Well, in general a good start to what looks like an exciting season. The 5 1/2 month wait is over! I wrote down a few things I didn't particularly like, but then I thought of reasons why they're fine...maybe on a second viewing I'll have something more insightful to say, but we all know that opinions expressed around here are easily debated, and I haven't been around as long as Benjamin, Don, etc., so I'll just say: Intro: good in a meta sense, not quite as violent as it could have been (but that might have been disturbing); Reaper Madness: a little short, but concise ending; Frinkenstein: good use of a guest star (finally), but kind of funny that the body-part rampages were very short; Stop the World...: lots of creative fun!
DYN: ...in the intro, Lisa got all the candy and was proud of this? ...it's "Treehouse of Horror XIV" now - the first time the actual title was shown on screen? (See below) ...Kang and Kodos point out the stupidity of Fox's scheduling? (BABF01 was the last episode on or before Halloween...specifically, on) ...THE NAMES ARE BACK?? Al Jean seems to know we'd like that...thanks guys! ...Marge can't pronounce "wind" two ways? Those wily homographs... ...the top floor is consistent with its typical layout in the death chase? (And in a TOH, even!) ...Death says "Why you little..." to Bart? ...Frankie the Squealer tells his wife he'll be "late"? ...Mike Scully's fake name is "Everybody Loves Mike Scully"? Wishful thinking around here... ...Homer has yet another job? ...Homer can still keep Patty and Selma straight, but God can't? ...Frink's hammer/screwdriver combo apparently won the Nobel Prize for Physics? (Unless they decided to take it away from someone else after deciding the awards to reward his new work) ...Rhoda on one of the old-time comic books (insert Julie Kavner costar comment here)? ...Wiggum is so mad at Bart/Milhouse he actually fires a gun at them (and then again at Martin)? ...Bart and Milhouse apparently put Luann back in the angry mob once they fixed the stopwatch? ...Simpson TV Guide covers reappear? ...Harry Shearer's Halloween name is the same...again? (He has said that his suggestions often get rejected...) ...despite being on a Sunday after the fall season has begun, this episode is STILL not the "premiere"?
Previous episode references: -EABF08: Benny Hill music/chase -1F11: Mob "hit" takes place in the box factory -8F02: Fun with reanimation and brain "surgery" -BABF01: Flanders is attacked on a late night fog walk -2F03: Homer remembering events from Act I reminded me of the Willy ax-in-the-back thread (as well as his knowledge of the previous 2 times, when he gets axed in Nightmare Cafeteria) -BABF19: Marge's dress at the awards ceremony (well, it's blue now) -7G10: Bart orders a little doodad from a comic book ad (here the mailman is not the femaleman) -DABF02: The caption of 4 weeks later similar to that in this episode -CABF13: The really old ad (it's a 70s comic book, right?) is still good, kind of like the offer of the Africa trip...kind of... -DABF17: Lenny and Carl in a head-on collision -3F10: Nelson's "ha-huh?" like "ha-...ho?" -2F15, BABF13: Milhouse and Bart older (respectively) - but Milhouse's look is consistent with the idea of 15 years later (since that's what 2010-1995 is) -7F19: "Let the baby have her (his) bottle" -BABF01: When Lisa takes her turn at the stopwatch, Bart becomes a character not unlike Stretch Dude
Other references: -Family Guy (Death is a Bitch, 1ACX14): Homer/Peter incapacitate Death and take on his duties, but eventually decide to stop (these may draw on a common other source) -Monty Python's Meaning of Life: Maybe just since I watched it again last week, but Death's "I am death!" reminded me of John Cleese's delivery -The Santa Clause: Homer becomes Death after he puts on his clothes -Futurama (Time Keeps on Slipping, 3ACV14): When we see just the effects of stopping the clock, it's like in this episode -Futurama (The Farnsworth Parabox, 4ACV15): The bobble head Simpson family like the bobble head universe in this episode
Comments: -This year was the first time the on-screen title is the same as the official title. Last year and this year, "Treehouse of Horror" was used in promos and the episode itself instead of "The Simpsons Halloween Special" - I have a feeling that since it looks like these will never air before November again (as long as Fox has MLB), they decided it was slightly more accurate - after all, horror is appropriate year-round (well, mostly). (Also, last year was the only time Arabic numerals were used instead of Roman numerals; since it's shown as "XIV" this year, I suspect the "13" last year was just to drive the point home to those people who couldn't figure out that "XIII" should be spooky.) -I guess here ends the rumor that went around this summer that Skinner, Moe, or Grampa would die in the upcoming season (for those of you who missed it, Skinner was mugged for his spine by Frink Sr.) - I don't know why I didn't think sooner that it could be in the TOH!