• Wikisimpsons needs more Featured Article, Picture, Quote, Episode and Comprehensive article nominations!
  • Wikisimpsons has a Discord server! Click here for your invite! Join to talk about the wiki, Simpsons and Tapped Out news, or just to talk to other users.
  • Make an account! It's easy, free, and your work on the wiki can be attributed to you.
TwitterFacebookDiscord

Difference between revisions of "Treehouse of Horror IX"

Wikisimpsons - The Simpsons Wiki
m
m (top: replaced: |showrunner=Mike Scully → |showrunner1= Mike Scully)
 
(83 intermediate revisions by 41 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
 
{{Tab}}
 
{{Tab}}
 
{{EpisodePrevNext|Bart the Mother|When You Dish Upon a Star}}
 
{{EpisodePrevNext|Bart the Mother|When You Dish Upon a Star}}
{{Noncanon Episode}}
+
{{THOHPrevNext|Treehouse of Horror VIII|Treehouse of Horror X}}
''For the continuing series of Halloween specials, see [[Treehouse of Horror Series]].''
+
{{Noncanon Episode|THOH}}
{{episode
+
{{Episode
 
|image=Treehouse of Horror IX.jpg
 
|image=Treehouse of Horror IX.jpg
|productionCode= AABF01
+
|prodcode= AABF01
|Episode Number=207
+
|number=207
|originalAirdate=October 25, 1998
+
|season=10
|blackboardText= Bart paints "The Simpsons Halloween Special IX" on the board with a blood-soaked brush (this is the first Simpsons Halloween episode to have a chalkboard gag.)
+
|snumber=4
|couchGag=The family never makes it to the living room; Bart slips on Homer's car while skateboarding and hits his head on the drive, Lisa gets catapulted into the roof of the garage after tripping over Bart while cycling, and Homer gets run down by Marge’s car. In the living room, Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees are on the couch wondering where The Simpsons are. They forget about it and watch TV.
+
|airdate=October 25, [[1998]]
|specialGuestVoices= [[wikipedia:Regis Philbin|Regis Philbin]] as Himself (live-action)<br/>[[wikipedia:Ed McMahon|Ed McMahon]] as Himself<br/>[[wikipedia:Kathie Lee Gifford|Kathie Lee Gifford]] as Herself (live-action)<br/>[[wikipedia:Robert Englund|Robert Englund]] as [[wikipedia:Freddy Kruger|Freddy Krueger]]<br/>[[wikipedia:Jerry Springer|Jerry Springer]] as Himself
+
|blackboard=Bart paints "The Simpsons Halloween Special IX" on the board with a blood-soaked brush (this is the first Simpsons Halloween episode to have a chalkboard gag.)
|Written By=[[David X. Cohen]], [[Larry Doyle]], [[Donick Cary]]
+
|couchgag=The family dies before they could make it to the couch. Inside, Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees are on the couch wondering where The Simpsons are. They forget about it and watch TV.
|Directed By=[[Steven Dean Moore]]
+
|guests= [[Regis Philbin]] as {{Ch|Regis Philbin|himself}} (live-action)<br>[[Ed McMahon]] as {{Ch|Ed McMahon|himself}}<br>[[Kathie Lee Gifford]] as {{Ch|Kathie Lee Gifford|herself}} (live-action)<br>[[Robert Englund]] as [[Freddy Krueger]]<br>[[Jerry Springer]] as {{Ch|Jerry Springer|himself}}
 +
|showrunner1= Mike Scully
 +
|writer=[[David S. Cohen]]<br>[[Larry Doyle]]<br>[[Donick Cary]]
 +
|director=[[Steven Dean Moore]]
 +
|DVD features=yes
 
