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{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
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{{Good article}}
{{Infobox Simpsons episode
{{Infobox Simpsons episode
| image = No TV and no beer.jpeg
| episode_name = Treehouse of Horror V
| caption = In "The Shinning", Homer goes insane over the lack of TV and beer.
| image = [[Image:Homer shiningspoof.PNG|200px]]
| season = 6
| image_caption = Homer re-enacting the iconic "Here's Johnny!" scene from ''[[The Shining]].''
| episode_no = 109
| episode = 6
| prod_code = 2F03
| director = [[Jim Reardon]]
| writer = '''The Shinning:'''<br />[[Bob Kushell]]<br />'''Time and Punishment:'''<br />[[Greg Daniels]]<br />[[Dan McGrath]]<br />'''Nightmare Cafeteria:'''<br />[[David X. Cohen]]
| airdate = [[October 30]], [[1994]]
| production = 2F03
| show runner = [[David Mirkin]]
| airdate = {{Start date|1994|10|30}}
| writer = [[Greg Daniels]] <br> [[Dan McGrath]]<br>[[David X. Cohen|David Cohen]]<br>[[Bob Kushell]]
| guests = * [[James Earl Jones]] as [[Maggie Simpson|alternate timeline Maggie]]
| director = [[Jim Reardon]]
| couch_gag = Each member of the family enters with disfigured bodies.<ref name="BBC">{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season6/page6.shtml|title=Treehouse of Horror V|accessdate=2007-03-21|author=Martyn, Warren; Wood, Adrian |date=2000|publisher=BBC}}</ref>
| couch_gag = The undead family members enter with disfigured bodies, and then swap heads and arms.<ref name="BBC">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season6/page6.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031005010028/http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season6/page6.shtml|archive-date=2003-10-05|title=Treehouse of Horror V |access-date=2007-03-21 |author1=Martyn, Warren |author2=Wood, Adrian |year=2000 |publisher=BBC}}</ref>
| commentary = [[Matt Groening]]<br />[[David Mirkin]]<br />David X. Cohen<br />Greg Daniels<br />Jim Reardon
| guest_star = [[James Earl Jones]] as [[Maggie Simpson|Alternate universe Maggie]]
| prev = [[Sideshow Bob Roberts]]
| commentary = [[Matt Groening]]<BR>[[David Mirkin]]<BR>[[David X. Cohen|David S. Cohen]]<BR>[[Greg Daniels]]<BR>[[Jim Reardon]]
| season = 6
| next = [[Bart's Girlfriend]]
}}
}}
"'''Treehouse of Horror V'''" is the sixth episode of ''[[The Simpsons]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki> [[The Simpsons (season 6)|sixth season]], which originally aired [[October 30]], [[1994]].<ref name="book">{{cite book|last=Richmond |first=Ray|coauthors=Antonia Coffman|title=[[The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to our Favorite Family]] |year=1997 |publisher=Harper Collins Publishers|id=ISBN 0-00063-8898-1|pages=pg. 154, 155}}</ref> It was written by [[Greg Daniels]], [[Dan McGrath]], [[David X. Cohen|David Cohen]] and [[Bob Kushell]], and directed by [[Jim Reardon]].<ref name="book"/> [[James Earl Jones]] guest stars as the alternate universe Maggie Simpson.<ref name="book"/> It is generally regarded as the finest of the "Treehouse of Horror" episodes.


"'''Treehouse of Horror V'''" is the sixth episode of the [[The Simpsons season 6|sixth season]] of the American animated television series ''[[The Simpsons]]'', and the fifth entry in the ''[[Treehouse of Horror]]'' series. It originally aired on [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] in the United States on October 30, 1994, and features three short stories: "The Shinning", "Time and Punishment", and "Nightmare Cafeteria".
==Plot==
===Opening sequence===
[[Marge Simpson|Marge]] prefaces the show with a warning saying that [[United States Congress|Congress]] has forbidden the show's airing and instead suggests the 1947 [[Glenn Ford]] film, ''200 Miles to Oregon''. A clip from the movie is interrupted by [[Bart Simpson|Bart]]'s voice, complete with an [[oscilloscope]]-like trace, announcing that he is controlling the transmission. Bart is then interrupted by [[Homer Simpson|Homer]] making childish noises and laughing at their effects on the oscilloscope. The Halloween opening credits then start.<ref name="book"/>


The episode was written by [[Greg Daniels]], [[Dan McGrath]], [[David X. Cohen|David Cohen]] and [[Bob Kushell]], and directed by [[Jim Reardon]].<ref name="book">{{cite book |last=Groening |first=Matt |author-link=Matt Groening |editor1-first=Ray |editor1-last=Richmond |editor1-link=Ray Richmond |editor2-first=Antonia |editor2-last=Coffman |title=[[The Simpsons episode guides#The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family|The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family]] |edition=1st |year=1997 |location=New York |publisher=[[HarperPerennial]] |lccn=98141857 |ol=433519M |oclc=37796735 |isbn=978-0-06-095252-5 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/simpsonscomplete00groe/page/154 154–155] |ref={{harvid|Richmond & Coffman|1997}} }}.</ref>
===The Shinning===
In "The Shinning", a spoof of ''[[The Shining (film)|The Shining]]'', the Simpsons are hired as caretakers at [[Montgomery Burns|Mr. Burns]]' mountain lodge. Deprived of television and beer, [[Homer Simpson|Homer]] goes insane and attempts to murder the family. In "Time and Punishment", a parody of [[Ray Bradbury]]'s "[[A Sound of Thunder]]", Homer repeatedly travels back in time and alters the future. In "Nightmare Cafeteria", [[Seymour Skinner|Principal Skinner]] begins using students in detention as cafeteria food. The episode has a running gag where [[Groundskeeper Willie]] tries to help but gets stabbed in the back with an [[axe]], killing him. This is the first ''Treehouse of Horror'' episode not to feature a [[framing device|wraparound segment]].
[[Simpsons family|The Simpsons]] drive to [[Montgomery Burns|Mr. Burns's]] mansion in the mountains to apply as winter caretakers. Whilst there, [[Groundskeeper Willie]] discovers that Bart has a mysterious power known as "the Shinning" and warns Bart that Homer may go insane and try to kill the whole family. As Burns leaves, he denies Homer access to two of his favorite things: beer and television. Homer is further goaded by the ghost of Moe in the cocktail bar, who offers to give him a beer if he murders his family. Unsurprisingly, Homer goes insane, wielding an axe and pursuing his wife and children after he continues to enter random doors with his family not in them. Bart uses his "shinning" to call Willie, who races out of his nearby cabin, dropping his portable television into the snow. Homer kills Willie with an axe to the back (a repeating gag that is used in the rest of the episode's segments) and pursues everyone outside into the snow. He raises his axe and is about to kill Lisa when she sees the TV and gives it to Homer. With access to television returned to him, Homer's insanity gradually fades. The whole family sits in the snow with him to watch and eventually freeze. Unable to change the channel, the Simpsons are forced to watch the [[Tony Awards]] which causes Homer's "urge to kill" to rise once again.<ref name="book"/>


