Summary
AlthoughThe Simpsonsmay struggle to maintain the show’s improved critical standing, one piece of news from the show’sComic-Conpanel is great for its future.The Simpsons season 36seems likely to be a major departure for the series.The Simpsonshas been on the air for over 34 years and has aired over 760 episodes in that time, so it is fair to say that the show’s formula seems set in stone. Despite this, seasons 34 and 35 featured some surprisingly big changes to the series, and these changes went beyondThe Simpsons’ usual retcons.
As YouTuberSuperEyepatchWolfnoted,The Simpsonsseasons 30-33 prioritized zany cartoonishness and a higher number of gags over character-driven comedy. In contrast, seasons 34 and 35 drastically dropped the number of jokes featured in a given episode, allowing the show to devote more attention to its characters and the dynamics between them. This resulted in critics online claiming thatThe Simpsonswas finally good again, or at least closer in tone to its Golden Age than its divisive later seasons.The Simpsonsseason 36 promises more surprises, with the series premiere implying the characters might start to age.
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The Simpsons Season 36 Includes A Treehouse of Horror Presents Episode
The Upcoming Season Will Parody Three Classic Ray Bradbury Stories
However, the most exciting news about season 36 came fromThe Simpsonspanel at San Diego Comic-Con 2024. There,The Simpsonscreators revealed that season 36 would include a Treehouse of Horror Presents tribute to the work of Ray Bradbury, something the show has only attempted once before. Season 34, episode 5, “Not IT,” was a full-episode parody of Stephen King’s famous horror novelITand its movie and television adaptations. This ambitious outing may soon be bested by “Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes,” a tribute to the legendary actor Bradbury that parodies three of his famous stories.
“Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes” proves that the Treehouse of Horror Presents banner could become a regular fixture in the series.
On the face of it, this episode’s announcement was always going to be exciting. Bradbury is one of the most influential genre authors of the twentieth century, and he even penned some ofThe Twilight Zoneepisodes that early Treehouse of Horror outings parodied. However, it is thechanges toThe Simpsonsformulathat make this announcement truly great. While “Not IT” was an exciting one-off experiment that stood out as one of season 34’s strongest episodes, “Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes” proves that the Treehouse of Horror Presents banner could become a regular fixture in the series.
The Simpsons Season 34’s Stephen King Spoof Broke The Show’s Rules
The Season Was The First To Include Two Treehouse of Horror Episodes
What made “Not IT” so notable was not just its clever parody of King’s work and the inventive waysThe Simpsonsused its existing cast as stand-ins forIT’s heroes. It was the revelation thatThe Simpsonscan successfully change its formula even after so many years on the air that made this episode a season 34 standout.The Simpsonsbroke its own rules with “Not IT” as the series had never included two Treehouse of Horror episodes in one season before, and this gamble paid off when the episode received stellar reviews. Now, the show can repeat this feat.
The Simpsons’ future-set episodes prove that the show has always excelled when it changes its formula.
“Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes” has a harder job since the series will be spoofing an author whose work has been out of the limelight for some time. In contrast, King’sITwas adapted into a billion-dollar franchise only three years before “Not IT” arrived on screens. That said, this shouldn’t deter the show’s creators.The Simpsons’ future-set episodesprove that the show has always excelled when it changes its formula and tries out risky formal experiments. Meanwhile, the fact thatRick and Mortyparodied Bradbury years earlier makesThe Simpsonsseason 36’s success more likely.
The Simpsons Needs To Change Its Formula
Seasons 34 and 35 Gained Acclaim By Taking Formal Risks
After years of stagnation,seasons 34 and 35 ofThe Simpsonsproved that the show still had fresh ideas when it came to its formula. This was evidenced not just by season 34’s two Treehouse of Horror episodes (which were among the outing’s best), but also by other formally experimental episodes like season 34, episode 3, ”Lisa the Boy Scout.” This bizarrely meta episode not only acknowledged thatThe Simpsonswas a TV show but also made light of its critical decline and its place in pop culture history. Season 34, episode 6, “Treehouse of Horror XXXIII,” pulled off something similar.
In this outing’s final segment, the eponymous Springfield family finds themselves stranded in a theme park that is dedicated to all thingsThe Simpsons. They encounter fans of the show, recreate famous scenes, and address the many memes thatThe Simpsonshas spawned throughout its existence. WhileThe Simpsonshas been replacedas both TV’s edgiest cartoon comedy and the medium’s sweetest animated sitcom, this segment proved that the show has one thing over its competitors.The Simpsonsis part of cultural history and, since the show is still on the air, the series can comment on its meta-impact.
Early on in its history, the Treehouse of Horror episodes were the firstSimpsonsoutings to split their runtime into shorter subplots.
The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror Is An Ideal Conduit For Experimentation
The Long-Running Show Shines When The Simpsons Changes Its Rules
The reason that season 36’s Treehouse of Horror Presents episode is so exciting is becauseThe Simpsons has always used its annual Halloween specials to push the envelope and experiment. Early on in its history, the Treehouse of Horror episodes were the firstSimpsonsoutings to split their runtime into shorter subplots. This format was eventually adopted by the series more broadly as, from seasons 10 and 11 onward, the first act of a given episode would often be a self-contained story. In its Golden Age,The Simpsonsused the Treehouse of Horror banner to push censorship boundaries.
WhileThe Simpsonshas retconned character deaths, the show is usually slow to kill off even minor supporting characters. This changes with each year’s Treehouse of Horror special since these Halloween outings allow the creators to let loose without fear of canon inconsistencies. This results in gorier, stranger episodes that embrace riskier storytelling strategies. In season 7, episode 6, “Treehouse of Horror VI,”The Simpsonseven utilized 3D animation at a time when it was still cutting-edge technology. This willingness to shake up the show’s format proves thatThe Simpsons' Treehouse of Horror episodes are vital to its success.
