6 Best Halloween Special TV Episodes

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With Halloween around the corner, it’s time to get into the Halloween spirit. Whether we’re talking comedy, sci-fi, drama… most of our favourite TV shows have gotten into the spirit of things, and undoubtedly will again this Halloween. So while we anticipate what the Halloween specials will bring to the table this year, let’s have a look back at some of the best Halloween Special episodes that have aired so far:

 

Brooklyn Nine-Nine – Halloween II

Halloween 2
Source: AV Club

Every year, Brooklyn nine-nine has a Halloween episode that consists of a Halloween bet between Captain Holt and Jake. The first season that this was established, Jake was able to steal Captain Holt’s medal of valour and the Captain had to declare Jake the kind of pranks. While Brooklyn nine-nine brings something new with every Halloween episode (and I’m gearing up for their next one), I think Halloween II takes the cake. The stakes are higher, the rules are established and, as always, the entire gang is in on it somehow or the other.

 

Bob’s Burgers – The Hauntening

the-hauntening
Source: FOX

When Louise is sad that she’s gotten to the point where nothing scares her anymore, Linda and Bob want to take up that challenge. They take the kids to a haunted house of their own design, but their “horrifying” plans seem a little lacklustre. But soon, it seems that external forces might be able to give the Belchers a scare after all.

The Hauntening combines both the wonderful comedy that Bob’s Burgers is known for, along with an element of spookiness, to make a brilliant Halloween Special.

 

Pretty Little Liars – Grave New World

grave-new-world
Source: tvtome.com

Pretty Little Liars is another show that frequently does Halloween Specials so there were a few to choose from here. Grave New World worked for me because it had the entire spooky setting down. The two-hour special takes a break from their usual setting of Rosewood and instead takes place in Ravenswood, a town that has always been associated with a certain creepiness in the show (and this was even further canonised with PLL’s spin-off show Ravenswood that went full-on supernatural). The two-hour special went a step further by featuring a creepy, abandoned house, a graveyard and even a creepy, voyeuristic layer.

 

Modern Family – Halloween

Modern Family Halloween
Source: tenplay.com.au

The Dunphys always go big on Halloween, but it’s not surprising that in Halloween everybody’s holiday seems to be going the wrong way. Mitch gets caught up wearing the wrong thing into his new job, Gloria and Jay are in a big fight about her accent, and Cam can’t stop talking, whilst simultaneously not talking, about the worst Halloween from his childhood. When Claire tries to work through this and set up her haunted house, things don’t go exactly as planned. With all the hilarity of Modern family, paired with some spooky, and not-so-appropriate costumes, Halloween is definitely apt for the season that’s in it.

 

Community – Epidemiology

community-halloween
Source: www.ballermindframe.com

Community has a wide array of Halloween Specials to pick from, but Epidemiology is probably its best. During a Halloween dance planned by the dean, a zombie outbreak happens, and the students who have yet to be bitten must fight for their survival. The episode satirises many popular tropes in the zombie genre, all while managing to be hilarious. And as an added bonus, George Takei narrates it!

 

Parks and Recreation – Meet n’ Greet

Parks and Recreation Halloween
Source: www.nbc.com

When Andy and April throw a Halloween party without telling Ben, who’s their roommate, things are a little tense. The whole parks and rec gang are invited and up to their usual shenanigans. Ouran is being his spooky self in the background, while Andy and Ben are trying to resolve their differences.

Maybe not the most “Halloween” episode that there ever was, but it’s filled with fancy dress up, April’s dark sense of humour and just the kind of fun that only Parks and Rec offers.

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