Treehouse of Horror XXIV

For the continuation series of Halloween specials, see Treehouse of Horror series.
"Treehouse of Horror XXIV" is the second episode of Season 25, and the 24th Halloween episode of The Simpsons.
== Synopsis ==
This year's horrifying half-hour shows a Simpsons opening packed to the brim with sci-fi, horror, and fantasy references, a Dr. Seuss spoof where Bart, Lisa, and Maggie go trick-or-treating with a destructive prankster known as The Fat in the Hat (Homer), Bart and Lisa getting closer as siblings after a decapitation leaves Bart without a body, and a spoof of the infamous 1932 pre-Code horror movie, Freaks.
==Full Story==
===Intro===
In a Halloween-themed opening sequence, the title zooms in, looking rocky and decayed, while the three-eyed crow flies across the sky and is electrocuted. The title is then hit and explodes.
Then it cuts to an army who are fighting off a zombie invasion in front of the Nuclear Power Plant; its towers are cracked and overflowing with toxic waste.
The camera pans over, showing the (giant) crow landing on the Tire Fire, as well as a giant robot fighting a huge monster in the background. It then shows zombie versions of Jimbo and Kearney, decapitating the statue of Jebediah Springfield. The head lands on Ralph, knocking his head off and to the ground, where it starts to lick his ice cream.
Then it moves over to show Lard Lad getting zapped by lightning; he comes to life and starts to cause destruction, but is grabbed by a Cyclops, resembling Chief Wiggum, who eats him and his doughnut. Meanwhile, Mrs. Krabappel sits on a bench outside the school next to Alfred Hitchcock, who then throws bread crumbs at her, causing her to be swarmed by crows.
In the school, Bart is writing "All Work and No Play Makes Jack a Dull Boy" on the whiteboard. He looks behind him and sees a psychopath Stephen King writing the same text on the walls. He turns to Bart, who runs out of the classroom. He skateboards through a boarded-up door and lands on a creature being swept leaves on, by a version of Groundskeeper Willie resembling Hellboy. The creature, resembling Hellboy foe Karl Ruprecht Kroenen, awakens and begins to battle with Willie.
Then it goes to the Power Plant, where Homer accidentally throws a nuclear rod over his shoulder and into the neck of his suit; he screams before mutating into a horrific monster resembling the Reaper-Vampire from the film Blade II whilst Carl and Lenny look on. He runs off screaming. Carl then pulls on a costume resembling superhero Blade; he draws his sword, accidentally cutting through Lenny's neck in the process, and runs after Homer. Lenny's head then falls off as his headless body drinks coffee through its neck hole.
The camera then pans down underground, briefly showing the corpses of The Tracey Ullman Show versions of the Simpson family as well as a skeleton of Godzilla buried beneath, till it reaches a large banquet.
A version of Mr. Burns resembling the Pale Man is sitting reading a book with eyes on his hands. Mr. Smithers as a fairy sprays and polishes his eyes. Burns then looks at him before devouring the man. 
Elsewhere at the Grocery Store, Maggie is passed along a checkout by a cashier resembling a huge cockroach, and is priced at "666". She is placed into Marge's trolley; Marge resembles a large blue mantis. Maggie looks at Gerald and he molts his skin to show that he is a monobrowed insect. However, Maggie's skin molts too, revealing that she is Gerald, who shakes his fist at the monster.
Then it cuts to the school orchestra, which has four versions of the Phantom of the Opera (Lon Chaney, Herbert Lom, Claude Rains, and a version resembling the classic cover of the novel) singing, with Lisa playing the saxophone wildly. Mr. Largo as The Phantom of the Paradise, playing the organ, then signals the door and she leaves, still playing.
Bart then skateboards away from an infected Comic Book Guy, up the tentacles of Cthulhu and passes multiple horror story writers (H.P. Lovecraft, Edgar Allan Poe, Ray Bradbury [though Bradbury's stories are more sci-fi and speculative weird fiction rather than horror], and Richard Matheson). A crowd of terrified Springfielders passes him and he joins them in running away from eight of the classic monsters of Universal Studios (Frankenstein's monster, Dracula, the Wolfman, Amenhotep the Mummy, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, the Bride of Frankenstein, the Metaluna Mutant, and the Invisible Man).
Then it shows Maggie driving a car; she drives into Milhouse, who is knocked off a bridge and eaten by a giant Three Eyed Fish.
There is a large panning shot of Springfield with dozens of horror characters and monsters, before showing Homer pulling up onto the driveway. He dodges Bart and Lisa as usual, before Maggie drives up in the hearse. His face morphs to the mutant version earlier and he screams, before Maggie runs him over. He is left twitching on the driveway.
The family all rush onto the couch. Bart and Lisa are normal; however, Maggie is still holding her steering wheel, Marge is still a large blue mantis and Homer is now a zombie from the film The Devil's Backbone. Lisa is then sucked into a hole in the couch; she falls down through a Alice In Wonderland-style portal, wearing Alice's costume, before landing on a toadstool. She turns and sees the Hypnotoad (from Futurama). She yelps, but then calms down.
She then turns back and finds herself suddenly in a Pan's Labyrinth throne room, dressed as the main character Ofelia. Homer and Marge, with Maggie, sit high up on their thrones as King and Queen, and Bart as the Faun bows to Lisa. Then the camera then pans up to show the Television with the title and credits, while some fairies fly into it and are electrocuted.