}}
 
}}
  
"'''Treehouse of Horror IX'''" is the fourth episode of [[Season 10]], as well as the ninth Halloween episode. The episode first aired on October 25, 1998. It was written by [[David X. Cohen]], [[Larry Doyle]] and [[Donick Cary]] and was directed by [[Steven Dean Moore]].
+
"'''Treehouse of Horror IX'''" is the fourth episode of [[season 10]] of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' and the two-hundred and seventh episode overall. It is also the ninth installment in the [[Treehouse of Horror series|''Treehouse of Horror'' series]] and consists of three parts. It originally aired on October 25, [[1998]]. The episode was written by [[David X. Cohen]], [[Larry Doyle]] and [[Donick Cary]] and was directed by [[Steven Dean Moore]]. It guest stars [[Regis Philbin]] as {{Ch|Regis Philbin|himself}}, [[Ed McMahon]] as {{Ch|Ed McMahon|himself}}, [[Kathie Lee Gifford]] as {{Ch|Kathie Lee Gifford|herself}}, [[Robert Englund]] as [[Freddy Krueger]] and [[Jerry Springer]] as {{Ch|Jerry Springer|himself}}.
  
Treehouse of Horror IX is an [[anthology episode]] that features mini-stories. In "Hell Toupée," [[Homer]] receives a hair transplant from executed criminal [[Snake]] which possesses him and makes him go on a murder spree. In "The Terror of Tiny Toon," a plutonium-powered TV remote zaps [[Bart]] and [[Lisa]] into an [[The Itchy & Scratchy Show|''Itchy &amp; Scratchy'']] cartoon. "Starship Poopers" reveals that [[Maggie]]'s real father is [[Kang]], which leads to a custody dispute and an appearance on [[wikipedia:The_Jerry_Springer_Show|''The Jerry Springer Show'']].
+
== Synopsis ==
 +
{{Desc|Treehouse of Horror IX is an [[anthology episode]] that features mini-stories. In "Hell Toupée," [[Homer]] receives a hair transplant from executed criminal [[Snake]] which possesses him and makes him go on a murder spree. In "The Terror of Tiny Toon," a plutonium-powered TV remote zaps [[Bart]] and [[Lisa]] into an [[The Itchy & Scratchy Show|''Itchy &amp; Scratchy'']] cartoon. "Starship Poopers" reveals that [[Maggie]]'s real father is [[Kang]], which leads to a custody dispute and an appearance on ''[[The Jerry Springer Show]]''.}}
  
The episode features several celebrity guest voices: [[wikipedia:Robert_Englund|Robert Englund]] voices [[wikipedia:Freddy_Krueger|Freddy Krueger]] in the opening sequence, and [[wikipedia:Ed_McMahon|Ed McMahon]] and [[wikipedia:Jerry_Springer|Jerry Springer]] appear as themselves in "Hell Toupée" and "Starship Poopers," respectively. Also, [[wikipedia:Regis_Philbin|Regis Philbin]] and [[wikipedia:Kathie_Lee_Gifford|Kathie Lee Gifford]] appear as themselves in a live-action scene during "The Terror of Tiny Toon."
+
== Plot ==
  
== Opening Sequence ==
+
=== Opening sequence ===
 
[[File:HomerGarageTHOHIX.png|thumb|left|200px|The alternate Opening Sequence.]]
 
[[File:HomerGarageTHOHIX.png|thumb|left|200px|The alternate Opening Sequence.]]
This is the normal opening sequence, but with a horror motif. [[Bart]] writes "The Simpsons Halloween Special IX" on the blackboard with blood (just once). In the driveway, Bart trips over [[Homer]]'s car, and dies in the spot where [[Marge]] parks. [[Lisa]] crashes into Bart, flying into the air and getting her head stuck in the wall above the garage door and dies. Marge loses control of her car because of hitting Lisa's legs, so she crashes into Homer, killing him. In the living room, [[wikipedia:Freddy_Krueger|Freddy Krueger]] and [[wikipedia:Jason_Voorhees|Jason Voorhees]] are sitting on the couch. Freddy asks Jason where the Simpsons are, and Jason responds, "Eh. Whaddya gonna do?" (despite the fact that he normally never talks), and turns the TV on, watching with Freddy.
+
This is the normal opening sequence, but with a horror motif. [[Bart]] writes "The Simpsons Halloween Special IX" on the blackboard with blood and runs out the door. In the driveway, Bart falls off [[Homer]]'s car while on his skateboard, and dies in the middle of the driveway. [[Lisa]] crashes into Bart, flying into the air, getting her head stuck in the wall above the garage door and dies. Homer gets out of his car, sees [[Marge]]'s car coming, and screams as usual. However, Homer isn't quick enough to get out of Marge's way, so she crashes into Homer, killing him. In the living room, [[Freddy Krueger]] and [[Jason Voorhees]] are sitting on the couch. Freddy asks Jason where the Simpsons are, and Jason responds, "Eh. Whaddya gonna do?" (despite the fact he normally never talks), and turns the TV on, watching with Freddy.
  
