Gravity Falls – “Summerween” (2012)

Season 1, Episode 12
Airdate: October 5th, 2012

This is the only episode of a show for this year’s Shocktober that I’d seen before picking it. I’ve seen it a couple of times. You could say it’s a Halloween tradition. Even though it’s not technically a Halloween episode. No, we’re talking about Summerween.

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Chuck – “Chuck Versus the Sandworm”

Season 1, Episode 6
Original Air Date: October 29, 2007

I have always considered Chuck with trepidation. On one hand, it’s a show passionate fans desperately fought to keep on the air and I’m definitely interested in a show built around the trio of Zachary Levi (because Thor 2, Shazam, and Mrs. Maisel), Yvonne Strahovski (because she’s in the Mass Effect games), and Adam Baldwin (because Firefly and definitely not his politics). On the other hand, it looked like it could be The Big Bang Theory with action. So is “Chuck Versus the Sandworm” a delightfully nerd-friendly Halloween adventure or cringey drivel? I lean toward the latter.

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Gilmore Girls – “Twenty-One is the Loneliest Number”

Season 6, Episode 7
Original Air Date: October 25, 2005

In case you were wondering what my methodology was when it came to choosing my Halloween specials this year, it was simply googling “Halloween specials” and scanning the listicles and Wikipedia article that came up. I had to go back and check, but this episode of Gilmore Girls really was featured as one of the “best Halloween episodes” by Time, Cosmopolitan, and Insider. Which is absolutely bullshit because not only is this episode impossible to watch for a newcomer, it also barely has anything to do with Halloween.

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Friends – “The One With The Halloween Party”

Season 8, Episode 6
Airdate: November 1, 2001

It’s surprising that it took Friends until its 8th season to put out a Halloween episode, but maybe that’s just because it was always more of a Thanksgiving show. Still, Halloween is one of the best times to hang out with your friends and get into hijinks, though I suppose this episode sees The Friends in a bit more mature place in their lives. Monica and Chandler are engaged, Rachel’s pregnant, and Joey’s still… just kinda doing his thing. Still, the episode makes plenty of room for goofy costumes, amusing scenes involving children, and a welcome appearance by Phoebe’s sister Ursula that serves as a reminder that Lisa Kudrow was always the show’s secret weapon. Continue reading →

Dawson’s Creek “The Scare” (1998)

Season 1, Episode 11
Airdate: May 5th, 1998

I can’t get over the fact that Kevin Williamson created Scream and created Dawson’s Creek. SCREAM! The biting satirical meta slasher flick that saved horror in the 90s. A bonafide classic… that came from the mind of a guy who also created a sappy coming of age drama about upper-class teens in Massachusetts. There’s gotta be more to it right? Maybe Dawson’s Creek is just as funny and smart and sexy as Scream? I just didn’t know it because of its cheesy theme song and tiger beat cast members. Maybe Dawson’s Creek is special?

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Frasier – “Halloween”

Season 5, Episode 3
Airdate: October 28, 1997

For the most part, during this TV-centric Shocktober, we’ve strayed from watching shows that we’re super familiar with. This is not the case with today’s entry, since I have seen all 11 seasons of Frasier as well as forerunner Cheers. Despite that, I chose this episode since in my memory it was one of the better holiday-themed Frasier episodes (of which there were many) and it was also one of the better examples of Frasier delving into farce. Upon revisiting this show that I haven’t watched a ton in recent years, I was happy to see that these are both still true while it’s also just a lot of fun to watch these characters dress up in goofy outfits. Continue reading →