Treehouse of Horror XVIII
Encyclopedia
"Treehouse of Horror XVIII" is the fifth episode of The Simpsons
' nineteenth season
and was first broadcast on November 4, 2007. In the eighteenth annual Treehouse of Horror episode, Bart harbors Kodos the alien in "E.T. Go Home," Homer and Marge are husband and wife assassins who try to take each other out in "Mr. and Mrs. Simpson," and Ned Flanders is given God-like powers during his demonstration on the wages of sin in "Heck House." It was written by Marc Wilmore
and directed by Chuck Sheetz
.
, Fox Sports
, Prison Break
, Cops
, House
, and 24
. Marge winds up killing several miniature characters that pop up from the logos and bakes them into meatloaf
, which she serves to her family. When she cuts it, the other characters' body parts are shown to spell out the title, "Treehouse of Horror XVIII" and the opening credits.
, Marge tells Bart
to get butane
from their "butane storage shed" in the back yard. As he does so, he finds Kodos there. Kodos states her desire is to return home and that she had come to Earth in peace, though she hints that he was really sent there to destroy mankind. Bart, however, is oblivious to this, and decides to help her return home. Lisa
arrives and is happy with the alien in their home and decides to help Bart and Kodos obtain a list of devices (including 2 tickets to see Avenue Q
) that she can use to contact her home planet, though this appears to be part of her diabolical plan. Homer discovers Kodos when the two accidentally share a shower, but she and Marge decide to let the kids help Kodos anyway, after Kodos hints it would be racist to turn her away (She said that they did not wanted her in the house because he was Jewish). When NASA
agents arrive at the Simpsons home, Homer distracts them by dressing as Abraham Lincoln while Bart sneaks Kodos out. However, when Kodos kills several agents along the way, Bart begins to think Kodos's intentions are not as friendly as he was led to believe. Finally, Kodos reveals that the devices he had the Simpsons collect were for a portal-generating device so that others of her planet can come to Earth and wipe out the human race and eat their heads. When the aliens (including Kang) invade, the rest of the Simpson family shows up, along with the military. A brief war is waged, and Earth ultimately overpowers the aliens. When Bart is given the option to board a helicopter and shoot Kodos, Bart, seeing Kodos' smile, decides to spare her. However, Homer shoots Kodos several times. In the end, Earth emerges victorious and the world is saved. The Simpsons are invited to see Kodos's dissection
, where they reflect that since Kodos was an evil-looking alien who turned out to be bad, it must be good to judge a book by its cover. It is revealed that Kodos is still very much alive, as she points what's happening is actually vivisection
, only to be suffocated with a pillow by Homer.
, Homer and Marge appear to attend marriage counseling and recount a brief moment of tension between them. In the flashback, when arriving home, Homer locks himself in the bathroom and communicates on a hidden flat screen television, where it is revealed Homer is an assassin assigned to eliminate news reporter, Kent Brockman
, by order of Homer's boss, Mr. Burns. Although the bathroom is locked, Bart somehow got in and is seen sitting on a Mortar
, which was the toilet
. Before he leaves, he tells Marge he will be coming home late from "Midnight Monkey Madness"; Marge also states that she is busy turning over wheelbarrows, making up an equally farfetched excuse. When Homer prepares to shoot Brockman at his rooftop party from a faraway platform, a woman with large blonde hair (who Homer dubs "the Mystery Skank") stabs Brockman in the chest, killing him instead. After Homer attempts to repeatedly shoot the woman (ending up with several civilian deaths), he manages to shoot the wig off her head, revealing it is Marge, also an assassin. Arriving home, the two avoid each other's eyes, and Marge makes an excuse for the blonde wig. Unfortunately at dinner, Homer (thinking that he is talking in his head) exclaims "I'll kill her [Marge] after dessert!" which leads the two attempting to kill one another with various weapons such as grenades, rifles, and a minigun
, all the while arguing why the other was an assassin, end up destroying most of their house, and killing Abe Simpson. After killing Chief Wiggum with a crossbow
, the two realize they are more attracted with one another when they kill someone together. For this, they soon begin making love
over Chief Wiggum's body and, back to where the episode started, they both realized that they did not need any marriage counseling, but to kill people together. In the end, it turns out that they were not talking to a marriage counselor, but to Principal Skinner
regarding Bart's
misbehavior on the school bus. This causes a rather confusing situation as to why they went to Skinner, thinking he was a marriage counselor in the first place. But, both Homer and Marge turn a blind eye to Bart's misbehavior and simultaneously shoot Skinner instead.