In response to longstanding complaints about excessive [[graphic violence]] in the show, showrunner [[David Mirkin]] mandated that the episode contain as many disturbing and gory elements as possible. [[James Earl Jones]] features as the voice of an alternate-timeline [[Maggie Simpson|Maggie]]. The episode was critically acclaimed, with "The Shinning" segment receiving the most praise.
===Time and Punishment===<!-- This section is linked from [[T-1000]] -->
[[Image:Peabodyandshermansimpsons.png|200px|thumb|left|Homer meets [[Mister Peabody|Peabody]] and [[Sherman]] whilst travelling through time]]
While attempting to fix a broken [[toaster]], Homer accidentally creates a [[time travel|time machine]]. Every time Homer pushes the toaster's lever, he is transported to [[Prehistory|prehistoric]] times until the toast pops up, at which point he returns to the present. During his first visit to the past, he realizes that he could cause unpredictable changes in the future by changing anything in the ancient past, but absent-mindedly kills a [[mosquito]]. This results in [[Ned Flanders]] becoming a megalomaniacal [[Authoritarianism|Big Brother]]-type dictator, forcing everyone on the planet to have his personality. After being taken to a "re-neducation" center, Flanders performs [[Lobotomy|lobotomies]] on the Simpson family but Homer travels back to the time of the [[dinosaur]]s again in an attempt to set things right. Every effort goes wrong: Homer sits on a prehistoric [[fish]] that had just evolved to walk on land, resulting in Bart and Lisa being giants. Then later he infects the dinosaurs with a deadly [[common cold|cold virus]] and they all drop dead, after which he intones "This is gonna cost me...". This effort comes close to perfection as the family seems to be living in an almost [[Victorian era|Victorian]]-esque era: Bart is polite, the family is wealthy and [[Patty and Selma]] are revealed to be dead, making it seemingly Homer's perfect world. However, Marge does not know what a [[doughnut]] is, sending Homer screaming to the toaster; within a few seconds of his leaving, it begins to rain donuts. Another version of the house seems normal until Willie bursts in, claiming that he can help Homer return to his own world. However, [[Maggie Simpson|Maggie]] kills Willie with an axe to his back, after which she takes out her pacifier and proclaims, in a deep voice, "This is indeed a disturbing universe." Returning to the prehistoric era for one last time, Homer takes out his frustration by smashing everything he sees with a [[baseball bat]]. After several changes to the present (including [[742 Evergreen Terrace|the house]] transforming into the [[Flintstones]]' residence, a Mcdonalds and a [[Sphinx]] with Bart's face on it), Homer eventually arrives to a present where everything seems normal. However, the family members now eat like frogs, by catching their food with long tongues, at which Homer shrugs and mutters "Eh, close enough."<ref name="book"/>


==Plot==
===Nightmare Cafeteria===
[[Marge Simpson|Marge]] tells the audience that the episode is deemed so scary that [[United States Congress|Congress]] will not allow its broadcast. [[Homer Simpson|Homer]] and [[Bart Simpson|Bart]] interrupt the transmission to show the episode.
[[Principal Skinner]] is worried that the [[Detention (academia)|detention halls]] are becoming overcrowded, and [[Lunchlady Doris]] is forced to serve Grade F meat. When [[Jimbo Jones]] trips Doris up so that she spills the contents of her cooking pot, it splashes on Jimbo and Skinner hits on a common solution to the problems. The next day, the cafeteria serves "Sloppy Jimbos", followed the day after by a German-themed meal of "[[Springfield Elementary School students#Üter Zörker|Üter]]-braten." The culinary success of these meals sends Skinner and the teachers on a [[Cannibalism|cannibalistic]] rampage, and they continue to send students to [[Detention (academia)|detention]], which is divided between students locked in cramped cages and a "free range" pen. Eventually Bart, Lisa and [[Milhouse Van Houten|Milhouse]] escape, with Lunchlady Doris chasing them with a bloodied beater. In hot pursuit of the children, Skinner and the other teachers corner them on a ledge above a giant blender. Groundskeeper Willie tries to save them, but is once again killed by an axe to the back, this time by Principal Skinner, remarking "Ugh, I'm bad at this". Milhouse then falls into the blender, weakening Bart's confidence that they will be rescued. As Skinner advances, Bart and Lisa fall towards the blender; but just as they are about to hit the blades, Bart wakes up and realizes it was all a dream.<ref name="book"/>


==="The Shinning"===
The family reassures Bart that he was just having a bad dream, and that he has nothing to fear —- except a mysterious fog that turns people inside out. In a final twist, the [[fog]] seeps in through the window and turns the whole family inside out. The episode ends with the inside-out Simpsons and Willie dancing and singing a parody version of "One" from ''[[A Chorus Line]]''(you can see [[Santa's Little Helper]] eating Bart). <ref name="BBC"/>
[[Simpson family|The Simpsons]] are employed as caretakers at [[Mr. Burns]]' mountain lodge while it is closed for the winter. [[Groundskeeper Willie]] discovers that Bart can read his mind, and tells him he has the "Shinning". Mr. Burns cuts off the lodge's cable TV and beer supplies to ensure hard work from the caretakers; this plan backfires, as the deprivation drives Homer insane (as [[Waylon Smithers]] said had happened with the previous caretakers). A phantom [[Moe Szyslak]] encourages Homer to "waste your family and I'll give you a beer". Marge finds Homer's manuscript, which reads "Feelin' fine"; lightning flashes, and she sees that Homer has scrawled "No TV and no beer make Homer go crazy" all over the walls. Homer attacks Marge and she fends him off; Homer faints in horror upon seeing his crazed reflection in a mirror. Marge locks Homer in the pantry. Homer is temporarily distracted by the plentiful food in the pantry, but Moe forcibly drags him out. Bart uses his "Shinning" to summon Willie, who drops his portable TV in the snow to come to the family's rescue. Homer kills Willie with an axe and continues his pursuit of the family. [[Lisa Simpson|Lisa]] shows Homer Willie's TV, and Homer's insanity abates as the family watches TV. After they are frozen stiff, the [[Tony Awards]] ceremony begins airing on the TV, and Homer's murderous impulse comes back.

==="Time and Punishment"===
Homer accidentally turns his broken toaster into a time machine after trying to repair it. After traveling to prehistoric times, Homer remembers his [[Abraham Simpson|father]]'s advice about the [[Butterfly effect in popular culture|butterfly effect]] but unthinkingly swats a mosquito. He returns to a present where [[Ned Flanders]] is the "unquestioned lord and master of the world"; after Homer gets the Simpsons sentenced to 're-Neducation' (a program which includes full-frontal lobotomies), he escapes and tries to fix his mistakes. Homer's failed attempts create a present where Bart and Lisa are giants, followed by one where the Simpsons are wealthy and [[Patty and Selma]] have died, but no one knows what donuts are (ironically, as Homer runs off screaming, donuts fall from the sky like rain), and one where Willie tries to help Homer, but is stabbed in the back with an axe by a talking [[Maggie Simpson|Maggie]], who intones "This is indeed a disturbing universe." On his final trip back, Homer destroys everything in sight with a baseball bat and causes a number of weird alternate universes before going home. He discovers from Marge that everything is back to normal plus "donuts are plentiful!" and sits down to dinner when he sees that Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie have reptilian tongues. Homer accepts this timeline as "close enough".

==="Nightmare Cafeteria"===
[[Principal Skinner]] and [[List of recurring The Simpsons characters#Lunchlady Doris|Lunchlady Doris]] try to find a common solution to the problems of poor cafeteria food and an overcrowded detention hall. After [[Jimbo Jones]] trips Lunchlady Doris and gets food slop on him, Skinner realizes the solution: cannibalizing any child that is sent to detention. Jimbo is killed and made into "Sloppy Jimbos". The teachers all become addicted to the mix of food slop and human meat, compelling Skinner to kill Üter and turn him into "Üterbraten". Bart and Lisa realize this after Skinner unwittingly reveals the truth and try to tell Marge, who refuses to help them because she wants them to stand up for themselves. With the other students either dead or imprisoned for fattening up before slaughter, Willie tries to help Bart, Lisa, and [[Milhouse Van Houten|Milhouse]] escape, but Skinner stabs him in the back with an axe. Milhouse, Bart, and Lisa fall off a ledge into a giant food processor. Bart wakes up in his bedroom and realizes he was having a [[nightmare]]. Marge assures him he has nothing to fear except the "fog that turns people inside out", which seeps in through the window and promptly turns the Simpson family inside out. The family, joined by Willie, perform a parody of "[[One (A Chorus Line song)|One]]" from ''[[A Chorus Line]]'' as the credits roll and Santa's Little Helper drags Bart away.


