This year, 'The Simpsons' (Sun., 8PM ET on FOX) annual Halloween spook-tacular was filled with fresher-than-usual satire. 'Treehouse of Horror XXII' -- and doesn't that make you feel old? -- opened with a nod to Aron Ralston and the film '127 Hours,' and proceeded to mock 'Dexter,' 'Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark' and 'Avatar.'

The 'Spider-Man' story was perhaps the most bizarre, as it featured a catatonic Homer Simpson ultimately fighting crime even though he couldn't move. But the accidents caused by that were a clear poke at the accident-prone musical.

With 'In the Na'Vi,' the classic 'Treehouse of Horror' aliens got to take more of a central role in the story than they usually do. Rather than aesthetically pleasing blue aliens to step into, Bart Simpson got to inhabit a green slimy avatar, but he loved it nonetheless.

As for 'Dexter,' the serial killer in Springfield was originally revealed to be Ned Flanders, which made sense in a twisted sort of way. However, it was ultimately revealed to all be a prank by Homer, who was tricking him into murder via a Bible with a speaker on it.

We were a little disappointed at the cop out. After all, there's no need to protect the integrity of the characters on the Halloween episodes. Everything's completely out of context and continuity!

What did you think of the latest trip into the 'Treehouse'?