== Plot ==
 
 
=== Hell Toupée ===
 
=== Hell Toupée ===
[[Snake Jailbird|Snake]] is arrested for smoking inside the [[Kwik-E-Mart]]. [[Chief Wiggum]] explains that after burning down an orphanage and blowing up a bus full of nuns (which Snake claims was self-defense) this is Snake's third strike, so he will be executed in accordance with the three strikes law. Before hauling Snake away, Chief Wiggum helpfully points out that [[Apu]], [[Moe Szyslak|Moe]] and [[Bart Simpson|Bart]] are all witnesses; Snake threatens to kill all of them. <includeonly/> Snake is executed in the electric chair on ''World's Deadliest Executions'', hosted by Ed McMahon and proudly broadcast on [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]]. Chief Wiggum then sends the body to the hospital to be carved up for organ donations. Shortly afterwards, Homer visits [[Dr. Nick Riviera]], who gives him a transplant of a full head of still-smoldering hair. The hair is Snake's, and when Homer goes to sleep the following night, it plants its roots in Homer's brain. With the hair controlling his mind, Homer murders Apu by stuffing him in his own Squishee machine. Homer later removes Moe's heart with a corkscrew and leaves him slumped facefirst in a bowl of Penicill-Os cereal. Bart realizes that the other two witnesses have been killed, but is shocked when his own father comes after him. He begs Homer to fight the hair and, after a struggle, Homer rips the hair off his head. The hair tries to smother Bart and then, as Wiggum bursts through the door with Eddie and Lou, jumps toward the window. Wiggum opens fire and the hair is riddled with bullets and is thus used as a blanket by Maggie. The story closes with Wiggum remarking, "That's what I call a bad hair day!"
+
[[File:Hell Toupee - Title Card.png|thumb|left|Hell Toupée]]
 +
[[Snake]] is arrested for smoking inside the [[Kwik-E-Mart]]. [[Chief Wiggum]] explains after burning down an orphanage and blowing up a bus full of nuns (which Snake claims was self-defense) this is Snake's third strike, so he will be executed in accordance with the three strikes law. Before hauling Snake away, Chief Wiggum helpfully points out [[Apu]], [[Moe]] and [[Bart]] are all witnesses. Snake threatens to kill all of them. Snake is executed in the electric chair on ''[[World's Deadliest Executions]]'', hosted by Ed McMahon and proudly broadcast on [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]]. Chief Wiggum sends the body to the hospital to be carved up for organ donations. Shortly afterwards, Homer visits [[Dr. Nick Riviera]], who gives him a transplant of a full head of still-smoldering hair. The [[Killer Toupée|hair is Snake's]], and when Homer goes to sleep the following night, it plants its roots in Homer's brain. With the hair controlling his mind, Homer murders Apu by stuffing him in his own Squishee machine. Homer later removes Moe's heart with a corkscrew and leaves him slumped face first in a bowl of Penicill-Os cereal. Bart realizes the other two witnesses have been killed, but is shocked when his own father comes after him. He begs Homer to fight the hair and, after a struggle, Homer rips the hair off his head. The hair tries to smother Bart. Then, as Chief Wiggum bursts through the door with Eddie and Lou, jumps toward the window. Chief Wiggum opens fire, the hair is riddled with bullets and is thus used as a blanket by Maggie. The story closes with Chief Wiggum remarking, "That's what I call a bad hair day!"
  
