Halloween is just around the corner, meaning it is time for scary costumes and crazy Halloween decorations to fill your screens. Many long-running sitcoms create holiday episodes that are perfect to get you in the festive spirit, especially if you are not a horror-movie enthusiast. Here are five hilarious episodes full of pumpkins and costume ideas you need to watch this October.
- Brooklyn 99 Season 1 Episode 6: “Halloween”
This list has to begin with the craziest and most elaborate episode, “Halloween” from Brooklyn 99. All of the detectives get involved in a friendly competition called the “Halloween Heist” where they compete against each other for the title of best detective. This episode is full of crazy costumes and keeps the audience guessing who is going to end up victorious. Brooklyn 99 made one Halloween heist episode per season, so I would recommend bringing all of them and seeing how the schemes get increasingly ridiculous.
- New Girl Season 2 Episode 6: “Halloween”
While these episodes have fairly basic titles, they are anything but repetitive. In New Girl, Jess, the main character, is working in a haunted house and trying to figure out if she and Sam are dating, while her roommates Nick, Schmit, and Winston deal with their own love lives and the spooky-ness of Halloween. I love the costumes in this episode; we see Winston’s girlfriend Shelby dressed as a queen with stuffed animals—reigning cats and dogs—and Nick dressed cleverly as Bea Arthur from Golden Girls with an Arthur t-shirt and bee headband. This episode perfectly shows the craziness and confusion that can occur on Halloween when everything is a little scarier.
- Abbott Elementary Season 2 Episode 6: “Candy Zombies”
This episode will take you back to exactly what Halloween felt like while in school. Kids are dressed up adorably, and the plot centers around the teachers trying to figure out who stole the bag of the candy before the day ends. There are lots of witty one-liners that will make you laugh out loud while reminiscing. At the end of the episode, we see Janine, the main character, hosting a Halloween party for her coworkers. I loved seeing all her decorations and perfectly curated rooms to ensure everyone had a great time.
- Superstore Season 2 Episode 6: “Halloween Theft”
Yes, this is another episode where a heist is involved, but it also shows some hilarious costumes and the reality of working in retail during Halloween. Everyone is dressed in full costumes and makeup but cannot leave to enjoy the holiday because Dina suspects theft. Jonah dresses as Brexit, which no other character laughs at or understands, becoming a bit of a running joke. I recommend this episode for viewers with a drier sense of humor and for those who do not want to be scared. This show is more upbeat and wittier.
- Modern Family Season 2 Episode 6: “Halloween”
Of course, this list would not be complete without the inclusion of Modern Family. There are multiple Halloween episodes to choose from, and you should binge them all, but my favorite is the first one. Claire and Phil steal the show with an amazingly spooky haunted house and crazy costumes, while the kids navigate Halloween in their own funny ways. Halloween is always a bustling and chaotic time, especially in large families, so it is fun to see how everyone, no matter their age, gets involved in the holiday.