Difference between revisions of "Treehouse of Horror XVI"

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"Treehouse of Horror XVI" was the fourth episode of the seventeenth season of The Simpsons, as well as the sixteenth Halloween episode. The episode aired six days after Halloween.

This is one of several Simpsons episodes which are considered anthology episodes that features mini-stories.

Synopsis

Opening segment

In the opening, using an accelerator-beam, Kang and Kodos hope to speed up a World Series baseball game to air The Simpsons. Things later go sour, and the baseball stadium is drawn in to a specific point where the gravity is high. Afterwards the stadiums' surroundings are drawn into this point and then the whole city of Springfield, then Earth's oceans, the whole Earth, the solar system, numerous galaxies and finally God is drawn into this singularity, a form of a Big Crunch. Kodos says to Kang, "Smooth move, space-lax! You've destroyed the totality of existence." Kang replies, "It will be fine. I'll just leave a note." The note is yellow says: "Treehouse of Horror XVI" in blood.

B.I.: Bartificial Intelligence

In a parody of the film A.I.: Artificial Intelligence, Bart ends up in a coma after attempting to jump from the roof to the swimming pool at Spinster Arms Apartments. In an effort to cope with the loss of their boy, the family takes in a robotic boy, named David, who quickly proves to be a better son. Later, Bart is found to be alive. He escapes from the hospital and seeks to plot revenge on David, and in the end, he cuts both Homer and David in half. Eventually, Homer, who no longer has his legs, now has to be fused with David's legs.

Survival of the Fattest

In a parody of The Most Dangerous Game; Homer, Lenny, Carl, and the rest of the gang come to Mr. Burns' mansion to go hunting. Unbeknownst to them, they are the prey to be hunted. Homer manages to survive the night as his friends are killed, but Burns closes in on him. Just as he is about to shoot, Burns and Smithers are both knocked out with frying pans by Marge, who then hits Homer for being away from home for eighteen hours and not calling.

I've Grown a Costume on Your Face

The citizens of Springfield dress in their Halloween costumes for a costume contest. A wicked witch also entered, and won. But after revealing that she isn't wearing a costume, and is really a witch, she is disqualified and her prize is taken away, and in revenge, turns everyone into the actual characters that their costumes are. The only person who can reverse the spell is Maggie, who was actually dressed as a witch, and now really is one. Unfortunately, Maggie turns the people of Springfield, including guest star Dennis Rodman, into pacifiers with their normal heads.

Trivia

• The episode is very similar to the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode "Halloween", in which most of the residents of Sunnydale don cursed costumes that transform them into what they are dressed as. It is also similar to the classic Twilight Zone episode The Masks in which four greedy heirs are turned into monsters by the hideous masks each wears at their benefactor's behest, Halloweentown, and The Fairly OddParents Halloween special ("Scary GodParents") in which Timmy wishes that everybody's Halloween costumes were real. The episode is also similar to an issue of the Simpson Comic Bartman, in which an Itchy and Scratchy brought to life through alien technology create a nuclear explosion which turns the Simpsons into costumed superhroes.
• Among the costumes in "I've Grown a Costume on Your Face":
  • Lisa: Albert Einstein
  • Marge: a skeleton
  • Maggie: a witch
  • Martin: Oberon, king of the fairies, from A Midsummer's Night Dream
  • Willie: a bug spray can
  • Homer: a decapitated man
  • Hans Moleman: a mole, even though he didn't dress as one
  • Bart: werewolf
  • Apu: R2-D2
  • Dr. Hibbert: Dracula (Mistaken for Blacula by Mayor Quimby)
  • Milhouse: a bulldozer
  • Ned: a flower (which looks somewhat like Bob the Angry Flower)
  • Nelson: the Lone Ranger, but everyone (including the witch) thinks he is a raccoon
  • Mayor Quimby: Mayor McCheese
  • Grandpa: a gorilla
  • Sideshow Mel: Spider-Man
  • Wiggum: Jared Fogle
  • Sea Captain: Poseidon (he played Poseidon in "Tales from the Public Domain")
  • Lenny: prison inmate
  • Carl: mummy
  • Skinner: G.I. Joe
  • Agnes: Southern belle
  • Patty: horse's anus
  • Selma: horse's head
  • Gil: a ghost
  • Barney: Frankenstein's monster
  • Moe: Hugh Hefner
  • Disco Stu: Steve Martin
  • Jasper: Scarecrow from The Wizard of Oz
  • Professor Frink: caveman
  • Bumblebee Man: Bumblebee (quite obvious) (if you can't find him, he's the one who gets 'obsessed' with Flanders).
  • Other costumes include an Imperial Scout Trooper.