==Production==
==Production==
Disappointed by complaints from [[United States Congress|Congress]], regarding the amount of violence in the show and their subsequent [[censorship]] attempts, showrunner [[David Mirkin]] attempted to put "as much blood and guts" into the episode as he could. He later called it "the most [...] disturbing Halloween show ever". The opening sequence, in which Marge states the episode could not be shown and plays some live-action stock footage, was also in reference to this. Mirkin said he thinks Halloween shows can be "scary as well as fun".<ref name="Mirkin">{{cite video |people=Mirkin, David |date=2005 |title=The Simpsons The Complete Sixth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Treehouse of Horror V" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>
The opening sequence, with the live action stock footage, stemmed from [[David Mirkin]]'s anger at Congress, which was complaining about the amount of violence in the show.<ref name="Mirkin">{{cite video | people=Mirkin, David|year=2005|title=The Simpsons The Complete Sixth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Treehouse of Horror V"| medium=DVD||publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> Because of this, he crammed this episode with "as much blood and guts" as the writers ever did, and called it "the most intense, disturbing Halloween show ever."<ref name="Mirkin"/> In the opening segment, one of the tombstones reads "Amusing Tombstones", as a send-off to the humorous tombstones seen in the opening sequences for the first four "Treehouse of Horror" episodes - the writers were tired of coming up with ideas for them and have not used them since.<ref name="Cohen">{{cite video | people=Cohen, David|year=2005|title=The Simpsons The Complete Sixth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Treehouse of Horror V"| medium=DVD||publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> The first segment came from David Mirkin's wish to do a parody of ''[[The Shining]]'', as he had been told that director [[Stanley Kubrick]] was a "massive" fan of ''The Simpsons''. Whether or not Kubrick's fandom is genuine has never been confirmed. Series creator [[Matt Groening]] later admitted that he still has not seen ''The Shining'', and thus, this story's references are almost entirely lost on him.<ref name="Mirkin"/> The idea of Homer travelling through time using a toaster was originally pitched by Matt Groening, although at the time he was "shouted down".<ref name="Groening">{{cite video | people=Groening, Matt|year=2005|title=The Simpsons The Complete Sixth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Treehouse of Horror V"| medium=DVD||publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> While he is first travelling through time, Homer's line "I'm the first non-[[Brazilian]] person to travel backwards through time" was originally "I'm the first non-[[fictional]] person to travel backwards through time."<ref name="Cohen"/> The line's changing confused Matt Groening, who suggested it be left as-is.<ref name="Groening"/> In the scene where the Simpson's house changes into various different things, one of the original designs was the house made entirely of [[squirrels]]. The layout artist who designed it labored over the drawing for more than two days, but it ultimately ended up on the cutting room floor. Determined to get their pencil mileage's worth out of the drawing, the show's staff has used it in Christmas cards and other studio-related notices ever since.<ref name="Reardon">{{cite video | people=Reardon, Jim|year=2005|title=The Simpsons The Complete Sixth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Treehouse of Horror V"| medium=DVD||publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> Another cut alternate future was that the Simpsons would have a second, teenaged, son called Roy<ref name="Daniels">{{cite video | people=Daniels, Greg|year=2005|title=The Simpsons The Complete Sixth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Treehouse of Horror V"| medium=DVD||publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>; the joke was reused as the sub-plot for the episode "[[The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show]]", although with Roy as a [[lodger]], rather than a son.<ref name="Cohen"/> One cut scene from "Nightmare Cafeteria" saw [[Sherri and Terri]] being cooked as "[[Teriyaki]]" steak with "[[Sherry]]" sauce, and another featured Homer regaling Lisa about his dreams of eating Milhouse. As a result of the latter scene being cut, Homer does not appear at all in this episode's third segment, save for the story's conclusion after Bart awakens from his nightmare.<ref name="Cohen"/>


This episode marked the end of the tradition of featuring humorous tombstones in the title sequence of Halloween episodes. The title sequence featured a tombstone reading "Amusing Tombstones".<ref name="Cohen">{{cite video |people=Cohen, David |date=2005 |title=The Simpsons The Complete Sixth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Treehouse of Horror V" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> The staff also abandoned the tradition of wraparound segments that were featured before each story in the preceding Halloween episodes, to allow more time for the main stories.<ref name="Weinstein7">{{cite video |people=Weinstein, Josh |date=2006 |title=The Simpsons season 8 DVD commentary for the episode "Treehouse of Horror VII" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>
==Cultural references==
The plot and title of the first segment directly parody the [[Stephen King]] novel and Stanley Kubrick film ''[[The Shining (film)|The Shining]]'', with almost everything being a reference, such as the blood coming out of the elevator and Homer yelling "Here's Johnny!",<ref name="book"/> as well as yelling [[David Letterman]] as in the opening sequence of [[Late Night with David Letterman]] and the opening sequence of [[60 Minutes]] yelling "I'm [[Mike Wallace (journalist)|Mike Wallace]], I'm [[Morley Safer]], and I'm [[Ed Bradley]]. All this and [[Andy Rooney]] tonight on 60 Minutes.".<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://www.duffzone.org/content.php?title=refshin|title=References - The Shining|publisher=The Simpsons Gallery|accessdate=2007-03-21}}</ref>


The first segment, "The Shinning", is a parody of ''[[The Shining (film)|The Shining]]'' (1980). Filmmaker [[Stanley Kubrick]] had been a big influence on Mirkin, and was "one of the main reason[s] [he] wanted to be a director".<ref name="Mirkin"/> Series creator [[Matt Groening]] admitted that he had not seen ''The Shining'' and most of the references to the film were entirely lost on him.<ref name="Groening">{{cite video |people=Groening, Matt |date=2005 |title=The Simpsons The Complete Sixth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Treehouse of Horror V" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>
The voiceovers before the title sequence is a reference to ''[[The Outer Limits]]''.<ref name="BBC"/> The dinosaur scenes in second segment are reminiscent of ''[[Jurassic Park]]'',<ref name="BBC"/> and the floor morphing into a television screen is a reference to scenes in both ''[[Terminator 2]]'' and ''[[Time Bandits]]''.<ref name="Mirkin"/>


[[File:David X. Cohen by Gage Skidmore 2.jpg|thumb|left|150px|''Nightmare Cafeteria'' marked [[David X. Cohen|David Cohen]]'s debut as a Simpsons writer. |alt=A closeup of a man in front of a microphone. He has a receding hairline and wears dark-framed glasses.]]
[[Peabody and Sherman]] from ''[[Rocky and Bullwinkle]]'' makes an appearance during Homer's time traveling.<ref name="Mirkin"/> The second segment is a reference to the [[Ray Bradbury]] short story, "[[A Sound of Thunder]]".<ref name="Mirkin"/> The title of the third segment is a reference to the short-lived television series ''[[Nightmare Cafe]]''.<ref name="Cohen"/>


Groening originally pitched the idea that Homer would travel through time in "Time and Punishment". His original idea was that the time-travel would be the result of Homer simply jamming his hand in the toaster, but this was rejected by the other writers.<ref name="Groening"/> The first time Homer travels back in time, he was originally supposed to state "I'm the first non-[[fiction]]al character to travel backwards through time".<ref name="Cohen"/> The line was later changed from "non-fictional" to "non-Brazilian". Groening was confused as to the reason for the change, since he liked the original so much. In fact, he did not even understand what the new line implied.<ref name="Groening"/> [[Josh Weinstein]] said the line is supposed to be a [[Non sequitur (literary device)|non-sequitur]]. In Brazil, the Portuguese dub changes the line to "I'm the first non-astronaut to travel backwards through time." In the sequence where the Simpsons' house transforms several times, one of the original designs included the house being made entirely of [[squirrel]]s. Layout artist [[Lance Wilder]] worked on the drawings for more than two days, but were ultimately cut as the picture quality of [[standard-definition television]]s of the time would have made the image unrecognizable. To ensure their work did not go to waste, some staff members have used the drawings on Christmas cards and other studio-related notices.<ref name="Reardon">{{cite video |people=Reardon, Jim |date=2005 |title=The Simpsons The Complete Sixth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Treehouse of Horror V" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>


"Nightmare Cafeteria" was the first ''Simpsons'' story written by [[David X. Cohen]].<ref name="Mirkin" /> He wrote the final scene where a nightmarish fog turns the family inside out, inspired by an episode of the radio show ''[[Lights Out (radio show)|Lights Out]]'' called "The Dark", which frightened Cohen as a child. A dance number was added immediately afterward in order to end the show on a lighter note. The "grade F meat" joke was written by Cohen, inspired by his cousin once seeing a box of [[hot dog]]s labeled "grade C, approved for human consumption".<ref name="Mirkin" />

==Cultural references==
Marge says the following program is so scary Congress won't let them show it, and they'll instead air the "1947 classic [[Glenn Ford]] movie ''200 Miles to Oregon''." Homer and Bart's voice-over is a reference to the opening of ''[[The Outer Limits (1963 TV series)|The Outer Limits]]''.<ref name="BBC"/>

