The "Treehouse of Horror" specials have been a staple of The Simpsons for decades, but some of the Halloween specials rank higher in terms of quality than others. Since the series began in 1989, The Simpsons has never allowed contradictory canon to get in the way of a good joke. An anarchic animated sitcom, The Simpsons has always played fast and loose with continuity and often altered existing backstories for new gags. However, the "Treehouse of Horror" episodes gives The Simpsons an opportunity for truly wild concepts. A segment where Ned Flanders becomes a vengeful serial killer wouldn’t fly in a normal episode, but "Treehouse of Horror" outings explored this plot twice.

At their best, the "Treehouse of Horror" specials allow The Simpsons to tell darker, stranger stories than normal episodes can manage. As The Simpsons season 35's release date looms, there is no better time to look back on the show's many Halloween specials. However, much like reviews of The Simpsons itself, the critical reception of the recent "Treehouse of Horror" Halloween episodes has been mixed at best. Some recent Halloween specials have seen The Simpsons parody contemporary pop culture with less successful results, while most of the show’s earliest Halloween specials parodied classic horror anthology shows and were beloved by fans.

Treehouse of Horror XXII

Homer being bitten by a spider in The Simpson

Although some fans argue that The Simpsons is deteriorating as it continues, the nadir of the show’s Halloween offerings was released over a decade ago. "Treehouse of Horror XXII" featured a deeply forgettable Dexter parody that borrowed liberally from the far funnier "The Ned Zone" and a far-too-late Avatar spoof, but neither of these lesser segments is responsible for its ignominious reputation. The episode’s decision to spoof The Diving Bell and the Butterfly and 127 Hours - both tragic, moving real-life dramas - is as inexplicable as it is unfunny, making this one of The Simpsons’ most-hated episodes.

RELATED: The Simpsons: 15 Worst Treehouse Of Horror Episodes, Ranked By IMDb Rating

Treehouse of Horror XXIV

Lisa and Bart scream while Maggie looks on in The Simpsons

Credit where it's due, "Treehouse of Horror XXIV" features a stunning opening credits sequence from guest director Guillermo del Toro. Unfortunately, that’s where the episode’s redeeming features end. A bizarre Dr. Seuss parody is groan-inducing, while the interesting but too-brief spoof of Tod Browning’s seminal horror classic Freaks is fun but not substantial enough to redeem this one.

Treehouse of Horror XVIII

Homer and Marge aiming guns at each other in The Simpsons

Where early "Treehouse of Horror" episodes relied on The Simpsons spoofing classic horror stories and movies, later outings broadened the remit of what the show parodied. Thus, "Treehouse of Horror XVIII" sees The Simpsons spoof Mr. & Mrs. Smith, an already-comedic action movie mostly forgotten by this episode’s 2007 release date. Ned Flanders scaring Springfield’s kids with his "Heck House" is fun, but this mostly feels like the product of a writer’s room still tired by the then-recent release of The Simpsons Movie.

Treehouse of Horror XXXI

Homer in The Simpsons treehouse of horror 2020

"Treehouse of Horror XXXI" was seemingly designed to annoy any fans who were still expecting horror parodies, with none of its three segments spoofing scary fare. Instead, The Simpsons took on Russian Doll (already a comedy), Toy Story (a comedy and a family-friendly one at that), and Spider-man: Into The Spiderverse in a series of spoofs that were consistently less funny than the objects of their supposed satire. One of the show’s weakest Halloween outings in years, this one earns its position near the end of the list.

Treehouse of Horror XXVI

Sideshow Bob and Bart in The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror XXVI

Bart finally being killed by Sideshow Bob is the only surprise on display in the anemic "Treehouse of Horror XXVI." Elsewhere, "Homerzilla" offers a weak Godzilla spoof that can’t compare to the show’s earlier King Kong parody. Finally, "Telepaths of Glory" is a limp superhero spoof that makes Thunder Force look razor-sharp.

Treehouse of Horror XII

The Simpsons Battle Smart House in Treehouse XII

"Treehouse of Horror XII" infamously earned the ire of Harry Potter and The Simpsons fans alike when the show parodied the books despite the writers seemingly being unfamiliar with them. The complaint seems quaint after the many weaker spoofs that have come since, and Pierce Brosnan’s futuristic house that attempts to seduce Marge means this outing has at least one funny segment. That said, a rewatch does reveal The Simpsons is starting to lose focus and slacken its pace here.

Treehouse of Horror XIII

Clone Homers in The Simpsons

Spoofing Michael Keaton-starring sci-fi comedy Multiplicity is hardly Halloween or horror-related, but it does let The Simpsons mock Family Guy’s creative debt to the series. Later, zombie cowboys make for the show’s least funny iteration of the shambling undead, while Dr. Hibert’s The Island of Dr. Moreau spoof redeems this uneven outing. A weaker Simpsons Halloween episode, "Treehouse of Horror XIII" does at least have a few inspired moments.

Treehouse of Horror XXX

"Treehouse of Horror XXX" starts strong with a Lovecraft parody that sees Homer out-eat Cthulu. However, soon the series starts struggling with a Heaven Can Wait parody that retreads territory from "Reaper Madness" and "G-G-Ghost D-D-Dad," and an already-outdated Shape of Water parody. The weakest moments come from The Simpsons' inexplicably bad Stranger Things spoof "Danger Things," a parody that proves The Simpsons needs to pay closer attention to the objects in its satirical sights.

Treehouse of Horror XXIII

The Simpsons Past Marge and Homer in Treehouse XXIII

It was only a matter of time before The Simpsons spoofed the Paranormal Activity movies. Luckily, "Un-Normal Activity" is the best of the "Treehouse of Horror XXIII" offerings. A black hole plagues Springfield in the perfunctory opening segment, while Bart and Homer’s spoof of the already-comedic Bill and Ted’s movies falls flat in the closer.

