Season 2 - Episode 3 Another first. If there's a selection of episodes especially beloved amongst The Simpsons catalogue, it would no doubt be the Treehouse of Horror series (episodes with Sideshow Bob would be another popular choice). We know viewers who have stopped watching the show who will still sneak a peak at the annual Treehouse of Horror episode. Yet the original, like the première of the series itself, has almost been forgotten. Why? Airing way back in 1990, in the show's second season, "Treehouse of Horror I" has arguably yet to be topped: "Bad Dream" house is the classic haunted house tale where it turns out the house can't handle the Simpson family, "Hungry Are the Damned" has the classic "How to Cook Humans" gag, and "The Raven" is almost a picture perfect re-telling of Edgar Allen Poe's classic poem, complete with James Earl Jones as the narrator. In fact, the biggest travesty when it comes to this episode being overlooked is that even when it gets credit, the third segment, which is frankly genius, is often ignored. "I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide" went that route, stating the first two segments worked better than the third. With so many subsequent Treehouse episodes produced (one each year, three stories per episode), including segments like "Dial "Z' for Zombies," "Lisa's Nightmare" ("The Monkey's Paw"), "Terror at 5½ Feet," and "The Shinning" etc., it's not surprising that this episode is often overlooked, but that's a shame, as it's still top-notch, and arguably still in the top three Treehouse episodes overall.
Primarily covering the sport of MMA from Ontario, Canada, Jay Anderson has been writing for various publications covering sports, technology, and pop culture since 2001. Jay holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Guelph, and a Certificate in Leadership Skills from Humber College.
