Review: The Simpsons “Treehouse of Horror XXVII”

Two big milestones collide, but did the episode work?

(SPOILERS BELOW [But hey – watch the episode before you read the review so you can say whether or not you agree with me!])

Another October, another Treehouse of Horror, and this edition just happens to be the 600^th of all Simpsons episodes. So before the three main segments, we are treated to an opening that aims for a mood both scary and festive. As the Simpsons shop for a Christmas tree, they are haunted by some classic nemeses – Sideshow Bob, Kang or Kodos, Frank Grimes, and O’Reilly the leprechaun. As a montage of every episode yet leads into a big “600,” Grimey cries out, “Will nobody stop these people?!” It sets just the right tone for such a landmark moment, for only Homer’s enemy could celebrate this occasion by question its wisdom.

“Planet of the Couches”

The Planet of the Apes-inspired couch gag could conceivably work with any other episode, and considering how long some couch gags have been in recent seasons, I would not be surprised if this was not originally specifically planned for a “Treehouse.” But either way, the sight of the partially submerged Lard Lad statue on the beach establishes the cinematic vibe that leads into the first segment.

“Dry Hard”

The marquee story takes aim at recent blockbusters The Hunger Games and Mad Max: Fury Road (and also Flashdance). In a dystopian drought-stricken future akin to Panem, Mr. Burns is the President Snow stand-in who maintains his rule by controlling the water supply. This segment moves fast, as might be expected when jamming two big parodies into one chapter. Not only does the Mad Max homage completely take over halfway through, there are not one, but two major time jumps at the very end leading into two other apocalypses.

So “Dry Hard” really only has room to succeed in its wordplay and visual gags. In terms of the former, there are chuckles to be had from “Pita” and “PETA” as Lisa’s dueling love interests and the simple pleasure of “Logan’s Rum.” And as for the latter, Burns dropping water on himself from the ceiling a la Jennifer Beals may seem random and pointless, but in its very extravagance, it fits a ruler as cruel as he.

“BFF R.I.P.”

The meatiest segment comes in the middle, with a forgotten, vengeful imaginary friend preying on Lisa’s well-documented struggles with companionship. The whole plot here is silly, and as non-continuity-bound as any other “Treehouse” story, but that does not make the emotions any less affecting. The specter of sabotage represented by Rachel (dutifully voiced by Sarah Silverman) is a real and present danger for anyone who has ever feared loneliness and abandonment. By making Rachel imaginary, she works as a metaphor representing a case of impostor syndrome, in which Lisa believes that she is not worthy of being a person who has friends. So it only makes sense that this evil is conquered through the power of the mind. Homer’s much goofier resolution to his own imaginary friend situation does not dilute the message but instead emphasizes the importance of recognizing what you want and being confident enough to say it.

“Moefinger”

Bart discovers that Moe is actually a member of a secret spy organization that is running its headquarters underground below his bar. He further goes on to discover that the head of the major villainous organization that has cornered the world’s beer supply is Homer. “Moefinger” gives off a vibe of “let’s just do silly make-em-ups,” which, to be fair, all “Treehouse of Horror’s” do, but the best ones go beyond that initial instinct. It is hard to do a fresh James Bond parody in 2016, but at least this one has a throwback quality that establishes something resembling timelessness. Also, I can now die saying that I have witnessed a Simpsons cameo from Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen, so that counts for something.

Memorable Lines and Random Jazz:

-Disco Stu sipping a tear off Barney’s face is a moment I won’t soon forget.

-“The only thing I want to kill is your sadness.”

-Chief Wiggum struggles with his acronyms: “Lou stands for lousy obstinate… um, uh, help me out here, Lou.”

-“Violence never solved anything.” “Don’t use math at us!”

-“I cancelled a few Czechs.”