The Simpsons: 'Treehouse of Horror XXXVII' Review

Full spoilers follow for The Simpsons: "Treehouse of Horror XXXVII."

While it's best to go into modern "Treehouse of Horror" episodes with tempered expectations, the truth is that The Simpsons' track record with Halloween specials has improved a fair bit in recent years. "Treehouse of Horror XXXVII" is far from the strongest the series has ever delivered, but nor is it anywhere near the weakest. Its main flaw is in being a just plain decent episode in the immediate aftermath of the much superior "Treehouse of Horror Presents: The Revengening."

Unlike last week's special, which focused on one singular storyline involving Homer (Dan Castellaneta) and his compatriots being hounded by a bloodthirsty slasher villain with a surprising secret identity, this episode reverts to the traditional "Treehouse" formula. That means a cleverly animated intro sequence (in this case, a neat little claymation parody of The Nightmare Before Christmas) followed by three spooky shorts. My main takeaway from watching these two episodes back-to-back is that the series really ought to consider switching to the full-length episode format more permanently. But if the plan is to start doing both every year, then who are we to complain, really?

If there's no one particular standout segment in this year's "Treehouse," at least there aren't any weak links, either. The episode opens with the cleverly titled "Bride's Shed Revisited," as Marge (Julie Kavner) assembles a backyard shed that winds up switching out husbands at random. It's amusing to watch Marge lean into her dubious new power and cycle through the best and worst eligible mates Springfield has to offer, culminating in Survivor host Jeff Probst. I can even forgive the idea of Marge hooking up with Probst, since this episode is (as Lisa reminds us in the intro) strictly non-canon.

That's followed by "Dog Boy Afternoon," a very loose Pet Sematary parody that sees Homer accidentally kill both Santa's Little Helper and Bart (Nancy Cartwright) and inadvertantly cause their corpses to switch brains. It's a fun little segment that benefits both from the recurring gag of Homer drinking his way through morning and afternoon-themed liquor and the general body-swap comedy. There's also a surprising amount of gore here, particularly in the scene where Homer is ripped apart by hungry dogs. It's always nice to see these Halloween specials push the envelope in that regard.

Finally, there's "Vehicular Dad Slaughter," as teen versions of Bart and Lisa (Yeardley Smith) discover their dear old dad has been imprisoned in DMV training video limbo by Patty and Selma (Kavner). I like that writer Tim Long opted to jump forward in time for this segment, even if the segment could just as easily have been executed with the traditional characters. Patty and Selma also make for solid witchy antagonists here.

If there are any unifying themes to this year's special, it's the emphasis on exploring the Simpsons clan at different eras of their lives and in spotlighting Kavner's characters over the rest of the ensemble cast. Both work to the episode's benefit. The focus on Marge and her sisters might have given me pause in seasons past, as Kavner's voice has deteriorated quite a bit over the years (granted, the same could be said for several cast members of this nearly 40-year-old sitcom). But whether through some sort of digital AI assistance or just plain effort on her part, that's another area the series has improved upon of late. Kavner's Marge sounds closer to her old self these days.

Again, none of these three segments are good enough to rival the all-time "Treehouse of Horror" classics, but nor are there any stinkers this time. That's still only enough to make "Treehouse of Horror XXXVII" the second-best Halloween episode of Season 38.

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