16x01 Treehouse of Horror XV

[7.3/10 on a post-classic Simpsons scale] This episode is a case of diminishing returns, with each vignette being a little bit worse than the last. But regardless, Treehouse of Horror episodes are fun, and the light, continuity-free nature of these shows helps mask the deficiencies of The Simpsons in its post-classic years.

The opening segment is a little easy, but still enjoyable. Mashing up an alien abduction story with a cheesy 80s sitcom is more than enough to get laughs over the course of 90 seconds.

The first real vignette is the best, which features Ned Flanders getting the power to see people’s deaths just by coming into contact with him. The running gag about Homer’s frisbee is a laugh. Flanders trying to fight fate makes for a good story motivator. And while there’s a lot of Jerkass Homer in this one, the twists and turns with Ned’s premonitions keep things lively and enjoyable.

The Sherlock Holmes/Jack the Ripper pastiche in the middle act isn’t bad. Again, the central mystery helps propel things forward, and while the laughs aren’t as strong as in the prior segment, all the faux-period touches in the piece make it enjoyable on its own terms.

The worst of the three is the final, Fantastic Voyage parody. The episode just blows through the story without any time for the jokes to land, but maybe that’s for the best since the jokes are pretty weak. (Seriously, Homer just eating a giant marshmallow and then emerging from Burns’s skin? Whatever.) It feels like the laziest of the three sketches, but the little dance segment at the end is cute if nothing else.

Overall, not one of the stronger entries in the series, but the intro and the first segment are worth the price of admission.