By Molly Pullen, Third Year English
It’s that time again — someone tell Señorita Awesome to break out the pumpkin spice lattes, because autumn is upon us. With these sitcom picks, you can sit back and enjoy a selection of silly and spooky television ready for Halloween festivities.
Modern Family (2009-2020) – Season 2, episode 6: ‘Halloween’
Modern Family boasts eleven seasons of comedy gold (I may have some personal gripes with the later seasons, though that’s for another day), but nothing beats their holiday specials! In the show’s earliest halloween episode, Claire (Julie Bowen) gathers the extended family to host a haunted house for trick-or-treating neighbours. However, the family lacks enthusiasm; brainiac Alex (Ariel Winter) begs to study for an upcoming test (‘Can I remind you, you have one child who is not mediocre’), Hailey (Sarah Hyland) angles to leave early for a high-school party, Gloria (Sofia Vergara) becomes increasingly frustrated whilst her husband (Ed O’Neill) criticises her second language pronunciation, and – to top it all off – Mitch (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) and Cam (Eric Stonestreet) compete for who has the worst Halloween trauma (‘you don't own bad Halloweens!’). This episode has everything, from Spiderman trapped in a bathroom, to a man punching a depressed scarecrow, tune in to see how the Dunphys, Pritchetts and Tuckers manage to pull off the evening.
Abbott Elementary (2021-) – Season 2, episode 6: ‘Candy Zombies’
As a newer addition to the Sitcom collection, Abbott Elementary provided a killer debut halloween episode. Set to a backdrop of thunder and rain, ‘Candy Zombies’ illustrates a true horror story: hundreds of school children running riot on a sugar high. Abbott’s staff attempt to restore order, including a fantastic handheld shot of Mr Hill (Chris Perfetti) clambering through a canteen serving hatch to break into the school gymnasium, shortly before he (and the camera operator) are pummelled with dodge balls by students. The background of slowly blossoming romance between teachers Gregory (Tyler James Williams) and Janine (Quinta Brunson), while Janine rediscovers herself post-breakup, makes it a chaotic, but cosy watch.
New Girl (2011-2018) – Season 3, episode 6: ‘Keaton’
If you’re looking for a light-hearted, quick-watch then New Girl is the perfect pick for you. In the sixth episode of its third season, Nick (Jake Johnson) divulges to the roommates that Schmidt’s (Max Greenfield) mother had forged letters between her son and Batman actor Michael Keaton during his youth to sustain his health and wellbeing, which he had continued into adulthood. Therefore, following Schmidt and Cece’s (Hannah Simone) breakup, the gang decide to restore communication between Schmidt and “Keaton” to convince Schmidt to attend the evening’s Halloween party. Yet, it is Jess’s (Zooey Deschanel) hare-brained, and slightly drunken, scheme to dress up as Keaton’s Batman in the final act that truly sells this episode as the truly silly, fun, holiday special that it is.
Friends (1994-2004) – Season 8, episode 6: ‘The One With the Halloween Party’
Despite being such a long-running show, Friends only produced a singular Halloween themed episode, but it’s not one to miss. In the sixth episode of the eighth season, Monica (Courtney Cox) hosts a Halloween party for the friends whilst Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) attempts to disprove the lies her twin Ursula has been feeding to her fiancée. Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) attempts to connect with her maternal side by generously over-gifting trick-or-treaters who arrive at the door. The show also has a wonderful selection of Thanksgiving themed episodes, particularly ‘The One With The Football’ in which the Geller siblings face off to reclaim the coveted Geller Cup, all whilst their dinner is in the oven.
The Office (US) (2005-2013) – Season 2, episode 5: ‘Halloween’
Possibly one of the most famous on the list, The Office (US) flaunts numerous holiday themed episodes. In ‘Halloween’, boss Michael Scott (Steve Carell) has been ordered to fire one member of staff due to budget cuts, but has procrastinated until his deadline of Halloween (we’ve all been there). He spends the entire episode interviewing each employee and attempting to shift the responsibility onto someone else, until it is Devon (Devon Abner) who eventually pulls the short straw, and retaliates in cursing out half of the staff and smashing a pumpkin into Michael’s car. It would be a rather sad note to end the episode on, but the promise of romance between Pam (Jenna Fischer) and Jim (John Krasinski) with Pam’s reassurance that it is Jim that keeps her sane and smiling in their chaotic workplace, and the hopeful scene of Michael happily answering the door to trick or treaters when he returns home from work, feeds the underlying vein of optimism which runs through the show.
Stranger Things (2016-2025) – Season 2, episode 2: ‘Chapter Two: Trick or Treat, Freak’
Whilst it is not a sitcom, it would be criminal to exclude one of the most popular shows of the Netflix era. The second episode of the second season of Stranger Things, possesses a level of emotional depth that is fairly atypical to a traditional “holiday special” episode. The Byers family still bears the weight of Will’s disappearance in the first season, Max (Sadie Sink) grows increasingly concerned by the abusive and borderline sociopathic actions of her brother Billy (Dacre Montgomery), and Hopper (David Harbour) tries to solve the cause of strange irregularities spreading through Hawkins (I prefer my pumpkin patch to not be rotten, personally). Additionally, divisions arise between Nancy (Natalia Dyer) and Steve (Joe Keery), as the former becomes increasingly frustrated at pretending to forget the disappearance of her best friend, and having to repress her grief; a drunken confession reveals that Nancy doesn’t feel for Steve as she used to (their love is ‘Bullshit!’), leaving him understandably upset. Finally, and most tragically, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) has escaped from the Upside-Down, and seeks shelter living with Hopper for the winter. She expresses her desire to go trick-or-treating after learning about the tradition, but must remain inside to evade government agencies tracking her or risk detection. Alone in the cabin, El uses TV Static to enter a trance-like state to reach the “Void”, a limbo place in which she can track people via the Upside Down, where she tries to contact Mike (Finn Wolfhard). A soaring score provides a tear-jerking, but uplifting ending to a beautiful episode.
Romina Treviño
Bonus: Gilmore Girls (2000-2007)
It wouldn’t be autumn without mentioning the show where leaves seem to continually fall from trees, and coats are a near necessity. Gilmore Girls contains seven seasons of cosy episodes, set on a backdrop of quaint towns (we all wish Star’s Hollow was a real place), inns and fancy educational institutions in Connecticut . Although there are no episodes explicitly dedicated to Halloween, there are plenty of themed costume parties, funky town festivals and seasonal episodes to keep you going.
Some autumn themed Gilmore Girls episodes to check out: S1E6, S1E7, S2E6, S2E7, S2E8, S3E7, S3E9, S5E7 and, S5E17.
Featured image: Stranger Things, Chapter Two: Trick or Treat, Freak | IMDB Courtesy netflix
What is your favourite halloween special?