), Lisa (dressed as a witch
), Milhouse
(dressed as an astronaut
) and Nelson
(dressed as a hobo
) become frustrated by Agnes Skinner refusing to give them candy, instead spitting into Milhouse's pumpkin, which was full of candy. Deciding to honor the true meaning of "trick-or-treat," they begin to pull pranks on everyone. Soon, however, their pranks
turn into vandalism
and everyone begins to complain. Ned Flanders
then offers his services to teach them a lesson and fashions the church into a "heck house
." This attracts their attention and they decide to give it a try.
Ned Flanders
tries to simulate what could happen to them for their sins through the use of crude roleplaying by Rod and Todd Flanders, but they scoff at his attempts. Ned then turns to God to give him the power to scare them into loving God and subsequently transforms into the Devil
(reprising his role from "Treehouse of Horror IV
"), sending the kids to Hell
. There he brings up an enormous crystal ball revealing Springfield to be full of the Seven Deadly Sins
, and shows them simulations of how they may suffer;
Hell is then shown with various people from Springfield who have punishments from their doings on Earth. The children resolve to not perform any of the sins. Ned returns them back to the surface, reverting back to his original form.
and its affiliates and reading The Wall Street Journal
, which he welcomes to the "club".
and the producers attended a panel which encompassed the topics of both The Simpsons Movie
, and the nineteenth season. The panel revealed that Peter Griffin
from Family Guy
would be one of the miniature characters featured in the opening sequence, although he was removed from the scene.
, with Bart in the role of Eliott and Kodos as E.T. When Marge calls Bart he is seeing "Samba with the Stars", parody of Dancing with the Stars. Kodos asks Bart and Lisa for 2 tickets to Avenue Q
.The "Mr. and Mrs. Simpson" segment is a parody of the 2005 film Mr. and Mrs. Smith
. In the final segment, "Heck House", Groundskeeper Willie
's tractor transforms into a robot and kills him, parodying Transformers
.
In Heck House, Bart drops Spider-Pig on Homer.
and a 13 percent audience share, making it the highest rated episode of the season. Combined with a new episode of Family Guy
, it tied for first in the 8:00 PM hour with the NFL Pregame show on NBC
. Despite this, the Fox Network finished the night fourth overall in ratings.
Robert Canning of IGN
called the opening segment, E.T. Go Home, "the weakest segment because it just wasn't really all that funny", and thought the end of the segment was the weakest part of the episode, writing "watching the military decimate the aliens and then seeing Homer use a pillow to suffocate Kodos at the end was really off-putting. The deaths weren't funny, just uncomfortable." Canning, however, described the final two segments, as well as the opening as being solid segments. He gave the overall episode a rating of 7.4/10.
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
The Simpsons (season 19)
The Simpsons nineteenth season originally aired on the Fox network between September 23, 2007 and May 18, 2008.-Production:The nineteenth season of The Simpsons is the first one produced after the movie and contained seven hold-over episodes from season 18's JABF production line...
and was first broadcast on November 4, 2007. In the eighteenth annual Treehouse of Horror episode, Bart harbors Kodos the alien in "E.T. Go Home," Homer and Marge are husband and wife assassins who try to take each other out in "Mr. and Mrs. Simpson," and Ned Flanders is given God-like powers during his demonstration on the wages of sin in "Heck House." It was written by Marc Wilmore
Marc Wilmore
Marc Wilmore is a television writer, producer, and actor. In the early 1990s, he was a writer for In Living Color, and became a regular cast member in the final season, widely considered the worst season of the show. From 1999-2001, he served as a writer for the claymation series The PJs, and...
