Treehouse of Horror II

Infobox Simpsons episode
episode_name = Treehouse of Horror II


image_caption = Homer and the kids eat too much candy, which is the cause of their nightmares.
episode_no = 42
prod_code = 8F02
airdate = October 31, 1991
show runner = Al Jean & Mike Reiss
writer = Al Jean
& Mike Reiss
Jeff Martin
George Meyer
Sam Simon
John Swartzwelder
director = Jim Reardon
commentary = Matt Groening
Al Jean
Mike Reiss
Dan Castellaneta
Jeff Martin
Jim Reardon
season = 3

"Treehouse of Horror II" is the seventh episode of "The Simpsons" third season, the second "Simpsons" Halloween episode, and the first Halloween episode where names in the closing credits were replaced by 'spooky name' parodies. The episode aired on October 31, 1991. In production order, this was the first episode to be animated by Anivision, which was the first non-AKOM overseas studio to work on the show.

Introduction

Marge introduces the show by telling the audience how scary it is. This intro also appeared in "Treehouse of Horror I", and "Treehouse of Horror V", but was subsequently pulled from other "Treehouse of Horror" episodes, because the audience knew that the shows were scary.

On Halloween night, Homer eats a bowl of candy while watching the news. He ends up giving the rest of his candy to Jimbo and Kearney after they threaten to egg the house (even though the two still egg the house after receiving their candy). Bart (dressed as a hooded executioner), Lisa (dressed as a totem pole), and Maggie (dressed as a witch) come home with a large amount of candy. Despite Marge's warning that the four of them will get nightmares from eating too much candy before bed, Bart, Lisa, Homer, and Maggie continue eating.

The Monkey's Paw

In Lisa's nightmare, Homer visits Morocco, and finds a small booth at a bazaar displaying a monkey's severed hand. The crippled vendor, who claims to be a former president of Algeria, warns that, although the Monkey's Paw grants four wishes, it also brings grave misfortune upon the well-wisher. Homer dismisses his concerns and buys the paw. Back in Springfield, the family argues about what to wish for. When Maggie picks up the paw, a limousine suddenly arrives outside. Homer praises her and cuddles her into his bosom, but is annoyed when the limo driver delivers a new pacifier for Maggie and then drives off. Bart grabs the paw and states that there will be no more fooling around. He then wishes for the Simpsons to be rich and famous. Marge rushes in, announcing that her purse exploded with money, and Homer takes the family to the fanciest restaurant in town, "The Gilded Truffle". Whilst there, they soon discover that people have quickly tired of the family's annoying antics, cheesy merchandise and celebrity treatment. Horrified by these wasteful wishes, Lisa wishes for world peace with the best intentions. All countries declare peace and are eager to destroy all weapons by throwing them into a giant furnace. Military personnel and Police forces take up jobs baking cookies and all nuclear weapons are disposed of. Before long, Kang and Kodos realize the human race is "ripe for the plucking" and enslave the Earth armed only with a slingshot and a club. Kang then crowns himself king of Earth. The people angrily blame the Simpsons, wishing they were dead. Determined to make a wish that cannot be twisted, Homer demands a turkey sandwich which, to his horror, turns out to be a little dry. "Oh, foul, accursed thing! What demon from the depths of hell created thee?" he sobs. As Homer throws the paw in the trash can, Ned Flanders asks if he can have it. Homer gladly hands the paw over to Flanders, hoping to see his neighbor's wishes backfire as well. Ned wishes for the invading aliens to depart, which is accomplished by Moe chasing the aliens away with a board harbouring a nail. As they retreat, the aliens proclaim that one day humans will make bigger boards with bigger nails and eventually destroy themselves with their own power. Everyone celebrates and after Flanders wishes to "spruce up the ol' homestead", his house is converted into an opulent castle. This episode ends with Homer angrily muttering to himself, "I wish I had a monkey's paw."

