Category: General

Hello again, wandering purveyors of the spooky, unusual, and strange. Also, everyone else. Continuing what we started last week, it’s time to reveal the second week of Hall-Who-Ween episodes.  I generally try to create basic themes for each showing, which vary year over year. For example, last year I did zombies, vampires, and ghost themes, wherein each episode related to those creatures. This year, I’ve gone more toward stylistic themes, and the week two showing was (with a small exception), ALL ANIMATED.

By focusing all of the animated episodes into one block, you can keep from weirding out people who aren’t big into animated shows. For those folks, it can be a one-off gimmick. For everyone else, it’s awesome. (Pro-tip: invite more of the latter type.)

Of course, this being Hall-Who-Ween, it has to have an episode of Doctor Who. And that, in fact, is where we start:

First Episode: Forest of the Dead (Doctor Who Season 4, Episode 9)

Given that Hall-Who-Ween always starts with the first half of this two-parter, it only makes sense to finish it off in the second week. I did seriously consider order-breaking things to do a different episode first, but ultimately couldn’t. This episode is incredible. It’s premise is terrific, it’s twists lovely, and the new character it finishes introducing, Professor River Song, is a legend. Quite honestly, I don’t believe the interplay of River and the Doctor is ever better than it is in this episode. Every actor is on point, and there’s even some good, truly creepy moments.

Can’t not watch this episode.

Second Episode: Scaryoke (Gravity Falls Season 2, Episode 1)

I love Gravity Falls.

I consider it to be one of the best shows to have come out of the last decade. Not just animated. I mean TV shows in general. It’s also one of the best animated series ever as well.

Anyhoo, given that it deals with a town populated by the supernatural and paranormal in its entirety, there are LOADS of great episodes to show for Hall-Who-Ween. In fact, I had two different sets of Gravity Falls episodes queued up depending on who attended the second showing. Ultimately, I was able to go with this episode, a wonderful parody of Night of the Living Dead and the next episode in this list.

Both are spoileriffic, so only watch them with people who’ve seen the series through (or at least up to this point). Otherwise, it ruins cool stuff.

“Scaryoke” is full of zombie jokes, homages, and downright hilarious moments. Honestly, I’m not even going to tell you anything else about it. Just watch it. Go. Now.

Third Episode: Into the Bunker (Gravity Falls Season 2, Episode 2)

I love that these episodes come back to back. Again, to avoid revealing too much for a show that I believe to be criminally slept on, this episode details Dipper and friend’s adventure into a secretive bunker they’ve found. Where a shapeshifter, long trapped, awaits…

It’s terrific. And legitimately horrifying at times. Perfect for this event.

Fourth Episode: Fear Itself (Teen Titans Season 2, Episode 5)

A classic, the original Teen Titans TV show had to have a place on this list. Full of good character moments, and endearing hilarity/drama, most of the Raven-centric episodes could have fit on this list. “Fear Itself,” however, in which a night goes horribly wrong after the team watches a horror movie, takes the cake. Featuring countless horror movie tropes, excellent pacing, and a wonderful reveal that not only teaches Raven a valuable lesson but the watcher as well, it’s Teen Titans at its best.

Azarath Metrion Zinthos.

Fifth (Final) Episode: Halloween II (Brooklyn Nine-Nine Season 2, Episode 4)

As there are enough episodes from B99 (all of which build on one another) to be shown one a week, that’s what I’ve been doing! This episode raises the stakes over the first season’s contest between Peralta and Holt. Who wins? That’s the fun of watching 🙂

Conclusion

It’s easy to watch awesome episodes of your favorite shows to celebrate an inherently silly holiday. SO DO IT!

See you next week for the third showing’s episode list!

Ah, October. The time of year when people think fondly of candy, fallen leaves, and the spookiest bits of pop culture. (Also, when people start freaking out about winter (depending on where you live).)

In my family, by which I mean my wife and I, we have proudly celebrated a tradition of our own making for the last 4 years, and I am excited to share it with you. As the title of this post would suggest, that tradition is called Hall-Who-ween.

Inspired by the creepiest episodes of David Tennant’s run as The Doctor on Doctor Who (hence the name), every weekend in October we invite friends over to watch a carefully cultivated list of the best Halloween-themed or otherwise spooky/creepy/scary episodes of our favorite TV shows. It runs the gamut from drama to sitcom to animated and more, changing every year as I meticulously adjust the episode list.

The only constants? The first showing (on the first weekend in October) begins with the Doctor Who episode “Silence in the Library”:

And ends with an all-time great episode (and the single episode that inspired me to kick this thing off), “Blink”:

Why am I telling you about this? Honestly, Hall-Who-ween has become one of my favorite yearly traditions. It’s an excuse to watch great episodes of great shows with great friends (or even just good ones), and I encourage you to give it a shot. Of course, you’ll want to customize your own episode list because one size doesn’t fit all and whatnot, but the idea should hold plenty of fun for you and yours.

Also, over the weeks ahead, I intend to share my episode lists for each weekend with brief explanation of why I picked those episodes! So stay tuned for more Hall-Who-ween-y  goodness over the rest of October.

For more content, head over the main page HERE.

See you soon!