Treehouse of Horror XIV
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"Treehouse of Horror XIV" is the first episode of The Simpsons
Contents
Opening Sequence
Bart, dressed up as Charlie Brown, and Lisa, dressed up as Lucy van Pelt, discuss their Halloween treats, and Lisa says she got better ones than Bart. They get into a fight, until Homer and a gun-wielding Marge intervene, and the fight breaks out. From their spaceship, Kang and Kodos are watching, criticizing the Simpson family for airing a Halloween special in November. They even say they have their Christmas decorations up.Synopsis
Reaper Madness
The Grim Reaper enters the Simpson house attempting to take Bart, but the family goes on a Benny Hill-style chase to elude Death. Homer kills Death, but there is no Death left in this world. No one can die until Homer puts on Death's robe, and becomes the Grim Reaper. He kills many people on the way until he is asked to kill Marge. He tries to plead to God that he wants to get out of the job, but then he "pulls a fast one" on Him by substituting Patty's body for Marge. The annoyed deity tries to punish Homer with a (presumably lethal) sunbeam but Homer narrowly escapes on his motorcycle, prompting God to sigh "I'm too old and too rich for this." (In the actual episode, Homer's left hand holds the Scythe while his right arm has a skeletal frame.)Frinkenstein
Homer gets a call telling him that he is the winner of the Nobel Prize, until Lisa clears up and learns it's for Professor Frink, who reanimates his father's corpse in order to have him appear at the ceremony. Unfortunately, the corpse of Frink Sr. goes on a rampage and looks for body parts. At the awards ceremony in Stockholm Frink Sr. tries to make amends with his son for his recent organ harvest, but when he sees all the brains filled with knowledge, he makes another rampage—this time through the audience! Only Frink Jr. can stop his father, but still be able to hold on to his soul.Stop the World, I Want to Goof Off
Bart and Milhouse (in a parody of the Twilight Zone episode "A Kind of a Stopwatch") get a stopwatch that actually allows them to stop time through an ad in an old comic book magazine. They have a great "time", pulling pranks on Springfieldans (such as depantsing Principal Seymour Skinner), and almost get away with it, until they are outsmarted by Mayor Quimby. An angry mob goes after Bart and Milhouse, but when they are on their run, the watch breaks, causing Bart and Milhouse to be the only two people moving in a world where time has stopped. Although the watch repair manual is easy to follow, it takes the pair 15 years to get the watch repaired and for things to go back to normal.
Inspirations
- The title "Reaper Madness" is a nod to Reefer Madness.
- The title "Frinkenstein" is a nod to Frankenstein.
- The scene where Homer drives his motorcycle over the railroad right before the train arrives come from The Matrix Revolutions.
- The scene where Death comes to call for Bart is evocative of a scene in Monty Python's The Meaning of Life.
- This episode broke the fourth wall when Homer wished he was Death again. The same thing happened in Treehouse of Horror V when Groundskeeper Willie was axed 3 times by Homer, Maggie, and Principal Skinner, commenting how he was "bad at this".
- "Reaper Madness" is a play on the fantasy / sci-fi book "On a Pale Horse" by Piers Anthony (the first book of the series the Incarnations of Immortality).
- "Stop the World, I Want to Goof Off" could be a reference to the movie Clockstoppers
Quotes
- Kang: Pathetic humans! They're showing a Halloween episode in November!
Kodos: Who's even thinking about Halloween anymore? We already have our Christmas decorations up!
Kang and Kodos: Ho ho ho! Merry Christmas! - Lisa: You can still fly to Stockholm.
Frink Sr.: (in a Snake-like voice) Well, it better be first class. Comic Book Guy's ass won't fit in coach.
Comic Book Guy: You may keep my posterior, just please return the "Jabba the Butt" tattoo. - Bart: "To stop time, click watch." (to Lisa) Wow, she looks like a background character in a Hanna-Barbera cartoon!
- Homer: This is for Snowball I and JFK!
- Homer: (as Frink Sr. begins killing people at the Nobel Prize ceremony) I wish I was death again. That was cool.
- Sideshow Mel: Come! Let us kill them before learning of the magical secret which they possess!
- Lisa: Why can't I tinker with the fabric of existence?
Homer: Let the baby have her bottle.
(Bart gives the watch to Lisa)
Lisa: What happens if I press this button?
(The rest of the family takes off from their waists on jetpacks. Lisa presses it again and the family becomes members of their opposite sex, giant bobble heads, giant TV Guide covers, the Fantastic Four, and finally normal but hula hooping)
Homer: Okay that's good. Stop there. - Homer: No way. I may kill out of anger or to illustrate a point, but I am not a Grim Reaper! (the robe sucks in his groin) OW! OW! Okay, I'll reap! I'll reap already!
- Homer: Jasper, you time has come!
Jasper: Where's the regular guy? Where's Doug?
Homer: Never mind, I'm Death now.
Jasper: Aaw, I liked Doug. (dies) - Frink: You know, now that I have my hammer-screwdriver, I can reanimate my father...without the needless switching of tools. Oh, that is very tedious and ANNOYING!
- Frink: Oh, Father. You're dying again. But I can bring you back to life, sir!
Frink Sr.: Son, it doesn't take five brains in your head to know that's a bad idea! You saw I became a monster and you stopped me, like a man. I'm proud of you. And now it is time for me to go to Hell. Ow, oo, oo, ow, oy, oo, oo, ow, dead. - Grampa: (after having being set alight)I'm still cold.
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