View source for Treehouse of Horror Presents: Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes

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{{EpisodePrevNext|Women in Shorts|Convenience Airways}}
{{Noncanon Episode|reason=Is a self-contained [[Treehouse of Horror series|''Treehouse of Horror'']] story}}
{{Episode
|name= Treehouse of Horror Presents: Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes
|image= Treehouse of Horror Presents Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes promo 1.png
|caption= 
|number= 775
|season= 36
|snumber= 7
|prodcode= [[Production season 35ABF|35ABF14]]
|airdate= November 24, [[2024]]
|guests= [[Andy Serkis]] as {{ap|The Illustrated Man|Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes}} and [[Siegfried Blaze]]
|showrunner1= Matt Selman
|corunner= Brian Kelley
|writer= [[Jessica Conrad]]
|director= [[Debbie Bruce Mahan]]
}}

'''"Treehouse of Horror Presents: Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes"''' is the seventh episode of [[Season 36|broadcast season 36]] of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' and the seven hundred seventy-fifth episode overall. It originally aired on November 24, [[2024]]. The episode was written by [[Jessica Conrad]] and directed by [[Debbie Bruce Mahan]]. It guest stars [[Andy Serkis]] as {{ap|The Illustrated Man|Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes}} and [[Siegfried Blaze]].

== Synopsis ==
{{Synopsis|A {{ap|The Illustrated Man|Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes|tattooed man}} at a mysterious night circus transports [[Lisa]] into three strange stories. In the first story, [[Bart]] hears a buried woman screaming in the woods, but nobody believes him. In the second story, [[Superintendent Chalmers]] purchases a robot clone of himself, but then finds out [[Principal Skinner]] has done the same thing. In the final story, [[Homer]] is part of the [[Springfield Firehouse]], who burn all lowbrow media they find.}}

== Plot ==
The [[Simpson family]] attend the [[R. Bradbury's Traveling Night Circus]], where [[Lisa]] expresses her disappointment about being brought there, as she dislikes circuses and has gotten three shut down in the past year. However, she discovers {{ap|The Illustrated Man|Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes}}, a man with tattoos that transport people to alternate realities. The Illustrated Man, who is in the process of being fired by the manager, shows Lisa the first tattoo, initiating the first story.

=== The Screaming Woman ===
Bart is in the woods when he hears a woman screaming from beneath the ground. He runs home to seek help, but [[Homer]] and [[Marge]] dismiss it as a lie. They reference how Bart once claimed there was a boy crying wolf in the woods, but when they investigated, they only found a fat wolf and no boy. Frustrated, Bart goes to his room and calls [[Milhouse]] on his tin can telephone. However, Milhouse refuses to help since he is at his grandma's house. Determined, Bart begins searching for the missing woman.

Bart arrives at the [[Van Houten house]], where [[Luann]] greets him and listens to his story. She gives him a large amount of milk, seemingly to make him sleepy. However, Bart manages to stay awake and later returns to the grave he found in the woods. He hears the woman singing again and tells Homer about it. Homer recognizes the song as one [[Kirk]] used to sing at Double Beef Burger. They go to the grave and dig Kirk up. Kirk reveals that Luann buried him alive after he let [[Miss Hoover]] see him buying her hair dye.

[[Chief Wiggum]] decides to let Luann go, explaining that murder in the 1950s was considered more acceptable than divorce. Marge assures Bart that they will never doubt him again. Bart then claims that [[Lisa]] is a communist, prompting Wiggum to take her away.

=== Marionettes, Inc. ===
Back at the circus, a second story is triggered by a tattoo of cogs. In the future, [[Chalmers]] visits [[Skinner]]'s office but quickly grows tired of Skinner's dullness. Seeking relief from his frustration, Chalmers goes to [[Moe's Tavern]], where [[Carl]] suggests a solution to his problem: a new robotic technology that looks and acts like a real person. Carl mentions he uses it to avoid spending time with [[Lenny]]. Intrigued, Chalmers contacts "Marionettes Frinkorporated" and orders a robot, bringing it to the school as a stand-in for Skinner. However, as Chalmers leaves, he encounters the real Skinner on the street.

After a tense chase, Skinner confesses that he also purchased a robot to avoid dealing with Chalmers, whom he views as overly mean. The situation escalates when Carl reappears and warns them to disable the robots. He explains that his robot became sentient, developed emotions, and resorted to violence to prevent him from going to Niagara Falls with Lenny. Carl ultimately had to destroy it.

Chalmers and Skinner rush back to the school but find they are too late. The robots have bonded, formed friendships, and encouraged the students to address their teachers by name. A chaotic fight breaks out between humans and robots, but Skinner mistakenly kills the real Chalmers instead of the robot. In the end, Skinner and the robot Chalmers return to the office, slightly happier with their new arrangement, while the real Chalmers lies bleeding on the ground.

