'The Simpsons': 25 Best 'Treehouse of Horror' Segments

25. ''School Is Hell''

Treehouse of Horror XXV, 2014
Bart and Lisa get sucked into the underworld, only to find that Hell looks a lot like Springfield Elementary — and in this reality, Bart's the star student. (Meanwhile, Lisa makes friends with a group of mean girls, and snow immediately begins to fall: ''It's true! It would be a cold day in Hell when I was popular!'') This is just about as good as latter-day Simpsons gets; the jokes hit, there's a stab at some real emotion (Homer lets Bart torment him, because he's proud of how well his son's doing at school), and the visuals are top-notch. Especially Bart and Lisa's classmates, Screaming Torso and Bleeding Eyes With Finger Legs.
Best Line: Monstrous Hell Nelson, taunting a student sent to hell for docetism: ''Ha-ha, your heresies were venialized by the Council of Palermo!''

24. ''Night of the Dolphin''

Treehouse of Horror XI, 2000
There are two types of people: those who scratch their heads at this short — in which dolphins launch an adorable, deadly war against humanity — and those who say it's among the best things post-Golden Age Simpsons ever did. Either way, you can't deny that it's more inventive than the average Treehouse bit.
Best Line: Mayor Quimby: ''People, please! We're all frightened and horny. But we can't let some killer dolphins keep us from living and scoring.''

23. ''Dial 'M' for Murder or Press '#' to Return to Main Menu''

Treehouse of Horror XX, 2009
The Simpsons has skewed the works of Alfred Hitchcock several times, most famously in season 6's Rear Window-inspired ''Bart of Darkness.'' But this segment (which, despite its title, is modeled mostly on Strangers on a Train), doubles down, referencing everything from North by Northwest to Spellbound. Come for the Easter Eggs; stay for the gorgeous animation.
Best Line: Lisa: ''I never said 'kill'!'' Bart: ''Yeah, 'cause you're smart. You don't say 'kill,' you say 'prank.' Like Mom and Dad say 'snuggle' when what they really mean is 'let's lock the door and hug.'''

22. ''Send in the Clones''

Treehouse of Horror XIII, 2002
In which a magic hammock creates an army of Homers, each one stupider than the last — and The Simpsons gets in its best-ever dig at Family Guy. (One of the clones bears an eerie resemblance to Peter Griffin.)
Best Line: Lisa: ''Dad, is there something you'd like to tell us about this horde?'' Homer: ''You'd think so, but no.''

21. ''King Homer''

Treehouse of Horror III, 1992
An ace parody of King Kong casts Mr. Burns as the greedy showman determined to make a fortune off the giant ape, Homer (naturally) as the beast himself, and Marge as the woman who wins his heart. Alas, it doesn't feature a trip to Candy Apple Island. (They've also got apes there, but they're not so big.)
Best Line: Burns: ''What do you think, Smithers?'' Smithers: ''I think women and sea-men don't mix.'' Burns: ''We know what you think.''

20. ''It's the Grand Pumpkin, Milhouse''

Treehouse of Horror XIX, 2008
Executive producer Al Jean says that the show had to wait years to parody Charlie Brown's classic Halloween special, thanks to issues securing Vince Guaraldi's iconic music — but when the songs were finally cleared, the final product didn't disappoint. It casts Milhouse as Linus, a true believer in the titular gourd — who's all sweetness and light until he learns what humans do to regular pumpkins on Halloween.
Best Line: The Grand Pumpkin: ''All pumpkins are racist. The difference is, I admit it! ...Pumpkin segregation forever!''

19. ''House of Whacks''

Treehouse of Horror XII, 2001
Fun fact: Originally, the show's writers wanted Sean Connery to voice the appealing, futuristic ''Ultrahouse'' that eases the Simpson family's lives until it falls for Marge — and decides to get rid of Homer. Instead, they ended up with Pierce Brosnan, who delivers a performance that straddles the line between suave and menacing — at least, until his British Charm Unit is irreparably damaged.
Best Line: Marge, on the phone: ''Hello, police? I think my house killed my husband!'' Ultrahouse, trying to trick her: ''This is Constable Wiggums. We'll be right there. Remove your knickers and wait in the bath.''

18. ''Attack of the 50-Foot Eyesores''

Treehouse of Horror VI, 1995
In a nod to the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man's Ghostbusters rampage, Springfield is terrorized by a group of giant mascots that come to life during a freak storm. Simpsons Halloween specials usually care more about jokes and gross-out scares than social commentary, but this segment contains a fairly sharp message about the power of advertising — and how it ceases to control us (or, you know, destroy our society) if we simply stop paying attention.
Best Line: Homer, after Lard Lad comes to his house: ''He came to life. ...Good for him.''