"The Shinning" is a parody of [[Stephen King]]'s novel ''[[The Shining (novel)|The Shining]]'' and [[Stanley Kubrick]]'s 1980 [[The Shining (film)|film adaptation]]. The basic plot is the same and there are many references to specific scenes from the film, such as the [[blood]] coming out of the [[elevator]] and Homer breaking through a door with an axe and yelling "Here's Johnny!".<ref name="BBC"/><ref name="book"/> After Marge puts Homer in the pantry, Moe and the ghouls, "concerned the project isn't moving forward", get him out. Among the ghouls are [[The Mummy (1932 film)|The Mummy]], [[The Wolf Man (1941 film)|The Wolf Man]], [[Count Dracula]], [[Jason Voorhees]], [[Pinhead (Hellraiser)|Pinhead]] and [[Freddy Kruger]]. Burns mentions the lodge was "the setting of satanic rituals, witch burnings, and five [[John Denver]] Christmas specials."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Martin |first1=Clare |title=The 10 Best Treehouse of Horror Tales from The Simpsons |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/comedy/the-simpsons/best-treehouse-of-horror-simpsons |access-date=May 7, 2023 |work=Paste |date=October 18, 2022 |archive-date=May 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230507190653/https://www.pastemagazine.com/comedy/the-simpsons/best-treehouse-of-horror-simpsons |url-status=live }}</ref>

The title "Time and Punishment" is a reference to [[Fyodor Dostoyevsky]]'s novel ''[[Crime and Punishment]]'' and the plot, where Homer causes major changes in the future by making small changes in the past, is a parody of [[Ray Bradbury]]'s short story "[[A Sound of Thunder]]".<ref name="Mirkin"/> [[Mister Peabody|Peabody and Sherman]] of ''[[The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show]]'' make an appearance during Homer's time traveling sequence and when, as a side effect of Homer's antics in the past, [[Kang and Kodos]]' heads are unexpectedly replaced with those of Peabody and Sherman.<ref name="Mirkin"/> The dinosaur scenes are reminiscent of ''[[Jurassic Park (film)|Jurassic Park]]'',<ref name="BBC"/> and the floor morphing into a television screen mirrors similar scenes in ''[[Terminator 2: Judgment Day]]'' and ''[[Time Bandits]]''.<ref name="Mirkin"/>

The title "Nightmare Cafeteria" is a riff on the television series ''[[Nightmare Cafe]]'',<ref name="Cohen"/> while the plot bears resemblance to ''[[Soylent Green]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=12 Truly Scary 'Simpsons - Treehouse Of Horror' Segments|url=https://www.etonline.com/tv/153187_12_truly_scary_simpsons_treehouse_of_horror_segments|date=2014-10-28|access-date=2020-10-24|website=Entertainment Tonight|language=en-US|archive-date=2020-11-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101020827/https://www.etonline.com/tv/153187_12_truly_scary_simpsons_treehouse_of_horror_segments|url-status=live}}</ref> The closing song is a parody of "[[One (A Chorus Line song)|One]]" from the musical ''[[A Chorus Line]]'',<ref name="BBC"/> while the concept of the family being turned inside out by a mysterious fog comes from an episode of the radio show ''[[Lights Out (radio show)|Lights Out]]'', "The Dark".<ref name="Cohen"/> "One" can briefly be heard at the end of "The Shinning", when an announcer introduces the [[Tony Awards]] on Willie's portable TV.


==Reception==
==Reception==
In its original broadcast, "Treehouse of Horror V" finished 27th in ratings for the week of October 24–30, 1994, with a [[Nielsen ratings|Nielsen rating]] of 12.2, equivalent to approximately 11.6 million viewing households. It was the second highest-rated show on the Fox network that week, following ''[[Beverly Hills, 90210]]''.<ref>{{cite news |title=ABC on top, but moves help others |work=Sun-Sentinel |author=Williams, Scott |page=4E |date=November 3, 1994}}</ref>
The episode finished ninth on ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'''s top 25 ''The Simpsons'' episode list,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,417748_2,00.html|title=The Family Dynamic|accessdate=2007-03-03|date=[[2003-01-29]]|publisher=Entertainment Weekly}}</ref> and fifth on AskMen.com's "Top 10: Simpsons Episodes" list.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uk.askmen.com/toys/top_10_60/64b_top_10_list.html|title=Top 10: Simpsons Episodes|accessdate=2007-03-03|author=Weir, Rich|publisher=Askmen.com}}</ref> The Quindecim, a college newspaper, placed "Treehouse of Horror V" in 14th place.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://media.www.thequindecim.com/media/storage/paper618/news/2003/02/19/ArtsAndEntertainment/The-Simpsons.Top.25.Episodes-372979.shtml?sourcedomain=www.thequindecim.com&MIIHost=media.collegepublisher.com|title=The Simpsons' Top 25 Episodes|accessdate=2007-02-10|author=Culp, Sarah|date=[[2003-02-17]]|publisher=The Quindecim}}</ref> [[IGN]].com voted "The Shinning" the best segment of the Treehouse of Horror series, with "Time and Punishment" being named fourth.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/742/742680p2.html | title=Top 10 Segments from The Simpsons' Treehouse of Horror | date=2006-10-30| accessdate=2006-11-25| author=Goldman, Eric; Iverson, Dan; Zoromski, Brian| publisher=IGN}}</ref> In 2006, they named it the best episode of the sixth season.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uk.tv.ign.com/articles/731/731095p2.html|title=The Simpsons: 17 Seasons, 17 Episodes|author=Goldman, Eric; Dan Iverson, Brian Zoromski|publisher=IGN.com|date=[[2006-09-08]]|accessdate=2007-03-03}}</ref> James Earl Jones's guest appearance in this, as well as "[[Treehouse of Horror]]" and "[[Das Bus]]", was named seventh on IGN's "Top 25 Simpsons Guest Appearances" list.<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://uk.tv.ign.com/articles/730/730566p4.html|title=Top 25 Simpsons Guest Appearances|author=Goldman, Eric; Dan Iverson, Brian Zoromski|accessdate=2007-03-03|publisher=IGN.com}}</ref> [[Alf Clausen]]'s musical score for this episode received an [[Emmy Award]] nomination for "Outstanding Dramatic Underscore - Series" in [[1995]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://theenvelope.latimes.com/search/env-past-winners-search,0,1243372,results.formprofile?Lib=turbine_cdb_lib%3Aresult_doc_id+result_doc_rank+document_id+cdb_num+cdb_01_num+cdb_01_txt+cdb_02_txt+cdb_03_txt+cdb_04_txt&SortBy=COMPOSITE_RANK+desc&PageSize=10&Page=1&MinCoarseRank=500&QueryType=CONCEPT&Query=Tree+House+of+Horror+V&turbine_cdb_lib__cdb_04_txt=&turbine_cdb_lib__cdb_01_txt=Alf+Clausen&turbine_cdb_lib__cdb_02_txt=Outstanding+Dramatic+Underscore+-+Series+&turbine_cdb_lib__cdb_03_txt=Emmy|title=Every show, every winner, every nominee|accessdate=2007-03-03|publisher=The Envelope}}</ref> The authors of the book ''I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide'', Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood called it "Another fine entry to the Treehouse canon."<ref name="BBC"/>