and directed by Chuck Sheetz
Chuck Sheetz
Chuck Sheetz is an animation director on The Simpsons. He was the producer on 'What's new, Scooby-Doo?", the director of the TV series, Recess. He has also done work on Bobby's World, Rocko's Modern Life, King of the Hill, Recess, and Welcome to Eltingville in addition to directing the Drawn...
.
Opening sequence
In the opening sequence, Marge talks about Halloween being "last week" and suddenly various logos for other Fox shows pop up on the screen, including the mini logos for American IdolAmerican Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
, Fox Sports
Fox Sports (USA)
Fox Sports is a division of the Fox Broadcasting Company . It was formed in 1994 with Fox's acquisition of broadcast rights to National Football League games...
, Prison Break
Prison Break
Prison Break is an American television serial drama created by Paul Scheuring, that was broadcast on the Fox Broadcasting Company for four seasons, from 2005 until 2009. The series revolves around two brothers; one has been sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit, and the other devises an...
, Cops
COPS (TV series)
Cops is an American documentary/reality television series that follows police officers, constables, and sheriff's deputies during patrols and other police activities...
, House
House (TV series)
House is an American television medical drama that debuted on the Fox network on November 16, 2004. The show's central character is Dr. Gregory House , an unconventional and misanthropic medical genius who heads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in...
, and 24
24 (TV series)
24 is an American television series produced for the Fox Network and syndicated worldwide, starring Kiefer Sutherland as Counter Terrorist Unit agent Jack Bauer. Each 24-episode season covers 24 hours in the life of Bauer, using the real time method of narration...
. Marge winds up killing several miniature characters that pop up from the logos and bakes them into meatloaf
Meatloaf
Meatloaf is a dish of ground meat formed into a loaf shape and baked or smoked. The loaf shape is formed by either cooking it in a loaf pan, or forming it by hand on a flat baking pan...
, which she serves to her family. When she cuts it, the other characters' body parts are shown to spell out the title, "Treehouse of Horror XVIII" and the opening credits.
E.T., Go Home
In a spoof of E.T. the Extra-TerrestrialE.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a 1982 American science fiction film co-produced and directed by Steven Spielberg, written by Melissa Mathison and starring Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore, and Peter Coyote...
, Marge tells Bart
Bart Simpson
Bartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by actress Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
to get butane
Butane
Butane is a gas with the formula C4H10 that is an alkane with four carbon atoms. The term may refer to any of two structural isomers, or to a mixture of them: in the IUPAC nomenclature, however, butane refers only to the unbranched n-butane isomer; the other one being called "methylpropane" or...
from their "butane storage shed" in the back yard. As he does so, he finds Kodos there. Kodos states her desire is to return home and that she had come to Earth in peace, though she hints that he was really sent there to destroy mankind. Bart, however, is oblivious to this, and decides to help her return home. Lisa
Lisa Simpson
Lisa Marie Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons. She is the middle child of the Simpson family. Voiced by Yeardley Smith, Lisa first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Cartoonist Matt Groening...
arrives and is happy with the alien in their home and decides to help Bart and Kodos obtain a list of devices (including 2 tickets to see Avenue Q
Avenue Q
Avenue Q is a musical in two acts, conceived by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, who wrote the music and lyrics. The book was written by Jeff Whitty and the show was directed by Jason Moore and produced by Kevin McCollum, Robyn Goodman, and Jeffrey Seller...
