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Air Date: Saturday, January 14, 1995 Storyteller: Gary (Ross Hull)  Frame: As Gary wanders into the Midnight Society meeting, he's first distracted by Tucker (Daniel DeSanto), hiding in the bushes, confessing to him that even though it's his turn to tell a story that night, he hasn't come up with anything quite yet. Gary, however, sees this as an opportunity to tell a story that he has been working on in the meantime. The group agrees to let Gary go instead and give Tucker until the following week to finish his, reminding us all that, since Frank is the next storyteller, there really isn't much continuity to the series.
Story: Cody (Jewel Staite, returning from 'Watcher's Woods') is an aspiring artist who isn't quite connecting with her artwork as she thinks she should. One day, while sketching in a park, Cody sees a little girl who runs off when Cody addresses her, leaving her hat behind. Cody tries to return her hat and, while tracking the little girl down, stumbles into an art gallery full of paintings of people, evidently done by Mrs. Briar (Vivian Reis), who soon invites Cody to finish a work she has already started. Little does Cody know, however, that within the brushes Mrs. Briar supplies, lies some dark, mystical power that keeps her young. Review: On the surface, this one feels light, as it remains a kid's show, but in the details, the whole concept is creepy and harrowing. The idea here is that the painters, once finished, get trapped in a sort of eternal limbo within the painting, playing out like a dream on a loop. Conceptually, this episode is nightmarish, and it comes complete with a creepy-looking shrunken head. So the creep factor is on point. However, the story feels incomplete and rushed in a few places, leaving me, more than a few times, thinking I had missed something, only to realize upon a second watch that I hadn't. This one has its moments, but altogether, it's weak. Final Rating: Nervous
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Air Date: October 29, 1994 Storytellers: Gary (Ross Hull) / Frank (Jason Alisharan)  Frame: When we last left the Midnight Society, Frank and Gary had teamed up to deliver their best story, using their individual strengths; their strengths going as far as their individually created characters of Frank's Dr. Vink (Aron Tager) and Gary's Sardo (Richard Dumont). Just as the story was getting good, the group had to be left hanging due to rain, but they have returned, eagerly awaiting the rest of the story. Frank and Gary provide a brief recap of what happened in 'Part 1,' and the story picks up right where it left off.
Recap: The previous chapter told the story of two brothers, Rush (Dominic Zamprogna), a typical teenager interested in a girl named Sandy (Emily Hampshire), and Max (Andrew Sardella), who wants to hang out with his big brother. To keep Max out of his hair, Rush buys him a magic set from Sardo's shop, but while there, opens a strange chest that no one is supposed to be able to open and finds a busted old spy glass inside that he gives to Max, which appears to be a gateway for pirate ghosts to be able to come to the land of the living and eventually kidnap Max, leaving Rush with a mission to save him. Story: The pirate ghosts, led by Cutter (Charles S. Dutton), kidnap Max, as Cutter mistakes Rush for being an old nemesis, and he's trying to force him into a final duel, using Max as the bait. Upon the kidnapping, Rush goes to Sardo's shop to confront him about the spy glass, and Sardo points him in the direction of Dr. Vink, who is better suited to answer his questions. Here, we find out that Rush was able to open the chest in Sardo's shop, thanks to being part of the bloodline of one Ian Keegan (Chip Chuipka), who was the only man to try to take on Cutter in the days of piracy. Rush doesn't just have a rescue mission now, but a destiny to fulfill. Review: This may be a somewhat obvious statement, but 'Part 2' is where all the good stuff is. I appreciate that there are real stakes to this story, and it plays out almost like a movie in some ways, considering aspects like fulfilling one's destiny as a sort of "chosen one." Vink is featured more here as well, and I always liked him a little more than Sardo, but the guy who really makes this episode is Dutton. He's a lot of fun to watch as a ruthless pirate, and you can tell he's having a lot of fun with the role. I wouldn't call it "scary," myself, but it does make for a fun adventure, nonetheless. Final Rating: Scared Air Date: October 22, 1994 Storytellers: Gary (Ross Hull) / Frank (Jason Alisharan)  Frame: Gary stands in the middle of the Midnight Society clearing, announcing that while the usual routine of the gang gathering to tell their individual stories, that night would be special, as he and Frank would be joining forces that night to tell a story they made up together, which would require the best of both of them. Being that they are the only two members of the group who have created recurring characters with Gary's Sardo (Richard Dumont) and Frank's Dr. Vink (Aron Tager), any fan of the show is sure to be in for a treat.
