Treehouse of Horror XI

Plot

The opening sequence parodies The Munsters, with the Simpsons as the Munster family. An angry mob attacks them, staking Marge and Grampa, setting Homer on fire, and placing a bear trap on Bart's head; Lisa walks away unharmed. Homer's horoscope predicts his death that day. He narrowly escapes several accidents but is ultimately killed by a piece of broccoli.

In Heaven, St. Peter tells Homer he never did a good deed and must perform one within 24 hours, reduced to 23 hours when he re-eats the broccoli and re-dies. With one minute left, he saves a baby in a runaway stroller. St. Peter, distracted by a newspaper, did not see the deed, so Homer is sent to Hell. Satan puts Homer in a headlock and gives him a noogie for eternity, telling him to be quiet or he will wake John Wayne.

In a fairy tale setting, the Simpsons live in a pumpkin cottage. Homer, having lost his job as village oaf, abandons Bart and Lisa in the woods. Marge sends him to find them.

Production

Matthew Nastuk directed the episode. Rob LaZebnik wrote G-G-Ghost D-D-Dad, with the idea from show runner Mike Scully; it was LaZebnik's first writing credit for the series. John Frink and Don Payne wrote Scary Tales Can Come True, their second writing credit after Insane Clown Poppy, though that episode did not air later in the season; the segment was another writer's idea.

Carolyn Omine wrote Night of the Dolphin, conceived as a tribute to dolphins, the friendliest animal. Omine pitched the dolphins' walking method to Nastuk. King Dolphin's voice is Harry Shearer's normal voice.

Two deleted scenes appear on the DVD: Dr. Hibbert fighting with hypodermics and Moe putting a gas tube down a dolphin's blow hole. A scene with Kang and Kodos was included but mentioned only at the episode's conclusion. Elements of Night of the Dolphin were used in The Simpsons Game.

Cultural references

The episode opens with a spoof of The Munsters. The segment "Scary Tales Can Come True" is a take on Grimm's Fairy Tales, and includes a baby stroller tumbling down stairs that echoes a moment from Battleship Potemkin.

In "Night of the Dolphin," Snorky leaping from a water park into the ocean mimics Free Willy, while Lenny’s death during a nighttime swim copies the start of Jaws. The dolphins gathering outside the town meeting reference The Birds, and the segment’s title and story are based on Day of the Dolphin. A witch looking at a cauldron and saying "George... George Cauldron" parodies Jan from The Brady Bunch saying "George... George Glass."

Reception

The episode received generally positive reviews. Matt Haigh of Den of Geek called it one of the funniest Halloween episodes.

Matt Groening cited the third segment as a personal favorite. Colin Jacobson of DVD Movie Guide gave a positive review, noting that none of the segments excel but none flop, and praised the reference to glory holes. Mac McEntire of DVD Verdict said the greatest moment was Snorky...mad.