) that she can use to contact her home planet, though this appears to be part of her diabolical plan. Homer discovers Kodos when the two accidentally share a shower, but she and Marge decide to let the kids help Kodos anyway, after Kodos hints it would be racist to turn her away (She said that they did not wanted her in the house because he was Jewish). When NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
agents arrive at the Simpsons home, Homer distracts them by dressing as Abraham Lincoln while Bart sneaks Kodos out. However, when Kodos kills several agents along the way, Bart begins to think Kodos's intentions are not as friendly as he was led to believe. Finally, Kodos reveals that the devices he had the Simpsons collect were for a portal-generating device so that others of her planet can come to Earth and wipe out the human race and eat their heads. When the aliens (including Kang) invade, the rest of the Simpson family shows up, along with the military. A brief war is waged, and Earth ultimately overpowers the aliens. When Bart is given the option to board a helicopter and shoot Kodos, Bart, seeing Kodos' smile, decides to spare her. However, Homer shoots Kodos several times. In the end, Earth emerges victorious and the world is saved. The Simpsons are invited to see Kodos's dissection
Dissection
Dissection is usually the process of disassembling and observing something to determine its internal structure and as an aid to discerning the functions and relationships of its components....
, where they reflect that since Kodos was an evil-looking alien who turned out to be bad, it must be good to judge a book by its cover. It is revealed that Kodos is still very much alive, as she points what's happening is actually vivisection
Vivisection
Vivisection is defined as surgery conducted for experimental purposes on a living organism, typically animals with a central nervous system, to view living internal structure...
, only to be suffocated with a pillow by Homer.
Mr. & Mrs. Simpson
In a spoof of Mr. & Mrs. SmithMr. & Mrs. Smith (2005 film)
Mr. & Mrs. Smith is a 2005 American romantic comedy action film directed by Doug Liman and written by Simon Kinberg. The original music score was composed by John Powell...
, Homer and Marge appear to attend marriage counseling and recount a brief moment of tension between them. In the flashback, when arriving home, Homer locks himself in the bathroom and communicates on a hidden flat screen television, where it is revealed Homer is an assassin assigned to eliminate news reporter, Kent Brockman
Kent Brockman
Kent Brockman is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Harry Shearer and first appeared in the episode "Krusty Gets Busted"...
, by order of Homer's boss, Mr. Burns. Although the bathroom is locked, Bart somehow got in and is seen sitting on a Mortar
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
, which was the toilet
Toilet
A toilet is a sanitation fixture used primarily for the disposal of human excrement, often found in a small room referred to as a toilet/bathroom/lavatory...
. Before he leaves, he tells Marge he will be coming home late from "Midnight Monkey Madness"; Marge also states that she is busy turning over wheelbarrows, making up an equally farfetched excuse. When Homer prepares to shoot Brockman at his rooftop party from a faraway platform, a woman with large blonde hair (who Homer dubs "the Mystery Skank") stabs Brockman in the chest, killing him instead. After Homer attempts to repeatedly shoot the woman (ending up with several civilian deaths), he manages to shoot the wig off her head, revealing it is Marge, also an assassin. Arriving home, the two avoid each other's eyes, and Marge makes an excuse for the blonde wig. Unfortunately at dinner, Homer (thinking that he is talking in his head) exclaims "I'll kill her [Marge] after dessert!" which leads the two attempting to kill one another with various weapons such as grenades, rifles, and a minigun
Minigun
The Minigun is a 7.62 mm, multi-barrel heavy machine gun with a high rate of fire , employing Gatling-style rotating barrels with an external power source...
, all the while arguing why the other was an assassin, end up destroying most of their house, and killing Abe Simpson. After killing Chief Wiggum with a crossbow
Crossbow
A crossbow is a weapon consisting of a bow mounted on a stock that shoots projectiles, often called bolts or quarrels. The medieval crossbow was called by many names, most of which derived from the word ballista, a torsion engine resembling a crossbow in appearance.Historically, crossbows played a...
