Halloween is one of the most incredible times of the year, and with the smell of candy and fear in the air, I like to turn to the magical world of television to help me get in the spooky mood. Here are ten of my all-time favorite Halloween episodes for you to binge on as you put in your fangs, or paint your face this Halloween!
- The Office: S8, E5 “Spooked”
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While the cult-classic sitcom The Office has a ton of Halloween episodes that I watch every year, it must be said that the season eight episode “Spooked” is one I just keep coming back to. In this episode, the office is paid a visit by Dunder Mifflin CEO, Robert California, and his odd son, Burt. Trying to impress, Erin turns their Halloween party into an ‘adult party’ and things go terribly wrong. This episode is hilarious and the storyline is just as ridiculous as it is entertaining.
- Modern Family: S2, E6 “Halloween”
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The first of many Modern Family Halloween episodes, season two’s “Halloween” is an incredible festive watch. Determined to have the best trick-or-treat experience on the block, Claire goes all out and plans a haunted house involving her whole family, but she soon finds out that not everyone is as excited about this idea as she is. At his new job, Mitchell dresses up as Spiderman and discovers that it is always important to bring a change of clothes. Though this is my comfort Halloween Modern Family episode, I’d like to give a special shoutout to S8, E4 “The Revenge of Rod Skyhook” which combines the camp extravagance of the characters with the realism of the show’s ideas.
- Bob’s Burgers: S6, E3 “The Hauntening”
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I think that Bob’s Burgers is one of the few TV shows still on air that absolutely smashes the Halloween category, time after time. All of their Halloween episodes are brilliant, but this one is a personal favorite of mine. Louise is upset at Halloween because she is never scared and feels as though she’s missing out. Hearing this, Bob and Linda make a haunted house experience just for her, but when it’s a flop and actually scary things start to happen, the family is terrified. I would recommend a Bob’s Burgers Halloween marathon a million times over.
- Community: S2, E6 “Epidemiology”
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Community is another sit-com that does Halloween so well, and so differently every time. In this episode, a Halloween party at Greendale Community College soon turns into a zombie apocalypse as an infection breaks out, causing students and staff to bite and turn on eachother. It is a perfect example of how Community pushes the boundary of television and truly is a show like no other.
- Pretty Little Liars: S3, E13 “This is a Dark Ride”
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Known as the ‘Halloween Train’ episode among fans, this is another nostalgic classic for Halloween. Compared to the other examples so far, PLL is definitely a spookier show, and so their Halloween episodes fit really well into the show’s aesthetic. In this episode, the Liars spend the night at a costume party on a Halloween train, while simultaneously trying to solve their own grievances and catch their stalker, A. Featuring a near-death scene, a body on ice and a performance from Adam Lambert, this episode stands alone.
- Friends: S8, E6 “The One With The Halloween Party”
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Friends is one of the shows that I don’t watch very often anymore, but when I do, I always enjoy it. They technically only have one Halloween episode, so you know I had to include it on this list! Monica and Chandler decide to throw a halloween party and Phoebe and her twin Ursula are in an embarrassing situation when Ursula’s fiancee doesn’t realize Phoebe wasn’t his soon-to-be wife. There is something so comforting about Friends, and every time I watch this episode, I’m taken back to Halloweens in the early 2000s as a kid.
- How I Met Your Mother: S1, E6 “The Slutty Pumpkin”
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Perhaps one of the most iconic episodes in all of HIMYM history, this episode introduces us to the lore that each year, hopeless romantic Ted waits each year for a girl in a pumpkin costume, Robin brings her new boyfriend and Marshall and Lily enter a costume contest and Barney shamelessly hits on a girl twice in different costumes. This episode has an amazing group dynamic as well as capturing the feeling of partying in New York in your twenties.
- Brooklyn 99: S4, E5 “Halloween IV”
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While all of the Halloween Heist episodes from Brooklyn 99 are incredible, this one stands out as my personal favorite. Each year, the police department battle it out to earn the title of ‘Ultimate Detective/Genius,’ and this time, the precinct is filled with busted teeth, childhood caboodles and fifty pizza delivery guys.
- Parks and Recreation: S4, E5 “Meet N’ Greet”
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In this episode, April and Andy decide to throw a massive party for Halloween, but conveniently forget to let their roommate Ben know. The whole episode builds up Ben’s passive aggression to a boiling point, backlit by awesome costumes and epic one-liners. Parks and Rec is able to keep things funny and ridiculous with some characters, while also being grounded by others, which I appreciate.
- Stranger Things: S2, E2 “Trick or Treat, Freak”
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Another spooky show, Stranger Things is full of 80s Halloween nostalgia, and in this episode, the boys dress up as the Ghostbusters. Though Hopper refuses when Eleven asks to go trick or treating as a ghost, his willingness to stay home with her and watch Halloween movies really emphasizes how far their relationship has come, and foreshadows a larger family dynamic that strengthens as the show continues.
Of course these aren’t all of the amazing Halloween episodes out there, I didn’t even mention the entire Simpsons Treehouse of Horror episodes, but these are some of my absolute favorites. Happy watching, and more importantly, Happy Halloween!