 
=== The Terror of Tiny Toon ===
 
=== The Terror of Tiny Toon ===
Marge forbids Bart and Lisa from watching the ''[[The Itchy & Scratchy Show|Itchy and Scratchy]]'' Halloween special, even going to the lengths of taking the batteries out of the remote control. They refuse to go trick-or-treating with Marge as Homer is dressed as a hobo and [[Maggie Simpson|Maggie]] is dressed as a pirate. But when Marge goes, Bart finds a small piece of highly unstable plutonium in Homer's toolbox and hammers it into the remote's battery slot. When they use the remote, the kids actually enter the world of ''Itchy and Scratchy''. They watch Itchy decapitate Scratchy when he trick or treats at his house and use his head in the manner of a Jack-o-lantern. While the two laugh, Scratchy's head asks why Bart and Lisa are laughing to which Itchy replies that they are laughing at his misfortune. Scratchy re-attaches his head to his body, declares what the duo did was mean, and forms a partnership with Itchy to "teach them a lesson".
+
[[File:The Terror of Tiny Toon - Title Card.png|thumb|left|The Terror of Tiny Toon]]
They then throw deadly objects at Bart and Lisa. As they try to escape, the hated character [[Itchy & Scratchy#Poochie|Poochie]] (voiced again by [[Dan Castellaneta]]/Homer Simpson) passes by, but he is run down by their car. They escape from the car, and wind up on ''[[wikipedia:Live with Regis and Kelly|Live with Regis and Kathie Lee]]'' in a pot of soup because Homer changed the channel. Bart and Lisa return to Itchy and Scratchy's house when he changes the channel back. Lisa urges Homer to press the "exit" button, which gets her and Bart (whose body was devoured from the neck down by piranhas, leaving only his skeleton) out of the TV. She presses the "rewind" button on the remote to restore Bart's flesh, but unfortunately, Itchy and Scratchy smash through the screen. However, they emerge the same size as their real animal equivalents, and they are therefore harmless. Homer decides to make Itchy a pet, and [[Snowball II]] falls in love with Scratchy. However, Marge decides to [[neutering|neuter]] him, causing Scratchy to scream while covering his crotch.
+
Marge forbids Bart and Lisa from watching the ''[[The Itchy & Scratchy Show|Itchy and Scratchy]]'' Halloween special, even going to the lengths of taking the batteries out of the remote control. They refuse to go trick-or-treating with Marge as Homer is dressed as a hobo and [[Maggie]] is dressed as a pirate. But when Marge goes, Bart finds a small piece of highly unstable plutonium in Homer's toolbox and hammers it into the remote's battery slot. When they use the remote, the kids actually enter the world of ''Itchy and Scratchy''. They watch Itchy decapitate Scratchy when he trick or treats at his house and use his head in the manner of a Jack-o-lantern. While the two laugh, Scratchy's head asks why Bart and Lisa are laughing to which Itchy replies they are laughing at his misfortune. Scratchy re-attaches his head to his body, declares what the duo did was mean, and forms a partnership with Itchy to "teach them a lesson".
 +
They throw deadly objects at Bart and Lisa. As they try to escape, the hated character [[Itchy & Scratchy#Poochie|Poochie]] (voiced again by [[Homer Simpson]]) passes by, but he is run down by their car. They escape from the car, and wind up on ''[[Live with Regis and Kathie Lee]]'' in a pot of soup because Homer changed the channel. Bart and Lisa return to Itchy and Scratchy's house when he changes the channel back. Lisa urges Homer to press the "exit" button, which gets her and Bart (whose body was devoured from the neck down by piranhas, leaving only his skeleton) out of the TV. She presses the "rewind" button on the remote to restore Bart's flesh, but unfortunately, Itchy and Scratchy also escape much to the family's horror while Homer decides to make Itchy a pet, and [[Snowball II]] falls in love with Scratchy. However, Marge decides to neuter him, which horrifies Scratchy.
  
