It's Halloween time yet again. There are many great Halloween traditions, like trick or treating, watching Halloween specials on TV, and putting up Christmas decorations way too early. One of my personal favorite Halloween traditions is watching the Simpsons Halloween Specials. Also known as Treehouse of Horror, these specials, in my opinion, always gave the best that the Simpsons had to offer. This included some of the best writing, jokes, and visuals. These mainly either put the Simpsons in parodies of classic Halloween movies or stories, or put them in all kinds of spooky scenarios. And today, I'm gonna be sharing the ten best Treehouse of Horror specials. This is my list, so if there's a special you don't think should be on this list, or if there's a special not on this list that you like, feel free to share your own list in the comments. So without further ado, let's go. 10. The Raven: This was from the first Halloween special, so it does look very dated compared to the other specials on this list. The special, itself, is a reading of the classic Edgar Allen Poe poem, but with a Simpsons twist to it. It manages to bring a good amount of dark visuals that the poem is known for, but it also adds some Simpsons humor into the mix. A good balance of dark and humor, this is a good special to start off a Halloween tradition. 9. Nightmare of Evergreen Terrace: A parody of the classic horror movie Nightmare on Elm Street, this special shows Groundskeeper Willie as a Freddy Krueger type being who kills people in their dreams. Again, it's dark and funny at the same time, and Willie does manage to be a surprisingly good version of Krueger. It's not the best, but it certainly is a good parody of a Halloween classic. 8. E.T. Go Home: Based on E.T. Extra Terrestrial, this is, in my opinion, the best special to feature the now iconic Simpsons aliens. An alien lands in the Simpsons backyard, and Bart tries to help him get back to his home planet. It's the plot of E.T., but with a darker twist at the end. I won't spoil it for you, but you should definitely check it out if you're a fan of these now Simpsons staple characters. 7. Dial Z for Zombies: This is a classic zombie outbreak scenario, but again, with a Simpsons twist to it. Bart and Lisa tries to bring their dead cat back to life via a magic book; but instead they accidentally unleash the walking dead into Springfield. It's now up to the Simpsons to put the zombies back in the grave. Like all the other specials, this has great writing, hilarious jokes, and never wastes an opportunity to make fun of the zombie scenarios we're all familiar with. 6. Clown Without Pity: Homer gives Bart a Krusty the Clown doll for his birthday, not knowing that the doll is evil and wants to kill Homer. To me, it's just really funny seeing Homer become so afraid of a doll, and the doll repeatedly trying to axe Homer. Again, this has the great writing and jokes that these specials are known for. 5. Oh the Places You'll D'oh! : This is a parody of the timeless Dr. Seuss stories. It has a similar look, wacky characters, and rhyming that Dr. Seuss is known for; but again, since this is a Simpsons Treehouse of Horror special, it has a dark twist to it. It never wastes an opportunity to tell a joke, or make fun of the Dr. Seuss books we've all grown up with. Funny, dark, and surprisingly a better interpretation of Dr. Seuss than any of the Dr. Seuss movies, it's a hilarious special that can only be hated by a Grinch. 4. Time and Punishment: In this special, Homer accidentally goes back in time via a broken toaster. That alone sounds like a hilarious concept. Homer then keeps accidentally messing up something in the past, causing the future to drastically change; whether it be everyone being giant, or Ned Flanders becoming Supreme Overlord of the World. This special manages to keep making you laugh throughout the whole thing, never having a dull moment. This is, to me, a perfect example of having the Simpsons using time travel. 3: King Homer: A parody of King Kong, this special sees Homer as a giant gorilla, which Mr. Burns captures in order to make him a tourist attraction. Homer breaks free, falls in love with Marge, and rampages the city, with the special ending with Homer and Marge getting married. This is a great parody, taking the iconic movie and adding a humorous twist to it. Again, it never wastes an opportunity. I guess that's why it's considered by many to be one of the best Treehouse of Horror specials. I can definitely see why. 2. It's the Grand Pumpkin, Milhouse: This is a parody of my favorite Halloween special, It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. That immediately makes it one of my top favorite specials. Milhouse waits at the pumpkin patch with Lisa in hopes that he'll see the Grand Pumpkin, a magical pumpkin that gives toys to children. But when the pumpkin finds out what people do to pumpkins, it goes on a rampage throughout Springfield...
... One of the main things that makes this special funny is Milhouse's devotion to the Grand Pumpkin. He worships him as a God-like figure, poking fun to how Linus practically worships the Great Pumpkin. As someone who is a huge Peanuts fan, I definitely appreciate this special. It's truly a grand special. 1. The Shinning: Based on the Steven King book turned into the Stanley Kubrick movie, this special is, in my opinion, the perfect Treehouse of Horror special. Like the other specials, it takes the original source material, and never wastes an opportunity to make fun of it. To me, though, it has some of the best jokes, some of the best lines, and some of the best visuals. It's an all around perfect special. Truly earning the title of the best Treehouse of Horror special ever. So that's my top ten best Simpsons Treehouse of Horror specials. Again, if you feel like there's a special that I missed, feel free to give your list in the comments. Happy Halloween! The Simpsons owned by Fox.
