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Air Date: Saturday, July 31, 1993 Storyteller: Kristen (Rachel Blanchard)  Frame: As the Midnight Society gathers around the campfire, all of them get stricken by the extreme heat of the night - all except Kristen (Rachel Blanchard), perfectly comfortable in her jacket, and not breaking a single sweat. David (Nathaniel Moreau) even makes a crack about renaming their club the "Heatwave Society," suggesting they use his Uncle's pool as opposed to a roaring campfire. As the rest of the gang questions Kristen's unusual comfort, she assures them that her story will provide a surefire way to beat the heat.
Story: A spoiled rich kid named Charles (Andrew Henry) and, for some reason or another, his babysitter, Daphne (Melissa Joan Hart), get dropped off at Charles's aunts' house, Gretta and Maylene (Sandra Scott and Sara Lee Stadelman, respectively), for the weekend. In time, Charles comes to realize that a child who constantly complains about being cold is haunting the place. Of course, Daphne is skeptical, but the aunts don't seem to throw aside Charles' stories of a frozen ghost "chillin" outside his bedroom window, either, hinting that there's some reality in what Charles is seeing, and his fears are somewhat warranted. Review: This was actually the first episode of this series I ever saw. I loved the idea of this toe-dip horror show made for kids and embraced it as one of my regular programs back then. Concerning this episode, I appreciated the creepy, ghostly image of the boy when Charles sees it at nighttime from his bedroom window; an image that actually used to haunt me successfully back then, and the aunts make things a lot of fun. It's still one I hold close to my heart as my intro to this show, though, and it remains one of my personal favourites, even if some of the acting is pretty cringey when viewing it today. Final Rating: Scared
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Air Date: Saturday, July 3, 1993 Storyteller: Kristen (Rachel Blanchard)  Frame: The Midnight Society opens up the episode by taking turns at guessing what Kristen's gimmick will be for her story that night. She brought her dog, Elvis, in for 'Hungry Hounds' and dressed as a wandering spirit for 'Prom Queen'; her gimmicks are what make her stories fun for the group. This time around, she enters the scene dressed in hippie garb, along with paraphernalia from the 1960s she found in her parents' attic, she lets the others check out and soon starts into what I consider one of her better stories.
Story: A French transfer student named Julie Dufaux (Karen Elkin) comes to a new school and has a hard time adjusting, particularly with a couple of bullies, Fritz (David John LeBlanc) and Donny (Sean Tataryn), and the ever-irked Assistant Principal, Mr. Shaffner (John Koensgen). When Shaffner gives Julie her locker, she, along with her new friend Chris (Cory King), soon discovers that her locker has time-travel abilities, leading to the same school in the 1960s hippie era. Julie also discovers a ghost named Candy (Jennifer Irwin) whose life she has the chance to save with her new time travel capabilities. Review: This is another situation, like with 'Pinball Wizard', in which I really like the ideas behind the story. They just weren't necessarily executed in the best way. That said, it's still a decent one for a few unintentional laughs here and there, especially when they reach the 60s and all the students are definitely stoners. That wasn't something I truly understood in the early '90s, at 10, going on 11, but watching it now, it's easy to see all the signs are there. It's not what I'd call a scary episode, but it is actually fun, and I can't help but appreciate where they went with the ending. Final Rating: Scared Air Date: Saturday, June 19, 1993 Storyteller: Kristen (Rachel Blanchard)  Frame: The midnight society gathers around the fire, as Kristen, dressed in fantasy garb, recites stories from a fairy tale book. Frank (Jason Alisharan) walks in and deems the book childish, but Gary (Ross Hull) hints that the old fairy tales are pretty gruesome, not suitable for kids. Frank's still not quite convinced, and Kiki's (Jodie Resther) in agreement. But regardless of their feelings, Kristen aims to prove through her story that if one's not careful with their imagination, the divide between fantasy and reality can be problematic.