 
=== Starship Poopers ===
 
=== Starship Poopers ===
On an ordinary day, Marge discovers Maggie's first baby tooth, which appears to be a sharp fang. Maggie later loses her "baby legs" and grows green tentacles. Marge decides to take her to [[Dr. Julius Hibbert|Dr. Hibbert]], who prescribes "Fire, and lots of it!" after Maggie crunches his equipment with her fang. At home, it is found that Maggie can contact somebody by sucking extra-rapidly on her pacifier, which appears to be the alien duo, [[Kang and Kodos]]. They arrive at the Simpson house, coming to retrieve Maggie. Marge reveals that Kang is Maggie's real father and retells the story: Kang and Kodos abducted her while she was doing laundry, selecting Marge for a cross-breeding program. She says the aliens used mind-control techniques on her (Kang simply pointed and said "Look behind you!" before zapping her with an insemination ray). She recalls that nine months after the abduction, Maggie was born. Kang and Kodos demand that the Simpsons give Maggie to them and a struggle ensues. Both Homer, Marge, and aliens start to fight over Maggie until Bart (who is angered by this) stops them and suggests that there can be only one way to solve the problem: let the Simpsons appear on ''The Jerry Springer Show'', with Homer and Kang&nbsp;fighting it out. When they appear to discuss things, Kang uses his ray gun to vaporize an annoying audience for criticizing him. During Jerry's "final thought" Maggie attacks Jerry and kills him while Homer and Kang resume fighting.
+
[[File:Starship Poopers - Title Card.png|thumb|Starship Poopers]]
 +
On an ordinary day, Marge discovers Maggie's first baby tooth, which appears to be a sharp fang. Maggie later loses her "baby legs" and grows green tentacles. Marge decides to take her to [[Dr. Hibbert]], who prescribes "Fire, and lots of it!" after Maggie crunches his equipment with her fang. At home, it is found Maggie can contact somebody by sucking extra-rapidly on her pacifier, which appears to be the aliens, [[Kang]] and [[Kodos]]. They arrive at the Simpson house, coming to retrieve Maggie. Marge reveals Kang is Maggie's real father and retells the story: Kang and Kodos abducted her while she was doing laundry, selecting Marge for a cross-breeding program. She says the aliens used mind-control techniques on her, by Kang pointing and saying "Look behind you!" before zapping her with an insemination ray. She recalls nine months after the abduction, Maggie was born. Kang and Kodos demand the Simpsons give Maggie to them and Homer and Kang start to fight over Maggie until Bart stops them and suggests there can be only one way to solve the problem: let the Simpsons appear on ''[[The Jerry Springer Show]]'', with Homer and Kang continuing to fight it out. When they appear to discuss things, Kang uses his ray gun to vaporize an annoying audience for criticizing him. During Jerry's "final thought", Maggie attacks Jerry and kills him while Homer and Kang resume fighting.
  
Jerry, Homer and Kang swear a lot in the process with Marge swearing once to express the humiliation of it all. Kang and Kodos now threaten to kill every American politician unless the Simpsons give Maggie to them. Marge and the Simpsons slyly imply that the aliens couldn't possibly kill every politician, and as they fly off to do so, Bart reminds them not to forget Ken Starr. Just when they're about to leave, Maggie takes out her pacifier and tells everyone in an alien voice "very well, I'll drive! Ha ha ha! I ''need'' blood!".
+
Kang and Kodos now threaten to kill every American politician unless the Simpsons give Maggie to them. Marge and the Simpsons slyly imply the aliens couldn't possibly kill every politician, Kang and Kodos fly off to do so, and Bart reminds them not to forget Ken Starr. Just when they're about to leave, Maggie says in Kang's voice that she will drive, and laughs diabolically before stating that she needs children's blood as the credits begin.
  
 
== Production ==
 
== Production ==
 +
*This was the first Simpson episode created without the characters painted on celluloid, from then until part of the fifteenth season all hand drawn character animation was put through a computer, colored there, and put directly on the film, Today every Simpson episode is put through the digital process. Background animation and all!
  
*This episode was nominated for the 1999 Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore).
+
*The original version of "Hell Toupee" was supposed to have [[Troy McClure]] host Snake's execution, but since the voice of Troy McClure, [[Phil Hartman]], was murdered, the entire sequence was redone with Ed McMahon as the host, with McClure's usual introduction reworked for McMahon ("Hi, I'm Ed McMahon. Tonight on Fox, from the producers of 'When Skirts Fall Off', and 'Secrets of National Security Revealed'..."). The Troy McClure version has never been aired on TV.
 
