The Simpsons: “Treehouse of Horror XXXVII” is far from the worst Halloween special the long-running series has delivered, but it struggles to live up to the much stronger Halloween episode that aired just before it, according to IGN’s review.
The episode, part of Season 38, returns to the traditional “Treehouse” formula after last week’s single-story special, “Treehouse of Horror Presents: The Revengening.” That earlier episode followed Homer and his friends as they were hunted by a bloodthirsty slasher villain, and reviewers rated it the superior of the two.
The Simpsons (Credits: IGN)
The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror XXXVII Review: A Decent Return to Formula
This year’s episode opens with a cleverly animated intro: a claymation parody of The Nightmare Before Christmas, with Bart as Jack Skellington, Marge as Sally, and Homer as the Mayor of Halloween Town. It is widely seen as the episode’s highlight, a loving tribute that sets a high bar for what follows.
From there, the episode settles into three spooky shorts, with no single segment standing out as a classic, but no weak link dragging the whole thing down either. It is, in IGN’s verdict, simply a decent episode — solid, watchable, and a little underwhelming in context.
The first segment, “Bride’s Shed Revisited,” sees Marge assemble a backyard shed that randomly swaps out her husband. She leans into her strange new power, cycling through the best and worst eligible mates Springfield has to offer, culminating in a cameo from Survivor host Jeff Probst. As Lisa reminds viewers in the intro, the episode is strictly non-canon, so Marge’s romantic adventures carry no lasting consequences.
Three Shorts, No Standout, No Disaster
The second story takes a darker, weirder turn: Homer accidentally kills Bart and Santa’s Little Helper and buries them, only for the pair to return with their bodies switched. It is the kind of macabre body-swap premise that classic “Treehouse” episodes thrived on, played here with the show’s usual mix of horror and slapstick.
The third segment, “Vehicular Dadslaughter,” finds teenage Bart and Lisa discovering that evil witch versions of Patty and Selma have trapped Homer — who vanished years ago — in endless murderous Driver’s Ed films. Patty and Selma meet their comeuppance in their own instructional video, “DMV: Damnation Most Vile,” trapped at the back of a queue that never moves.
IGN’s main takeaway from watching the two recent Halloween specials back to back is that the series should consider switching to the full-length episode format more permanently. The single-story “Revengening” felt fresher and more focused than the anthology format, even if the traditional three-short structure remains comforting for longtime fans.
Still, there is something to be said for tradition. After 37 “Treehouse of Horror” episodes, the format itself is part of the Halloween ritual, and a decent entry is hardly a disaster. The claymation intro alone gives fans something to rewatch, and each short has at least one memorable gag or twist.
The verdict, then, is measured rather than damning: “Treehouse of Horror XXXVII” will not join the all-time greats, and it will not be remembered as a low point either. For a show in its 38th season, simply delivering a solid, spooky, funny Halloween hour — with a standout opening — is an achievement in itself. Fans hoping for a classic may be slightly disappointed, but fans just looking for a seasonal Springfield fix will find plenty to enjoy.
Also Read: Apu Finally Speaks on The Simpsons After Almost a Decade — Sunil Malhotra Takes Over as New Voice
Source: IGN — read the full story there.