===Oh, the Places You'll D'oh!===
In Springfield's wild night, with Marge out of sight, Kids with mumps alone, just one M&M in their bite. Enter The Fat in the Hat, causing quite a spat, Curing mumps with shots, chaos follows that.
Grampa's berated, knocked out by The Fat, Tiny "helpers" disposed, a dark twist in that. Gasoline, a blaze, the house blows apart, The Bore-ax appears, merchandising depart.
Through town they roam, havoc they sow, Burns' mansion crumbles, candy won't flow. At Moe's demise, a thnord made of skin, A gun to Apu, candy taken, a sinister grin.
Patty and Selma at the DMV meet their doom, Town Hall explodes, animals set free to loom. Kids escape the Fat, on a Humble Gumbamble ride, Krustiforous Krumbull beheaded, Sideshow Bob on the side.
Bee-Man of Bumble, their savior in the air, Back home they reach, but the Fat's waiting there. Gloating to stay, claiming to be their new father, Maggie intervenes, Fat meets his end rather.
Yellow fur rug, candy in their glee, Bart's moral echoes, "Yes, candy will be!" Ends with a sequel tease, a humorous chat, "The Fat in the Hat Pledges a Frat."
=== Dead and Shoulders ===
In a parody of , Bart and Milhouse are flying a box kite near the airport. After Milhouse is taken to the hospital for severe pollen allergies, Bart is left alone and grows sleepy. He ties the kite's string around his neck and falls asleep. Arnie Pye flies through in his helicopter, the kite gets stuck on the side and Bart's head is sliced off. Bart wakes up with his head next to Lisa's, noticing that they are both joined at her neck. Lisa was originally against this, but Dr. Hibbert tells her that her brain is in full control of her and Bart's body. At home, Homer turns Bart's bedroom into a man-cave. On the door is a sign "No Girls...Or Boys attached to Girls". At school, Groundskeeper Willie accommodates for them by drawing an extra head on the bathroom stick-figure. Lisa shows Bart for show and tell and is praised by Ms. Hoover. However, the teacher berates Bart for showing Lisa for show and tell. At therapy, Bart and Lisa learn to like each other and become friends. However, Bart soon discovers that while Lisa is asleep he is in control of the body, so, to make sure that he will forever be in control, he slips some Nappien into her yogurt (and Homer pours the rest of the pills into his yogurt because he thinks they are mix-ins). After failing to cut Lisa's head off with Principal Skinner's car, he ties them to a log in a sawmill. Lisa wakes up and forces Bart's head over to the saw's path; his head is cut off. Lisa looks over at Bart gloatingly and does not notice the next saw, resulting in her head being sawed off too. Bart wakes up next to Selma, who is pleased now that she has a karaoke partner while Lisa's head ends up on Krusty's body and Lisa is forced to be Krusty's comedy partner. Dr. Hibbert is then shown to be connected to Dr. Nick.
===Freaks No Geeks===
In a parody of , at Mr. Burnsum's carnival many spectators watch in awe as he presents many of his freaks, including Kang and Kodos, the Terrifying Callback (Bart on Selma's neck from the end in "Dead and Shoulders"), The Human Donkey (Nelson), Marguerite, an acrobat, Strong-Man Homer, who uses his tongue, and the scary freak, Moe. At the trailer park, Burnsum berates the freaks for leaving early, but Marguerite stands up for them. Homer then orders her back to his side, revealing they are to be married to the freaks. After Mr. Burnsum and Strong-Man Homer leave, Moe and the freaks thank Marguerite for standing up for them. She tells them never to give up hope and kisses Moe on the cheek, he falls in love with her. Lenny and Carl advise Moe to ask Marguerite out, but he knows he can never compete with Strong-Man Homer. Lenny, however, reminds him of his emerald ring. Upon hearing this, Strong-Man Homer makes Marguerite marry Moe instead, of telling her that he is dying. The Freaks accept her as one of them and Moe and Marguerite are officially married. Marguerite catches Strong-Man Homer pouring poison into Moe's wine glass and loses respect for him. Strong-Man Homer sadly walks out of her trailer but discovers Mr. Burnsum's body hanging from a tree after being murdered by the freaks. They emerge from the shadows with hammers and knives shouting "One of us! One of us!" They tar and feather him from the neck down, transforming him into the latest freak show presentation - "The World's Strongest Duck". Then, in a parody of , the scene cuts to the present where it is revealed that the story was told by Homer of how he met Marge.
==Behind the Laughter==
=== Production ===
*The couch gag was directed by Guillermo del Toro, known primarily for 'genre' films (horror, fantasy, science-fiction and superhero). It features references to some of his own works.
== Citations ==
fr:Simpson Horror Show XXIV
pl:Treehouse of Horror XXIV
pt:A casa da árvore dos horrores XXIV
Category:Anthology
Category:Holiday episodes
Category:Episodes in which Homer almost loses Marge
Category:Episodes with a alternative Gracie Films logo
Category:Halloween Episodes
Category:THOH with Couch Gag
Category:Marge episodes
Category:Homer episodes
Category:Lisa episodes
Category:Bart episodes
Category:Maggie episodes
Category:Moe episodes
Category:Milhouse episodes
Category:'Of' Episodes
Category:Episodes showran by Al Jean
Category:Written by Jeff Westbrook
Category:Directed by Rob Oliver
Category:Simpson Family Are Pariahs episodes
Category:Episodes where Homer chokes Bart
Category:Parody episodes