Since airing, "Treehouse of Horror V" has received critical acclaim. The authors of ''I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide'', Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, called it "Another fine entry to the Treehouse canon".<ref name="BBC"/> ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' ranked this episode as the ninth best of the entire series: "The Shinning" was described as "a parody brimming with such detail [and] comic timing" that it "ranks with the greatest of pop culture spoofs" and Grandpa's wedding advice to Homer in "Time and Punishment" was praised as "one of the most beautifully random moments in ''Simpsons'' history". They concluded that "Maybe 'Nightmare Cafeteria' doesn't shine as brilliantly, but we still think it's perfectly, well, '[[cromulent]].'"<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ew.com/article/2003/02/02/best-simpsons-episodes-nos-6-10/ |title=The best ''Simpsons'' episodes, Nos. 6-10 |access-date=2022-01-16 |date=2003-01-29 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |archive-date=2014-10-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016170205/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,417748_2,00.html |url-status=live }}</ref> It ranked fifth on AskMen.com's "Top 10: Simpsons Episodes" list. The list stated that the episode "offers three completely different tales, [...] boasting a potent combination of wit and humor" that, "the laughs never end", and that it "does a great job of incorporating Halloween-themed stories with the standard ''Simpsons'' charm".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://uk.askmen.com/top_10/entertainment/64b_top_10_list.html |title=Top 10: Simpsons Episodes |access-date=2022-01-16 |author=Weir, Rich |publisher=Askmen.com |archive-date=2022-01-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220118182602/https://uk.askmen.com/top_10/entertainment/64b_top_10_list.html |url-status=live }}</ref> ''[[IGN]]'' called the episode "the funniest ''Treehouse of Horror'' to date".<ref name="IGN">{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/01/08/the-simpsons-20-seasons-20-episodes |title=The Simpsons: 20 Seasons, 20 Episodes |author1=Goldman, Eric |author2=Dan Iverson, Brian Zoromski |publisher=[[IGN]] |access-date=2022-01-16 |date=2010-01-08 |archive-date=2007-04-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070428021121/http://tv.ign.com/articles/730/730566p4.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2006, they also named it the best episode of the sixth season.<ref name="IGN"/> Adam Finley of the blog ''[[Weblogs, Inc.#TV Squad|TV Squad]]'' called it "possibly one of the best Halloween episodes ever".<ref name="TV Squad">{{cite web |url=http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/07/06/the-simpsons-treehouse-of-horror-v/ |title=The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror V |first=Adam |last=Finley |date=2006-07-06 |access-date=2008-03-07 |publisher=[[Weblogs, Inc.#TV Squad|TV Squad]] |archive-date=2006-08-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060823082158/http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/07/06/the-simpsons-treehouse-of-horror-v/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Michael Passman of ''[[Michigan Daily]]'' said the episode "is largely regarded as the best, but a weak final third holds it back".<ref name="Michigan Daily">{{cite web|url=https://www.michigandaily.com/uncategorized/michael-passman-simpsons-halloween-hall-fame/ |title=Michael Passman: A 'Simpsons' Halloween hall of fame |first=Michael |last=Passman |date=2006-10-30 |access-date=2022-01-16 |publisher=[[Michigan Daily]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080324031816/http://media.www.michigandaily.com/media/storage/paper851/news/2007/10/30/Television/Michael.Passman.A.simpsons.Halloween.Hall.Of.Fame-3064979.shtml |archive-date=2008-03-24 }}</ref> [[Entertainment.ie]] named it among the 10 greatest ''Simpsons'' episodes of all time.<ref name="EntIe">{{cite web |url=https://entertainment.ie/tv/tv-news/10-greatest-the-simpsons-episodes-of-all-time-418495/ |title=The 10 greatest 'The Simpsons' episodes of all time |author=Molumby, Deidre |publisher=[[Entertainment.ie]] |date=September 6, 2019 |access-date=September 7, 2019 |archive-date=July 12, 2024 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240712040830/https://entertainment.ie/tv/tv-news/10-greatest-the-simpsons-episodes-of-all-time-418495/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Screen Rant]] called it the best episode of the sixth season and the greatest Halloween episode of ''The Simpsons''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/the-simpsons-best-episodes-ranked/|title=The Simpsons: The Best Episode In Every Season, Ranked|last=Sim|first=Bernardo|date=2019-09-22|website=Screen Rant|language=en-US|access-date=2019-09-22|archive-date=2019-09-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190924031718/https://screenrant.com/the-simpsons-best-episodes-ranked/|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Consequence of Sound]]'' called it "a true benchmark of the series," ranking it the second greatest ''Treehouse of Horror'' episode of all time.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://consequence.net/2019/10/ranking-treehouse-of-horror/|title=Ranking: Every Simpsons Treehouse of Horror Halloween Episode from Worst to Best|last=Ruskin|first=Zack|date=2019-10-23|website=Consequence|access-date=2022-01-16|archive-date=2022-01-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220118182832/https://consequence.net/2019/10/ranking-treehouse-of-horror/|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2019, ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' ranked the episode third in its list of 10 best ''Simpsons'' episodes picked by ''Simpsons'' experts.<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Raisa |last=Bruner |title=We Asked Experts for 10 of Their Most Memorable Simpsons Episodes of All Time |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=2019-12-10 |url=https://time.com/5743465/best-simpsons-episodes/ |access-date=2019-12-11 |archive-date=2019-12-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191212095407/https://time.com/5743465/best-simpsons-episodes/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

"The Shinning" is particularly highly praised. ''IGN'' voted it first on their list of the best segments in the Treehouse of Horror series, with "Time and Punishment" coming fourth.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/11/05/the-simpsons-best-treehouse-of-horror-segments |title=The Simpsons' Best Treehouse of Horror Segments |date=2006-10-30 |access-date=2022-01-16 |author1=Goldman, Eric |author2=Iverson, Dan |author3=Zoromski, Brian |work=IGN |archive-date=2009-10-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091024181101/http://tv.ign.com/articles/742/742680p3.html |url-status=live }}</ref> It came ninth on the blog Noise to Signal's list of "The Ten Best Treehouse of Horror Vignettes".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://noisetosignal.org/tv/2007/10/the-ten-best-treehouse-of-horror-vignettes.php.html |title=The Ten Best Treehouse of Horror Vignettes |first=Seb |last=Patrick |date=2007-10-31 |access-date=2016-09-13 |publisher=Noise to Signal |archive-date=2016-01-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160101135247/http://noisetosignal.org/tv/2007/10/the-ten-best-treehouse-of-horror-vignettes.php.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Adam Finley of ''TV Squad'' opined that it "could [...] be the best Treehouse of Horror segment ever" and praised the opening of "Time and Punishment."<ref name="TV Squad"/> When putting together the perfect ''Treehouse of Horror'' episode, Passman of ''Michigan Daily'' included ''The Shinning'' as "a shoo-in".<ref name="Michigan Daily"/> ''[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]'' named "No TV And No Beer Make Homer Go Crazy" the sixth-best film parody in the show's history.<ref>Colin Kennedy. "The Ten Best Movie Gags In ''The Simpsons''", ''[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]'', September 2004, pp. 77</ref> [[Vulture (magazine)|''Vulture'']] named "The Shinning" the best "Treehouse of Horror" segment ever, stating, "When you can’t think of the original without also thinking of the spoof. That’s ''The Shining'' and 'The Shinning,' easily the best Treehouse segment of all time."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/2011/10/ranking-every-treehouse-of-horror-segment-from-worst-to-first.html|title=Every Simpsons Treehouse of Horror Segment, Ranked|last=Kurp|first=Joshua|date=2019-10-21|website=Vulture|language=en-US|access-date=2019-10-24|archive-date=2021-05-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210505131945/https://www.vulture.com/2011/10/ranking-every-treehouse-of-horror-segment-from-worst-to-first.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

James Earl Jones' guest appearance in this episode, as well as in "[[Treehouse of Horror (The Simpsons episode)|Treehouse of Horror]]" and "[[Das Bus]]", was listed seventh on ''IGN'''s "Top 25 Simpsons Guest Appearances" list.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/01/04/top-25-simpsons-guest-appearances |title=Top 25 Simpsons Guest Appearances |author1=Goldman, Eric |author2=Dan Iverson, Brian Zoromski |date=4 January 2010 |access-date=2022-01-16 |publisher=IGN.com |archive-date=2007-06-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070622134744/http://tv.ign.com/articles/730/730566p1.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Jones ranked 25th on [[AOL]]'s list of their favorite 25 ''The Simpsons'' guest stars.<ref>{{cite web |author=Potts, Kimberly |title=Favorite 'Simpsons' Guest Stars |url=http://www.aoltv.com/feature/the-simpsons/guest-stars |access-date=2008-11-24 |publisher=[[AOL]] }}{{Dead link|date=October 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> [[Matt Groening]] said that Maggie's line "It is indeed a disturbing universe" (voiced by Jones) is among his favorite lines in the show.<ref>{{cite video |people=Groening, Matt |date=2005 |title=The Simpsons The Complete Sixth Season DVD introduction "A Confession from Matt Groening" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> David Mirkin said that Homer's line, "Oh I wish, I wish I hadn't killed that fish", is one of his favorites, and that the alternate future in which the family is rich "breaks [his] heart every time".<ref name="Mirkin"/> Homer's line "close enough" from ''Time and Punishment'' was later used in the ''[[Stargate SG-1]]'' episode [[Moebius (Stargate SG-1)|"Moebius]]".<ref>{{cite video |date=2005 |title=Stargate SG-1 Season 8 DVD commentary for the episode "Moebius" |medium=DVD |publisher=MGM Entertainment}}</ref>