+
*This episode was the first episode opening to feature Homer actually being hit by Marge's car. The updated opening starting with Season 20 began showing Homer being hit by Marge's car (though obviously without him being killed.)
*List of the Halloween names used by the staff on this episode:
 
  
RAT GROENING,
+
<gallery>
VEINS HELL BROOKS,
+
File:AABF01 Script.jpg
MATT GROIN INJURY,
+
</gallery>
SAM "SAYONARA" SIMON,
 
?,
 
GHOULIE KAVNER,
 
NANCY "KILLER ACTOR" CARTWRIGHT,
 
THE CANKER, YANK
 
MY AREA,
 
HARRY (DEAD TIL 2005) SHEARER,
 
DAVID "WATCH [[Futurama|FUTURAMA]]" COHEN
 
  
*This was the first Simpson episode created without the characters painted on celluloid, from then until part of the fifthteenth season all hand drawn character animation was put through a computer, colored there, and put directly on the film, Today every Simpson episode is put through the digtal process. Background animation and all!
+
== Reception ==
 +
Composer [[Alf Clausen]] was nominated for a {{W|Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series}} in the {{W|51st Primetime Emmy Awards}} for "Treehouse of Horror IX". However, it lost to "Final Mission" from ''{{W|Invasion America}}''.<ref>[https://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/1999/outstanding-music-composition-for-a-series-original-dramatic-score Television Academy - "Outstanding Music Composition for a Series – Dramatic Underscore – 1999"]</ref>
  
*The original version of "Hell Toupee" was supposed to have [[Troy McClure]] host Snake's execution, but since the voice of Troy McClure([[Phil Hartman]]) was murdered, the entire sequence was redone with Ed McMahon as the host, with McClure's usual introduction reworked for McMahon ("Hi, I'm Ed McMahon. Tonight on Fox, from the producers of 'When Skirts Fall Off', and 'Secrets of National Security Revealed'..."). The Troy McClure version has never been aired on TV.
+
== References ==
*This Episode was the first episode opening to feature Homer actually being hit by Marge's car. The updated opening starting with Season 19 began showing Homer being hit by Marge's car (though obviously without his being killed.)
+
{{Reflist}}
  
 +
{{Images|ep=yes}}
 
{{Treehouse of Horror}}
 
{{Treehouse of Horror}}
 
{{Season 10}}
 
{{Season 10}}
[[Category:Episodes]]
+
{{DEFAULTSORT:Treehouse of Horror 09}}
[[Category:Season 10]]
+
 
[[Category:Treehouse of Horror]]
+
[[sv:Treehouse of Horror IX]]
[[Category:Anthology]]
+
[[Category:1998]]
 +
[[Category:Primetime Emmy Award nominated episodes]]
 +
[[Category:Episodes written by David X. Cohen]]
 +
[[Category:Episodes written by Larry Doyle]]
 +
[[Category:Episodes written by Donick Cary]]
 +
[[Category:Episodes directed by Steven Dean Moore]]

Latest revision as of 13:25, March 28, 2024

Season 10 Episode
206 "Bart the Mother"
207
"Treehouse of Horror IX"
"When You Dish Upon a Star" 208
VIII "Treehouse of Horror VIII"
IX
"Treehouse of Horror IX"
"Treehouse of Horror X" X
Treehouse of Horror Episode


Donut Homer.png This THOH is considered non-canon and the events featured do not relate to the series and therefore may not have actually happened/existed.

The reason behind this decision is: The episode is part of the Treehouse of Horror series.

If you dispute this, please bring it up on the episode's talk page.

"Treehouse of Horror IX"
Treehouse of Horror IX.jpg
Episode Information
Episode number: 207
Season number: S10 E4
Production code: AABF01
Original airdate: October 25, 1998
Chalkboard gag: Bart paints "The Simpsons Halloween Special IX" on the board with a blood-soaked brush (this is the first Simpsons Halloween episode to have a chalkboard gag.)
Couch gag: The family dies before they could make it to the couch. Inside, Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees are on the couch wondering where The Simpsons are. They forget about it and watch TV.
Guest star(s): Regis Philbin as himself (live-action)
Ed McMahon as himself
Kathie Lee Gifford as herself (live-action)
Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger
Jerry Springer as himself
Showrunner: Mike Scully
Written by: David S. Cohen
Larry Doyle
Donick Cary
Directed by: Steven Dean Moore
DVD features


"Treehouse of Horror IX" is the fourth episode of season 10 of The Simpsons and the two-hundred and seventh episode overall. It is also the ninth installment in the Treehouse of Horror series and consists of three parts. It originally aired on October 25, 1998. The episode was written by David X. Cohen, Larry Doyle and Donick Cary and was directed by Steven Dean Moore. It guest stars Regis Philbin as himself, Ed McMahon as himself, Kathie Lee Gifford as herself, Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger and Jerry Springer as himself.

