The creators of The Simpsons decided to make Treehouse of Horror into a yearly event, and with Treehouse of Horror II they stepped up the humor level a bit. The mayhem level is still pretty tame here, but it’s still a lot of fun.

The writers were still trying to fit the stories into the continuity of the show, so like the first Treehouse, there are segments in-between the stories that show that they are just stories thought up by the show’s cast.

Lisa, Bart, and Homer are scarfing down candy, and Marge warns them that if they eat too much candy they will have nightmares. Of course, they do, and in turn the setup for the three Treehouse of Horror stories are made.

Lisa, being a fan of reading, dreams that Homer buys a monkey’s paw like in W.W. Jacobs’s short story The Monkey’s Paw. Like the story it is based on, the paw grants wishes, but the wishes come with a price. One wish seemingly brings the Simpsons fame and glory, and gives the writers the chance to poke fun of the huge Simpsons merchandise mania that was happening at the time. It’s this self-depreciating humor that makes me love The Simpsons so much.

Bart, being a fan of television, has a nightmare based on the Twilight Zone episode “It’s a Good Life”. He dreams that he has the power to read people’s minds as well as alter reality in any way he sees fit. People everywhere are scared of Bart’s powers, and will let him get away with anything for fear of what he might do to them. Of course, this is a dream come true for Bart, not a nightmare. The nightmare comes with the dream’s conclusion, and is really a funny, and true-to-character twist.

Homer’s nightmare is last, and has Homer fired from the Nuclear Plant for sleeping on the job. After getting a job as a grave digger and falling asleep on that job, Mr. Burns mistakes Homer for a corpse, and has Smithers drag his body to Burns’ laboratory. Homer’s brain is transplanted into a robot in an attempt to make the perfect employee. Of course, with Homer’s brain, all the robot wants to do is laze about and eat donuts. Like Bart’s dream, Homer as a robot would not be a nightmare for Homer, but the true nightmare comes at the end.

This Treehouse of Horror episode is funnier than the last, but it’s still pretty tame. The next Treehouse of Horror episode is where things start getting really good. Even so, Treehouse of Horror II is still worth the watch. :)