t gonna happen.” That’s a line that gets quoted quite a bit in this Tennessee home.

Citizen Kang (Treehouse of Horror VII)

Politics make a lot more sense if you imagine that Kang and Kodos are pulling the strings. By now, you’ve probably figured out that I’m a sucker for any ToH episode that features the alien duo, and for my money, Citizen Kang is the best of the bunch. It’s the episode that’s responsible for bumper stickers inscribed “Don’t blame me, I voted for Kodos.” Honestly, I’ll vote for any candidate that keeps us twirling toward freedom. The episode is packed with excellent quotes, but the best one for my money is “It makes no difference which one of us you vote for. Either way, your planet is doomed. DOOMED!” Truer words were never spoken.

Starship Poopers (Treehouse of Horror IX)

Have I mentioned I like Kang and Kodos? They’re here again, this time when the Simpson family discovers that perhaps Homer isn’t Maggie’s daddy after all – once she starts growing tentacles and a single pointed tooth. Culminating in a shouting/punching match on the Jerry Springer Show, it’s a little bit of its time, but no less funny. Also, since Maggie is my favorite, it’s nice to see her get a little focus.

I Know What You Diddily Iddily Did (Treehouse of Horror X)

Oh my God! The Simpsons killed Ned Flanders. Yes, thanks to Homer’s ineptitude with regard to fog lights, Marge runs over Ned. This might sound tragic, but no. Hilarity does in fact ensue. To keep Maude from suspecting the Simpsons of negligence at the very least, Homer tosses his neighbor off the roof…though Maude happens to be looking away. Of course, Ned’s not dead. He’s a werewolf, which mans that Homer is dinner. Perhaps my favorite part of the vignette is Homer’s eulogy for Ned, which goes a little something like, “When I think about Ned, I can’t help but remember the look on his face when Marge drove over… Oh, wait. What I’d like to say is, we’re still looking for the real killers. Anyway, in conclusion, a man cannot be forced to testify against his wife.”

Desperately Xeeking Xena (Treehouse of Horror X)

To start with, I’m a longtime fan of Xena: Warrior Princess, so an appearance by Lucy Lawless in a Treehouse of Horror episode was certainly cause for celebration. This segment comes complete with an awesome superhero theme song (Stretch Dude and Clobber Girl) and a supervillain like no other (The Collector). I love the moment when Lawless, exasperated at a convention with her fans, explains any errors in television continuity by telling the nerd, “Whenever you notice something like that, a wizard did it.”
It’s also good to know that Lucy Lawless has the ability to fly. That probably comes in handy sometimes.

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