Synopsis[edit]

"Treehouse of Horror IX is an anthology episode that features mini-stories. In "Hell Toupée," Homer receives a hair transplant from executed criminal Snake which possesses him and makes him go on a murder spree. In "The Terror of Tiny Toon," a plutonium-powered TV remote zaps Bart and Lisa into an Itchy & Scratchy cartoon. "Starship Poopers" reveals that Maggie's real father is Kang, which leads to a custody dispute and an appearance on The Jerry Springer Show."


Plot[edit]

Opening sequence[edit]

The alternate Opening Sequence.

This is the normal opening sequence, but with a horror motif. Bart writes "The Simpsons Halloween Special IX" on the blackboard with blood and runs out the door. In the driveway, Bart falls off Homer's car while on his skateboard, and dies in the middle of the driveway. Lisa crashes into Bart, flying into the air, getting her head stuck in the wall above the garage door and dies. Homer gets out of his car, sees Marge's car coming, and screams as usual. However, Homer isn't quick enough to get out of Marge's way, so she crashes into Homer, killing him. In the living room, Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees are sitting on the couch. Freddy asks Jason where the Simpsons are, and Jason responds, "Eh. Whaddya gonna do?" (despite the fact he normally never talks), and turns the TV on, watching with Freddy.

Hell Toupée[edit]

Hell Toupée

Snake is arrested for smoking inside the Kwik-E-Mart. Chief Wiggum explains after burning down an orphanage and blowing up a bus full of nuns (which Snake claims was self-defense) this is Snake's third strike, so he will be executed in accordance with the three strikes law. Before hauling Snake away, Chief Wiggum helpfully points out Apu, Moe and Bart are all witnesses. Snake threatens to kill all of them. Snake is executed in the electric chair on World's Deadliest Executions, hosted by Ed McMahon and proudly broadcast on Fox. Chief Wiggum sends the body to the hospital to be carved up for organ donations. Shortly afterwards, Homer visits Dr. Nick Riviera, who gives him a transplant of a full head of still-smoldering hair. The hair is Snake's, and when Homer goes to sleep the following night, it plants its roots in Homer's brain. With the hair controlling his mind, Homer murders Apu by stuffing him in his own Squishee machine. Homer later removes Moe's heart with a corkscrew and leaves him slumped face first in a bowl of Penicill-Os cereal. Bart realizes the other two witnesses have been killed, but is shocked when his own father comes after him. He begs Homer to fight the hair and, after a struggle, Homer rips the hair off his head. The hair tries to smother Bart. Then, as Chief Wiggum bursts through the door with Eddie and Lou, jumps toward the window. Chief Wiggum opens fire, the hair is riddled with bullets and is thus used as a blanket by Maggie. The story closes with Chief Wiggum remarking, "That's what I call a bad hair day!"

The Terror of Tiny Toon[edit]

The Terror of Tiny Toon

Marge forbids Bart and Lisa from watching the Itchy and Scratchy Halloween special, even going to the lengths of taking the batteries out of the remote control. They refuse to go trick-or-treating with Marge as Homer is dressed as a hobo and Maggie is dressed as a pirate. But when Marge goes, Bart finds a small piece of highly unstable plutonium in Homer's toolbox and hammers it into the remote's battery slot. When they use the remote, the kids actually enter the world of Itchy and Scratchy. They watch Itchy decapitate Scratchy when he trick or treats at his house and use his head in the manner of a Jack-o-lantern. While the two laugh, Scratchy's head asks why Bart and Lisa are laughing to which Itchy replies they are laughing at his misfortune. Scratchy re-attaches his head to his body, declares what the duo did was mean, and forms a partnership with Itchy to "teach them a lesson". They throw deadly objects at Bart and Lisa. As they try to escape, the hated character Poochie (voiced again by Homer Simpson) passes by, but he is run down by their car. They escape from the car, and wind up on Live with Regis and Kathie Lee in a pot of soup because Homer changed the channel. Bart and Lisa return to Itchy and Scratchy's house when he changes the channel back. Lisa urges Homer to press the "exit" button, which gets her and Bart (whose body was devoured from the neck down by piranhas, leaving only his skeleton) out of the TV. She presses the "rewind" button on the remote to restore Bart's flesh, but unfortunately, Itchy and Scratchy also escape much to the family's horror while Homer decides to make Itchy a pet, and Snowball II falls in love with Scratchy. However, Marge decides to neuter him, which horrifies Scratchy.