[[Alf Clausen]]'s musical score for this episode received an [[Emmy Award]] nomination for "Outstanding Dramatic Underscore— Series" in 1995.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.snpp.com/guides/awards.html |title=Awards & Honours |access-date=2008-03-19 |publisher=snpp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080511171456/http://www.snpp.com/guides/awards.html |archive-date=2008-05-11 }}</ref>

===Legacy===
"Time and Punishment" was later referenced in [[DC Comics]]' [[Booster Gold]] comic book series, where Booster Gold uses it to explain the [[butterfly effect]].<ref name="bg8">{{cite comic |Title=Booster Gold |Volume=2 |Issue=8 |Date=2008 |Publisher=DC Comics}}</ref> ''Simpsons''-themed metal band [[Okilly Dokilly]] based their song "Reneducation" on "Time and Punishment", in which Homer visits a dystopian future where "Flanders is the unquestioned lord and master of the world."<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lnfOvc_jGg |title=Okilly Dokilly - Reneducation (Official Music Video) |date=2019-02-13 |last=Okilly Dokilly |access-date=2024-09-27 |via=YouTube}}</ref>


==See also==
The alternate universe Maggie's line "This is indeed a disturbing universe" is among Matt Groening's all time favorite lines.<ref>{{cite video | people=Groening, Matt|year=2005|title=The Simpsons The Complete Sixth Season DVD introduction "A Confession from Matt Groening"| medium=DVD||publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> The scene in which Homer gets his hand twice trapped inside a toaster is David Cohen's favorite scene of the episode.<ref name="Cohen"/> Homer's line "Oh I wish, I wish I hadn't killed that fish." is one of David Mirkin's favorites, and that the alternate future in which the family are all rich "breaks his heart every time" because he just wanted Homer to stay a few more seconds and see that he was in his own personal heaven.<ref name="Mirkin"/> Homer's line "close enough" from "Time and Punishment" was later used in the ''[[Stargate SG-1]]'' episode "[[Moebius (Stargate SG-1)|Moebius]]".<ref>{{cite video | people=|year=2005|title=Stargate SG-1 Season 8 DVD commentary for the episode "Moebius"| medium=DVD||publisher=MGM Entertainment}}</ref>
{{Portal|The Simpsons|1990s}}
* [[Butterfly effect in popular culture]]
* [[Cannibalism in popular culture]]
* [[Treehouse of Horror episodes|Treehouse of Horror Episode]]<ref>{{Citation |last=Danneil |first=Sandra |title=3 Analysis Treehouse of Horror: Lessons to Remember |date=2021 |work=Trick, Treat, Transgress |pages=105–260 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.5771/9783741001451-105 |access-date=2024-08-01 |publisher=Schüren Verlag|doi=10.5771/9783741001451-105 |isbn=978-3-7410-0145-1 }}</ref>


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist|2}}
<div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:2; column-count:2;">
<references />
</div>


==External links==
==External links==
{{wikiquote|The_Simpsons#Treehouse_of_Horror_V_.5B6.06.5D|"Treehouse of Horror V"}}
{{wikiquote|The_Simpsons/Season_6#Treehouse_of_Horror_V|"Treehouse of Horror V"}}
* {{snpp capsule|2F03}}
{{portal|The Simpsons}}
* {{IMDb episode|0701281}}
*[http://www.thesimpsons.com/episode_guide/0606.htm "Treehouse of Horror V"] at The Simpsons.com
*{{snpp capsule|2F03}}
*[http://www.tv.com/simpsons/treehouse-of-horror-v/episode/1394/summary.html "Treehouse of Horror V"] at [[TV.com]]
*[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0701281/ "Treehouse of Horror V"] at the [[Internet Movie Database]]


{{Treehouse of Horror}}
{{Treehouse of Horror}}
{{The Simpsons episodes|6}}
{{Media based on Stephen King works}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Treehouse Of Horror 05}}
[[Category:Cannibalism]]
[[Category:Halloween fiction]]
[[Category:1994 American television episodes]]
[[Category:The Simpsons episodes, season 6]]
[[Category:Dystopian television episodes]]
[[Category:Halloween television specials]]
[[Category:Halloween television episodes]]
[[Category:Parodies of films]]
[[Category:Parodies of works by Stephen King]]
[[Category:Parody television episodes]]
[[Category:Science fiction comedy]]
[[Category:The Simpsons season 6 episodes]]
[[Category:Television episodes about cannibalism]]
[[Category:Television episodes about education]]
[[Category:Television episodes about ghosts]]
[[Category:Television episodes about murder]]
[[Category:Television episodes about curses]]
[[Category:Television episodes about nightmares]]
[[Category:Television episodes about time travel]]
[[Category:Television episodes directed by Jim Reardon]]
[[Category:Television episodes with live action and animation]]
[[Category:Television episodes written by Dan McGrath]]
[[Category:Television episodes written by David X. Cohen]]
[[Category:Television episodes written by Greg Daniels]]
[[Category:The Shining (franchise)]]
[[Category:Treehouse of Horror]]


[[it:La paura fa novanta I-X#La paura fa novanta V]]
[[es:Treehouse of horror V]]

Latest revision as of 10:22, 5 January 2025

"Treehouse of Horror V"
The Simpsons episode
In "The Shinning", Homer goes insane over the lack of TV and beer.
Episode no.Season 6
Episode 6
Directed byJim Reardon
Written byThe Shinning:
Bob Kushell
Time and Punishment:
Greg Daniels
Dan McGrath
Nightmare Cafeteria:
David X. Cohen
Production code2F03
Original air dateOctober 30, 1994 (1994-10-30)
Guest appearance
Episode features
Couch gagThe undead family members enter with disfigured bodies, and then swap heads and arms.[1]
CommentaryMatt Groening
David Mirkin
David X. Cohen
Greg Daniels
Jim Reardon
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Sideshow Bob Roberts" 		Next →
"Bart's Girlfriend"
The Simpsons season 6
List of episodes

"Treehouse of Horror V" is the sixth episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the fifth entry in the Treehouse of Horror series. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on October 30, 1994, and features three short stories: "The Shinning", "Time and Punishment", and "Nightmare Cafeteria".

The episode was written by Greg Daniels, Dan McGrath, David Cohen and Bob Kushell, and directed by Jim Reardon.[2] In "The Shinning", a spoof of The Shining, the Simpsons are hired as caretakers at Mr. Burns' mountain lodge. Deprived of television and beer, Homer goes insane and attempts to murder the family. In "Time and Punishment", a parody of Ray Bradbury's "A Sound of Thunder", Homer repeatedly travels back in time and alters the future. In "Nightmare Cafeteria", Principal Skinner begins using students in detention as cafeteria food. The episode has a running gag where Groundskeeper Willie tries to help but gets stabbed in the back with an axe, killing him. This is the first Treehouse of Horror episode not to feature a wraparound segment.

In response to longstanding complaints about excessive graphic violence in the show, showrunner David Mirkin mandated that the episode contain as many disturbing and gory elements as possible. James Earl Jones features as the voice of an alternate-timeline Maggie. The episode was critically acclaimed, with "The Shinning" segment receiving the most praise.

Plot

[edit]

Marge tells the audience that the episode is deemed so scary that Congress will not allow its broadcast. Homer and Bart interrupt the transmission to show the episode.

