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| Everything seems fine here. |
As with the first Treehouse of Horror, the three tales of this episode are connected with a central theme. After bringing in a large haul of Halloween candy, Bart and Lisa pig out, as does Homer who didn't go out with them but is proud of their efforts all the same. Marge warns them that if they eat too much candy, they'll have nightmares. The three scoff at the notion that the three of them would have nightmares. Then, they had nightmares.
Lisa's Nightmare (The Monkey's Paw)
While on vacation in Morocco for some reason, Homer acquires a monkey's paw, allowing him to make a total of four wishes, albeit with possible grand consequences. While debating amongst the family as to what to wish for, Maggie takes the opportunity to make a wish: soon enough a limousine appears, but only to deliver a golden pacifier to Maggie.
Having enough of the nonsense, Bart gets things rolling with the second wish: making the Simpsons rich and famous. Instantly their pockets, wallets and purses fill to the brim with cash, and they soon learn that everyone in town knows who they are - in part because they've been merchandised to hell in back and everyone is sick of them. Secretly, Lisa uses the third wish to call for world peace. Soon enough, all the world leaders make up and all the world's weapons are destroyed. Seeing the planet's new focus on peace, the aliens Kang & Kodos decide now is the perfect time to strike, and they take over Earth with no resistance, making everyone slaves.
Tired of the paw's antics, Homer uses the last wish to try and make a wish that can't backfire. He states "I wish for a turkey sandwich, on rye bread, with lettuce and mustard, and, and I don't want any zombie turkeys, I don't want to turn into a turkey myself, and I don't want any other weird surprises. You got it?" Then the turkey ended up being a little dry. Angrily, he goes to toss it, but gives it to Flanders instead hoping for his neighbor to suffer some misfortune himself. Except, Ned gets hailed a hero for wishing the aliens away, and then wishes for his house to turn into a mansion with no known drawbacks. So much for that.
Individual Score: +1.7
Bart's Nightmare (The Bart Zone)
Its established that Bart is some kind of superior being that can read minds and change their forms and what not. Everyone has to think happy thoughts or be turned into something awful. He gets treated like royalty at school. However, upset with Homer because Homer wanted to watch a football game more than yield to Bart's demands, Bart turns the football in that game into Homer. When Homer returns, he attempts to kill Bart but Bart reads the thought, and turns him into a Jack in the Box. Marge, somehow, persuades him to visit Dr. Marvin Monroe, who insists Homer spend more quality time with him. Homer and Bart spend a lot of time together, and as a gesture of kindness turns Homer back. When the two hug, with Homer kissing Bart in the forehead, Bart wakes up in terror.
Individual Score: +0.8
Homer's Nightmare (If I Only Had a Brain)
Disgusted with the modern, lazy worker, Mr. Burns has created a steel giant, under the belief that the spirit is willing to work, but only the flesh was too weak to carry it out. The robot is only missing one component: a human brain. Fired earlier for sleeping on the job, Homer finds a gravedigger job so pleasantly found by Bart. While sleeping on that job, Burns and Smithers stumble upon his body, and take it back with them to insert his brain into the robot. Much to Burns' dismay, with Homer's brain the giant is just as lazy and oafish as fleshy Homer was. The experiment a failure, the two return Homer's brain back to his body. Burns angrily "kicks" the robot, causing it to teeter and fall onto Burns, crushing everything but his head. As Burns advises Smithers to retrieves a surgery kit and some ether, Homer wakes up, having been bitten by Bart. Looking in the bathroom mirror, he finds Burns' head sewn onto Homer's shoulder, with Burns reassuring Homer that this is not a dream.
A sneak preview into next week's episode finds Homer's wanting to attend an all you can eat Spaghetti dinner hosted by Lisa's class, but can't go because Burns has a reception with Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. OH MAN WHAT A PAIR
Individual Score: +1.2
Quick Review
The first Treehouse of Horror was an excellent - and popular - episode, with three tales that both amused and frightened many. Okay, maybe not the latter so much, but it was still pretty funny. Deciding to bring it back the next season, the second Treehouse of Horror fares even better.
Surpassing the first Treehouse of Horror in comedy, this episode is among Season 3's best. While Bart's nightmare was a bit lacking, the other two more than made up for it, and the way the episode ended was excellent as well.
Final Score: 9.3
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