We continue our 31 days of Frights with the Goosebumps television series. The show ran for 4 seasons and had 74 episodes from October 27, 1995, to November 16, 1998. The show was adapted from the best-selling Goosebumps books written by R.L Stine. R.L. Stine is actually the best-selling children’s series author of all time.
The show was an anthology series, usually having a child or a teen facing off against a frightening situation. These situations usually mean ghosts, witches, curses, etc. The episodes leaned more on the fun side than the scary side, making it a great gateway into horror for young kids. Here are some of the best episodes of the franchise you should check out.
“The Haunted Mask” is a two-part episode and the first and second episodes of season 1. It is also probably the most iconic episode of the series. Carly Beth is a girl who is afraid of everything. When two bullies pull a disgusting prank on her, she decides that it’s time for payback. She purchases a mask that she plans to use to scare the bullies, but when the mask doesn’t come off, Carly Beth is in big trouble.
It isn’t a surprise that this episode is so memorable. It’s a scary concept to put a mask on, and it can’t come off. The episode has strong themes of self-love and acceptance. The more time the mask stays on Carly Beth, the more her personality changes. She becomes more hateful and angrier. She realizes she doesn’t want to be this way. She doesn’t want to be like her bullies. It’s a great episode full of atmosphere, and it’s a creepy, fun time.
“Night of the Living Dummy” has had several episodes throughout the series. Why are these episodes memorable and some of the best? Slappy. Slappy is a dummy who has come to life with the sole purpose of being evil, I guess. Either way, he is creepy, and his mission seems to be to cause chaos wherever he goes.
Slappy is known as the face of the franchise. He is on so many posters and on the cover of so many different books. He even became the main antagonist in the Goosebumps movie from 2015. It makes sense why he would be a good villain because his power comes from framing children and making them feel isolated from their adults.
“Say Cheese and Die” is an episode from season 1 that is memorable as well. Greg finds an old, interesting-looking camera in an old house. There is definitely something wrong, though, as the pictures that the camera takes show future horrific events.
This is a fun one for sure, and it is genuinely creepy. It reminds me very much of the Final Destination movies and was popular enough that they repeated the concept in the new iteration of the show. Greg is also played by Ryan Gosling in a very early role, which is cool to see.
Goosebumps is a great starter show for any kid trying to get into horror. The show doesn’t always hold up nowadays. Some of the acting can be corny, and the effects aren’t great. Still, it’s a fun product of its time and worth going back to. Viewers beware. You’re in for a scare.
Goosebumps is currently available to view on Netflix and Tubi.
Come back tomorrow for some more spooky reviews.