Starship Poopers[edit]

Starship Poopers

On an ordinary day, Marge discovers Maggie's first baby tooth, which appears to be a sharp fang. Maggie later loses her "baby legs" and grows green tentacles. Marge decides to take her to Dr. Hibbert, who prescribes "Fire, and lots of it!" after Maggie crunches his equipment with her fang. At home, it is found Maggie can contact somebody by sucking extra-rapidly on her pacifier, which appears to be the aliens, Kang and Kodos. They arrive at the Simpson house, coming to retrieve Maggie. Marge reveals Kang is Maggie's real father and retells the story: Kang and Kodos abducted her while she was doing laundry, selecting Marge for a cross-breeding program. She says the aliens used mind-control techniques on her, by Kang pointing and saying "Look behind you!" before zapping her with an insemination ray. She recalls nine months after the abduction, Maggie was born. Kang and Kodos demand the Simpsons give Maggie to them and Homer and Kang start to fight over Maggie until Bart stops them and suggests there can be only one way to solve the problem: let the Simpsons appear on The Jerry Springer Show, with Homer and Kang continuing to fight it out. When they appear to discuss things, Kang uses his ray gun to vaporize an annoying audience for criticizing him. During Jerry's "final thought", Maggie attacks Jerry and kills him while Homer and Kang resume fighting.

Kang and Kodos now threaten to kill every American politician unless the Simpsons give Maggie to them. Marge and the Simpsons slyly imply the aliens couldn't possibly kill every politician, Kang and Kodos fly off to do so, and Bart reminds them not to forget Ken Starr. Just when they're about to leave, Maggie says in Kang's voice that she will drive, and laughs diabolically before stating that she needs children's blood as the credits begin.

Production[edit]

  • This was the first Simpson episode created without the characters painted on celluloid, from then until part of the fifteenth season all hand drawn character animation was put through a computer, colored there, and put directly on the film, Today every Simpson episode is put through the digital process. Background animation and all!
  • The original version of "Hell Toupee" was supposed to have Troy McClure host Snake's execution, but since the voice of Troy McClure, Phil Hartman, was murdered, the entire sequence was redone with Ed McMahon as the host, with McClure's usual introduction reworked for McMahon ("Hi, I'm Ed McMahon. Tonight on Fox, from the producers of 'When Skirts Fall Off', and 'Secrets of National Security Revealed'..."). The Troy McClure version has never been aired on TV.
  • This episode was the first episode opening to feature Homer actually being hit by Marge's car. The updated opening starting with Season 20 began showing Homer being hit by Marge's car (though obviously without him being killed.)

Reception[edit]

Composer Alf Clausen was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series in the 51st Primetime Emmy Awards for "Treehouse of Horror IX". However, it lost to "Final Mission" from Invasion America.[1]

References[edit]


The Saga of Carl - title screen.png Wikisimpsons has a collection of images related to "Treehouse of Horror IX".
Season 10 Episodes
Lard of the Dance The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace Bart the Mother Treehouse of Horror IX When You Dish Upon a Star D'oh-in' in the Wind Lisa Gets an "A" Homer Simpson in: "Kidney Trouble" Mayored to the Mob Viva Ned Flanders Wild Barts Can't Be Broken Sunday, Cruddy Sunday Homer to the Max I'm with Cupid Marge Simpson in: "Screaming Yellow Honkers" Make Room for Lisa Maximum Homerdrive Simpsons Bible Stories Mom and Pop Art The Old Man and the "C" Student Monty Can't Buy Me Love They Saved Lisa's Brain Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo