You can't finish celebrating Halloween without the annual The Simpsons "Treehouse of Horror." Since 1990, the franchise has been a critical asset to my Spooky Season traditions (and off) since I feverishly love Halloween and its realms. It's just a lot of fun and the history behind it is intense, but once you fully grasp Halloween's conception, you'll see why it's honored.
This year's installment, which will air on November 3rd, will provide plenty of pop culture references and terrifying tales while pushing the violence limits on Network TV—elements that "Treehouse of Horror" is widely known for. But we'll also be getting a Gilded Age version of Mr. Burns, the two domineering American political parties taking on new life forms, and Homer's pants becoming literally stitched into him.
Previewing The Simpsons' "Treehouse of Horror XXXV": Poster, trailer, clip
Before "Treehouse of Horror XXXV" airs tonight, we'll preview what's coming in the annual Halloween special. It's one of the best parts of The Simpsons' long-lasting legacy. Although the episodes are not canonically synchronized with regular ones (with the exception of Üter), they're just as entertaining and hilarious.
XXXV's curated picks include a parody of the Marvel Universe villain, Venom, a reimagining of the Winchester Mystery House, and a frightening political war. When you think of it, the latter is the present happenstance.
The synopsis:
"Giant monsters created by political rage threaten to tear the town apart, a Victorian Mr. Burns is jump-scared on Thanksgiving by the ghosts of his abused workers, and Homer bonds with a pair of extra-terrestrial jeans in an unforgettable stop-motion adventure that can only be called... Denim"
The poster
The color-punching poster depicts all three segments and the couch gag in the episode. You have Homer becoming a scary version of fashion as his pants overtake him. It's weird, but it works for "Treehouse of Horror."
Matt Selman, the showrunner of The Simpsons, elaborated more on "Denim"'s storyline and why it's a funny bit with TVInsider.
"You really care about your best jeans. There was something about Homer’s relationship with his jeans, who were like a wingman that becomes a love triangle, that was a funny idea."
Further more, the jeans are stop-animation, infusing with the traditional 2D format of the series. The pants were created by Stoopid Buddy Stoodios, Family Guy's Seth Green's animation studio. The studio was used for Adult Swim's stop-animated analogy series, Robot Chicken.
Along with "Denim", the Democratic and Republican parties become metaphorical fire-breathing monsters, and Burns is surrounded by his ghostly former employees.
The opening Couch Gag
Jorge R. Gutierrez, the animator and writer behind 2012's The Book of Life, takes the Couch Gag to new and odd extremes. It's crafted in the essence of Días de la Muertos meets the game Street Fighter II.
The trailer
Lastly, in the 15-econd trailer, we see all of the stories coming to life, and I'm mostly looking forward to "The Fall of the House of Burns," as I love Victorian/Gilded Age history and the animation behind is remarkable. The segment was originally created for 2019's "Thanksgiving of Horror" but it made its way to the "Treehouse" lore.
The #Halloween frights continue this weekend!
— The Simpsons (@TheSimpsons) October 31, 2024
Don't miss #TheSimpsons Treehouse of Horror XXXV Sunday on @FOXTV, next day on @hulu 🎃 pic.twitter.com/93uKypgtDW
"Treehouse of Horror XXXV" will air tonight at 8 PM EST/7 PM CST on Fox, with streaming on Hulu the next day.