17. ''Freaks No Geeks''

Treehouse of Horror XXIV, 2013
Want proof that even latter-day Simpsons episodes can pack a punch? Look no further than this charming parody, a spot-on sendup of Tod Browning's 1932 classic Freaks. It's particularly great if you've seen the source material — but even those who haven't can appreciate the fact that ''the most hideous creature'' in Mr. Burns' circus is... just Moe.
Best Line: Homer: ''With an emerald that big, I could buy anything. A jalopy, an icebox, a steamer trunk full of fedoras? But how do I get my hands on it? Oh, I'm an idiot — of course! I get Marge to marry Moe, then I kill Moe, then she gets the ring, then I marry her, and the ring is mine. And the brilliance of my plan is its simplicity!''

16. ''Starship Poopers''

Treehouse of Horror IX, 1998
In which we learn that Maggie's real father is Kang, the fanged alien who (along with his ''sister,'' Kodos) has been a staple of Treehouse specials since the very first one. Sure, any plot that revolves around The Jerry Springer Show is bound to be more than a little dated — but on a joke-by-joke basis, this segment still sings.
Best Line: Kang: ''Congratulations. You have been selected for our cross-breeding program.''
Kodos: ''To put you at ease, we have re-created the most common spawning locations of your species. You may choose either the back seat of a Camaro, an airplane bathroom, a friend's wedding, or the alley behind a porno theater.''
Marge: ''I absolutely refuse to go along with this.'' (Pause) ''But since I have no choice, I'll take the alley.''

15. ''Lisa's Nightmare'' (''The Monkey's Paw'')

Treehouse of Horror II, 1991
A classic spin on the ultimate ''be careful what you wish for'' tale that doubles as self-aware jab at The Simpsons' own cultural overexposure, which was at its height in season 3. (After Bart wishes for fame and fortune, the family overhears two women complaining about how over the Simpsons they are: ''At first they were cute and funny, but now they're just annoying!'')
Best Line: Homer: ''Come to think of it, the guy that sold me this thing did say the wishes would bring grave misfortune. I thought he was just being colorful.''

14. ''Bart Simpson's Dracula''

Treehouse of Horror IV, 1993
According to Bart's introduction, this segment was a tossed-together last-minute replacement for the night's real third story, a terrifying tale about dogs playing poker. (Fox thought it was too intense for primetime.) But the short doesn't read as a throwaway: Mr. Burns makes an excellent Dracula, Lisa's perfect as a crusading Van Helsing, and the final twist — Marge is actually the town's head vampire (''I do have a life outside this house, you know'') — is a delightful surprise.
Best Line: Kent Brockman: ''Another local peasant has been found dead, drained of his blood with two teeth marks on his throat. This black cape was found on the scene.'' (The cape reads ''Dracula.'') ''Police are baffled.'' Chief Wiggum: ''We think we're dealing with a supernatural being, most likely a mummy. As a precaution I've ordered the Egyptian wing of the Springfield museum destroyed.''

13. ''The Thing and I''

Treehouse of Horror VII, 1996
Turns out that Bart was born a Siamese twin. (Lisa: ''I believe they prefer to be called 'conjoined twins.''' Dr. Hibbert: ''And hillbillies prefer to be called 'sons of the soil,' but it ain't gonna happen.'') Marge and Homer have been keeping his other, ''evil'' half locked in the attic; naturally, when he breaks out of his chains, all hell breaks loose. The twist: It turns out that all along, Bart has been the evil twin. Don't look so shocked.
Best Line: Hibbert: ''But what to do with poor Hugo? Too crazy for Boys Town; too much of a boy for Crazy Town. The child was an outcast. So we did the only humane thing.'' Homer: ''We chained Hugo up in the attic like an animal and fed him a bucket of fish heads once a week.'' Marge: ''It saved our marriage!''

12. ''The Genesis Tub''

Treehouse of Horror VII, 1996
Lisa is one of the show's richest characters, yet it's rare to find a Treehouse segment that puts her in the spotlight. She gets a worthy showcase in ''Genesis Tub,'' a spoof inspired by a Twilight Zone episode (''The Little People'') in which a shock of static electricity accidentally transforms Lisa's science project into a bustling mini-metropolis.
Best Line: Lisa, after coming to visit her creations: ''I can take care of everything. All you have to do is unshrink me.'' Mini Professor Frink: ''Unshrink you? Well, that would require some sort of a re-bigulator, which is a concept so ridiculous it makes me want to laugh out loud and chortle, and? uh? but not at you, oh holiest of gods, with the wrathfulness and the vengeance and the blood rain and the hey-hey-hey it hurts me?''

