Treehouse of Horror XX
"Treehouse of Horror XX" | |
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The Simpsons episode | |
Episode no. | Season 21 Episode 4 |
Directed by |
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Written by | Daniel Chun |
Production code | LABF14 |
Original air date | October 18, 2009 |
"Treehouse of Horror XX" is the fourth episode of the twenty-first season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. The episode was directed by Mike B. Anderson and Matthew Schofield and was written by Daniel Chun. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 18, 2009.
This is the twentieth "Treehouse of Horror" installment, containing three self-contained stories: In "Dial 'M' for Murder or Press '#' to Return to Main Menu", Lisa is forced into a Hitchcock-esque murder scheme by Bart; in "Don't Have a Cow, Mankind", Springfield is once again overrun by zombies thanks to Krusty Burger's latest sandwich; and in the Sweeney Todd parody, "There's No Business Like Moe Business", Moe the Bartender bleeds Homer dry to create the perfect microbrewed beer. This is the first "Treehouse of Horror" episode to air in the month of October since "Treehouse of Horror X" in 1999. This is the first "Treehouse of Horror" episode to be produced in high definition, and it is the first one with opening production credits that are white, instead of the customary green.
An estimated 8.59 million viewers tuned in to watch the episode.[1]
Plot
Opening
Traditional horror movie characters such as
Dial "M" for Murder or Press "#" to Return to Main Menu
In this
Don't Have a Cow, Mankind
One day, Bart, tired of eating fruit, escapes from his family's barricaded house and eats one of the tainted burgers, but turns out to be immune to its effects. Over the phone, a besieged Dr. Hibbert tells them that Bart's immunity may be the key to developing a cure to the muncher epidemic and that they must bring Bart to a so-called "safe zone" being established in Shelbyville. The Simpsons are attacked after a failed attempt to sneak out but are saved by Apu, driving an armored off-road truck. Apu explains that he was never infected because, as a vegetarian, he did not eat any of the tainted beef, and as a convenience store owner, he is "armed to the teeth" (with a large arsenal of military-grade firearms).
The group tries to leave Springfield, but Apu crashes the truck on top of a pile of smashed cars at the edge of town. Apu goes to push the car off the pile, but the Simpsons drive away thinking Apu sacrificed himself, when he actually wanted the Simpsons to wait for him. After Apu is killed by the munchers, the Simpsons drive on but run out of gas in the middle of the highway, walking the remaining 20 miles to the safe zone. During their journey, Homer is bitten by Mr. Burns, thus turning him into a muncher himself. The family decide not to kill him in the hopes of finding a cure. They reach the safe zone, where Bart, being immune to the virus, is worshiped as the "chosen one". However, the people there believe that cannibalizing Bart will save them from the virus. The Simpsons think of another solution: vaccinating the remaining populace (except Homer who either refuses to get cured or Bart refused to cure him as payback for being abusive to him earlier) by having Bart bathe in their food before eating it.
There's No Business Like Moe Business
In a parody of
Ending
The whole audience except for Kang and Kodos gathers onstage and conclude the episode by singing "Number XX" when Kodos then shushes the audience, gesturing at Kang, who has fallen asleep with the playbill over his helmet.
Cultural references
In the opening scene of the episode, the monsters respectively wear costumes of Iron Man, Harry Potter, SpongeBob SquarePants and Jack Sparrow.
The first segment includes numerous parodies of Alfred Hitchcock's films. The plot of the segment is a parody of Strangers on a Train,[3] while Psycho,[4] North by Northwest, Spellbound, and Vertigo are also referenced (in particular the Vertigo effect). The main theme from Psycho by Bernard Herrmann is used extensively during the first part. The title of the segment is a reference to Dial M for Murder.
The second segment is a parody of various post apocalyptic films, mainly 28 Days Later, Children of Men and I Am Legend.[5][6] The title of the segment takes its name from Bart's catchphrase, Don't have a cow, man. This segment has no music until the zombie apocalypse ends.
The title of "There's No Business Like Moe Business" is a parody of the song "
Reception
Viewing figures
In its original American broadcast, "Treehouse of Horror XX" was watched by 8.59 million viewers and was the most watched of Fox's
Critical response
Robert Canning of IGN praised the episode, saying "it was a fine addition to the series' Halloween specials". He enjoyed all of the stories, and said that the Sweeney Todd segment was "a nice treat". He also said that the airing of this Treehouse of Horror episode before Halloween, the first time that this had happened in ten years, "[had to] count for something".[2]
Screen Rant called it the best episode of the 21st season.[10]
Awards and nominations
The episode won the Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Writing in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production at the 37th Annie Awards.[11]
References
- ^ a b Brian (October 19, 2009). "Ratings: Treehouse of Horror XX". Simpsons Channel. Archived from the original on October 23, 2009.
- ^ a b Canning, Robert (October 19, 2009). "The Simpsons: "Treehouse of Horror XX" Review". IGN. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
After 20 years, the series can still deliver in its Halloween special.
- ^ Pergament, Alan (August 19, 2009). "Looking at what's ahead for Homer and Dr. House". The Buffalo News. Archived from the original on August 21, 2009. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
- ^ Pirrello, Phil (July 25, 2009). "SDCC 09: The Simpsons' Treehouse of Comic-Con". IGN. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
- ^ Seemayer, Zach (October 28, 2014). "12 Truly Scary 'Simpsons - Treehouse Of Horror' Segments". Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
- ^ Peitzman, Louis (October 30, 2015). "All 87 "Treehouse Of Horror" Segments Ranked From Worst To Best". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
- ^ Goldman, Eric (September 25, 2009). "The Simpsons Say Hello to Season 21". IGN. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
- ^ Seidman, Robert (October 20, 2009). "Top 25 lists for week #2 with week of DVR factored in: Glee again moves up". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 22, 2009. Retrieved November 23, 2009.
- VanDerWerff, Emily (October 19, 2009). ""Treehouse of Horror XX"/"Birth of a Salesman"/"Brains, Brains and Automobiles"". The A.V. Club. Retrieved August 13, 2023.
- ^ Sim, Bernardo (September 22, 2019). "The Simpsons: The Best Episode In Every Season, Ranked". Screen Rant. Retrieved September 22, 2019.
- ^ Flores, Terry (February 6, 2010). "'Up' soars at Annie Awards". Variety. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
External links
- "Treehouse of Horror XX" at IMDb