The Best of TV's Halloween Specials

Fall TV is my favorite time of year. There are new TV shows. There are returning TV shows. There are super flops, the shows that defied any logical odds and made it on TV, only to be canceled two or three episodes in. And then there are the specials. The Christmas specials, of course, are the most wonderful. Without fail, they provide a warm and cheerful experience; a Christmas you get to spend with your favorite TV characters.

And then there are Halloween Specials.

I'm formatting this post to really emphasize the drama of a Halloween special. Do you feel it?
Halloween specials are mostly sitcom territory, but in recent years, I've noticed a trend of popular dramas airing Halloween episodes. It's partially due to the recent blast of hour long horror dramas that have hit the small screen. But let's take a look at some of my favorite Halloween Specials.

Community: Epidemiology

Community. The Holy Grail of specials. Paintball fights, Claymation Christmas, Law & Order themes, you name it, they've done it. Halloween is no exception. Even when their Halloween episode aired in February it was a blast. I'll never forget Valloween. I urge you to watch any of Community's Halloween episodes, but my favorite will always be Epidemiology: a Halloween party at Greendale goes awry as a terrifying zombie virus takes over many of the students at the college, leaving the Greendale Seven to fight for their lives.

Parks & Recreation: Greg Pikitis

Parks and Recreation is one of the most brilliant shows on TV now, and I would argue one of the best comedies of all time. Of course, it didn't start out that way. I remember reminding myself after every episode "It's going to get better." And I remember that Greg Pikitis was the first episode I truly enjoyed. And it only got better after that. Greg Pikitis is one of Parks & Rec's most memorable episodes for me. You owe it to yourself to give it a watch--it's on Netflix!

American Horror Story: Halloween

American Horror Story's first season is still its best, and there are no signs that it will be outdone. It is a thrill ride from start to finish, and the Halloween episode is a splendid example of the series' ability to shock and entertain. On Halloween, the dead can roam among the living, which is great news for a few characters. And there are several very dramatic scenes involving Constance's daughter, Addie, like the ones in the YouTube video above. The Bad Girl Closet will always haunt me.

The Office: Any Halloween Episode

This might just be an excuse for me to talk about how much I love the Office. But you have to watch a Halloween episode of the Office on Halloween. It's the best feeling--but this is coming from the guy who watches every Christmas special of the Office every Christmas.


Well, you guys, that's it. I hope you have a great Halloween full of candy corn, witch hats, and good TV!

I Need to Talk About Jane the Virgin

You know, pilot episodes usually aren't representative of the quality of a TV show. Great shows often have disappointing pilots, and terrible shows can have not-so-terrible pilots. And occasionally a pilot comes along that is so charming, so gripping, so engaging that you know it's earned a place in your heart (and schedule) for at least its first season. Right now, that show for me is Jane the Virgin.

This fall's abundance of underwhelming pilots has left my hopes and my expectations on the low side--it's unfortunate that so few shows this year have been able to grip me emotionally. I can gladly say that Jane the Virgin has restored my hope in this fall's lineup. 

Jane the Virgin features a very likable main character, Jane (portrayed by Gina Rodriguez, who nails the role), who has lived her whole life pursuing purity. She has taken great measures to maintain her innocence, apparently in an effort to avoid the fate of her own mother, who found herself with child at sixteen. Jane is in a committed relationship with her longtime boyfriend Michael--a charming, kind man with a terrible secret. Jane goes to the doctor one morning for a pap, but the doctor--Luisa Alver, sister of rich hotel owner/Jane's kind-of boss, Rafael Solano--having experienced heartbreak, mistakenly gives her an artificial insemination! And that just starts it.

The show only builds on the momentum from the first conflict. Anytime something feels close to being solved, a new twist is introduced, complicating the story again. But every twist is such a delight to behold; the show presents itself with charm and cunning that complement the plot brilliantly. Having never seen an actual telenovela, I can't speak to the series' actual similarity to the genre, but Jane the Virgin matches any stigma I've ever attached to the world of Spanish soap operas. That's not to say the show has no depth, however; no, this is perhaps the most human of any freshman drama currently on network television.

