Halloween episodes and specials are a staple in television. From as far back as 1966’s It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown special to modern Halloween episodes of Community and Bob’s Burgers, everyone wants to get in on the spooky season. But few shows have done Halloween better than The Simpsons’ yearly Treehouse of Horror specials. For over three decades, The Simpsons have released an episode each year that parodies popular science-fiction, supernatural, or horror films, each episode split into three different segments.

Starting back in 1990 with a take on “The Raven”, a famous Edgar Allen Poe story, the Treehouse of Horror special has brought laughs and terror with every installment. As time has gone on, though, the yearly segments have shifted towards more modern, less scary stories, like a parody of Stranger Things and The Shape of Water in 2019’s episode. Fans shouldn’t be fooled by these lighter, more fantastical renditions of Treehouse of Horror, though. When the special was starting out, its episodes were terrifying, with some writers believing that they may have gone too far in places. There were some legitimately scary segments in those early years.

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“Dial Z for Zombies” (Treehouse of Horror III)

This 1992 outing of Treehouse of Horror uses a classic spooky character: zombies. After finding a book on the occult at school, Bart tries to resurrect Snowball I, the family’s dead cat. Instead of bringing back a furry friend, he accidentally reanimates all of the corpses in the Springfield Cemetery. Soon the whole town is affected by the outbreak, some turning into brain-eaters as well. Lisa is able to reverse the damage, but not before viewers are treated to some fan-favorite characters spreading terror.

“Night of The Dolphin” (Treehouse of Horror XI)

In an attempt to free a dolphin named Snorky from Marine World, Lisa instead causes an all-out war between the aquatic mammals and the town of Springfield. While dolphins are usually seen as adorable creatures, The Simpsons make them absolutely terrifying, some seen impaling citizens of the town and one swallowing Grampa Simpson whole.

“Clown Without Pity” (Treehouse of Horror III)

Fans afraid of clowns and creepy dolls should steer clear of this segment. Forgetting Bart’s birthday, Homer runs out at the last minute to get him a Krusty the Clown doll from House of Evil. While the doll appears sweet and ordinary to the family, it is secretly trying to kill Homer. Homer thinks he’s finally gotten rid of the demonic doll after dumping him in a pit trapped inside a suitcase, only for Krusty to meet him at home and attempt to strangle him. Marge sees and calls the doll’s manufacturer, learning that Krusty’s Evil setting was on. Simple in premise, “Clown Without Pity” taps into the horror of dolls coming to life and attacking their owners — perfect nightmare fuel at any age.

“Terror at 5 1/2 Feet” (Treehouse of Horror IV)

This segment takes inspiration from the famous Twilight Zone episode "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet." After having a nightmare about his school bus crashing, Bart spots a gremlin on the side of the bus the next morning. He panics, trying to get anyone’s attention, but no one wants to believe him, even while the creature begins to tear wheels off. Bart eventually leans out of the bus to throw a flare at the gremlin but damages the bus in the process. He’s sent to an asylum but finally feels safe — that is until the gremlin shows up a final time holding Ned Flander’s severed head.

“Nightmare Cafeteria” (Treehouse of Horror V)

This last piece of the fifth Treehouse of Horror episode is an homage to the 1973 film Soylent Green. There’s a surplus of kids in detention at Springfield Elementary, Bart included. After the numbers begin to flow into the cafeteria and Principal Skinner learns that budget cuts have brought Grade F meat into the cafeteria, he proposes a solution — eat the troublemaking children. What ensues is black comedy turn horror as children are picked off one by one and served in dishes with eerily similar names to classmates like “Sloppy Jimbo.”

Lisa and Bart are eventually the last kids standing, chased down a hallway by a bloodied lunch lady wielding an eggbeater. Seconds after being dropped into a food processor, Bart wakes up to learn that it was all a bad dream, only to be turned inside out by a mysterious fog rolling into town. The episode ends in a creepy musical number with all participants’ organs on full display. Besides its scare factor, “Nightmare Cafeteria” is regarded as one of the most graphic segments of Treehouse of Horror because of its heavy use of blood and gore.

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