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If you’re like me, you find it hard to not get nostalgic in the fall, and especially if your childhood took place during the spooky treasure trove that was 1990s television. Hocus Pocus, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Casper, Halloweentown…need I go on?
One of the best yet most enigmatic of the bunch was the Goosebumps TV show. It had a perfectly spooky opening sequence (only rivaled by that of Stranger Things in my opinion) and was one of the few horror anthology shows around at the time. I loved the Goosebumps TV series — but, at least in my neck of the woods, they just kept re-running the same five episodes again and again. So I sort of got bored of it after a while.
Imagine my delight, then, when I found out that Netflix is streaming all of the Goosebumps TV show (yes, I repeat, all) of the episodes of the original Goosebumps series.
And so, as a totally normal 28-year-old millennial is wont to do, I binge-watched it. All 74 episodes.
I found that, despite some primitive graphics, cheesy dialogue, and ridiculous twist-endings, a bunch of episodes have stood the test of time. Most of them got me laughing. A few even creeped me out.
This Halloween, I recommend you do the responsible thing and grab a big bowl of candy, light a pumpkin-scented candle, and watch some of the better episodes of Goosebumps.
Best ‘Goosebumps’ TV show episodes streaming on Netflix
Viewer beware, you’re in for a scare!
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1. ‘The Ghost Next Door’
I know Goosebumps is just a kids’ show, but “The Ghost Next Door” was my favorite episode by far because it has a lot of complexity, touching on deep topics like friendship, disability, and death. Plus, there’s a twist revealed part of the way through that genuinely surprised me.
Just a forewarning that the name Danny is yelled approximately 96 times.
2. ‘Stay Out of the Basement’
“Stay Out of the Basement” is creepy in all the right ways. It’s also unique in that the main characters start to fear not some random monster, but their own father—who is well on his way to becoming a mad scientist. Plus it’s set in a basement, so it should make millennials feel right at home.
3. ‘The Haunted Mask’
“The Haunted Mask” is probably one of Goosebump‘s best-known episodes, and after re-watching it, I can see why. It’s about a girl who can’t seem to remove her creepy Halloween mask, and it’s genuinely scary. But hey, at least she’s not wearing a Donald Trump mask.
4. ‘The Blob That Ate Everyone’
I know this title is the worst, but if you have a thing for old typewriters, then this is the episode for you. A boy who is the best writer in school gets a hold of a magic typewriter that brings his stories to life. The blob monster is super campy, but the story is pretty suspenseful.
5. ‘The Scarecrow Walks at Midnight’
If you needed another reason to hate corn fields, here it is. Two kids visit their beloved grandparents’ farm, only to find that something feels off—and it seems to have something to do with the scarecrows (which, I must add, are as creepy as ones you’d find in an adult horror film).
6. ‘Welcome to Dead House’
“Welcome to Dead House” made me jump a lot (but in a good way). It’s about a family that moves to a place called Dark Falls where it seems that not only the house, but the entire town is haunted. One of my favorite things about the episode, aside from the great job they did with the creepy townspeople, was that the boy in the family has so much snark. So. Much. Snark.
7. ‘Night of the Living Dummy II’
Besides “The Haunted Mask,” the “Night of the Living Dummy” episodes of Goosebumps are perhaps the most popular because…dolls. This is the one that started it all (they never filmed an adaptation of Night of the Living Dummy), which was followed by “Night of the Living Dummy III” and “Bride of the Living Dummy.” Let’s just say these episodes are somewhat kid-friendly in the sense that they’re non-gory versions of Chucky. It won’t help your automatonphobia.
8. ‘The Werewolf of Fever Swamp’
“The Werewolf of Fever Swamp” has its suspense down pat. For most of the episode you never get a good look at the monster—all you see are shadowy movements and flashes of teeth and hair. And one of the main characters is an awesome German Shepherd dog who saves the day.
9. ‘A Night in Terror Tower’
In “A Night in Terror Tower,” two kids tour a haunted castle in Great Britain, only to end up trapped there for the night. The worst part? All of the wax figures are coming to life, including a blood-thirsty executioner. Plus, the kids do some time-traveling. Count me in.
10. ‘You Can’t Scare Me’
Last, but not least, there’s “You Can’t Scare Me,” about two kids who keep on bullying a girl in their class. But they get what they deserve when she starts fighting back and lures them into the local swamp, where they come face-to-face with mud monsters.
What are your favorite Goosebumps TV show episodes?
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