Story: Rush (Dominic Zamprogna) and his little brother, Max (Andrew Sardella), are left alone when their parents go on a trip, tricking their babysitter by faking measles. Wanting to hang out with his uninterested older brother, Max's alternative is to have Rush buy him a magic kit to keep him quiet. In Sardo's magic shop, Rush gets the kit, but also manages to unlock a mysterious chest that no one else can seem to open, containing a mysterious spyglass that appears to have some ability to bring the past to life, putting Rush and Max up against a gang of old pirates whose leader, Cutter (Charles S. Dutton), mistakes Rush for an old nemesis. Review: A lot of this "part 1" is about the sibling rivalry between the brothers, as Max is constantly interrupting Rush's desire to make out with a girl named Sandy (Emily Hampshire), which, as a little brother, I found kinda humorous. Thus far, any "scares" are little more than something likely seen in 'Pirates of the Caribbean,' and altogether, things are a little lackluster. Still, I appreciate things like the idea of Sardo and Vink teaming up in some way, and pirates are a classic route to go with Halloween specials, so far, not too bad. Final Rating: Spooked Air Date: Saturday, October 1, 1994 Storyteller: Gary (Ross Hull)  Frame: As the Midnight Society gathers, Sam (Joanna Garcia) asks why Gary's late to the meeting. Tucker (Daniel DeSanto) informs them that Gary got caught up dealing with a computer virus that consumed his book report, forcing him to rewrite it. It's unspoken at the campfire, but it seems abundantly clear that Tucker is responsible for planting said virus. Gary then uses this virus to segue into his story, suggesting that, as scary as a computer virus can be, there's one computer we never want to get infected by a virus: our own brain.
Story: A kid named Simon (Christopher Redman) is friends with another kid named Evan (Micah John Gardener), but seems to enjoy being "above" him in several ways. One day at school, the pair heads to the computer lab to test out a new game created by one of their teachers, Mr. Poe —a virtual reality game that people can play not with a controller, but with their minds. Simon tries it out first, but soon finds that things are a bit glitchy, and it's all thanks to a "virus" (Paul Cagelet) that has taken control of the game and intends to use the very fictional VR technology to enter and take over Simon's brain. Review: This episode is a guilty pleasure. It's by far one of the most dated episodes, considering the technology was so limited back then as compared to now. The internet was still in its infancy, and people used computers primarily for gaming or writing documents. It makes for an interesting time capsule that way. Beyond that, I love Cagelet's performance in this. You can tell he's having a blast with it, almost coming across as a Freddy Krueger type. So, despite being stuck in the past, it's an episode that many in my generation can enjoy today. I know I did. But again, this is in the guilty pleasure sense of things. Final Rating: Spooked Air Date: Saturday, April 9, 1994 Storyteller: Gary (Ross Hull)  Frame: At the Midnight Society clearing Frank (Jason Alisharan) tries asking Sam (Joanna Garcia) on a date, trying just a little too hard, when things are disrupted by Tucker (Daniel DeSanto) riding piggyback on Gary, and when asked about it, Tucker mentions that he's blackmailed Gary into being his servant for a week after finding an embarrassing poem. Gary, who's up for storytelling that night, uses it as an opportunity to teach Tucker a lesson in the simple case of "what goes around comes around."
Story: Mike (Christopher Redman) is a good kid who takes on the responsibility of a paper route to save some money to buy his Mom (Suzie Almgren) a birthday present. His little brother, Sam (Michael Barry), on the other hand, is a selfish brat. When Mike drags Sam out to go shopping with the money he saved, however, things come to a head when Mike finds his saved money missing, and he uses a creepy antique clown to try to scare Sam, suggesting it goes after bad kids. What started as a gag seems to go a bit far, however, when it appears to Sam that the "Crimson Clown" really is out to get him. Review: On a top 10 list of terrible characters this show has to offer, Sam is, bar none, the absolute worst, with all the bark and absolutely no bite. This kid has an attitude that makes your hair stand on end. When the scary stuff starts happening, it's hard not to root for the clown to get him, although that's really the only cool piece of the whole episode, slightly reminiscent of 'Poltergeist.' However, the rest of it is best paralleled with something like 'A Christmas Carol,' where it's all about trying to turn a kid from being bad to good, using harsh lessons, and in the end, you still somehow manage to look at Sam with disdain. Final Rating: Nervous Air Date: Saturday, February 19, 1994 Storyteller: Gary (Ross Hull)  Frame: As the majority of the Midnight Society approach the clearing for their meeting, they notice a mysterious figure dressed in a black cloak and black large-brimmed hat. Assuming it's Gary, since he's the only one not among them, they try calling him out on his prank, only to discover Gary's right behind them. However, Gary soon confesses that he set it up to tell his story, obtaining the cloak and hat from his Dad's shop (as seen in 'Super Specs'), which has a fascinating origin that Gary uses to introduce his tale.
Story: Alison Denny (Aidan Pendleton) has just moved into town and is having a tough time making friends. After an accident involving gag glasses, Alison heads to Sardo's (Richard M Dumont) shop to buy a new pair. Here, she's convinced by Sardo to purchase a mysterious black stone that will magically make her popular. The stone doesn't do that, but it does provide a time portal through her bedroom mirror, where she meets Thomas Jefferson Bradshaw (John White). However, soon, both the kids and Sardo must confront a strange, cloaked man named Septimus (Frank Gorshin), who will stop at nothing to obtain the powerful stone. Review: I like this episode, but I'm not sure I'd consider it one of my favourites. I enjoy the time-travel aspect, the intimidatingly hypnotic villain in Gorshin's performance, which has a sort of discount Hannibal Lecter aspect to it, as well as the likable heroes. However, there are aspects, such as how time travel might work and the concept of no consequences, which render the butterfly effect moot in this context. On the other hand, being a show for kids, one can look past it and find more of what they're looking for in an episode of this series. It's far from perfect and doesn't top my list, but it's still worth checking out. Final Rating: Spooked Air Date: Saturday, September 11, 1993 Storyteller: Gary (Ross Hull)  Frame: Gary opens things up by telling everyone how pleased he is that they're on time. Frank (Jason Alisharan) accuses him of sounding like his homeroom teacher, Mr. Drego, whom both Betty Ann (Raine Pare-Coull) and Gary defend. Gary goes on to mention that Drego often visits his Dad's magic shop, and is a "prestidigitator," otherwise known as a magician, which segues into Gary's story. In a fun twist, Gary introduces the story by using a stick as a magic wand to get the campfire roaring as opposed to the usual "midnight dust."
