The Simpsons - "Treehouse of Horror XXII" - Talkback [10/30]

**Space Cadet** · 10-30-2011, 03:04 PM

Broadcast Order: Season 23, Episode 3
Production Order: Season 22, Episode 19

Writers: Carolyn Omine
Director: Matthew Faughnan

A new episode airs tonight at 8 PM Eastern. Here is the synopsis:

Ned Flanders becomes a neighborhood vigilante who uses murder to stop evildoers.

**Peter Paltridge** · 10-30-2011, 03:19 PM

Also, "Homer becomes paralyzed in an accident and can communicate only by farting." I've been dreading that one; it sounds like the worst ToH short ever made.

**LordTerminal** · 10-30-2011, 05:16 PM

Remember when Treehouse of Horror shorts used to actually be about actual horror stories and NOT seeing what movie spoofs they can crank out with little to no thought?

Simpsons writers, judging from the synopsizes of the shorts that I've read in TV Guide, I'd like to say that stooping to Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer's level of....well anything is a sin against humanity. If this episode turns out to be as horrible as I'm dreading it will and it still gets high ratings from viewers, I'm going to stop putting faith into humanity.

**Doguineta** · 10-30-2011, 06:53 PM

Originally Posted by Peter Paltridge

Also, "Homer becomes paralyzed in an accident and can communicate only by farting." I've been dreading that one; it sounds like the worst ToH short ever made.

And the third short: An "Avatar" parody!!! (sigh...)

**trance2009** · 10-30-2011, 07:36 PM

Yes, these used to be genuine original horror shorts where they would kind of satirize other horror tropes, but not just parody them outright.

Homer as Dr. Manhattan....

**LordTerminal** · 10-30-2011, 08:10 PM

Paralyzed Spider Homer. Yep, that's something Seltzer and Friedberg would come up with. Not giving me much hope for this special this year FOX.

Okay second act was more horror themed but it was still weak.

**Astrolupine** · 10-30-2011, 08:11 PM

Originally Posted by Peter Paltridge

Also, "Homer becomes paralyzed in an accident and can communicate only by farting." I've been dreading that one; it sounds like the worst ToH short ever made.

Not to mention it's a sort-of ripoff of the Duckman character Grand-mama.

Well, I found the 127 Hours parody funny. Diving Bell was unamusing, due to said farting, and like many recent TOH shorts, ended abruptly.

Dial D For Diddily could have been good, but again, the shorts' pacing has been too fast these last few years, few gags have time to sink in. The Road Runner homage, particularly.

The Avatar parody... ugh. Just... ugh. The female Rigelian's high voice was grating (Tress MacNielle's one annoying voice) , and the gags fell flat. Also, Chalmers as Quadritch? wasted potential.

As others have said, this isn't a Halloween special, it's a parody night. Near-dated parodies as well. Also, the nicest thing I can say about this episode is that it didn't have an incredibly abrupt conclusion like last year's, but really, 'Bart Simpson's Dracula' did the Christmas gag better. (1.5/5)

Also, no traditional Geffen Films female scream?

**trance2009** · 10-30-2011, 08:19 PM

Devil Maude = hawt

**Edward15** · 10-30-2011, 08:22 PM

Man, I hope that next year's ToH will be better.

**trance2009** · 10-30-2011, 08:29 PM

I laughed at all the random animal combos.

**Edward15** · 10-30-2011, 08:32 PM

My brother thought this episode sucked.

**LordTerminal** · 10-30-2011, 08:33 PM

"When are we doing the Black Swan?" I'm with Grampa. At least the Black Swan has some psychological aspects that could somewhat translate to a horror show. I guess that would've been too smart for these writers. By far, this was the lamest Treehouse of Horror special I've seen. And to think it used to be no matter how bad the actual seasons were, the ToH specials were the one thing Simpsons couldn't screw up. Can't say that anymore.

**Shawn Hopkins** · 10-30-2011, 08:34 PM

Originally Posted by Peter Paltridge

Also, "Homer becomes paralyzed in an accident and can communicate only by farting." I've been dreading that one; it sounds like the worst ToH short ever made.

It's high in the running for the worst 10 minutes in TV history, actually.

The short with Ned murdering folks was funnier. Of course Homer would be behind that.

I really need to actually see Avatar, but I've seen so many similar parodies I think every plot point has been spoiled for me. Anyway, this one was lame, redeemed only by the funny animal warriors and the Wacky Wallwalker joke.

**bluenowait** · 10-30-2011, 08:40 PM

I don't know what's more disappointing; that the stories have less macabre themes, or the source material comes more from recent pop culture instead of short stories by the likes of Edgar Allen Poe, Ray Bradbury, and Rod Serling?

**TnAdct1** · 10-30-2011, 08:44 PM

Pretty much agree that this was one of the weaker THOH episodes, as it definitely felt like the Simpsons writers were phoning in the Halloween episode this year (an unfunny prologue; a first story that jumps track with a Spiderman parody; a second story that has a lot of potential, but doesn't deliver; an "obligatory" Avatar parody; and an ending that decides to to shift into something different than provide a decent ending to the final story). Maybe the Simpsons should have ended this season.

BTW, for those trying to figure out the Star Trek connection (given how the aliens on these specials are named after characters from that universe); Kamala is the name of a woman that, despite being scheduled for an arranged marriage, Captain Picard falls for in the ST:TNG episode "The Perfect Mate".