I hope there'll be some good [...] analyses of it in the near future because I feel it really deserves it.
WHY THE POOKADOOK IS A MODERN TREEHOUSE OF HORROR MASTERPIECE
(So I'm obsessed with this segment, so what ?)
Okay, first, I want you to take a deep breath and think about the Maggie-centric segments of the show. Those in which she plays a big part, and not some kind of MacGuffin, such as in Unnormal Activity and In the Belly of the Boss. And for Pete's sake, the ending of Master and Cadaver doesn't count. Ok, so personally, I can only think of two (correct me if I missed one) : Starship Poopers and The Exor-Sis. Regardless of your appreciation of those two, regardless of your opinion on the characterization, Maggie simply was someone else in those segments, obviously as the plot wants it (the daughter of a bloodthirsty alien in the former and a possessed baby in the latter). She can have her importance in some other segments - especially, as it was said earlier, at the ending of Nightmare on Evergreen Terrace - but really, the poor baby doesn't have any segment for her genuine self. Which is understandable of course, I mean, she's a litteral baby and it's not easy finding a story suitable for her without any alteration of her basic self. Which is, being a baby with the intelligence of a
Rugrats character in her biggest roles and gags. You know, she's not supposed to suddenly turn into Alex Delarge and decapitate some foes out of the blue. So how do you manage to write a good story for her and keeping it true to the character ? Add the closest character to her, Marge, to the equation, and choose to adapt
The Babadook.
Now I don't have much memories of the movie, but I do remember the story behind the eponymous monster, and I like it a lot. Stories about surnatural embodiments of grievance and stuff are always my jam. But there are many themes in the story that would have been hard not only to contain into six minutes and a half while also telling a plot standing on its own two feet, but that would've required many changes to the show's usual lore. Which is fine, but also tricky to do while making it feel organic. The segment as it is decided not to change anything to the background, which for the most part could easily be the one from a canon episode, minus of course the presence of a demonic manifestation. Is it very faithful then ? Well, it's an adaptation, what do you expect. And this segment gets it. To parody is one thing, to actually adapt is another. The Shinning is my absolute favorite segment, probably yours as well, but let's face it, to handle something like
The Shining with only seven minutes in your hands, you have to truncate. The multiple metaphors and themes behind this sordid story which isn't just about a guy suddenly turning into a homicidal psychopath ? Nah, let's make Homer go crazy and stuff because no TV and no beer. And it's brilliant, because it's fitting. Mirkin and co decided to go with that, and then they took advantage of making a malleable adaptation of the source material according to how they wanted to use the characters, the tone they wanted to go with, and so on. Homer tries to kill his family because Moe poorly convinces him that they'll be happier as ghosts, and that's fine.
I believe The Pookadook gets that logic. Simply adapt to make it work. Instead of talking about grief, it tackles something we know about Marge for a long time. She loves her family, her family loves her, but she often feels taken for granted, and it's hard to blame her for that. And the segment quickly establishes that, actually. Thanks to the art of freeze-framing, the opening text on the book tells us all we need to know to get the context, even though it doesn't say anything new about the characters. It's just them, but they highlight that in the text to get how it has its importance here. That way, the rest of the segment is dedicated to the essential, stripping off a lot from the original source, again, to fit the context and to make the most out of the runtime. So no context for the Pookadook book, they simply happen to have it, and that way, more time dedicated to Marge telling that creepy story to Maggie and comforting her, I believe. Sometimes, simplification can be helpful to make things feel more fleshed out. The very first Treehouse segment did the same, and so the Simpsons happen to buy a house with a curse the real estate agent is very well aware about. But more importantly, adapting this story helps it feel that they didn't pick this one randomly. It's more like "what if we take
The Babadook story and arrange it so it can fits Marge's personality and her own resentments", instead of "lol, what if the Simpson family were the characters from
Parasite". See what I mean ? The characters are an important key to the story. The Shinning wouldn't have been such a perfect combination of wacky and creepy without Homer's outbursts. Time and Punishment wouldn't have been as freaking hilarious without Homer as the nitwit with a time machine. Bart Simpson's Dracula is also great thanks to the dumb nonchalance from the family with Lisa in the middle to provide a balance. Homer as the unnamed narrator of The Raven works so well too, featuring some brilliant body language.