Story: Todd Marker (Noah Plener) and his Mother (Sally Singal) struggle to make ends meet after the passing of his father, so he applies for a "Magician's Assistant" job for the Great Shandu (James Bradford). As he's shown the ropes and taught the rules of being a magician, Todd also finds himself too curious for his own good upon the realization that sleight of hand is one thing, but Shandu's wand has some real magic to it. When Todd tries to sneak the wand away to help his Mom finish an assignment, he finds that using another magician's wand can have some serious consequences. Review: In yet another middle-ground episode, this plays out more as a fantasy comedy to me than any horror. That said, to be perfectly fair, this one also provides us with another one of the creepiest faces in 'AYAOTD' history; almost a precursor to he much creepier "Creature of Darkness" in Season 3's 'Tale of the Quicksilver.' Apart from that bit, however, it's a light episode, and much lighter than Gary's usual storytelling, which often features dark twist endings. This episode is genuinely middle-ground and probably offers a few more ironic laughs than scares, but at the very least, it features a bit of memorable imagery. Final Rating: Spooked Air Date: Saturday, November 14, 1992 Storyteller: Gary (Ross Hull)  Frame: At the Midnight Society meeting, before the story, David (Nathaniel Moreau) plays a game on a Game Boy, very close to his goal, when it is disrupted by Eric (Jacob Tierney) accidentally resetting the game. Kristen is at a loss to understand what interests people in video games, claiming it doesn't really matter whether you win or lose. To a degree, Gary agrees with her, as it leads nicely into his story, adding that what if someone had to beat the game to get out of a real situation, rather than have the game play them.
Story: Ross Campbell (Joe Posca) is a mischievous kid who frequents a mall searching for loose quarters for the arcade, where he likes to spend most of his time. One day, he "wanders" into a fix-it shop called Olson's, where Mr. Olson (A.J. Henderson) keeps an antique pinball machine under a tarp. Hoping it will lead to a job, Ross offers to look after it while Mr. Olson runs an errand. Olson accepts, Ross plays the pinball game, loses, and before he knows it, the mall transforms into a giant video game, which Ross must beat by saving a princess named Sophie (Polly Shannon). Review: This is another one I met entirely in the middle. I love the idea conceptually, but it's one of those unfortunate situations where they did what they could with what they had in the budget. I'd love to see this concept executed on a bigger screen with a bigger budget. For as much as cheesiness is part of the experience with this show, this episode has almost too much of it. It's also not particularly scary, but I can still credit the ending for bringing it from a fun place to a dark one. It's also enjoyable for its nostalgic aspect, as it evokes the general style of the early 90s more than other episodes of the series. Final Rating: Spooked Air Date: Saturday, September 26, 1992 Storyteller: Gary (Ross Hull)  Frame: Gary and Kristen (Rachel Blanchard) open the episode in Gary's Dad's joke shop, where Gary shows his appreciation for gags and practical jokes. Kristen informs him that some of the rest of the group have been yawning a bit at his stories lately, and Gary takes it as a hint to step it up. As the Midnight Society gathers around the campfire, there is whispering from unseen people, suggesting that perhaps Gary has more to add to the story after it's finished, once again showing off his love for practical jokes, as he does indeed step it up.
Story: Weeds (Eugene Byrd, whom one may know better as Wink from '8 Mile' nowadays) and his girlfriend, Marybeth (Graidhne Lelieveld-Amiro), check out a joke shop to stock up for April Fool's Day. The shopkeeper, another eventual beloved character named Sardo (Richard M Dumont), sells Weeds some magic powder and X-ray specs. However, while having fun, Marybeth puts on the X-ray specs and sees strange, dark figures, which may be connected to the magic powder and Weeds' "spell-casting" abilities, of which he's unaware, as he takes it all in good, clean fun. Review: The episode is somewhat tacky, considering the dark figures Marybeth sees upon wearing the X-ray specs are merely people wearing black clothing, rather than utilizing special effects. However, while that is laughable, this is also one of the best endings to an episode, as it concludes on a very dark note that likely disturbed some of the kids watching it at the time. So, while it's far from a favourite episode as a whole, it's easily one of my favourite endings to one of their stories, and it's all topped off with Gary's practical joke, which, honestly, I thought was clever, at least for a kids' show. Final Rating: Scared |
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