Cultural References

• The first segment is a parody of A.I.: Artificial Intelligence.
• The end of the first segment concludes with a short parody of The Exorcist featuring a possessed Homer.
• The song featured during Bart's jealousy segment is "New Kid in Town" by The Eagles
• The second segment is a parody of The Most Dangerous Game, a 1923 short story by Richard Edward Connell.
• The title "I've Grown a Costume to your Face" is a reference to the song "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face" from My Fair Lady. It is also an allusion to a song that Bart and Sideshow Bob sing in Bart's room in the episode "The Great Louse Detective", Season 14.
• In the beginning segment, Kang and Kodos wonder if by speeding up time, maybe the Chicago Cubs can actually win the World Series. As of 2005, it has been 97 years since that club's last World Series title, and 60 years since their last Series appearance.
• "B.I.: Bartificial Intelligence" spoofs the music video for the Herbie Hancock song, "Rockit." In the scene where Bart meets the group of robots in the woods, that song is played accompanied by a walking pair of robot legs that were featured in the video.
• After all of Springfield's citizens are turned into real-life versions of their costumes, Mayor Quimby as Mayor McCheese says while being licked at by dogs quotes "I am not a happy meal right now" which is a reference to the McDonald's happy meals.
• At the end of "I've Grown a Costume to your Face", Maggie the witch flies up to the moon to the theme music of Bewitched, the animation is also very similar to the Bewitched title animation.

Quotes

Opening Segment

• Sports Announcer: It's the sixth game in the world series, and the current highlights is a cloud shaped like a giraffe that floated by during the rain delay. And look at that. The batter just called time out again! Let's look in the stands with the player's wives. Oh what do you know! They're talking on cell phones. No doubt complaining about the good life.
  Kang: This is the most boring game in all the universe!
  Kodos: And with all those steroids they take they look like freaks!
  Both: Freaks! Freaks! Freaks! (A small minuture version of Kodos' head appears on Kodos' neck)
  Mini Kodos: Freaks! Freaks! (Kodos bites it off and eats it.)

• Kang: If we don't speed this game up, the Simpsons' Halloween Special will not air until Administrative Professionals' Day!
  Kodos: Speaking of which, we must remember to get Dorothy something. (holds up a framed picture of Kang and Kodos with an attractive woman)

• Kang: The boredom is excruciating! Fire the Accele-Ray!
  (the flying saucer then fires the Accele-Ray at Earth, which causes the game to go faster)
  Announcer: Strike out, left field. And some kind of Accele-Ray has bathed the stadium in an eerie green glow.
  Kang: It's still boring! Faster!
  Kodos: But the fabric of the universe itself may shatter!
  Kang: Good! Only then could the Cubs will finally win!

B.I.: Bartificial Intelligent

• Homer: Yeah, a robot son will be great. We can confuse him and make his head explode! (robot voice) This statement is a lie. But if it's a lie, then it must be true! And if it's true, it must be... Woop, woop, woop! KA-BOOM!
  Dr. Hibbert: And a robot would keep your mind off your dead son.
  Marge: I thought he was in a coma!
  Dr. Hibbert: They're pretty much the same thing except this way I get to keep billing you!
  Marge: You already said that!
  Dr. Hibbert: Well you didn't laugh the first time!

• Homer: Now, I'm a man who likes to strangle his son...
  Sarcastic Man: Go ahead.
  Homer: WHY YOU METAL!! (begins strangling David) Wow! The windpipe is so responsive!

• David: Bart, we can be friends.
  Bart: Eat my shorts!
  David: I will comply.
  (David eats Barts shorts and then processes them into a teddy bear for Maggie)
  Homer (taking off his pants): Make me a kitty!

• Bart-tron: I'm home!
  Marge: You told me he was at culinary school.
  Homer: You wanted to believe the lie!

• Bart-tron: Time to destroy the one who did this to me!
  David: To get me, you will have to go through your fath...
  (David holds up Homer...and Bart slices them both)
  Homer (After being cut in half): Oh, those were my good pants!

• Homer: This stinks! I've got stubby little robot legs and an ass that's not equipped for an adult diet! (The robot legs break and Homer falls over)
  Lisa: Dad, dad, dad! You're not a robot! (Homer wakes up to find he's in bed and the whole family is next to him) You're just possessed by the devil.
  Priest: The power of Christ compels thee! (Throws a drop of holy water on Homer's head. Homer goes insane and his head keeps rotating as he climbs the wall and onto the ceiling)
  Marge: I'll call work and tell them he can't make it.
  Homer: Woo-hoo! (Falls onto the bed on his belly with his head pointing to the ceiling) He, he, he. Suckers.

Survival of the Fattest

• Burns' invitation: Mr. Burns is inviting you to a hunting party. (sinister laugh)

• Lisa: Don't accept this invitation dad. Hunting is cruel!
  Homer: Lisa, animals don't feel death. That was proven by the scientists at Black Angus!
  Bart: No fair! Dad gets to kill wild animals, but I shoot one bird and I have to go to a psychiatrist!
  Marge: He still thinks that hobo was a bird.

• Burns: Now, since I am so kind, I will give you a five minutes' head-start. You may commence running!
  Comic Book Guy: Five minutes of running? Just shoot me now! (Burns does so)
  Burns: Well, that broke the ice. Whoever lives to noon tomorrow shall win his freedom!
  Pasty-faced Lawyer: Excuse me. What gives you the right to do this?
  Burns: You tell me. You are my lawyer.
  Lawyer: Well, you are zoned for hunting and you claim killing humans is part of your religion. I think I can write something up. (cut to the Lawyer on a typewriter) There. This should work in just about any courtroom.
  Burns: Excellent. (kills the lawyer)
• Burns: I smell fear, mixed with curry.