"The Shinning"

[edit]

The Simpsons are employed as caretakers at Mr. Burns' mountain lodge while it is closed for the winter. Groundskeeper Willie discovers that Bart can read his mind, and tells him he has the "Shinning". Mr. Burns cuts off the lodge's cable TV and beer supplies to ensure hard work from the caretakers; this plan backfires, as the deprivation drives Homer insane (as Waylon Smithers said had happened with the previous caretakers). A phantom Moe Szyslak encourages Homer to "waste your family and I'll give you a beer". Marge finds Homer's manuscript, which reads "Feelin' fine"; lightning flashes, and she sees that Homer has scrawled "No TV and no beer make Homer go crazy" all over the walls. Homer attacks Marge and she fends him off; Homer faints in horror upon seeing his crazed reflection in a mirror. Marge locks Homer in the pantry. Homer is temporarily distracted by the plentiful food in the pantry, but Moe forcibly drags him out. Bart uses his "Shinning" to summon Willie, who drops his portable TV in the snow to come to the family's rescue. Homer kills Willie with an axe and continues his pursuit of the family. Lisa shows Homer Willie's TV, and Homer's insanity abates as the family watches TV. After they are frozen stiff, the Tony Awards ceremony begins airing on the TV, and Homer's murderous impulse comes back.

"Time and Punishment"

[edit]

Homer accidentally turns his broken toaster into a time machine after trying to repair it. After traveling to prehistoric times, Homer remembers his father's advice about the butterfly effect but unthinkingly swats a mosquito. He returns to a present where Ned Flanders is the "unquestioned lord and master of the world"; after Homer gets the Simpsons sentenced to 're-Neducation' (a program which includes full-frontal lobotomies), he escapes and tries to fix his mistakes. Homer's failed attempts create a present where Bart and Lisa are giants, followed by one where the Simpsons are wealthy and Patty and Selma have died, but no one knows what donuts are (ironically, as Homer runs off screaming, donuts fall from the sky like rain), and one where Willie tries to help Homer, but is stabbed in the back with an axe by a talking Maggie, who intones "This is indeed a disturbing universe." On his final trip back, Homer destroys everything in sight with a baseball bat and causes a number of weird alternate universes before going home. He discovers from Marge that everything is back to normal plus "donuts are plentiful!" and sits down to dinner when he sees that Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie have reptilian tongues. Homer accepts this timeline as "close enough".

"Nightmare Cafeteria"

[edit]

Principal Skinner and Lunchlady Doris try to find a common solution to the problems of poor cafeteria food and an overcrowded detention hall. After Jimbo Jones trips Lunchlady Doris and gets food slop on him, Skinner realizes the solution: cannibalizing any child that is sent to detention. Jimbo is killed and made into "Sloppy Jimbos". The teachers all become addicted to the mix of food slop and human meat, compelling Skinner to kill Üter and turn him into "Üterbraten". Bart and Lisa realize this after Skinner unwittingly reveals the truth and try to tell Marge, who refuses to help them because she wants them to stand up for themselves. With the other students either dead or imprisoned for fattening up before slaughter, Willie tries to help Bart, Lisa, and Milhouse escape, but Skinner stabs him in the back with an axe. Milhouse, Bart, and Lisa fall off a ledge into a giant food processor. Bart wakes up in his bedroom and realizes he was having a nightmare. Marge assures him he has nothing to fear except the "fog that turns people inside out", which seeps in through the window and promptly turns the Simpson family inside out. The family, joined by Willie, perform a parody of "One" from A Chorus Line as the credits roll and Santa's Little Helper drags Bart away.

Production

[edit]

Disappointed by complaints from Congress, regarding the amount of violence in the show and their subsequent censorship attempts, showrunner David Mirkin attempted to put "as much blood and guts" into the episode as he could. He later called it "the most [...] disturbing Halloween show ever". The opening sequence, in which Marge states the episode could not be shown and plays some live-action stock footage, was also in reference to this. Mirkin said he thinks Halloween shows can be "scary as well as fun".[3]

This episode marked the end of the tradition of featuring humorous tombstones in the title sequence of Halloween episodes. The title sequence featured a tombstone reading "Amusing Tombstones".[4] The staff also abandoned the tradition of wraparound segments that were featured before each story in the preceding Halloween episodes, to allow more time for the main stories.[5]

The first segment, "The Shinning", is a parody of The Shining (1980). Filmmaker Stanley Kubrick had been a big influence on Mirkin, and was "one of the main reason[s] [he] wanted to be a director".[3] Series creator Matt Groening admitted that he had not seen The Shining and most of the references to the film were entirely lost on him.[6]

A closeup of a man in front of a microphone. He has a receding hairline and wears dark-framed glasses.
Nightmare Cafeteria marked David Cohen's debut as a Simpsons writer.

Groening originally pitched the idea that Homer would travel through time in "Time and Punishment". His original idea was that the time-travel would be the result of Homer simply jamming his hand in the toaster, but this was rejected by the other writers.[6] The first time Homer travels back in time, he was originally supposed to state "I'm the first non-fictional character to travel backwards through time".[4] The line was later changed from "non-fictional" to "non-Brazilian". Groening was confused as to the reason for the change, since he liked the original so much. In fact, he did not even understand what the new line implied.[6] Josh Weinstein said the line is supposed to be a non-sequitur. In Brazil, the Portuguese dub changes the line to "I'm the first non-astronaut to travel backwards through time." In the sequence where the Simpsons' house transforms several times, one of the original designs included the house being made entirely of squirrels. Layout artist Lance Wilder worked on the drawings for more than two days, but were ultimately cut as the picture quality of standard-definition televisions of the time would have made the image unrecognizable. To ensure their work did not go to waste, some staff members have used the drawings on Christmas cards and other studio-related notices.[7]

"Nightmare Cafeteria" was the first Simpsons story written by David X. Cohen.[3] He wrote the final scene where a nightmarish fog turns the family inside out, inspired by an episode of the radio show Lights Out called "The Dark", which frightened Cohen as a child. A dance number was added immediately afterward in order to end the show on a lighter note. The "grade F meat" joke was written by Cohen, inspired by his cousin once seeing a box of hot dogs labeled "grade C, approved for human consumption".[3]

Cultural references

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Marge says the following program is so scary Congress won't let them show it, and they'll instead air the "1947 classic Glenn Ford movie 200 Miles to Oregon." Homer and Bart's voice-over is a reference to the opening of The Outer Limits.[1]

"The Shinning" is a parody of Stephen King's novel The Shining and Stanley Kubrick's 1980 film adaptation. The basic plot is the same and there are many references to specific scenes from the film, such as the blood coming out of the elevator and Homer breaking through a door with an axe and yelling "Here's Johnny!".[1][2] After Marge puts Homer in the pantry, Moe and the ghouls, "concerned the project isn't moving forward", get him out. Among the ghouls are The Mummy, The Wolf Man, Count Dracula, Jason Voorhees, Pinhead and Freddy Kruger. Burns mentions the lodge was "the setting of satanic rituals, witch burnings, and five John Denver Christmas specials."[8]

The title "Time and Punishment" is a reference to Fyodor Dostoyevsky's novel Crime and Punishment and the plot, where Homer causes major changes in the future by making small changes in the past, is a parody of Ray Bradbury's short story "A Sound of Thunder".[3] Peabody and Sherman of The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show make an appearance during Homer's time traveling sequence and when, as a side effect of Homer's antics in the past, Kang and Kodos' heads are unexpectedly replaced with those of Peabody and Sherman.[3] The dinosaur scenes are reminiscent of Jurassic Park,[1] and the floor morphing into a television screen mirrors similar scenes in Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Time Bandits.[3]

The title "Nightmare Cafeteria" is a riff on the television series Nightmare Cafe,[4] while the plot bears resemblance to Soylent Green.[9] The closing song is a parody of "One" from the musical A Chorus Line,[1] while the concept of the family being turned inside out by a mysterious fog comes from an episode of the radio show Lights Out, "The Dark".[4] "One" can briefly be heard at the end of "The Shinning", when an announcer introduces the Tony Awards on Willie's portable TV.