11. ''The Homega Man''

Treehouse of Horror VIII, 1997
As the title implies, this segment shows what happens when a nuclear device (launched by... the French) detonates in Springfield, apparently killing everyone — except Homer, who quickly starts to take advantage of being the last man alive. Of course, he's not actually alone; in its last few minutes, the story swerves into zombie territory as Homer flees from Springfield's mutated remaining residents. (Freak Lenny: ''Come on, we just wanna eat your skin!'')
Best Line: Comic Book Guy, reading a comic: ''But Aquaman, you cannot marry a woman without gills! You're from two different worlds!'' (He sees the nuclear missile headed straight for him.) ''Ohhh, I've wasted my life.''

10. ''Dial 'Z' For Zombies''

Treehouse of Horror III, 1992
Speaking of zombies: They've starred in several Treehouse segments, none better than this one — which starts out as a pretty basic riff on Night of the Living Dead and Pet Cemetery before swerving in unpredictable directions. (Homer tries to sacrifice himself to the zombies to save his family, but they reject him because they can't find his brain; among the undead are zombie versions of several famous figures, including George Washington and Albert Einstein.) And it ends with a sly poke at a device that can turn anyone into a zombie: the humble television.
Best Line: Homer, blasting away zombies: ''Take that, Washington! Eat lead, Einstein! Show's over, Shakespeare!'' The latter, collapsing dramatically: ''Is this the end of Zombie Shakespeare?!''

9. ''Nightmare on Evergreen Terrace''

Treehouse of Horror VI, 1995
You might think it'd be tough to spoof a franchise that had devolved into self-parody long before the mid-'90s — but you'd be wrong, because The Simpsons' ''Nightmare'' is every bit as finely tuned as the very first film in Wes Craven's venerable series. (Casting disgruntled Groundskeeper Willie in the Freddy Krueger role certainly helps.) Bonus: The short's surreal dream sequences represent some of the most inventive animation ever seen on the show, at least until that point.
Best Line: Marge: ''It all started on the 13th hour of the 13th day of the 13th month. We were there to discuss the misprinted calendars the school had purchased.'' Homer: ''Lousy Smarch weather.''

8. ''Hungry are the Damned''

Treehouse of Horror I, 1990
Two of The Simpsons' very first Treehouse of Horror segments worked better as spooky mood-setters than laugh-getters. The third, however, gave us the show's initial Twilight Zone homage, a spin on ''To Serve Man'' that features a singularly clever reveal. (There's a cookbook apparently called How to Cook Humans; blowing dust off its cover incrementally reveals its true title to be How to Cook for Humans, How to Cook Forty Humans, and finally How to Cook for Forty Humans. It also introduces Treehouse staples Kang and Kodos, and for that alone, ''Hungry'' deserves recognition.
Best Line: Alien cook, despondent: ''I slaved in the kitchen for days for you people!'' Kang: ''Well, if you wanted to make Serak the Preparer cry, mission accomplished.''

7. ''Nightmare Cafeteria''

Treehouse of Horror V, 1994
Springfield Elementary's detention room is getting dangerously overcrowded. Budget cuts have reduced Lunchlady Doris to using Grade F. meat. Wouldn't it be wonderful if there were some sort of common solution to both problems? Hence ''Nightmare Cafeteria,'' one of the most legitimately horrifying (or at least disgusting) segments in Treehouse history — especially the ending. (We learn everything that's just transpired has been a horrible dream... but the real world is being plagued by a fog that turns people inside-out.)
Best Line: Principal Skinner: ''Oh, relax, kids. I've got a gut feeling Uter is around here somewhere...After all, isn't there a little Uter in all of us? ...In fact, you might even say we just ate Uter, and he's in our stomachs right now!''

6. ''Homer³''

Treehouse of Horror VI, 1995
Three weeks before Toy Story proved the amazing versatility of computer animation — sparking a revolution that'd eventually end the dominance of hand-drawing — millions were introduced to the technique's wonders with this spoof of the Twilight Zone episode ''Little Girl Lost,'' in which Homer accidentally steps into the third dimension. It's a segment especially beloved by geeks, thanks to the math jokes snuck into 3D land by computer-scientist-turned-TV-writer David X. Cohen. (He'd go on to co-develop and executive produce the even nerdier Futurama.)
Best Line: Homer, trapped in 3-D land: ''I'm somewhere where I don't know where I am.'' Marge, on the other side: ''Do you see towels? If you see towels, you're probably in the linen closet again.''

