I love Sunday nights, and do you want to know why? We get another brand-new episode of The Simpsons! Tonight, it will deliver the second "Treehouse of Horror" installment of season 36, with The Simpsons ' time leaping back to the 1950s. When you contemplate it, the middle of the 20th century was scary as you had the Cold War, with the threat of nuclear dystopia. It's pretty heavy for a kid at the time, despite being decades before my existence.
This year's installment would be the second "Treehouse of House" special to date, as we got the first in 2022 with "Not It." That episode was parodied from Stephen King's horror novel, It, and the movies based on It. As you guessed, Krusty takes on the form of King's antagonist and terrifies a young Homer and his friends. Not It additionally featured tattoos from Simpsons fans, depicting Krusty as an evil clown, rooting the episode's inspiration.
I'm aware that it's only days before Thanksgiving, so scheduling a Halloween episode might feel strange, but taking into account that you had the World Series and the 2024 election happening, the episode was pushed back. Oh, well. At least, it's here.
"Treehouse of Horror Presents: Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes" was additionally meant for season 35, but doe to the 2023 Writers Strike, it was shelved until season 36.
Previewing "Treehouse of Horror Presents: Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes"
We'll get three segments set in the 1950s, based on the works of Ray Bradbury. His written vision can be seen in the 1960s anthology series The Twilight Zone. Like all others before him, Bradbury will be 'spoofed' in the most respectful and honorable way on The Simpsons. It'll be a haunting half-hour as we take in another masterful "Treehouse of Horror."
What always stirs up The Simpsons' discourse is the writers' ability to predict the future and they might have done it again in tonight's piece with TV being our most sought after pleasure and ruler. But that colud be coincidental, as TV exploded in 1950s America, with the next generation consuming it more. When you inject in streaming and getting easy access to watch anything anywhere, it holds truth.
This episode will also be Pamela Hayden's last, as she stepped down from her iconic role of Milhouse (and others) last week. She announcied her retirement after 35 years of being on The Simpsons.
See her last performance in the clip below!
"Treehouse of Horror Presents: Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes" rolled out its synopsis to give a small taste of what to expect.
The official synopsis:
'"A tattooed man at a mysterious night circus transports Lisa into three strange stories from the innocent 1950s, the chilling retro-present, and a brutalist future where prestige TV rules the world."
I think this episode is one of the "Treehouse of Horror" franchise's best, given the animation and the characters' unique personalized storylines. With that said, I'm not going to let a late, pushed-back date defer its deserved glory. If anything, it makes me love Halloween and The Simpsons even more.
"Treehouse of Horror Presents: Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes" airs tonight at 8 PM EST/7 PM ET on Fox's Animation Domination block.