Reception

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In its original broadcast, "Treehouse of Horror V" finished 27th in ratings for the week of October 24–30, 1994, with a Nielsen rating of 12.2, equivalent to approximately 11.6 million viewing households. It was the second highest-rated show on the Fox network that week, following Beverly Hills, 90210.[10]

Since airing, "Treehouse of Horror V" has received critical acclaim. The authors of I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, called it "Another fine entry to the Treehouse canon".[1] Entertainment Weekly ranked this episode as the ninth best of the entire series: "The Shinning" was described as "a parody brimming with such detail [and] comic timing" that it "ranks with the greatest of pop culture spoofs" and Grandpa's wedding advice to Homer in "Time and Punishment" was praised as "one of the most beautifully random moments in Simpsons history". They concluded that "Maybe 'Nightmare Cafeteria' doesn't shine as brilliantly, but we still think it's perfectly, well, 'cromulent.'"[11] It ranked fifth on AskMen.com's "Top 10: Simpsons Episodes" list. The list stated that the episode "offers three completely different tales, [...] boasting a potent combination of wit and humor" that, "the laughs never end", and that it "does a great job of incorporating Halloween-themed stories with the standard Simpsons charm".[12] IGN called the episode "the funniest Treehouse of Horror to date".[13] In 2006, they also named it the best episode of the sixth season.[13] Adam Finley of the blog TV Squad called it "possibly one of the best Halloween episodes ever".[14] Michael Passman of Michigan Daily said the episode "is largely regarded as the best, but a weak final third holds it back".[15] Entertainment.ie named it among the 10 greatest Simpsons episodes of all time.[16] Screen Rant called it the best episode of the sixth season and the greatest Halloween episode of The Simpsons.[17] Consequence of Sound called it "a true benchmark of the series," ranking it the second greatest Treehouse of Horror episode of all time.[18] In 2019, Time ranked the episode third in its list of 10 best Simpsons episodes picked by Simpsons experts.[19]

"The Shinning" is particularly highly praised. IGN voted it first on their list of the best segments in the Treehouse of Horror series, with "Time and Punishment" coming fourth.[20] It came ninth on the blog Noise to Signal's list of "The Ten Best Treehouse of Horror Vignettes".[21] Adam Finley of TV Squad opined that it "could [...] be the best Treehouse of Horror segment ever" and praised the opening of "Time and Punishment."[14] When putting together the perfect Treehouse of Horror episode, Passman of Michigan Daily included The Shinning as "a shoo-in".[15] Empire named "No TV And No Beer Make Homer Go Crazy" the sixth-best film parody in the show's history.[22] Vulture named "The Shinning" the best "Treehouse of Horror" segment ever, stating, "When you can’t think of the original without also thinking of the spoof. That’s The Shining and 'The Shinning,' easily the best Treehouse segment of all time."[23]

James Earl Jones' guest appearance in this episode, as well as in "Treehouse of Horror" and "Das Bus", was listed seventh on IGN's "Top 25 Simpsons Guest Appearances" list.[24] Jones ranked 25th on AOL's list of their favorite 25 The Simpsons guest stars.[25] Matt Groening said that Maggie's line "It is indeed a disturbing universe" (voiced by Jones) is among his favorite lines in the show.[26] David Mirkin said that Homer's line, "Oh I wish, I wish I hadn't killed that fish", is one of his favorites, and that the alternate future in which the family is rich "breaks [his] heart every time".[3] Homer's line "close enough" from Time and Punishment was later used in the Stargate SG-1 episode "Moebius".[27]

Alf Clausen's musical score for this episode received an Emmy Award nomination for "Outstanding Dramatic Underscore— Series" in 1995.[28]

Legacy

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"Time and Punishment" was later referenced in DC Comics' Booster Gold comic book series, where Booster Gold uses it to explain the butterfly effect.[29] Simpsons-themed metal band Okilly Dokilly based their song "Reneducation" on "Time and Punishment", in which Homer visits a dystopian future where "Flanders is the unquestioned lord and master of the world."[30]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Martyn, Warren; Wood, Adrian (2000). "Treehouse of Horror V". BBC. Archived from the original on October 5, 2003. Retrieved March 21, 2007.
  2. ^ a b Groening, Matt (1997). Richmond, Ray; Coffman, Antonia (eds.). The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family (1st ed.). New York: HarperPerennial. pp. 154–155. ISBN 978-0-06-095252-5. LCCN 98141857. OCLC 37796735. OL 433519M..
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Mirkin, David (2005). The Simpsons The Complete Sixth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Treehouse of Horror V" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  4. ^ a b c d Cohen, David (2005). The Simpsons The Complete Sixth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Treehouse of Horror V" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  5. ^ Weinstein, Josh (2006). The Simpsons season 8 DVD commentary for the episode "Treehouse of Horror VII" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  6. ^ a b c Groening, Matt (2005). The Simpsons The Complete Sixth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Treehouse of Horror V" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  7. ^ Reardon, Jim (2005). The Simpsons The Complete Sixth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Treehouse of Horror V" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  8. ^ Martin, Clare (October 18, 2022). "The 10 Best Treehouse of Horror Tales from The Simpsons". Paste. Archived from the original on May 7, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  9. ^ "12 Truly Scary 'Simpsons - Treehouse Of Horror' Segments". Entertainment Tonight. October 28, 2014. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  10. ^ Williams, Scott (November 3, 1994). "ABC on top, but moves help others". Sun-Sentinel. p. 4E.
  11. ^ "The best Simpsons episodes, Nos. 6-10". Entertainment Weekly. January 29, 2003. Archived from the original on October 16, 2014. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  12. ^ Weir, Rich. "Top 10: Simpsons Episodes". Askmen.com. Archived from the original on January 18, 2022. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  13. ^ a b Goldman, Eric; Dan Iverson, Brian Zoromski (January 8, 2010). "The Simpsons: 20 Seasons, 20 Episodes". IGN. Archived from the original on April 28, 2007. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  14. ^ a b Finley, Adam (July 6, 2006). "The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror V". TV Squad. Archived from the original on August 23, 2006. Retrieved March 7, 2008.
  15. ^ a b Passman, Michael (October 30, 2006). "Michael Passman: A 'Simpsons' Halloween hall of fame". Michigan Daily. Archived from the original on March 24, 2008. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  16. ^ Molumby, Deidre (September 6, 2019). "The 10 greatest 'The Simpsons' episodes of all time". Entertainment.ie. Archived from the original on July 12, 2024. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  17. ^ Sim, Bernardo (September 22, 2019). "The Simpsons: The Best Episode In Every Season, Ranked". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on September 24, 2019. Retrieved September 22, 2019.
  18. ^ Ruskin, Zack (October 23, 2019). "Ranking: Every Simpsons Treehouse of Horror Halloween Episode from Worst to Best". Consequence. Archived from the original on January 18, 2022. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  19. ^ Bruner, Raisa (December 10, 2019). "We Asked Experts for 10 of Their Most Memorable Simpsons Episodes of All Time". Time. Archived from the original on December 12, 2019. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  20. ^ Goldman, Eric; Iverson, Dan; Zoromski, Brian (October 30, 2006). "The Simpsons' Best Treehouse of Horror Segments". IGN. Archived from the original on October 24, 2009. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  21. ^ Patrick, Seb (October 31, 2007). "The Ten Best Treehouse of Horror Vignettes". Noise to Signal. Archived from the original on January 1, 2016. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
  22. ^ Colin Kennedy. "The Ten Best Movie Gags In The Simpsons", Empire, September 2004, pp. 77
  23. ^ Kurp, Joshua (October 21, 2019). "Every Simpsons Treehouse of Horror Segment, Ranked". Vulture. Archived from the original on May 5, 2021. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
  24. ^ Goldman, Eric; Dan Iverson, Brian Zoromski (January 4, 2010). "Top 25 Simpsons Guest Appearances". IGN.com. Archived from the original on June 22, 2007. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  25. ^ Potts, Kimberly. "Favorite 'Simpsons' Guest Stars". AOL. Retrieved November 24, 2008.[permanent dead link‍]
  26. ^ Groening, Matt (2005). The Simpsons The Complete Sixth Season DVD introduction "A Confession from Matt Groening" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  27. ^ Stargate SG-1 Season 8 DVD commentary for the episode "Moebius" (DVD). MGM Entertainment. 2005.
  28. ^ "Awards & Honours". snpp. Archived from the original on May 11, 2008. Retrieved March 19, 2008.
  29. ^ Booster Gold, vol. 2, no. 8 (2008). DC Comics.
  30. ^ Okilly Dokilly (February 13, 2019). Okilly Dokilly - Reneducation (Official Music Video). Retrieved September 27, 2024 – via YouTube.
  31. ^ Danneil, Sandra (2021), "3 Analysis Treehouse of Horror: Lessons to Remember", Trick, Treat, Transgress, Schüren Verlag, pp. 105–260, doi:10.5771/9783741001451-105, ISBN 978-3-7410-0145-1, retrieved August 1, 2024
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