=== Fahrenheit 451 ===
Lisa is about to leave when the Illustrated Man convinces her to watch a final story. In the story, firefighters break into the [[Lovejoy house]] to seize and destroy forbidden lowbrow entertainment. They burn all related equipment. Homer, coming home after work, watches ''[[Robber Barons]]'' with his family, as all lowbrow entertainment has been outlawed and must be watched dimmed per the director's mandate.

At the [[Springfield Firehouse]], Homer asks his colleagues if they've ever watched the contraband they burn, but [[Rainer Wolfcastle|Wolfcastle]] reminds him it's illegal. An alarm sounds, and the team heads to the [[Springfield Elementary School]]. While burning confiscated items, Homer finds a ''[[America's Funniest Home Videos]]'' VHS and secretly takes one offered by [[Willie]] to his home. During dinner, Homer cautiously asks his family if they ever watch TV for fun, but their concerned reactions silence him.

In the basement, Homer retrieves an old TV with a built-in VCR and starts watching the tape, laughing uncontrollably. Bart discovers him but fails to understand the humor. When Homer swears him to secrecy, Bart, a fan of ''Robber Barons,'' reports him to the fire department. The Burn-Master General, [[Siegfried Blaze]], confronts Homer, explaining that quality TV is used to control the population.

Blaze tries to force Homer into reeducation, but Homer escapes. During the ensuing manhunt, Homer discovers the symbol from the tape at [[The Android's Dungeon & Baseball Card Shop|The Android's Dungeon]]. [[Krusty]] leads him to a secret library filled with lowbrow entertainment. However, the VHS Homer brought inadvertently reveals their location, and the firefighters burn the library. Using a clever trick, Homer helps the group flee to a refugee camp.

As the story concludes, Lisa finds herself trapped in a void, transformed into a tattoo as a reward for listening to all the stories.

== Production ==
[[File:Treehouse of Horror Presents Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes original attic scene.jpg|thumb|right|Original attic scene]]
A line of dialogue that was cut after the Ringmaster fired the Illustrated Man featured him saying, "Blubbo the Eternal Baby will conduct your exit interview."<ref>[https://bsky.app/profile/brianhkelley.bsky.social/post/3lbqngu43ec22 Brian Kelley's Bluesky - "Cut dialogue"]</ref> At one point, the scene where "Chalmers meets Robot Chalmers" was 57 pages long.<ref>[https://bsky.app/profile/brianhkelley.bsky.social/post/3lbqnt7z7hs2w Brian Kelley's Bluesky - "Chalmers meets Robot Chalmers"]</ref>

The attic scene was initially different because the wood didn't match the rest of the concrete, brutalist house, but producer [[Richard Chung]] agreed to redo it.<ref>[https://bsky.app/profile/brianhkelley.bsky.social/post/3lbqojaadik25 Brian Kelley's Bluesky - "Original attic scene"]</ref> [[Jessica Conrad]] came up with the idea for ''The Screaming Woman,'' suggesting an [[Andy Griffith]] {{W|Andy Griffith Show|Show}}-type whistling theme that could later turn creepy.<ref>[https://bsky.app/profile/brianhkelley.bsky.social/post/3lbqnjjwl2k2t Brian Kelley's Bluesky - "Andy Griffith Show"]</ref>

In a discussion with [[Andy Serkis]], [[Brian Kelley]] noted to himself not to ask him to do a {{W|Gollum}} voice and to be professional for once.<ref>[https://bsky.app/profile/brianhkelley.bsky.social/post/3lbqnimxznc22 Brian Kelley's Bluesky - "Gollum"]</ref> The reference to ''{{W|Mozart in the Jungle}}'' was originally ''{{W2|Peaky Blinders|TV series}}''.<ref>[https://bsky.app/profile/brianhkelley.bsky.social/post/3lbqokvhdlk23 Brian Kelley's Bluesky - "Mozart in the Jungle""]</ref>

The original last shot began with the refugees before showing the town over spooky music, but it was reversed to add the narration.<ref>[https://bsky.app/profile/brianhkelley.bsky.social/post/3lbqoo7vqhs2r Brian Kelley's Bluesky - "Last shot"]</ref>

== Gallery ==
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File:Treehouse of Horror Presents Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes title card 1.png|Title card
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== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Promo videos ==
*{{Youtube|Xj4mIPySI-0|Bart Calls Milhouse for Help}}

{{Images|ep=yes}}
{{Treehouse of Horror}}
{{Season 36}}
{{Production Season 35ABF}}

[[Category:2024]]
[[Category:Bart episodes]]
[[Category:Lisa episodes]]
[[Category:Homer episodes]]
[[Category:Superintendent Chalmers episodes]]
[[Category:Episodes without Maggie]]
[[Category:Episodes written by Jessica Conrad]]
[[Category:Episodes directed by Debbie Bruce Mahan]]