Treehouse of Horror XXV

The Simpsons Old and New Treehouse XXV

Parodying The Others by having the Simpsons haunted by their Tracy Ullman Show-era selves is a genius premise. Unfortunately, that’s all it is, and the show fails to make use of this clever setup. However, an unexpectedly inspired spoof of Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange adaptation (of all things) ensures "Treehouse of Horror XXV" is still worthwhile.

RELATED: 10 The Simpsons Actors Who Voice The Most Characters

Treehouse of Horror XXXII

Simpsons Treehouse of Horror

2021's "Treehouse of Horror" was a major step up from recent years, thanks mostly to its interesting subject matter. Bong Joon-Ho’s Parasite gets a spoof alongside The Ring, while the artwork of Ed Gorey is memorably recreated in the show’s strangest interlude. It’s uneven, but "Treehouse of Horror XXXII" proves The Simpsons can still make interesting (if hardly scary or hilarious) Halloween specials.

Treehouse of Horror XXVII

Simpsons Treehouse of Horror XXVII Lisa Marge Many Weapons

An original story about Lisa’s killer imaginary friend, 'BFF RIP,' elevates "Treehouse of Horror XXVII," as does its welcome Sarah Silverman cameo. However, outside of this standout segment, this outing is very much business as usual. The Hunger Games/Mad Max: Fury Road parody is too fast-paced and unfocused to land while parodying the already-funny Kingsman movies proves an exercise in futility.

Treehouse of Horror XVII

The blob Homer in The Simpsons

Although there’s not much to hate about "Treehouse of Horror XVII," there’s not much memorable about the middling episode either. The Blob parody wherein Homer eats his way to becoming the titular monster is lazy, while a segment centered around a Golem doesn’t make much use of the potentially interesting mythical figure. The War of the Worlds spoof is comparatively fine but won't make any fan’s list of favorite segments any time soon.

Treehouse of Horror XXIX

Milhouse and Lisa The SImpsons Treehouse of Horror XXIX

"Treehouse of Horror XXIX" features a solid Jurassic Park parody and its spoof of M Night Shyamalan’s Split wisely casts the usually-sweet Lisa as James McAvoy’s unhinged killer. However, a smug Invasion of the Body Snatchers spoof that features an outdated anti-tech moral drags this one down. Nonetheless, it’s one of the better post-season 20 offerings.

RELATED: Every Major Milestone The Simpsons Has Celebrated (& How)

Treehouse of Horror XXI

The Simpsons Lisa and Vampire Edmund Treehouse XXI

Maybe the most bizarre combination of parodies seen in the series so far, "Treehouse of Horror XXI" spoofs Twilight, Dead Calm, and Jumanji. The Jumanji parody is passable while the Dead Calm spoof wastes Hugh Laurie, but both are elevated by at least choosing memorable source material. Daniel Radcliffe’s voice acting, meanwhile, ensures the Twilight parody is surprisingly funny as the actor single-handedly saves this otherwise uneven outing.

Treehouse of Horror XVI

The Simpsons Mr. Burns' Hunt Begins Treehouse XVI

Casting Springfield’s citizens as contestants in the Most Dangerous Game makes for a solid segment, but "Treehouse of Horror XVI" is otherwise unfocused. "I’ve Grown A Costume To Your Face" is a great title in search of a good story, while parodying Spielberg’s flop AI makes the first segment a forgettable dud. Still, one very strong segment out of three could be much worse.

Treehouse of Horror XIX

The Simpsons Parody of Charlie Brown in Treehouse XIX

The opening segment of "Treehouse of Horror XIX" is a Transformers parody named "Untitled Robot Parody." This level of comedic invention continues throughout the episode, whose sole highlight is a "Treehouse of Horror XX" spoof that casts Milhouse as Charlie Brown. Even then, Robot Chicken imagined a killer Great Pumpkin before and better.

Treehouse of Horror XXVIII

Homer's head being friend in Treehouse of Horror XXVIII

The Simpsons adapted Stephen King’s infamous story "Survivor Type" before the Creepshow TV series, and it made for the standout segment of "Treehouse of Horror XXVIII." However, for fans uninterested in seeing Homer chow down on himself, there’s plenty more to love here. The Coraline spoof is a joy to look at and The Exorcist parody is clever and funny, making this one of the strongest late-season outings for the series.

Treehouse of Horror XIV

Bart and Millhouse in The Simpsons

Despite boasting the talents of Simpsons legend John Scwartzwelder, 2003’s "Treehouse of Horror XIV" is not quite the show’s strongest outing. Still, it’s got a funny spin on Frankenstein starring the always-welcome Professor Frink and an inventive sci-fi story that sees Milhouse and Bart mess with a time-stopping watch. What holds this one back from greatness is "Reaper Madness," an over-familiar story that sees Homer stand-in for the Grim Reaper in a rare case of The Simpsons borrowing from Family Guy, rather than the inverse.

Treehouse of Horror IX

Maggie and Homer With Alien in The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror IX

There are no particularly strong segments in "Treehouse of Horror IX," but the episode still stands up as a whole. The revelation that Maggie is an alien leads to a Jerry Springer appearance (that proves celebrities shouldn’t play themselves on The Simpsons), but Larry Doyle’s segment that sees Bart and Lisa dropped into the TV shows they’re watching has the anarchic verve of his strongest episodes like "Wild Barts Can’t Be Broken" (season 10, episode 11). Snake’s possessed toupee also earns a few laughs, despite the segment dragging.