The Simpsons’ Ray Bradbury-inspired horror and sci-fi anthology episode strikes gold with clever parodies, concise writing, and hilarious gags.
The Simpsons’ “Treehouse of Horror” specials were certainly the animated series’ first foray into anthology storytelling, but hardly the only time that they’ve dipped their toe into this water. 36 seasons in, The Simpsons has done “Simpsons Bible Stories,” “Simpsons Tall Tales,” “Simpson Christmas Stories,” and even “Thanksgiving of Horror.” There are also considerably headier ideas, like anthology-based deconstructions of western art, divine intervention and God, and even an episode where an Anonymous-esque hacker hijacks the series and releases “show-destroying” clips and stories that will tarnish The Simpsons’ I.P. The Simpsons clearly isn’t afraid to tackle esoteric and broad ideas through the anthology format, but the fact that they’re still doing “Treehouse of Horror” episodes is a testament to just how much this series loves horror. Admittedly, there’s been a tendency in recent years where “Treehouse of Horror” episodes are just a catch-all for any pop culture non-canon experimental storytelling where anything from Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Jumanji, and Transformers are fair game.
However, it’s been exciting to see The Simpsons embrace horror with a reinvested vigor that’s pushed them to tell supplemental Halloween stories beyond their core “Treehouse of Horror” episodes. The Simpsons’ 36th season continues to evolve this dynamic with “Treehouse of Horror Presents: Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes,” a second horror anthology episode that could become its own precedent for the series. “Treehouse of Horror XXXV” was by no means a bad Simpsons episode, but “Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes” is likely to resonate with the hardcore horror fans who are looking for something with a little more bite that harkens back to the earliest “Treehouse of Horror” episodes’ dynamic.
This episode is the perfect late Halloween treat that gives audiences an extra measure of macabre before the year is through.
“Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes,” unsurprisingly, is an ode to Ray Bradbury, which the episode fully embraces. In many ways, it’s a successful counterpoint to “Treehouse of Horror IV’s” Night Gallery influence, except this time it’s riffing on Bradbury rather than Rod Serling. The episode’s triptych of supernatural societal stories is cleverly divided into different decades — the 1950s, an exaggerated sci-fi-skewing present, and a dystopian future — which makes for a strong enough structure that allows The Simpsons to flex its prophetic muscle, while it also wryly mocks the past and the present. It’s also a smart decision to use Lisa as the audience to the Illustrated Man’s (Andy Serkis) stories. Lisa is the one who listens to these subversive stories, but she’s not the protagonist in all three vignettes. In fact, she’s a rather passive player in the meat of the episode. The entire Simpson family, as well as the rest of Springfield, are appropriately showcased in each installment. “Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes” even gets a lot of mileage out of who is at the center of these stories and how it spreads the wealth between The Simpsons’ diverse cast of characters. The second story, for example, is a character piece for Skinner and Superintendent Chalmers, rather than any of the core Simpson crew.
The first tale, which is set in the ‘50s, is a successful meditation on trust, conspiracies, and the idea that the enemy may be your neighbor and not some proverbial boogeyman or a foreign threat. It uses its limited runway well and provides an entertaining commentary on the times. The driving force of the story is that Bart finds a screaming woman who is buried in the woods and his well-off family fail to care or help. Accordingly, Bart desperately tries to figure out who has gone missing and the person who is responsible for this heinous crime. “Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes” isn’t afraid to take some unsettling detours in its stories, but this is also a very funny episode with great gags — whether they’re random non-sequitur jokes and dialogue or concepts that are central to the narrative.
This story genuinely feels like something that Bradbury would write. However, it’s also reminiscent of the suburban scares and a fascination with America’s seedy underbelly that’s present in early Tobe Hooper and John Carpenter. There are also obvious shades of The Boy Who Cried Wolf and Rear Window in this predatory trust exercise. This first tale actually crafts a rather engaging mystery that heads in an unexpected direction. The story makes a very surprising choice for its villain, albeit one that makes sense for its mock-innocent ’50s aesthetic. There’s a genuinely dark atmosphere to not just this story, but all three vignettes. The subject matter is unnerving, all of which is amplified through stylized visuals, framing, and lighting, which effortlessly evoke the horror genre.
The second tale is set in a retro-futuristic vision of the present and involves Superintendent Chalmers buying a robotic double of himself so that he can avoid being around Skinner and his soul-sucking anguish. Not enough can be said about how nice it is that this story has Chalmers in the lead role, when it just as easily could have been about Bart wanting to avoid Millhouse, Homer’s desire to sneak away from Marge, or even Burns wanting a reprieve from Smithers. It’s a simple touch that helps this story stand out. Carl even plays a sizable role in this entry.
There’s a strong “be careful what you wish for…” angle to the segment, with a hint of a potential robot apocalypse. The Simpsons creates a compelling scenario that rubs up against other doppelgänger escapist stories like The Stepford Wives, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, or even Multiplicity. This vignette benefits from really effective and direct world-building, even if it’s only briefly seen. This is clearly a version of the present that’s very dissimilar to reality, but it works and once again feels indebted to Bradbury’s oeuvre. This story also takes a surprising turn that’s both smart and authentic to these characters. There’s a really satisfying conclusion that’s vintage science fiction storytelling. One of the most rewarding details about “Treehouse of Horror Presents: Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes” is that each segment is actually structured like a smart short story that goes out with a challenging twist. These aren’t just three haphazard non-canon stories that speed-run to their endings, which is sometimes the case in a standard “Treehouse of Story” episode.
The final segment, which is set in a police state future, is arguably the smartest and most relevant of the lot. The story parodies Fahrenheit 451, yet in an age where it’s trash TV that’s getting burned — not literature — and the “firemen” work for prestige television. A Fahrenheit 451 tribute is inevitable in an episode that riffs on Bradbury. However, The Simpsons deserves credit for just how clever this segment is, how it tackles the novel’s themes, and where it chooses to go. It’s easily the least horror-centric story, but there are many fun ideas to digest in The Simpsons’ highbrow-but-mindless vision of the future. The segment is a beautiful takedown on the public’s current TV viewing habits and the growing trends that have improved – yet impeded – the medium. The apathetic malaise of low-hanging fruit and guilty pleasures become a rejuvenating rescue from endless “excellence.” Trash television, in several respects, is a civilization’s perfect time capsule. One wouldn’t expect to find one of 2024’s best satires on censorship to come out a Simpsons “Treehouse of Horror” episode, and yet…
“Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes” is such a delight and one of The Simpsons’ most consistent anthology episodes in a long time. Every segment sticks the landing – both on a storytelling and humor level – but they also all push sci-fi morales that try to prompt change. This is an episode that horror and science fiction fans will love, even if they haven’t watched a Simpsons episode in years. Installments like this prove that The Simpsons still has some exciting tricks up its sleeve and is more than capable of making its audience laugh at compelling and challenging storytelling.
The Simpsons’ “Treehouse of Horror Presents: Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes” airs November 24th at 8pm ET on FOX.