, the two realize they are more attracted with one another when they kill someone together. For this, they soon begin making love
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
over Chief Wiggum's body and, back to where the episode started, they both realized that they did not need any marriage counseling, but to kill people together. In the end, it turns out that they were not talking to a marriage counselor, but to Principal Skinner
Seymour Skinner
Principal W. Seymour Skinner is a fictional character in the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. He is voiced by Harry Shearer. Born in Capitol City, he is the principal of Springfield Elementary School...
regarding Bart's
Bart Simpson
Bartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by actress Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
misbehavior on the school bus. This causes a rather confusing situation as to why they went to Skinner, thinking he was a marriage counselor in the first place. But, both Homer and Marge turn a blind eye to Bart's misbehavior and simultaneously shoot Skinner instead.
Heck House
On Halloween night, Bart (dressed as the Frankenstein's monsterFrankenstein's monster
Frankenstein's monster is a fictional character that first appeared in Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus. The creature is often erroneously referred to as "Frankenstein", but in the novel the creature has no name...
), Lisa (dressed as a witch
Witchcraft
Witchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...
), Milhouse
Milhouse Van Houten
Milhouse Mussolini Van Houten is a fictional character featured in the animated television series The Simpsons, voiced by Pamela Hayden. He is Bart Simpson's best friend in Mrs. Krabappel's fourth grade class at Springfield Elementary School....
(dressed as an astronaut
Astronaut
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
) and Nelson
Nelson Muntz
Nelson Mandela Muntz is a fictional character and bully from the animated TV series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Nancy Cartwright. Nelson was introduced in Season 1's "Bart the General" as a bully but later turned into a friend of Bart Simpson, who is best identified by his signature laugh .-Role...
(dressed as a hobo
Hobo
A hobo is a term which is often applied to a migratory worker or homeless vagabond, often penniless. The term originated in the Western—probably Northwestern—United States during the last decade of the 19th century. Unlike 'tramps', who work only when they are forced to, and 'bums', who do not...
) become frustrated by Agnes Skinner refusing to give them candy, instead spitting into Milhouse's pumpkin, which was full of candy. Deciding to honor the true meaning of "trick-or-treat," they begin to pull pranks on everyone. Soon, however, their pranks
Practical joke
A practical joke is a mischievous trick played on someone, typically causing the victim to experience embarrassment, indignity, or discomfort. Practical jokes differ from confidence tricks in that the victim finds out, or is let in on the joke, rather than being fooled into handing over money or...
turn into vandalism
Vandalism
Vandalism is the behaviour attributed originally to the Vandals, by the Romans, in respect of culture: ruthless destruction or spoiling of anything beautiful or venerable...
and everyone begins to complain. Ned Flanders
Ned Flanders
Nedward "Ned" Flanders, Jr. is a recurring fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Harry Shearer, and first appeared in the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". He is the next door neighbor to the Simpson family and is generally...
then offers his services to teach them a lesson and fashions the church into a "heck house
Hell house
Hell houses are haunted attractions typically run by American, fundamentalist Christian churches or parachurch groups. These depict sin, the torments of the damned in Hell, and usually conclude with a depiction of heaven...
." This attracts their attention and they decide to give it a try.
Ned Flanders
Ned Flanders
Nedward "Ned" Flanders, Jr. is a recurring fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Harry Shearer, and first appeared in the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". He is the next door neighbor to the Simpson family and is generally...
tries to simulate what could happen to them for their sins through the use of crude roleplaying by Rod and Todd Flanders, but they scoff at his attempts. Ned then turns to God to give him the power to scare them into loving God and subsequently transforms into the Devil
Satan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
(reprising his role from "Treehouse of Horror IV
Treehouse of Horror IV
"Treehouse of Horror IV" is the fifth episode of The Simpsons fifth season and the fourth episode in the Treehouse of Horror series of Halloween specials. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 28, 1993, and features three short stories called "The Devil and Homer...
"), sending the kids to Hell
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
. There he brings up an enormous crystal ball revealing Springfield to be full of the Seven Deadly Sins
Seven deadly sins
The 7 Deadly Sins, also known as the Capital Vices or Cardinal Sins, is a classification of objectionable vices that have been used since early Christian times to educate and instruct followers concerning fallen humanity's tendency to sin...
