The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror XXXVII Review — Decent Halloween Special Falls Short of Last Week's High

The Simpsons' annual Halloween tradition continues with Treehouse of Horror XXXVII, the 37th installment of the long-running anthology series that aired as part of Season 38. After last week's surprising full-length special "Treehouse of Horror Presents: The Revengening" raised the bar considerably, this episode returns to the classic three-segment formula that has defined the franchise for decades. The result is a perfectly serviceable Halloween outing that entertains without ever reaching the heights of the series' most memorable entries. For longtime viewers, the contrast between these back-to-back episodes highlights an ongoing creative tension in how the show approaches its most anticipated annual event.

The episode's main weakness stems directly from its scheduling position. As the reviewer noted,

"Its main flaw is in being a just plain decent episode in the immediate aftermath of the much superior 'Treehouse of Horror Presents: The Revengening.'"

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Last week's special dedicated its entire runtime to a single cohesive narrative involving Homer and a slasher villain with a secret identity, allowing for deeper character work and sustained tension. By reverting to the traditional format of an introductory sequence followed by three disconnected shorts, Treehouse of Horror XXXVII feels like a step backward despite containing no genuinely bad material. The reviewer argued that

"the series really ought to consider switching to the full-length episode format more permanently,"

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a sentiment that gains weight when comparing the two episodes side by side.

Three Segments, No Standouts

The episode opens with a claymation intro parodying The Nightmare Before Christmas, a visually distinctive choice that sets a playful tone before the first segment, "Bride's Shed Revisited." In this opening story, Marge assembles a backyard shed that randomly swaps out husbands, allowing her to cycle through Springfield's eligible bachelors. The segment culminates with Survivor host Jeff Probst appearing as one of Marge's potential mates, a surreal gag that works precisely because the episode establishes upfront — as Lisa reminds viewers in the intro — that these stories are "strictly non-canon." The freedom from continuity lets the writers indulge in absurdity without consequence, and Marge's pragmatic exploration of her options provides consistent amusement throughout the segment's runtime.

The second segment, "Dog Boy Afternoon," offers a loose parody of Pet Sematary that sees Homer accidentally kill both Santa's Little Helper and Bart, causing their corpses to switch brains. This body-swap premise generates reliable comedy, enhanced by a recurring gag where Homer drinks his way through morning and afternoon-themed liquor. The segment also pushes the show's typical boundaries with surprising gore, particularly in a scene where Homer is ripped apart by hungry dogs. These Halloween specials have historically used their non-canon status to justify violence beyond what regular episodes permit, and "Dog Boy Afternoon" takes advantage of that latitude effectively. The segment balances its darker imagery with enough absurdity to remain firmly in comedy territory rather than genuine horror.

The final segment, "Vehicular Dad Slaughter," jumps forward in time to feature teenage versions of Bart and Lisa discovering their father imprisoned in what the show calls "DMV training video limbo" by Patty and Selma. Writer Tim Long's decision to age the characters adds novelty to a premise that could have worked with the standard character models, and Patty and Selma function effectively as witchy antagonists. The segment benefits from spotlighting Julie Kavner's characters — Marge, Patty, and Selma — which emerges as a unifying theme across all three stories. This focus on the Simpson women represents a deliberate creative choice that pays off, particularly given the voice performance improvements discussed below.

Voice Work and Performance Quality

A notable development in recent seasons concerns Julie Kavner's vocal performance as Marge and her sisters. The reviewer acknowledged that

"Kavner's voice has deteriorated quite a bit over the years (granted, the same could be said for several cast members of this nearly 40-year-old sitcom),"

Reviewer

a candid observation about the physical toll of voicing these characters for nearly four decades. But the review highlights a meaningful improvement:

"whether through some sort of digital AI assistance or just plain effort on her part, that's another area the series has improved upon of late. Kavner's Marge sounds closer to her old self these days."

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This recovery, regardless of its cause, significantly elevates the segments that center Marge and her sisters, turning what could have been a liability into a strength for this particular episode.

The emphasis on Kavner's characters across all three segments — Marge in "Bride's Shed Revisited," the body-swapped Bart/Santa's Little Helper dynamic that still orbits the family unit in "Dog Boy Afternoon," and Patty and Selma as primary antagonists in "Vehicular Dad Slaughter" — creates a cohesive character focus that the anthology format often lacks. Rather than feeling like three completely disconnected stories that happen to share a framing device, these segments collectively explore the Simpson women at different life stages and in different roles. This thematic unity helps compensate for the absence of a single standout segment, giving the episode a sense of purpose beyond mere variety.

How It Stacks Up

When evaluated against the show's extensive Halloween catalog, Treehouse of Horror XXXVII occupies a middle tier — competent but not classic. The reviewer's assessment that

"none of these three segments are good enough to rival the all-time 'Treehouse of Horror' classics, but nor are there any stinkers this time"

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captures the episode's position precisely. The absence of weak material is itself an achievement given the franchise's history of uneven installments, but the lack of a truly memorable segment prevents it from joining the upper echelon. The ranking as "the second-best Halloween episode of Season 38" tells the real story: it's a solid entry diminished only by its proximity to a genuinely excellent one.

The comparison to "Treehouse of Horror Presents: The Revengening" proves unavoidable and instructive. Last week's full-length format allowed for narrative momentum, character development, and a mystery structure that the anthology format inherently resists. The three-segment approach prioritizes variety and joke density over narrative depth, and while this episode executes that approach well, the format itself imposes a ceiling on how impactful any individual story can become. The reviewer's suggestion that the series consider adopting the full-length format more permanently reflects a growing recognition that The Simpsons' Halloween specials may have outgrown their original structure after 37 years.

For viewers weighing whether to watch, the episode delivers exactly what its format promises: three competent, occasionally clever Halloween parodies with no duds among them. "Bride's Shed Revisited" offers the strongest conceptual hook, "Dog Boy Afternoon" provides the most visual imagination and boundary-pushing, and "Vehicular Dad Slaughter" closes on a character-driven note that rewards longtime familiarity with the ensemble. None will displace "The Shinning," "Time and Punishment," or "Nightmare Cafeteria" in the franchise's hall of fame, but all three justify their runtime. The episode earns its 7 out of 10 rating by clearing the baseline of competence while falling short of the inspiration that defines the series' best Halloween outings. Whether the franchise embraces the full-length experiment as a new standard or returns to the anthology well next year, Treehouse of Horror XXXVII stands as a reminder that even a decent Simpsons Halloween special remains better than most shows' best efforts — it just happens to air in a season where the bar was raised one week earlier.

Its main flaw is in being a just plain decent episode in the immediate aftermath of the much superior "Treehouse of Horror Presents: The Revengening.