The characters truly shine in The Pookadook as well. They're carefully written to make you give a damn about them, and boy does it work as far as I'm concerned. They really feel like their own selves suddenly in the middle of surnatural events. And their personalities literally carry on the plot, as they're vital to it. In that regard, I don't think the plot would have worked just as well with Bart or Lisa instead of Maggie. On her own, she helps the plot feel more atmospheric, thanks to her being a girl of few - if any - words (unless Elizabeth Taylor or Jodie Foster gets in the way). She can't directly warn the rest of her family about the Pookadook. She can't crack one-liners. She can only count on her masterful body language (I remember Carolyn Omine tweeting about specifically wanting to give Maggie regular pajamas with pants, so her legs can be used as well). She's a 2 year old (again, with the intelligence of a
Rugrats characters) against a monster. But of course, she is above everything else, just as established right at the beggining, what appeases Marge the most, and vice-versa. So to have the most comforting thing to this 2 year old suddenly turning into the thing that wants to kill her is delightfully chilling as the direction truly takes advantage of the baby's POV. But it's also what glues all the pieces together and carries on the main idea behind this segment. Her little gesture (that so many users have excellently talked about earlier) as the solution is powerful, as it's the thing that reminds Marge the sincerity of her little one. And again, you didn't need words for that : you need a gesture, simple as it is. Suddenly, both Marge and Maggie become the most comforting thing to each other again. Marge is brilliantly handled as well. It's not a surprise that she takes a lot of responsibilities for her family and feels often left behind. But you get that little gesture that reminds her that no matter what, she'll be genuinely loved by someone, and not because she's taken for granted. Also, yeah, great symbolism of the basement that was already mentioned by
@Sandboy's clever analysis, I honestly haven't thought about it.
But yeah, what's with all the symbolism, it's a seven minutes horror tale, I want some horror ! I hear you, and so does the segment. As a chilling segment, it works so damn well, and while like I said the characters are crucial to that, I can't just deny everything else that makes it great. You know what I loved the most about The Fourth Thursday After Tomorrow, from
Thanksgiving of Horror ? It's that freaking scene with Maggie listening to Marge's heartbeat, provided by A.I. Marge. It's not a joke, it's a serious moment to make the plot move forward. And I adore that, when they remember that sometimes, a joke would feel very intrusive. Again, it's just something that feel genuine, in every way possible. And that's the same here. Well, there are jokes of course, and good ones to boot, but they feel organic. They feel like they come at the right time, and even enhance the point. You get Homer and Bart's silly antics of the week by deciding to build a dojo because why not. You get Marge left behind in the photos, which is good enough for a chuckle by itself, but in context, doesn't make you feel any less bad for Marge, and any less bad for Maggie trying to help her get out of it. And then, you also get moments that just scream "give me a good visual joke !", like, I don't know about you but I truly believed that the remains of the broken "World's best mom" cup would form some silly words, same goes to Maggie's blocks overthrown by Marge (I dunno, I expected something like "Uh Oh"). But no, none of those easy tricks. I don't know about you, but for me, it's such a breath of fresh air. The humor is at the right place, and even better, it feels cohesive. It doesn't interfere with the menace or its own rules. And I love my Simpsons silly and funny, don't get me wrong. But I also love when it cleverly decides that it's not the moment for that. Helps you feel for the characters and the events, you know ? Of course, the animation masterfully takes advantage of the horror factor as well. And Julie Kavner brings her A-game. I feel bad everytime someone points out that she sounds unbearable, because damn, she still can act, and as the possessed character, her rough voice sure comes in handy but it's mostly her acting that sells it (her delivery of "Peakaboo, I hear you" will never not be chilling to me).
In conclusion, I just want to add one thing about this segment : to me, it learned from the past. Not just from the good segments, but the bad ones as well. It could have gone through the same mistakes that shot down so many failed parodies, but it's got a solid character-driven plot with a fitting parody, and it's got everything at the right place. Not all of those things should sound like a feat, but the point is, it avoids the traps, it takes advantage of the necessities, and it adds even more to the core, even as a non-canon story. And all that without a single tear of blood, without a single dead body. It's simple, it's the good kind of simple. A good appropriation of a story that works on so many levels, I applaud that, personally.
(Oh and, for that alone, I bump my score for the overall episode up to a
4.5/5.)
)
. Also notice aforementioned satirized "ways to get mom back" - mug, album… Emotional in all sences
(4.5 ->) 