, and shows them simulations of how they may suffer;
- GluttonyGluttonyGluttony, derived from the Latin gluttire meaning to gulp down or swallow, means over-indulgence and over-consumption of food, drink, intoxicants or wealth items to the point of extravagance or waste...
: HomerHomer SimpsonHomer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
slurps his spaghettiSpaghettiSpaghetti is a long, thin, cylindrical pasta of Italian origin. Spaghetti is made of semolina or flour and water. Italian dried spaghetti is made from durum wheat semolina, but outside of Italy it may be made with other kinds of flour...
too fast, and ends up being turned into spaghetti himself. - Wrath (called AngerAngerAnger is an automatic response to ill treatment. It is the way a person indicates he or she will not tolerate certain types of behaviour. It is a feedback mechanism in which an unpleasant stimulus is met with an unpleasant response....
here): Groundskeeper WillieGroundskeeper WillieWilliam McDougal, usually referred to as Groundskeeper Willie, is a recurring character on The Simpsons, voiced by Dan Castellaneta. He is head groundskeeper at Springfield Elementary School. Willie is a Scottish immigrant, almost feral in nature and immensely proud of his homeland...
kicks his tractor in frustration and ends up decapitated by it after it transformsTransformersA transformer is a device that transfers electrical energy from one circuit to another by magnetic coupling.Transformer may also refer to:* ASUS Eee Pad Transformer, an Android 3.2 Honeycomb tablet computer manufacturer by Asus...
into a robot. - PridePridePride is an inwardly directed emotion that carries two common meanings. With a negative connotation, pride refers to an inflated sense of one's personal status or accomplishments, often used synonymously with hubris...
: Doctor Hibbert gets crushed by a truck (driven by Hans MolemanHans MolemanHans Moleman is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta, and first appeared in the episode "Principal Charming". He normally appears in a running gag, where he usually suffers unfortunate, nearly fatal, events...
) after putting a bumper sticker on his car that touts his child as an honor roll student. - SlothSloth (deadly sin)In the Christian moral tradition, sloth is one of the seven capital sins, often called the seven deadly sins; these sins are called sins because they supposedly destroy the charity in a person's heart and thus may lead to eternal death.-Definition:Sloth is defined as spiritual or emotional...
: Homer is killed again when he falls through the mesh of the hammockHammockA hammock is a sling made of fabric, rope, or netting, suspended between two points, used for swinging, sleeping, or resting. It normally consists of one or more cloth panels, or a woven network of twine or thin rope stretched with ropes between two firm anchor points such as trees or posts....
and is sliced into pieces. - LustLustLust is an emotional force that is directly associated with the thinking or fantasizing about one's desire, usually in a sexual way.-Etymology:The word lust is phonetically similar to the ancient Roman lustrum, which literally meant "purification"...
, Greed, and EnvyEnvyEnvy is best defined as a resentful emotion that "occurs when a person lacks another's superior quality, achievement, or possession and either desires it or wishes that the other lacked it."...
: MoeMoe SzyslakMomar / Morris "Moe" Szyslak is a fictional character in the American animated television series, The Simpsons. He is voiced by Hank Azaria and first appeared in the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire"...
lusts after a stripper as she performs, steals her money out of greed, and envies "the crotchless" after the stripper kicks Moe in the groin.
Hell is then shown with various people from Springfield who have punishments from their doings on Earth. The children resolve to not perform any of the sins. Ned returns them back to the surface, reverting back to his original form.
Ending sequence
The episode ends with Ned telling the viewers that they will go to Hell for watching FoxFox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
and its affiliates and reading The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
, which he welcomes to the "club".
Production
On July 27, 2007, creator Matt GroeningMatt Groening
Matthew Abram "Matt" Groening is an American cartoonist, screenwriter, and producer. He is the creator of the comic strip Life in Hell as well as two successful television series, The Simpsons and Futurama....
and the producers attended a panel which encompassed the topics of both The Simpsons Movie
The Simpsons Movie
The Simpsons Movie is a 2007 American animated comedy film based on the animated television series The Simpsons. The film was directed by David Silverman, and stars the regular television cast of Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, Harry Shearer, Tress...
