Halloween season is upon us again and I am so excited. My personal favorite thing about Halloween are the movies and tv shows that come with it. Some of the most iconic television episodes are centered around Halloween, which is why I thought it would be fun to round up my favorites so that everyone can enjoy them this season. (MAJOR SPOILER WARNING AHEAD!!!)
Pretty Little Liars “The First Secret” (Season 2 Episode 13)
THIS EPISODE IS HALLOWEEN PERFECTION!!! Pretty Little Liars in general absolutely killed Halloween episodes (no pun intended) and this is no exception. The episode is in the middle of season 2 and is a flashback episode to when Alison DiLaurentis is still alive and messing with her friends at a Halloween party when she realizes that ‘A’ is after her. The costumes are perfect and the entire episode is so nostalgic for me which is why I love it.
Pretty Little Liars “This is A Dark Ride” (Season 3, Episode 13)
Talk about an iconic episode. There were so many reveals in this episode I got whiplash. This is definitely one of my favorite Pretty Little Liars episodes due to the plot and the gravity that the episode held in the season. The girls are on a Halloween train and of course ‘A’ has to make an appearance. Adam Lambert also guest stars as the performer on the train. The costumes in this episode were top tier and Jason DiLaurentis as James Dean in “Rebel Without A Cause” ??? Sign me up. I even got to see Aria, Hanna, Emily, and Spencer’s costumes at the Warner Bros Studios in Burbank, CA and naturally, I freaked out.
Pretty Little Liars “Grave New World” (Season 4, Episode 13)
This is another incredible Halloween episode of Pretty Little Liars. The episode comes directly after the audience finds out that Ezra is working with ‘A’ and Alison may actually be alive. It takes place in the creepy town of Ravenswood and the girls dress up in Victorian/Gothic outfits. They eventually do find out in the final seconds of the episode that Alison is in fact alive, but she is scared away when Ezra approaches the girls. The whole episode had me on the edge of my seat which is what makes it so great.
Gossip Girl “How To Succeed In Bassness” (Season 3 Episode 7)
This was really Gossip Girls first and only Halloween episode, but there is absolutely no way that I could make a list of TV episodes and not include my favorite show. The episode does not have the same “Halloween” vibe that the “Pretty Little Liars” episodes had, but it is an entirely different show and it was so entertaining to see Halloween on the Upper East Side. Especially Lily trying to let Rufus carry on his Halloween traditions. The costumes were all 1920s themed and of course, they were on point as always.
One Tree Hill “An Attempt To Tip The Scales” (Season 3 Episode 4)
There were only a couple of Halloween episodes in the nine seasons of One Tree Hill, but the episode in season 3 is such a good one. The costumes are so early 2000s and unlike other shows, the drama is carried throughout the episode and is not swept under the rug for it to be picked up later on in the season. Brooke dresses as a devil in an extremely vibrant red wig while Peyton dresses as a dark angel that actually makes multiple appearances throughout the rest of the show. Nathan also shows up as Batman in an attempt to help save his marriage with Haley and looks great while doing it!!
One Tree Hill “Not Afraid” (Season 8 Episode 6)
The other Halloween episode in One Tree Hill happened five seasons later in season eight. It begins with a zombie nightmare which really sets the tone for the entire episode. The costumes in this episode are seriously all over the place. Julian dresses as a dalmatian because his mom wants him to match with her Cruella de Ville costume and Brooke dresses as an orange in an attempt to do a “Clockwork Orange” couples costume with Julian. The entire episode is extremely lighthearted and is definitely a nice breather from the drama that was present in every episode.
Friends “The One With The Halloween Party” (Season 8 Episode 6)
This is one of the most iconic Halloween episodes of all time. It was the first and only Halloween episode in Friends and it definitely does not disappoint. The episode is so funny and includes Sean Penn as a guest star. Monica dresses as Catwoman, Phoebe dresses as Supergirl, Ross dresses as Spud-nik (a giant potato with antennas), Joey dressed as Chandler, Chandler dressed as a pink bunny rabbit, and Rachel doesn’t dress up and wears a new dress that she bought since she was pregnant and would not fit into it in a few months. Like all Friends episodes, it is really lighthearted and it truly is Halloween perfection.
The Office “Halloween” (Season 2 Episode 5)
This is another hilarious Halloween episode. The Office is one of the–if not the–funniest shows of all time so the standards were high for their Halloween episodes. Michael’s dry humor makes this episode (as it typically does) and his costume is so funny as he attempts to go as “two-headed Michael.” Jim refuses to try and dresses as “Three-Hole Punch Jim” while the rest of the office goes all out creating a really funny and awkward environment.
That 70s Show “Halloween” (Season 2 Episode 5)
I truly believe that That 70s Show is one of the most underrated shows out there and that everyone needs to watch it. It is such a feel-good show and the Halloween episode is one of my favorites. Fez wants to go trick-or-treating as he has never gone due to the fact that Halloween did not exist in his home country. He dresses up as Batman in a hilarious scene as he receives an apple instead of candy. The group decides to go to an abandoned school and exchange ghost stories, and of course, they terrify one another with what they share.
The Vampire Diaries “Haunted” (Season 1 Episode 7)
The Vampire Diaries is one of those shows that could be considered a Halloween show due to the fact that it has vampires, werewolves, and everything that you would find in a typical Hallowen movie. But, there were specialized Halloween episodes that were really good. This episode is one of the first episodes of the show and really cements the show as iconic. There are tons of twists in the episode and hooks the audience in and keeps them on the edge of their seat which is definitely something that you want when it comes to the first episodes of a show.
The Vampire Diaries “The Five” (Season 4 Episode 4)
I think I speak for everyone when I say that the scene with Damon and Elena dancing to “Feel So Close” by Calvin Harris is what makes this episode. They are visiting a college Halloween party and have both turned their humanity off as Elena was just turned into a vampire. There are also appearances of the Originals–Klaus, Elijah, and Rebekah and flashbacks that help the audience get a better understanding of how the vampire population came to be.
Scream Queens “Pumpkin Patch” (Season 1 Episode 5)
Scream Queens is one of those shows that is so stupid, it is hilarious. It is definitely one of my guilty pleasures and the Halloween episode is one of the best ones. The Red Devil is still harassing the members of Kappa Kappa Tau, but that won’t stop Chanel from throwing her Halloween party that also serves as the sorority presidential election party. Chanel dresses as Jackie Kennedy to promote her campaign for sorority president.
There are so many other iconic Halloween episodes that I could have included in this list, but these were definitely my favorites. From Pretty Little Liars to The Office, Halloween episodes to me will always be iconic and they will remain some of my favorites. So with that being said, to get into the Halloween spirit I totally recommend watching these episodes and any others that you can find.