Story: A 13-year-old girl named Jill Petterson (Samantha Chemerika) lives her life with her head in the clouds, fascinated with old fairy tales and fantasy worlds. As a result, her peers often ridicule her, including even her brother, Jon (Thomas Sievewright). Still, she also wonders what's so wrong with being into fairy tales and the like, making her wish that she could live in a world where all of that is more accepted, and people would leave her alone. This wish lands her in the Land of Nod, ruled by the Sandman (Bobcat Goldthwait), who has put all of her loved ones in a permanent sleep mode, thanks to her wish, which she must now try to undo. Review: This one is extremely hard for me to wrap my head around as to whether I like or dislike it. It's great as far as Bobcat entering the scene, and being Bobcat (which will mean more to my generation), and I had to appreciate the design of the Land of Nod. But I had a hard time caring much for Jill, as she comes across as a bit melodramatic, and, although it's a nitpick, there's an overuse of a certain sound effect through it that gets irksome. I'll give it the cute sense of humour that it maintains for most of the time, but in the end, it's not my favourite story either. Final Rating: Spooked Air Date: Saturday, November 7, 1992 Storyteller: Kristen (Rachel Blanchard)  Frame: The episode opens with a mysterious, ghostly figure heading towards the clearing where the Midnight Society meets. Most of the group is at the bonfire, busy with their own things, and Frank (Jason Alisharan) brings up the fact that Kristen is late. Gary (Ross Hull) gets frustrated and starts getting into the rules about being late when the ghostly figure enters the clearing, scaring the group, who quickly realize it's actually Kristen, who then takes her seat and begins her story without breaking her eerie character.
Story: New to town, a girl named Dede (Katie Griffin), while bored and exploring her new community, meets a couple of guys named Greg (André Todorovic) and Jam (Graeme Millington) in a cemetery. They tell her an urban legend involving a girl who died at the cemetery gates, waiting for her boyfriend to pick her up for prom, and they were in the cemetery hoping to get a glimpse of her ghost. Fascinated, Dede decides to help them try to contact this ghost and/or her boyfriend in some unusual hope of getting them together so they can be happy. But there's more than meets the eye in the whole scenario. Review: This story resonates with me like 'The Hungry Hounds' (also a Kristen story) in that the subject matter isn't exactly my cup of tea, and the whole thing gets a little boring. That said, at least this is a take on an urban legend, familiar territory, and not without its share of atmosphere. It's also much more straightforward than 'Hungry Hounds,' and the ending, albeit highly predictable (to some), is still a half-decent twist and one of the happier endings there is to one of these stories. So, while this story has some charm, it severely lacks any scares. But don't worry, Kristen does have some good ones as well. Final Rating: Calm Air Date: Saturday, September 19, 1992 Storyteller: Kristen (Rachel Blanchard)  Frame: Opening with Kiki (Jodie Resther) and Betty Ann (Raine Pare-Coull) working on breaking up some kindling for the night's fire, they hear strange noises coming towards them, which turn out to be the rest of the Midnight Society. as they continue building their fire, it's pointed out that Kristen is running late. While working away, the group hears howling and other animalistic sounds in the distance, which unnerves them, but it turns out the sounds were coming from Kristen's hound dog, Elvis, who seems to be the inspiration for her story.
Story: Two teenage cousins, Pam (Mia Kirshner) and Amy (Jennifer Gula), rummage around Pam's Mom's attic, stumbling on various pieces of their family history, one thing being a riding uniform, initially worn by her late aunt Dora, who met a tragic end while riding. The said uniform, along with the help of a standard Ouija board used by the girls, ends up possessing Pam with the persona of her aunt, and she reveals more about her fatal accident as she guides Amy through it in what appears to be a different time in the past. And yes, surprisingly, there are hound dogs in it. Review: If I'm frank about this one, it is one of the series's most dry and dull stories. But that's also speaking for myself, as I have never been into things like riding, fox hunting, etc., which is most of the whole thing. There are some light doses of creepiness in the episode, but for me, it never quite feels right, and it ends on a bizarre note. It appears to have a niche audience of people who can relate to the subject matter better than I can; however, so this one's really just not for me. It comes across as a slightly dreamy fantasy rather than anything else, which can be done well, but there's not much to this. Final Rating: Calm |
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