Treehouse of Horror XX/References

References/Trivia

Season 21 Episode References

←

444

445
"Treehouse of Horror XX"

446

Cultural references

The first segment is a pastiche of numerous Alfred Hitchcock films. The main plot derives from Strangers on a Train, where two men plot to kill off each others' enemies. When Lisa chases Bart, the title music from North by Northwest plays, while other elements of North by Northwest, Vertigo and other Hitchcock movies are included. Hitchcock himself is shown in a brief cameo stepping out of a bus.
The costumes the monsters from the opening segment wore were Frankenstein as SpongeBob SquarePants, the Werewolf as Harry Potter, Mummy as Captain Jack Sparrow, and Count Dracula as Iron Man.
The second segment is a parody of both 28 Days Later and Children of Men, in that a plague of pseudo zombies are ravaging the world, and that a child holds the key to mankind's salvation and must be protected at all costs.
The third segment is a parody of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
Hubert Wong is a reference to Amy Wong from Futurama. He looks similar to her and has the same last name. His first name is also a reference to Hubert Farnsworth.

This is the first Treehouse of Horror episode since "Treehouse of Horror X" to air in October.
The segment, "Don't Have a Cow Mankind", is the third time Springfield has been over run by zombies (the first two being Treehouse of Horror III and Treehouse of Horror XIII).
Even after turning into a Muncher, Homer is never seen trying to attack his family.
At the end of the second segment, Homer still hasn't been changed back to normal (Bart probably wanted Homer to stay that way.)
The ending song is the first time the main theme has been used for a song sung by the Simpsons

In the second segment, when Bart and Homer initially step outside and Homer blows their cover, Kirk Van Houten is seen in the back right of the muncher mob breaking down the front door to try to get to the Simpsons. Yet, when they make it to the safe zone, Mr. Van Houten is clearly seen in the front of the crowd before the Simpsons push themselves through. While it may be a goof, it could also be someone similar to him, though the physical features are astonishingly alike.
Ralph Wiggum is seen as a muncher eating his own arms. Yet he is seen happy and healthy at the end of the segment. Of course this could mean that Bart's immunity also doubles as a cure for the already infected. You can see Homer is still in his "muncher cage" behaving like a muncher.
In the first segment, Mrs. Krabappel goes into her apartment without unlocking her door.
After Homer becomes a muncher, the gun turns into a single barrel.
Also in the second segment, when Lisa gets her soup there are vegetables in it. In the next frame, the vegetables have disappeared.
In the third segment, before Kang and Kodos talk, the person sitting on the right of them disappears.

← Season 20 Season 21 References Season 22 →
Homer the Whopper • Bart Gets a "Z" • The Great Wife Hope • Treehouse of Horror XX • The Devil Wears Nada • Pranks and Greens • Rednecks and Broomsticks • Oh Brother, Where Bart Thou? • Thursdays with Abie • Once Upon a Time in Springfield • Million Dollar Maybe • Boy Meets Curl • The Color Yellow • Postcards from the Wedge • Stealing First Base • The Greatest Story Ever D'ohed • American History X-cellent • Chief of Hearts • The Squirt and the Whale • To Surveil with Love • Moe Letter Blues • The Bob Next Door • Judge Me Tender