"Don't let the Beelzebubs bite."
Warning: Full spoilers for the episode below.
How did The Simpsons go almost 30 years without attempting a full-fledged Exorcist spoof? It seems crazy given all the other iconic horror properties that have become fodder for the series' annual Treehouse of Horror specials. But it also speaks t why this year's installment worked so much better than most. The writers made some inspired choices when it came to material, and the result in the best Treehouse of Horror in many years.
In the grand tradition of classic Treehouse segments like "The Shinning" and "Nightmare on Evergreen Terrace," "The Exor-Sis" took a classic horror film and delivered a faithful (if highly condensed) parody with a lot of self-aware silliness thrown in. Kicking off the segment with a little dose of "Tubular Bells" certainly didn't hurt. Nor did roping in director William Friedkin for a little cameo. Friedkin's character had easily the best line of the entire episode with "If you can't trust a Catholic priest with a child, who can you trust?" It was one of several moments that proved the writers were willing to push the envelope a little further than normal thanks to the Halloween trappings.
The decision to frame this segment around Maggie is really what made it work. It's always amusing when spinoff episodes like this toy with the idea of the sweet, innocent baby of the Simpson clan harboring deep, dark, murderous tendencies. The sight of Maggie crashing the dinner party and murdering several Springfield residents certainly entertained. Flanders' tragic but comical death proved especially amusing. It did seem like the whole ordeal ended a bit too quickly and easily, but that's often the problem when you have anthology episodes with such short time constraints. The one upside here is that we did see a bit of carryover in the next segment. It's pretty rare to see any sort of continuity in these Treehouse episodes, so that was a welcome surprise.
From there, the episode turned its attention to Coraline, another great horror (well, horror-ish) film that probably should have been tackled years earlier. But this was another case of "better late than never." "Coralisa" did a great job of capturing the look and tone of the source material and giving it a Simpsons-worthy twist. And once again, having original creator Neil Gaiman step in to provide a guest voice added to the overall effect. Gaiman is no Keith David, but he was a great fit for a cat who walks between worlds.
Just on a technical level, "Coralisa" is easily one of the most ambitious "Treehouse of Horror" segments we've seen in a long time. The "Other Family" segments did a great job of capturing the kooky, stop-motion animation style of the film while still feeling very much like a Simpsons cartoon. The resolution also worked well, with both versions of The Simpsons family being rolled into one. As with "The Exor-Sis," I only wish the writers had a little more room to work with.
It's always good to devote at least one Treehouse segment to more original fare, so it was nice to see this episode wrap up with the delightfully twisted "Mmm... Homer." One of the reasons the more recent Treehouse episodes have failed to stand out is that it often feels like the show pulls its punches. There aren't really any rules with these out-of-continuity, horror-filled adventures, yet rarely do the writers really embrace that freedom and cram in as much gore and black humor as they could. This segment finally reversed that trend with a darkly silly little tale worthy of Lisa's opening warning to the audience.
I'm almost surprised the writers didn't opt for an overt Hannibal parody here. They certainly could have, but ultimately, it's probably for the best that they let this one stand on its own. Homer's obsession with devouring his own flesh is just the sort of twisted, "out of the box" thinking I like to see from these episodes. Better yet, the conclusion was oddly touching. Homer embraced his new passion, even though it meant his death, and he left a legacy behind that kept the whole town fed and happy.
The Verdict
The "Treehouse of Horror" specials are rarely among the more memorable episodes in any given season of The Simpsons. However, Season 29 is likely to be a major exception. All three segments in this year's special were strong. The series finally plugged two major holes in its huge collection of horror movie parodies while also reminding us that it can offend and disturb with the best of them. Perhaps there's still more mileage to be found in this long-running Simpsons trope.
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