# Simpson's Hallowe'en Specials 'Noncanonical'. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 8, 2020, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-halloween-specials-noncanonical/849093 "2020-03-08T09:47:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2020, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-halloween-specials-noncanonical/849093/1 "2020-03-08T09:47:46Z")
I sometimes notice you _Simpsons_ fan posters mention that their Hallowe’en specials are not canonical. Actually I am surprised none of you seem to know the reason why. They never age. So therefore it’s always the same year. Therefore they’re still in that treehouse telling scary stories. Each new vignette is just another story in the treehouse. Duh. That is also why each subsequent Hallowe’en special is ‘Treehouse of Horror (fill in the number)’. Of that doesn’t account for the fact the next year when they all are Hallowe’en candy and had nightmares. But forget I just said that;). :):):):):):)🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2020, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-halloween-specials-noncanonical/849093/2 "2020-03-08T11:24:13Z")
I assumed they were non-canonical because lots of regular characters die. ---
**Author:** ![Garak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d78d45/32.png) [@Garak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garak)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2020, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-halloween-specials-noncanonical/849093/3 "2020-03-08T12:03:10Z")
does this also mean all the Christmas episodes are noncanonical? ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2020, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-halloween-specials-noncanonical/849093/4 "2020-03-08T13:17:35Z")
The death of Üter was a Treehouse of Horror event that IS part of the canon. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2020, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-halloween-specials-noncanonical/849093/5 "2020-03-08T13:41:34Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > The death of Üter was a Treehouse of Horror event that IS part of the canon. Actually, he died - maybe - in a regular episode (S6 E21 “The PTA Disbands”). ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2020, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-halloween-specials-noncanonical/849093/6 "2020-03-08T17:01:11Z")
I just assumed they were non-canonical because next week they aren’t living under alien rule, Marge isn’t a witch, giant mascots aren’t destroying the world, and donuts don’t fall like rain. Silly me. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2020, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-halloween-specials-noncanonical/849093/7 "2020-03-08T18:53:50Z")
Also they aren’t running into problems with Kang and Kodos. Unless you count canon episodes like _The Man Who Came to Be Dinner_ S26E10. Note that there is a canon Halloween episode: _Halloween of Horror_ S27E04. Believe it or not, there’s a wiki for Christmas specials and such of TV shows. They seem to [list](https://christmas-specials.fandom.com/wiki/Category:The_Simpsons) 18 Christmas related ones for the Simpsons. (Although at least one is set in the far future.) There’s been some Thanksgiving ones, too. 4-6 depending on how you count. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2020, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-halloween-specials-noncanonical/849093/8 "2020-03-08T19:10:56Z")
> [@Jim\_B](#): > > Actually I am surprised none of you seem to know the reason why. None? That’s an awfully presumptuous statement. It’s got an easily disprovable superlative and everything. Do you have a cite or did you just make up the statement? I mean, I know I wasn’t asked. In any case, it’s not quite how you stated it. > [@](#): > > They never age. So therefore it’s always the same year. Therefore they’re still in that treehouse telling scary stories. It’s true, they never age, but that’s just how the timeline works for that show. I don’t know how common floating timelines are, but they’re certainly not unheard of. South Park would be another example of this. They’re always the same age, even though they have birthdays and there’s a lot of real-world current events mentioned in the show. IOW, time advances, they stay the same age. However, you did touch on the actual reason it’s not canon. It’s not canon because they’re just telling stories. There’d be no reason for it to be canon. That would be like assuming JD’s (Scrubs) day dreams are canon. I think the only reason this even comes up as a question is because when people are discussing the Simpsons, doing Simpsons trivia or just about anything else regarding the show, they’ll specifically state that Treehouse of Horror episodes can’t be cited since they’re not canon. Besides, it’s all moot anyway since the show doesn’t really strive for continuity. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2020, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-halloween-specials-noncanonical/849093/9 "2020-03-08T20:04:00Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Actually, he died - maybe - in a regular episode (S6 E21 “The PTA Disbands”). I guess my memory is starting to fail - time to move to Florida and start eating dinner at 4:30. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-halloween-specials-noncanonical/849093/10 "2020-03-13T07:14:33Z")
I’ve coughed up stuff scarier than this OP.