Notes: Until the thing settled down, there was a basic linkage between segments, as in the first episode, where Bart and Lisa tell scary Halloween stories, which turn into the segments. In the second episode, the segments are based on nightmares suffered by Lisa, then Bart and finally Homer, when all three eat too much candy. By the third episode, it’s back to storytelling. After a while this “introductory piece” would be removed, and the segments would just play out without any real preamble, usually titled.
In addition to this, initially the episode would be introduced by one of the family, in the first two instances this being Marge, who essentially voiced her disapproval of the stories and advised parents to send their children to bed early rather than watch. Again, these were - mostly - discontinued as the Treehouse of Horror took on its own identity. They did resurrect it from time to time, often to make a point, like the episode when the Fox censor laughed at things in the segments, then declared them censored out. When either - or both - are used, I will note same.
Introduction: Marge refers to her previous warning on the inaugural episode, and notes that “if you didn’t listen to me then, you’re not going to listen to me now.”
Derivation: These segments, then, as mentioned above, all derive from nightmares the Simpsons have after having consumed too much Halloween candy. The first is Lisa’s nightmare.
Oh, but before we get to that...
Tombstones
Each episode used to (and I think still does) throw in satirical stabs by presenting tombstones with things inscribed on them such as “American industry” and “Satirical comedy”. I’ll be noting these here from now on. Some of the jokes are purely American and may mean nothing to me. These ones I’ll be marking with an asterisk; if anyone wants to explain them to me, don’t bother.
No seriously, I would like to know.
Bambi’s mom
Jim Morrison (lives)
Cajun cooking
Walt Disney
Lose weight now: ask me how
Treehouse of Horror episode: 2
Year: 1991
Season: 3
Segment: 1 of 3
Segment title: “The Monkey’s Paw”
Writer(s): Al Jean, Jeff Martin, Mike Reiss, Sam Simon, George Meyer, John Swartzwelder (Note: there is no distinction made between these writers, who are just lumped together in the writing credits, so I don’t know if they all wrote all three episodes, or if some of them were only involved in one or two. As I can’t sort it out, and Wiki doesn’t make any distinction either, I’m just putting their names on all three).
Characters:
T1: Bart, Homer, Lisa, Maggie, Marge, Kang, Kodos, Flanders.
T2: Lenny, Mo, Mayor Quimby
Homage to? Short horror story “The Monkey's Paw” (Note: I can’t remember when they began titling the segments again, but here at least there are no titles; one story just flows into the other without any real introduction - well, they’re all tied together by the medium of dreams, but there are no opening or closing titles or credits).
Basic premise: On a visit to Morocco, Homer buys a monkey’s paw which he is assured will grant him three wishes. Stand by…
Best quotes: Marge: “Homer, where did you get that awful thing?”
Homer (pointing): “From that little shop over there - gasp!” (no shop, only swirling wind). “Oh no wait,” he says, pointing the other direction, where the shop actually still is. “It was over there.”
Customer at the Gilded Truffle: “If I hear one more thing about the Simpsons, I swear I’m going to scream!”
Other customer: “At first they were super funny, now they’re just annoying.”
Lisa (with the paw): “I wish for world peace!”
Homer: “Lisa! That was very selfish of you!”
Kang: “Your superior intelligence is no match for our puny weapons!”
Citizen: “This is all the Simpsons’ fault!”
Other citizen: “Before, I was just bored with their antics and the merchandise. Now I wish they were dead!”
Homer: “Okay okay! I want a turkey sandwich, on rye bread, with lettuce and mustard, and I don’t want any zombie turkeys, I don’t want to turn into a turkey myself, or any other weird surprises. Got it?”
Flanders: “Hey Homer. Is that one of those monkey paw dealies you can make wishes with?”
Homer: “Yeah but I gotta warn you it’s - uh, yeah yeah! That’s what it is! Wanna try it?”
Kang: “Kneel before my puny slingshot, human! AAh! He’s got a board with a nail in it!”
Kodos: “Well Kang, it looks like the humans won.”
Kang: “Did they? That board may have defeated us, but the humans won’t stop there. They’ll keep making bigger boards with bigger nails. Soon they’ll make a board with a nail so big it will destroy them all!”
Type of ending: Ironic
Synopsis: After eating too much Halloween candy, against Marge’s advice, Lisa has a nightmare in which the whole family are in Marrakesh, Morocco, for some reason. Homer buys a monkey’s paw from a trader, and is told it will allow him to make three wishes, though he is strongly advised not to buy it. Of course he listens and that’s the end. Now, about that bridge yuo wanted to buy…
Maggie makes the first wish before they can stop her (a new dummy) and then Bart grabs the paw and wishes for the family to be rich and famous. And they are. Money everywhere, everyone knows them and wants to be their friend. Unfortunately, they’re now so well-known that everyone is sick of them (see clever quote above) and they’re seen as total sell-outs. Lisa wishes for world peace, which is great until our friends Kang and Kodos launch an invasion! With Earth all pally now and no more armies or weapons, they’re ripe for the picking.
Seeing him throwing away the monkey paw, Flanders asks for it and immediately all his wishes start working out. He kicks the aliens out, “spruces up the old homestead”, ie makes it into a castle, while Homer grumbles that he wishes he had a monkey’s paw.
Rating: A-
Trivia: Although not named, one of the people in the crowd is the (again, unnamed) owner or receptionist of the Rubber Bumper Buggy Romper Bouncing Baby Babysitting Services - or whatever the f
uck it's called: I've tried three times, pausing the video and I still can't get it - anyway, her: the one who says "The Simpsons? Lady, you must be kidding!"
Score
Story: 6
Laughs: 5
Originality: 2
Ending: 7
Longevity: 1
Total: 21