Bart the Monster

In Bart's nightmare (in parody of "The Twilight Zone" episode, "It's a Good Life"), Springfield is held in a grip of terror by Bart, who has near-omnipotent powers. No one dares to displease him; his family, his teachers, and everyone else in town are all forced to continuously smile and submit to Bart's every whim. He renames America 'Bonerland' and changes the flag from stars and stripes to a black flag with a skull and two crossbones. Anyone who thinks unhappy thoughts is immediately punished. Jasper is turned into a dog when he got sick of the pollyanna lifestyle he was forced to live. Krusty is also forced to run his show non-stop. When Homer refuses to turn off a football game so that Bart can watch "The Krusty the Klown Show", Bart transports him into the football stadium in place of the ball for an extra point kick. As Homer creeps back into the house, thinking to himself, "slowly, slowly, don't make a sound, don't even think, 'cause he can hear your thoughts. Then, when he's least expecting it, bash his head in with the chair; end of the monster", Bart transforms him into a jack-in-the-box. Marge suggests that the two see Dr. Marvin Monroe, who says that Bart is desperate for paternal affection. Despite being a jack-in-the-box, Homer spends quality time with Bart, and they soon become a normal, loving family. Bart restores Homer's body and tells him he loves him, and kisses him. Bart wakes up screaming.

Homer's Brain

In Homer's nightmare, after Mr. Burns fires Homer for laziness and incompetence, Homer answers a classified ad to become a grave digger. Meanwhile, Burns is nearing the completion of his giant robotic laborer, whom he hopes will eventually replace weak-bodied human workers. The only remaining step is to implant a human brain into the machine's body. Searching a graveyard the following night, Burns and Smithers mistake Homer, snoring in an open grave, for a newly buried corpse. Burns removes his brain with an ice cream scoop and places it in the robot. However, Robo-Homer is just as lazy and incompetent as he was as a human, using his x-ray vision to locate donuts. Burns declares the experiment a failure and, after restoring the brain to Homer's still-living body, kicks the robot, which topples over and crushes Burns. After the psychotic scientist tells Smithers to get some surgical tools and ether, Homer wakes up screaming after Bart bites him. While going to the bathroom, Homer finds Mr. Burns's head grafted on his shoulder. Homer repeatedly mumbles that it's all a dream, but Mr. Burns says it isn't.

The episode ends with a joke preview for the next episode of "The Simpsons" where Lisa wants Homer to go to an all-night spaghetti dinner with her while Mr. Burns (still grafted on Homer's shoulder) wants Homer to come with him to a conference held by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. Homer grumbles that he hates having two heads.

Cultural references

The plot of Bart's nightmare is a parody of "The Twilight Zone" episode "It's a Good Life", which was remade as part of "". Lisa's dream is a reference to W.W. Jacobs's short story "The Monkey's Paw", and the "Twilight Zone" episode "A Small Talent for War". Homer's nightmare is based on much of the film "Frankenstein", and the end references "The Thing with Two Heads".cite book|last=Richmond |first=Ray|coauthors=Antonia Coffman|title= |year=1997 |publisher=Harper Collins Publishers|id=ISBN 0-00-638898-1|pages=pp. 68-69] Also, Marge's hair recalls "Bride of Frankenstein". One of the tombstones in the opening scene in the graveyard has "Bambi's Mom" written on it, obviously referencing the death of Bambi's mother who died in "Bambi". In Lisa's nightmare, Moroccan soldiers stop and search the Simpsons, finding souvenirs taped to Homer's body which he was attempting to smuggle out of the country. This is a reference to the opening drug-smuggling scene of the film "Midnight Express". While Mr. Burns scoops out Homer's brain, he hums the tune of "If I Only Had a Brain" which is sung by the scarecrow in "The Wizard of Oz". Burns also calls the robot that had Homer's brain a "clinking, clattering cacophany of colligenous cogs and camshafts", similar to the Wizard's line to the Tin Man: "You clinking, clanking, clattering collection of colligenous junk!" In the opening sequence of the episode, the Peanuts gang appear in the crowd of trick-or-treaters,cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season4/page1.shtml|title=The Simpsons Hallowe'en Special II|accessdate=2008-06-24|author=Martyn, Warren; Wood, Adrian |date=2000|publisher=BBC] and in Homer's nightmare, "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson" is broadcast on a TV.

References

External links

* [http://www.snpp.com/episodes/8F02.html Episode Capsule on "Simpsons Archive"]
*imdb episode|id=0759267|episode=Treehouse of Horror II