Editing Treehouse of Horror XII (section)

==Release and reception==
In its original American broadcast on November 6, 2001, "Treehouse of Horror XII", along with a new episode of the Fox program ''[[That '70s Show]]'', made Fox the highest rated channel that night among adults ages 18 to 49, according to [[Nielsen Media Research]].<ref name=medialife>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.medialifemagazine.com/news2001/nov01/nov05/3_wed/news7wednesday.html|title='24' loses to 'NYPD Blue' opener|magazine=[[Media Life Magazine]]|date=November 7, 2001|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100611180958/http://www.medialifemagazine.com/news2001/nov01/nov05/3_wed/news7wednesday.html|archive-date=June 11, 2010}}</ref> The preliminary Nielsen household rating and share and adult 18-49 rating on the Fox channel that night were 7.6 rating/11 share.<ref name=medialife /> ''Media Life Magazine'' described ''The Simpsons'' performance in the ratings that night as "superb".<ref name=medialife/> On September 2, 2003, the episode was released, along with the episodes "[[Treehouse of Horror V]]", "[[Treehouse of Horror VI]]" and "[[Treehouse of Horror VII]]" as part of a [[DVD]] set titled ''The Simpsons – Treehouse of Horror''.<ref name="amazon1">{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00009N80Z|title=The Simpsons - Treehouse of Horror|website=[[Amazon (company)|Amazon]]|date=September 2, 2003 |access-date=December 30, 2010}}</ref> The episode was released again as part of ''The Simpsons: The Thirteenth Season'' DVD and Blu-ray set, released on August 24, 2010.<ref name="amazon2">{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003KZ27N0|title=The Simpsons: The Thirteenth Season|website=[[Amazon (company)|Amazon]]|date=August 24, 2010 |access-date=December 30, 2010}}</ref>

{{Quote box|quoted=true|bgcolor=#FFFFF0|salign=left|width=230px|align=right|quote=Like many episodes from 21st century seasons, "XII" doesn't present many significant flaws, but it also doesn't ever really shine. Some good moments pop up here, mostly due to vocal performances. ...Nonetheless, the overall tone seems a bit lame. ..."XII" isn't bad ''Simpsons'', but it's mediocre.|source='''Colin Jacobsson, ''DVD Movie Guide'''''<ref name="DVDmg"/>}}
Following its television broadcast and the home video release of the thirteenth season of ''The Simpsons'', "Treehouse of Horror XII" received mixed reviews from critics. Casey Broadwater of ''Blu-ray.com'' stated that the episode "is merely so-so entry in the show's annual Halloween anthology", while Colin Jacobsson of ''DVD Movie Guide'' wrote that, while it "doesn't present many significant flaws", it also "doesn't ever really shine".<ref name="blu-ray">{{cite web|url=http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Simpsons-The-Thirteenth-Season-Blu-ray/11327/#Review|title=The Simpsons: The Thirteenth Season Blu-ray Review|date=September 5, 2010|access-date=December 31, 2010|last=Broadwater|first=Casey|publisher=Blu-ray.com|archive-date=September 9, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180909155639/http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Simpsons-The-Thirteenth-Season-Blu-ray/11327/#Review|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="DVDmg">{{cite web|url=http://www.dvdmg.com/simpsonsseasonthirteen.shtml|title=The Simpsons: The Complete Thirteenth Season [Blu-Ray] (2001)|date=September 2, 2010|access-date=December 31, 2010|last=Jacobson|first=Colin|website=DVD Movie Guide|archive-date=December 15, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101215210604/http://dvdmg.com/simpsonsseasonthirteen.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> He concluded his review by writing "'XII' isn't bad ''Simpsons'', but it's mediocre".<ref name="DVDmg"/> Writing for ''Good Film Guide'', Matt Wheeldon held a similar opinion, calling it "an average quality 'Treehouse of Horror' episode" and described it as being "easily watchable" and "fairly memorable, but far from the best of the bunch".<ref name="goodfilmguide">{{cite web|url=http://goodfilmguide.co.uk/the-simpsons-season-13-dvd-review/|title=The Simpsons: Season 13: DVD Review|date=September 22, 2010|access-date=December 31, 2010|last=Wheeldon|first=Matt|website=Good Film Guide|archive-date=November 23, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101123120533/http://goodfilmguide.co.uk/the-simpsons-season-13-dvd-review/|url-status=live}}</ref> Nate Boss of ''Project:Blu'' stated that the episode is "At times memorable, at times forgettable" and that it "kicks off Season 13 with a smile, whimper, and thud".<ref name="Project-blu">{{cite web|url=http://project-blu.com/reviews/simpsons13.html|title=The Simpsons: The Thirteenth Season|date=September 8, 2010|access-date=December 31, 2010|last=Boss|first=Nate|website=Project-Blu|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110622070047/http://project-blu.com/reviews/simpsons13.html|archive-date=June 22, 2011}}</ref> Ron Martin of ''411Mania'' stated that, while he does not consider "Treehouse of Horror XII" to be the worst episode of the series, "as far as 'Treehouse' episodes go, it has to be one of the weakest".<ref name="411mania">{{cite web|url=http://www.411mania.com/movies/dvd_reviews/153026|title=The Simpsons Season 13 DVD Review|date=September 15, 2010|access-date=May 7, 2020|last=Martin|first=Ron|website=411Mania|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101015004733/http://www.411mania.com/movies/dvd_reviews/153026|archive-date=October 15, 2010}}</ref>