• Apu (after getting shot by Burns): Ah,you got me. But I shall be reincarnated. (dies, then a rabbit with Apu's face appears)
  Rabbit Apu: Ha, ha! You can't kill a Hindu! (his foreleg gets caught in a bear trap) Ah! Help me Jesus!

• Shows Homer running away from Burns while Burns is shooting him. A TV show logo appears.
  Logo: "The World Series of Manslaughter"
  TV Announcer: You're watching the World Sseries of Manslaughter! The most violent spectacle since the Hip-Hop image awards! (Shows Lisa and Marge watching TV)
  Lisa: Mom! Mr. Burns is going to kill Dad!
  Marge: I should have known something was wrong when we got this week's TV guide. (Holds up the TV guide with a picture of Homer running away from Burns.)
  TV Guide: Must Flee TV.

• TV Announcer: And here with his take on tonight's bloodthirsty action, here's guest Terry Bradshaw. Terry.
  Terry Bradshaw: Well conventional wisdom says "Good fleeing will always mean good chasing" BUT the stats say "Put your money on the guy with the gun"! (Shows Krusty being chased by Burns in the background and gets shot)
  Krusty: Dying is just like golfing, except in golf- (Burns keeps shooting Krusty)
  Terry Bradshaw: Aw, you hate to see that. That's the kind of showboating that'll put people off this sport!

• Moe (impaled on a weathervane): Well, since I'm about to die, I might as well scratch off that lottery ticket I bought. (does so) Instant winner? One million dollars!? Boy, if I ever get out alive... (gets crushed by Wiggum)

• Lenny (after getting shot by Burns' plane): Carl, I see Heaven.
  Carl: What does it look like?
  (we then see Lenny's vision: a Heaven with thousands of angels who look like Carl)
  Carl angels: Hurry up, Lenny. We'll be late for work at the plant! (Lenny dies happily)

I've Grown a Costume on Your Face

• Apu: Sucker! 25 dollars won't buy you a Balance bar! I exaggerate, but my prices are very high.

• Mayor Quimby: And our finalist, Blacula.
  Dr. Hibbert: Good lord! Just because I'm black and I'm dressed as Dracula that makes me Blacula? My wife told me not to go as Dracula but I say "Bernice, we live the 21st century times have changed".
  Quimby (to bodyguard): Get him the standard racial apology letter. It's in the middle drawer.

• Mayor Quimby (to the witch): Now, which one of our beloved regulars are you? Lindsey Naegle? Helen Lovejoy? Old Jewish Man?
  Old Jewish Man: No, I'm here. I'm dressed as my brother Irving. Everyday I miss him.
  Witch: Well, this is kind of awkward, because I'm not wearing a costume. I'm a real witch! (Everybody gasps)
  Carl: Wait a minute. That's cheating!
  Sideshow Mel: Burn her! (Pauses) ...gift certificate!

• Witch: Good luck getting your deposits back on those costumes!

• Grandpa: Look at me! I'm a hip, young, strapping gorilla! (Starts swinging from the telephone wires, but misses one wire and falls down, hurting himself. Dr. Dracula appears)
  Dr. Dracula: Off we go to the gorilla hospital. (they fly off)
  Grandpa: That's it, suck the poison out. Hey wait. Aaaaaah!

• Disco Stu (who went as Steve Martin): Disco Stu wishes he'd gone as Marilyn McCoo.

• Mayor Quimby McCheese: (Being eaten by the dogs) I am not a Happy Meal right now.

• Lisa Einstein (German accent): Ach! Zer must be some way out of zis verdammten spell.
  Marge: Lisa, you think you can check on your father?
  Lisa: Oh, zat is an excellent use of a genius brain, to look after an idiot head.

• Apu-D2: As for Apu-D2, I can go both ways. Beep, boop, beep, click, click.

• Moe (after being turned into a giant pacifier): Eh. It's still better than being Moe.

• Moe (to viewers): I hope you had as much fun watchin' this as the Koreans had animatin' it.

• Moe: Dennis Rodman! What are you doing here?
  Dennis Rodman: Working off a speeding ticket.

Broadcasting Information

USA/Canada

• 1st Airdate: Sunday, November 6, 2005
• 2nd Airdate: Sunday, February 5, 2006

UK

• 1st Airdate: Sunday, December 18, 2005
• 2nd Airdate: Friday, December 23, 2005 (Encore Screening)
• 3rd Airdate: Saturday, April 22, 2006
• 4th Airdate: Tuesday, June 6, 2006
• 5th Airdate: Friday, August 4, 2006
• 6th Airdate: Saturday, August 26, 2006

Australia

• 1st Airdate: Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Brazil

• 1st Airdate: Sunday, August 6, 2006