, and the nineteenth season. The panel revealed that Peter Griffin
Peter Griffin
Peter Griffin is a fictional character and the protagonist of the animated comedy series Family Guy and the patriarch of the Griffin family. He is voiced by cartoonist Seth MacFarlane and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the family in the 15-minute short on December 20, 1998....
from Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
would be one of the miniature characters featured in the opening sequence, although he was removed from the scene.
Cultural references
The segment "E.T., Go Home," parodies the film E.T. the Extra-TerrestrialE.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a 1982 American science fiction film co-produced and directed by Steven Spielberg, written by Melissa Mathison and starring Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore, and Peter Coyote...
, with Bart in the role of Eliott and Kodos as E.T. When Marge calls Bart he is seeing "Samba with the Stars", parody of Dancing with the Stars. Kodos asks Bart and Lisa for 2 tickets to Avenue Q
Avenue Q
Avenue Q is a musical in two acts, conceived by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, who wrote the music and lyrics. The book was written by Jeff Whitty and the show was directed by Jason Moore and produced by Kevin McCollum, Robyn Goodman, and Jeffrey Seller...
.The "Mr. and Mrs. Simpson" segment is a parody of the 2005 film Mr. and Mrs. Smith
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005 film)
Mr. & Mrs. Smith is a 2005 American romantic comedy action film directed by Doug Liman and written by Simon Kinberg. The original music score was composed by John Powell...
. In the final segment, "Heck House", Groundskeeper Willie
Groundskeeper Willie
William McDougal, usually referred to as Groundskeeper Willie, is a recurring character on The Simpsons, voiced by Dan Castellaneta. He is head groundskeeper at Springfield Elementary School. Willie is a Scottish immigrant, almost feral in nature and immensely proud of his homeland...
's tractor transforms into a robot and kills him, parodying Transformers
Transformers (toy line)
The is a line of toys produced by the American toy company Hasbro. The Transformers toyline was created from toy molds mostly produced by Japanese company Takara in the toylines Diaclone and Microman. Other toy molds from other companies such as Bandai were used as well...
.
- In Heck House, when the kids are making tricks the song that play is "Blitzkrieg BopBlitzkrieg Bop"Blitzkrieg Bop" is a song by the American punk rock band Ramones. It was released as the band's debut single in April of 1976 in the United States...
" by The Ramones. - In Heck House, Hell is inspired by The Garden of Earthly DelightsThe Garden of Earthly DelightsThe Garden of Earthly Delights is a triptych painted by the early Netherlandish master Hieronymus Bosch , housed in the Museo del Prado in Madrid since 1939. Dating from between 1490 and 1510, when Bosch was about 40 or 50 years old, it is his best-known and most ambitious work...
painted by Dutch RenaissanceRenaissanceThe Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
painter Hieronymus Bosch.
In Heck House, Bart drops Spider-Pig on Homer.
Reception
In the USA, the episode averaged 11.7 million viewers and a 5.7 overnight Nielsen ratingNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
and a 13 percent audience share, making it the highest rated episode of the season. Combined with a new episode of Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
, it tied for first in the 8:00 PM hour with the NFL Pregame show on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
. Despite this, the Fox Network finished the night fourth overall in ratings.
Robert Canning of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
called the opening segment, E.T. Go Home, "the weakest segment because it just wasn't really all that funny", and thought the end of the segment was the weakest part of the episode, writing "watching the military decimate the aliens and then seeing Homer use a pillow to suffocate Kodos at the end was really off-putting. The deaths weren't funny, just uncomfortable." Canning, however, described the final two segments, as well as the opening as being solid segments. He gave the overall episode a rating of 7.4/10.
External links
- "Treehouse of Horror XVIII" at The Simpsons.com