5. ''Clown Without Pity''

Treehouse of Horror III, 1992
''Living Doll,'' in which a cute Talky Tina toy terrifies its owner's stepfather, is widely considered one of The Twilight Zone's scariest episodes — and portions of this spoof (which recasts a talking Krusty doll as Talky Tina and Homer as the object of its wrath) are genuinely spooky. More than that, though, it's unfailingly clever on a line-to-line basis (''There goes the last lingering thread of my heterosexuality''), and its conclusion (ohhh, someone turned on the doll's ''evil'' switch!) is the sort of smart-stupid gag early Simpsons did so well.
Best Line: It's not a line so much as an exchange:
Store owner: ''Take this object, but beware — it carries a terrible curse!''
Homer: ''Ooooh, that's bad.''
Owner: ''But it comes with a free Frogurt!''
Homer: ''That's good!
Owner: ''The Frogurt is also cursed.''
Homer: ''That's bad.''
Owner: ''But you get your choice of topping!''
Homer: ''That's good!''
Owner: ''The toppings contains Potassium Benzoate.''
(Homer stares)
Owner: ''That's bad.''

4. ''The Devil and Homer Simpson''

Treehouse of Horror IV, 1993
This spin on ''The Devil and Daniel Webster'' sees Homer selling his soul to the devil — who looks a lot like Ned Flanders (''It's always the one you least suspect!'') — for a doughnut. Everything hits, from Homer's trip to Hell (he's unfazed by the force-feeding in its ''Ironic Punishments Division'') to his trial's Jury of the Damned (Lizzie Borden, Benedict Arnold, the starting line of the 1976 Philadelphia Flyers) to its ultimately heartwarming conclusion (the Devil can't have Homer's soul, because he's already pledged it to Marge. Awwww). Oh, and then Satan turns Homer's head into a giant doughnut.
Best Line: Marge: ''Homer, stop picking at it.'' Homer: ''But I'm so sweet and tasty!''

3. ''Time and Punishment''

Treehouse of Horror V, 1994
If you ever get transported into the prehistoric era by a time-machine-toaster, just remember the advice Abe gave Homer on his wedding day: ''Don't step on anything, because even the tiniest change can alter the future in ways you can't imagine.'' That?s the general gist of this parody, which takes Ray Bradbury's ''A Sound of Thunder'' (in which a time-traveler crushes a prehistoric butterfly, causing terrible unforeseen consequences) and runs with it. The result is a wildly creative exploration of various ''what if?'' worlds. And, oh yeah, it's also really funny.
Best Line: Alt-world Maggie, speaking in James Earl Jones' voice: ''This is indeed a disturbing universe.''

2. ''Citizen Kang''

Treehouse of Horror VII, 1996
President Bill Clinton and Republican presidential candidate Mumbly Joe — sorry, Bob Dole — are replaced by a pair of power-hungry aliens... and absolutely nobody notices until it's too late. As a quotable joke factory (''We are merely exchanging long protein strings. If you can think of a simpler way, I'd like to hear it''), ''Citizen Kang'' is almost unparalleled. As a scathing indictment of the emptiness of electoral politics (''Abortions for some, miniature American flags for others!'') and the American political system in general (''It makes no difference which one of us you vote for. Either way, your planet is doomed!''), it's damn near perfect — and just as relevant today as it was in 1996.
Best Line: Kodos Clinton: ''My fellow Americans: As a young boy, I dreamed of being a baseball. But tonight I say, we must move forward, not backward, upward, not forward, and always twirling, twirling, twirling towards freedom.''

1. ''The Shinning''

Treehouse of Horror V, 1994
''The Shinning'' has it all: a loving parody of one of the most terrifying movies ever made, great gags, Ghost Moe, quotable line (''Tell you what: We come back and everyone's slaughtered, I owe you a Coke'') after quotable line (''But don?t be reading my mind between 4 and 5. That's Willie's time!'') after quotable line (''Shh! You want to get sued?''). Its irreverence, cleverness, sheer hilarity, and genuinely unsettling edge make it everything a Treehouse segment should be. Urge to watch rising... rising... rising...
Best Line: Homer: ''So what do you think, Marge? All I need is a title. I was thinking something along the lines of No TV and No Beer Make Homer...something something.'' Marge: ''Go crazy?'' Homer: ''DON'T MIND IF I DO!''

Want more? Click over to see our ranking of every Simpsons ''Treehouse of Horror'' segment, counting down from No. 72 to 26.