I have to give Fox credit for one thing. For the second year in a row, The Simpsons Halloween episode will be airing before Halloween. That’s a big deal when they’ve aired the weekend before Thanksgiving before more than once. In fact, all four Fox animated shows currently on the air–The Simpson, Bob’s Burgers, Family Guy, and American Dad–are airing their 2013 Halloween episodes tonight. That’s a major improvement for American Dad that used their Halloween episode (the amazing Cee-Lo Green composed Little Shop of Horrors parody with a hot tub) as their season premiere last year.

This is a great way to kick off the most festive time of the year. Since I’m so dedicated to amazing horror content, I’ll be reviewing the Halloween episodes. All four of the shows pull out all the stops for Halloween. Who will come out on top? The smart money is on American Dad but Bob’s Burgers does really wry holiday episodes. Family Guy is totally hit or miss and The Simpsons are only as good as their worst sketch of the night.

First up is The Simpsons. This is “Treehouse of Horror XXIV,” which means only one season did not have a Halloween episode. Guillermo del Toro is tasked with the opening sequence and it’s amazing. My favorite parts are the Pan’s Labyrinth references. The sheer volume of horror references is stunning. It flows in a very logical way and ends beautifully on his most critically acclaimed dark fantasy/horror work. If nothing is this good the rest of the night, I will be satisfied.

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