[4.9/10 on a post-classic Simpsons scale] Ouch. This one is rough. Even the opening, which is normally a lay-up, feels like a miss given the nigh-instantly dated nature of the DVR gags. (Man, there were a lot of those around this era of The Simpsons, just like the stretch when they had a ton of iPod gags for some reason).
The first full segment, where Bart and Milhouse turn Springfield into a world of killer board games, was the best of the three. That’s not saying much, but what’s funny is that I remember disliking the segment when I watched this live. It’s still not much to write home about -- just a grab bag of gags about board games -- but the show has some fun with them and comes up with creative ways to mix and match the oeuvre of Milton Bradley and the Parker Bros. It also has the most creative kills in the episode, which counts for something.
The middle segment, a boatside murder mystery type deal, is one of the worst Treehouse of Horror segments I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen ‘em all. It’s not scary. It’s not funny. The plot makes no sense. The twists make no sense. The character choices make no sense. They waste the considerable talent of Hugh Laurie. Homer is the worst. Marge isn’t much better. It’s just the pits.
The final segment, a parody of Twilight, isn’t much better. When the episode is actually spoofing Twilight -- from the vehicle crashes to the “We’ll travel like bats -- by jumping” line, to the instant stupid love between Lisa and her Robert Pattison-resembling beau -- it’s alright. It’s hardly the most creative or incisive takedown of Stephenie Meyer, but it’s perfectly acceptable spoofing. But when it turns into a Romeo and Juliet story with Homer vs. Dracula, it just falls off a cliff, with nary a good joke and tons of bottom of the barrel story choices, the lamest of which is the vampires dying of cholesterol after biting Homer.
Overall, this is one of the worst Treehouse of Horror episodes, with two out of three segments, and an opener, that are just plain bad. Only the first segment bolsters this one, and it’s the only part of this one that’s genuinely worth watching, even if you’re a fan of Hugh Laurie and Daniel Radcliffe.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2020-10-09T01:21:27Z
[4.9/10 on a post-classic Simpsons scale] Ouch. This one is rough. Even the opening, which is normally a lay-up, feels like a miss given the nigh-instantly dated nature of the DVR gags. (Man, there were a lot of those around this era of The Simpsons, just like the stretch when they had a ton of iPod gags for some reason).
The first full segment, where Bart and Milhouse turn Springfield into a world of killer board games, was the best of the three. That’s not saying much, but what’s funny is that I remember disliking the segment when I watched this live. It’s still not much to write home about -- just a grab bag of gags about board games -- but the show has some fun with them and comes up with creative ways to mix and match the oeuvre of Milton Bradley and the Parker Bros. It also has the most creative kills in the episode, which counts for something.
The middle segment, a boatside murder mystery type deal, is one of the worst Treehouse of Horror segments I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen ‘em all. It’s not scary. It’s not funny. The plot makes no sense. The twists make no sense. The character choices make no sense. They waste the considerable talent of Hugh Laurie. Homer is the worst. Marge isn’t much better. It’s just the pits.
The final segment, a parody of Twilight, isn’t much better. When the episode is actually spoofing Twilight -- from the vehicle crashes to the “We’ll travel like bats -- by jumping” line, to the instant stupid love between Lisa and her Robert Pattison-resembling beau -- it’s alright. It’s hardly the most creative or incisive takedown of Stephenie Meyer, but it’s perfectly acceptable spoofing. But when it turns into a Romeo and Juliet story with Homer vs. Dracula, it just falls off a cliff, with nary a good joke and tons of bottom of the barrel story choices, the lamest of which is the vampires dying of cholesterol after biting Homer.
Overall, this is one of the worst Treehouse of Horror episodes, with two out of three segments, and an opener, that are just plain bad. Only the first segment bolsters this one, and it’s the only part of this one that’s genuinely worth watching, even if you’re a fan of Hugh Laurie and Daniel Radcliffe.