Writing for ''Suite101'', Dominic von Riedemann described the episode as a "disappointment".<ref name="suite101">{{citation|title=The Simpsons The Thirteenth Season DVD Review|date=September 8, 2010|last=von Riedemann|first=Dominic|publisher=Suite101}}</ref> Reviewing the episode for the ''Daily News'' of New York City before the episode's official broadcast, Eric Mink complimented it for being "fitfully funny", however he added that the episode "seem[s] short on the pop-culture digs and celebrity skewering that used to put a high gloss on the show's gleaming reputation".<ref name=nydailynews>{{cite news|url=https://www.nydailynews.com/2001/11/05/so-so-simpsons-still-cant-be-beat/|title=So-So 'Simpsons' still can't be beat|date=November 20, 2001|access-date=December 31, 2010|last=Mink|first=Eric|website=[[New York Daily News]]|archive-date=August 26, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240826074749/https://www.nydailynews.com/2001/11/05/so-so-simpsons-still-cant-be-beat/|url-status=live}}</ref> Jennifer Malkowski of ''DVD Verdict'' however gave the episode a positive review, and referred to the episode, along with "[[Weekend at Burnsie's]]", as the two best episodes of the season.<ref name="DVDverdict">{{cite web|url=http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/simpsons13bluray.php|title=The Simpsons: The Complete Thirteenth Season (Blu-Ray)|date=September 6, 2010|access-date=December 31, 2010|last=Malkowski|first=Jennifer|website=DVD Verdict|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111209001817/http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/simpsons13bluray.php|archive-date=December 9, 2011}}</ref> She wrote that "[the episode] succeeds because of wall-to-wall laughs", and cited several scenes and gags, in particular the "horrible vomiting frog 'prince' that Bart enchants".<ref name="DVDverdict"/> She gave the episode an A− rating.<ref name="DVDverdict"/> Aaron Peck of ''High-Def Digest'' was also favorable, stating that the episode was "one of [his] all-time favorite 'Treehouse of Horror' episodes".<ref name=highdef>{{cite web|url=http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/3398/simpsons_13.html|title=The Simpsons: The Thirteenth Season (Blu-ray)|publisher=High-Def Digest|first=Aaron|last=Peck|date=August 31, 2010|access-date=December 31, 2010|archive-date=September 19, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110919054458/http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/3398/simpsons_13.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

"Hex and the City" garnered mixed responses from critics; Broadwater wrote that the segment was "a bit of a letdown" while Boss described it as "fairly poor".<ref name="blu-ray"/> Mink however felt that the segment was the best in the episode.<ref name=nydailynews/> "House of Whacks" was well received. Broadwater described the segment as "brilliant" while von Riedermann referred to it as being the best of the three.<ref name="suite101" /> Boss, who was dissatisfied with the first segment, felt that "House of Whacks" "makes up for it".<ref name="Project-blu"/> Brosnan's guest appearance was praised; Jacobsson described the performance as "a surprisingly nice guest turn" while Boss referred to it as "killer".<ref name="DVDmg"/><ref name="Project-blu"/> Adam Rayner of ''Obsessed With Film'' wrote that the segment features Brosnan "giving his best acting turn since... ''[[The Long Good Friday]]''?".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.obsessedwithfilm.com/reviews/dvd-review-the-simpsons-season-13.php |title=DVD Review: THE SIMPSONS SEASON 13|date=September 20, 2010|access-date=December 31, 2010|last=Rayner|first=Adam|publisher=Obsessed With Film|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101126160306/http://www.obsessedwithfilm.com/reviews/dvd-review-the-simpsons-season-13.php|archive-date=November 26, 2010}}</ref> Particular scorn was aimed at "Wiz Kids", the third segment of the episode. Jacobsson stated that "Wiz Kids" "ends the show on a drab note" while Mink stated that the segment "pretty much fall[s] flat".<ref name=nydailynews/><ref name="DVDmg"/> Boss was also critical, writing, ''Harry Potter'', in my ''Simpsons''? It may be more likely than you think, although, for sure, it really does stink".<ref name="Project-blu"/> Andre Dellamorte of ''[[Collider (website)|Collider]]'' wrote that, even though he complimented the segment for being "bold" considering the film it parodied had not come out yet, he criticized the segment by writing "the depth of the parody stops with surface references".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://collider.com/the-simpsons-thirteenth-season-blu-ray-review/|title=THE SIMPSONS: Thirteenth Season Blu-ray Review|date=September 17, 2010|access-date=November 2, 2022|last=Dellamorte|first=Andre|website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]]|archive-date=November 2, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221102184204/https://collider.com/the-simpsons-thirteenth-season-blu-ray-review/|url-status=live}}</ref> Peck, however, described the segment as being "quite possibly one of the best and most clever spoofs of ''Harry Potter''".<ref name=highdef/>