Remember the Treehouse of Horror 12 title sequence?

Coming from the 11th year of Halloween Specials, we go into 2001, and another new take on the title sequence.

This year opens on a shot of a gate, reminding one of the early Treehouse of Horror.

It's the gate of the Burns Estate. Inside there is some activity going on on the roof of the mansion.

Burns and Smithers are at work.

Smithers has been sent up to the highest area of the roof to put up all the Halloween decorations. One tiny bat.

Not happy with the positioning, Burns demands that Smithers go higher to place it.

Up so high, Smithers trips and falls, sliding back on a wire.

Sliding, he hits the power box, and ignites.

This causes the tower he's slammed against to explode and collapse.

The tower collapses onto the old Burns mausoleum.

And the destruction causes the ejection of many of the coffins within the mausoleum.

They continue sailing towards the front of the mansion.

The coffins end up propped up on the porch, thrown open.

Meanwhile, the Simpsons are walking up the way, ready for some family friendly trick or treating.

And they come across the grisly sight, the flames from the fiery Smithers start dropping down, igniting the front of the mansion, and the corpses.

The sight and horror overwhelm the Simpsons...

...and sets them running.

And they flee right to the gates of the estate. And they strike the gates, passing through, and being sliced apart...

...and then "scattering" into the woods.

And Burns watches and laugh.

He praises his decoration for giving the SImpsons such a scare..

And the bat takes off...

...and becomes the title.

This was an interesting opening. Again, no couch gag.

BUT what we get is a short little tale of terror and mishap. A macabre vignette. An escalating and bloody tragedy in seconds.

It. Was. Magnificent!

I have to say, it is so perfect. It's short, simple, and horrific. Death. Defiled Corpses. And, the Simpsons all meeting a grisly end. All without having to fall back on any Simpsonisms.

It can stand on it's own. It was beautifully original.

And, it was funny. Horrible dark comedy. But, still funny.

This may well be the GREATEST opening of all the Treehouse of Horror. I'm only halfway through, but it will be hard to top this opening. But, we will see, as the month goes on.


From the opening, the three tales we got are...



and



and



...which offered the sight of...



...and...



How is this not the way to end an episode?


Now on to Year XIII!