Back in the ’90s, there was nothing better than reading theGoosebumpsbook series by R.L. Stine… except for maybe watching the TV series based on these novels. The series aired from 1995 until 1998 and had some awesome settings, from a creepy boarding school to a haunted amusement park to an eerie house where the neighbors are zombies.
While this was a show aimed at kids, and some moments were definitely cheesy, there are someGoosebumpsepisodes that are genuinely and legitimately horrifying. These stories feature regular kids in scary situations and are a lot of fun to watch even today.
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“The Haunted Mask” (Season 1, Episodes 1 & 2)
Goosebumpsis anostalgic ’90s kids showand for many fans, “The Haunted Mask” is the greatest episode. When Carly Beth tries on a mask, she has no idea that it will literally take over and make her start acting in strange, evil ways. Cathy ruins Halloween for everyone now that she is wearing this mask.
The most terrifying moment in this two-part episode is when Carly Beth attempts to take off the mask and realizes that she can’t. The mask is literally part of her face now. While of course this could never really happen, it’s hard not to feel creeped out and alarmed by this image. Like thegreat storytelling inAre You Afraid Of The Dark?, each episode ofGoosebumpshas a really solid ending, and this one is awesome: Carly Beth sees her brother Noah with the mask on, which terrifies her.
“Be Careful What You Wish For” (Season 2, Episode 1)
It’s great news that there will be aDisney+GoosebumpsTV seriesbecause some of the ’90s episodes were legitimately scayr. Everyone knows the saying “Be careful what you wish for because it just might come true.” People often dream of fame and fortune and other trappings of success, not realizing that the most important things in life have nothing to do with making tons of money. The season 2Goosebumpspremiere is based on book 12 and tells the story of Sam Byrd, who is having a tough time and who meets Clarissa, who gives her several wishes. Of course, these wishes go really wrong.
When Sam wants to be the best basketball player, the others become klutzes, which ruins the game for everyone. When Sam wants people to “buzz off” because she’s sick of being bullied, her peers become flies. Sam’s enemy turned friend, the popular and beautiful Judith, wants to be the prettiest girl around, and she becomes a statute. Watching the wishes have such a dark and negative effect is really unnerving.
“Attack of the Jack O’Lanterns” (Season 2, Episode 10)
Based on book 48 in theGoosebumpsseries, “Attack of the Jack O’Lanterns” tells the story of Walker and Drew who hate Halloween because their peers always tease them and play pranks. Shana and Shane, their friends who are twins, visit to celebrate Halloween, which seems like good news… except viewers learn that they’re actually aliens.
The moment when Shana and Shane take off their masks and have green faces is really scary, and whileGoosebumpsis still cheesy and will never be considered as terrifying as thescariest horror movies, this episode does get under someone’s skin. The Halloween setting is also a lot of fun.
“Scarecrow Walks at Midnight” (Season 2, Episode 14)
In this season 2 episode, based on book 20 in the series, Jodie and Mark travel to stay with their grandparents, Grandma Miriam and Grandpa Kurt, and they always enjoy the great food and spooky tales. But during this visit, the siblings see that the scarecrows on the farm literally come to life. This is one of the bestGoosebumpsepisodes as it has a solid plot, good characters, and a really fun ending. The siblings meet Stanley, who helps out on the farm and who knows a lot about scary stories. Stanley helps the other characters defeat the scarecrows… or so they think. The final scene is of a scarecrow seeming to drive a tractor right into the grandparents' house.
Thestorytelling inGoosebumpsis perfect, with proper explanations of the horror elements, interesting settings, and plot twists. This is one of the scariest episodes because it’s hard not to be creeped out by the scarecrows, who really do look like they have come alive.
“Perfect School” (Season 3, Episodes 11 & 12)
“Perfect School” is adapted from the short story in the collectionEven More Tales To Give You Goosebumps, which was published in 1996. Brian O’Connor is upset when his parents send him to a boarding school and soon realizes that the students are a bit too flawless. Soon he realizes that they are robots and the real kids are being kept in cages in the basement.
This is definitely a horrifying storyline since these children are really being hurt and their lives are ruined. Stories about clones/robots/creepily perfect people, likeThe Stepford Wives, always feel eerie. “Perfect School” is pretty dark and disturbing considering the fact thatGoosebumpsis a kids' show. LikeNetflix’sFear Streettrilogybased on another R.L. Stine book series,Goosebumpscan be fun and surprising.
