The following contains spoilers for The Simpsons Season 36 Episode 1, “Bart’s Birthday,” now streaming on HuluThe SimpsonsThe season 36 premiere featured one of the show’s goriest deaths ever. Despite being largely known for his emotional beats and goofy comedy, The Simpsons has also proven to be a surprisingly adept horror show over the years. The annual Halloween special, “Treehouse of Horror,” gave the creators of the show a lot of space to put the citizens of Springfield through some horrifying events, while some standalone episodes of the series also use surprisingly effective suspense.
Flashes of gore can occur throughout the series, and the animated nature of the series keeps it from being too scary or disturbing. However, there is one standout moment from “Bart’s Birthday” that pushes the boundaries of how far The Simpsons can take horror. The non-canon fake “Finale” sees a long time The Simpsons Supporting characters suddenly and painfully die on screen in a way that wouldn’t be out of place for a horror episode. It’s a sudden and invisible hit that raises the bar for how far The SimpsonsThe overt horror episodes need to go.
Mr. Burns Season 36 “Death” is one of The Simpsons’ scariest moments
Mr. Burns being dissolved by acid is really terrible
Mr. Burns “died” in The Simpsons‘ fake-out series finale is one of the grizzliest moments of body horror in the entire series, even when compared to other horrific moments in the show. The main gag of “Bart’s Birthday” is that it is meant to be a series finale, resulting in many characters around Springfield finding closure. This includes Mr. Burns, who initially pranks the nuclear power plant staff by faking his death. However, Homer accidentally bumps him in the nuclear core, leaving Burns to melt on screen graphically. It’s really an unrepentant complaint, As the clothes and the skin melt off his body.
The acid burns quickly through his bodySteadily turning his typically yellow skin into a much paler shade that he is typically used to The Simpsons For bodies. Finally, the old physical frame falls away completely, the eyes are out of their sockets, and the skin turns mushy green until all that is left is From Mr. Burns are the shoes, his skull, some bones. It’s a truly brutal moment, and it all happens right on the screen. It’s really scary, especially as Burns struggles (and fails) to say anything before he melts. Even when compared to other deaths in The SimpsonsIt’s terrible.
Mr. Burns’ season 36 death is much scarier than his previous ones
Mr. Burns’ season 36 death may be his most gruesome one ever
Previous episodes of The Simpsons They “killed” Mr. BurnsRanging from the Treehouse of Horror Halloween specials to regular episodes of the show. Mr. Burns was seemingly crushed to death in season 15’s “Fraudcast News,” while the non-canon season 33 two-part episode “A Serious Flanders” saw Mr. Burns killed by an errant gunshot to the head (which promptly exploded in a pile of dust). For one thing, those moments happened so quickly that Burns barely had time to register it. In contrast, he is clearly shown in pain when he dies in “Bart’s Birthday,” unable to choke out any last words.
The result is also more invisibleBut fits with The Simpsons‘ Harsh opinion of villains like Mr. Burns. While “A Serious Flanders” plays Burns’ death for slapstick humor that still fits the bleak tone of the storyline, the death of Mr. Burns quickly leads to cheers and celebrations from the nuclear plant staff, especially after they discover his earlier “tip” was legally binding, making them all beneficiaries to his massive estate. Even Smithers seems okay with this development, cradling Burns’ skull instead of mourning him. It’s a very uncomfortable shock.
Mr. Burns’ death raises the bar for The Simpsons Scary Episodes
“Treehouse of Horror” needs to be scarier than ever
The Simpsons is no stranger to scary and sudden bits of gore. Even earlier in the episode, clips of previous attempts to end the show featured several bursts of violence. however, The recent death of Mr. Burns raises the bar for season 36. The show has two confirmed Halloween specials coming in the form of “Treehouse of Horror XXXV” and a “Treehouse of Horror Presents” episode that will reimagine Ray Bradbury’s writing. “Treehouse of Horror” episodes are typically the scary highlights of the show, with many shocking moments benefiting from the non-canon nature of the specials.
Mr. Burns’ death in the Season 36 premiere raises the bar How horrible The Simpsons Will be to keep “Treehouse of Horror” the most shocking episode of the season. Recent seasons have highlighted how creative and gory the special can be, with characters like Mr. Burns suffering some pretty brutal decisions. However, it will be exciting to see what the specials can get if the regular season is also ready to take things to an extreme. Mr. Burns “died” in The Simpsons The season 36 premiere could hint at a particularly gory Halloween special.