Worst Halloween TV Episodes
With Halloween right around the corner, members of our CommRadio Arts team want to let people know about Halloween-inspired television episodes to avoid this year.
“The Rocky Horror Glee Show” - Season 2 Episode 5, “Glee”
Glee is known to handle themed episodes very well, however the story behind McKinley High’s performance of “Rocky Horror Picture Show” adds to the list of reasons why Will Schuester’s teaching career should never have begun.
Mr. Schuester, seeing that guidance counselor Ms. Pillsbury is happily in a relationship, makes a selfish attempt to make her jealous by putting on an extremely uncomfortable high school rendition of a production with suggestive material, particularly for a cast of teenagers.
Cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester takes Schuester’s side in a conniving attempt to achieve her ultimate goal of eliminating the Glee club. Using her television segment “Sue’s Corner,” Sylvester highlights the production, causing Principal Figgins to shut down the show.
This episode is arguably one of the worst episodes in the entire series, however one bright spot that is consistent throughout the show is the music. “Time Warp” and “Sweet Transvestite” once again showcase the talent that these actors possess.
Not only is Mr. Schuester blinded by his jealousy, but lets his personal life once again get in the way of being a mentor to the Glee club in a way that can easily cause psychological harm to students already constantly bullied by their peers.
- Matt Zwiercan
“Creepy Connie” - Season 1 Episode 7 “Jessie”
Growing up, I was definitely a fan of “Jessie” and most of the other preteen shows that Disney had to offer. However, this first attempt at producing a Halloween-themed “Jessie” episode is slightly disappointing.
The episode starts off strong with main characters Jessie and Luke being set in the park on a fall day. Things quickly go downhill when a new character, “Creepy Connie,” gets her debut.
The episode is based around Creepy Connie having an alarming obsession with Luke. Connie wants Luke to be “hers forever.” Also in this episode, Ravi and Zuri have become scared of a future-predicting toy that foretells unfortunate things that happen to their butler, Bertram.
I found that this episode lacks all of the basic factors of a memorable Halloween special. A spooky Halloween party, wild costumes, mysterious figures and jump scares were all left out of this dissatisfying episode.
This episode made me feel like Disney ran out of ideas for Halloween themed specials. Instead, writers decided to introduce a new character to the series that they thought viewers would find intriguing, while simultaneously giving the episode an eerie feel.
As the series progressed and the characters developed, Disney gave us better “Jessie” Halloween episodes from season to season. Like anything in life, good things come to those who wait.
- Carly Dell’Oso
Matt Zwiercan is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email mzz5317@psu.edu.
Carly Dell’Oso is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email ced5690@psu.edu.
About the Contributors
Carly Dell’Oso
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Carly Dell’Oso is a first-year student at Penn State University and intends to dual-major in broadcast journalism and marketing. This is her first semester being a member of Comm Radio, and she has been doing work in the Arts and Entertainment Department. Carly currently has a weekly DJ set on Thursday mornings where she plays and chats about a few of her favorite songs from that week. In the coming weeks, Carly plans to have a weekly lifestyle podcast, and possibly a talkshow as well. Outside of Comm Radio, Carly is a part of Women in Business. She attends weekly events in a range of categories such as social, corporate, and community service to name a few. In the spring, Carly plans on joining a sorority so that she can be a part of impactful philanthropic work, meet new people, and make great connections. In the future, Carly hopes to better her knowledge of both broadcast journalism and marketing to be successful in her future.
Matt Zwiercan
Third-Year / Broadcast Journalist
Matt Zwiercan is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism from Bensalem, PA. He is a member of CommRadio’s Arts and Entertainment department and writes articles reviewing music and film. Matt has also been a news anchor and field reporter for Penn State Network News. He plans to pursue a career in broadcasting. To contact him, email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
