The Simpsons: 15 BEST Golden Age Episodes

It's strange that a Halloween, non-canonical anthological episode would be anywhere near considered as one of the best of the best from a series, which too is one of the best of the best, but here we are. Admittedly, the Treehouse of Horror episodes are a mixed, very hit and/or miss bag of episodes, with most relying on your knowledge of pop culture to support the parody on-screen. Treehouse of Horror V though, is an exception to every rule that normally applies to the Halloween specials.

In the fifth version of this subseries, the three parodies present are The Shining (or "Shinning"), A Sound of Thunder, and Soylent Green. However, the episode's ability to balance all three segments is not only testament to the unparalleled writing the show was beloved for, but more so just how inspired these segments really were during the show's pinnacle.

Every Treehouse of Horror was an unprecedented hit from the very first outing onwards, and it seemed like the writing just gradually got stronger and stronger with each subsequent entry into this subseries, but this one was special due to the entries all maintaining the ability to stand on their own two feet, rather than relying on the audience to understand the parody.

Which, if anything, is a masterclass in how to do parodic comedy based on an already existing IP and in one or two instances, the segments themselves have actually become more iconic than the thing they set out to satire.