The word I would use to describe Jane the Virgin is "strong." It has a strong plot, strong dialogue, and a powerful cast. Rodriguez plays a brilliant Jane, both humble and confident. She is an upstanding character, giving, kind, and sweet. Her mother, Xiomara (Andrea Navedo) is a saucy lady but a wonderful mother. Jane's grandmother, Alba (Ivonne Coll) is an abrasive but kindhearted woman. We've also got Michael (Brett Dier), Jane's boyfriend, who has beautiful chemistry with Jane. Jane the Virgin is always tasteful, and it remains classy even in its grimier telenovela moments. The narrator, along with the typewriter who writes freeze frame titles throughout each episode (one of my favorites is "Luisa Alver, married *in some states"), both add immensely to the humor of the show. The series is sometimes reminiscent of My Name is Earl, which brings me great joy.

Jane the Virgin has a lot going for it--a brilliant cast, witty writing, a solid pace. It's definitely one I'm going to stick with for awhile. What did you think of the pilot? Let me know!

Here We Go: American Horror Story: Freak Show

American Horror Story is back in all its culturally relevant, anticipated glory since its premiere last night. And, as always, the series is all anybody's talking about. So let's talk about it!

Mild spoilers ahead.

The premiere's opener is as eerie as ever, and sets the scene beautifully, as AHS always does. By now we all know that Sarah Paulson's character is actually two people, but the mystery is still there--the first shot in the episode obscures all but Paulson's (left) face, leaving the unknowing viewer to assume she is but one person. (I don't really believe in the unknowing viewer; perhaps the mystery is maintained for those viewers ten years from now who stumble upon the series at 2am on the Syfy network. Still makes for good TV.) Her diary narration is splendidly ominous, although I had to hear it a second time for it to earn my interest.

The rest of the episode plays out elegantly, if not just a little dull. Given AHS's aesthetic, though, you'd never know it; every scene is vibrant and colorful, creating a character for the locale itself--something AHS is no stranger to. In this case, the character is the Freak Show, occasionally glamorous and fascinating, always dark and full of secrets. It's just a cluster of tents, but it sows seeds of darkness. The first ever instance of video blackmail is a disturbing glimpse behind the marquees. 

The show has its human characters as well, brought to life by the series's brilliant cast. Sarah Paulson's twins are easily the most fascinating characters in the show so far: their dichotomous personalities, the mysterious death of their mother, their telepathic communication, not to mention their synchronized, sullen faces. It's no wonder they're the "headliner" for the show. Their personalities are embodied in their diary entries, always in twos, always of painfully stark contrast.

Jessica Lange's Elsa Mars is a mesmerizing, abrasive German. Again, the most powerful character in the series, but is her authority valid? Perhaps it's her confidence and sass that legitimize her in the end. Before her audience throws some hot shade her way, that is.

AHS really pulled off the terrifying, murderous clown character. His ubiquity and his penchant for murder are striking, but there is little to be known of this man so far.

Jimmy Darling (Evan Peters) is less likable than his previous characters: I think his charm is lost in his nasty lobster hands, but there's a lot more to him than that. Maybe he'll grow on me.

Kathy Bates is perfect to put a beard on, so I'm glad that she was cast as Ethel, the sideshow's bearded lady and Elsa's dearest henchman. I lose myself in her accent, which fluctuates between Somethingish(?) and her signature southern drawl.

Perhaps one of the most perplexing moments in this episode is the stage show: a mother bought out the entire theatre for her bratty son, and they watch the show together. But before any deformities can be properly exhibited, Elsa claims the stage in a musical number. Her eyes are fearful and sad, and we see her struggle for a moment. The song's melancholy rises to the surface, and its awkwardness is highlighted by the fact that there are exactly two people in the audience.

A lot is left to the imagination at the end of the premiere, a good foundation for the next twelve episodes. Look forward to next week!