The Tale of the Shiny Red Bicycle

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Midnight Society

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Air Date: Saturday, August 28, 1993
Storyteller: David (Nathaniel Moreau)

Frame: Gathered around the campfire and roasting marshmallows, the majority of the Midnight Society waits around for Kristen (Rachel Blanchard) and David, who recently had his bike stolen. Upon their arrival, the gang start talking about the incident in what comes across as an "after-school-special" tone. However, despite being heartbroken by the incident, David also ends up using it to inspire his story for that night—a tale about a boy who loved his bicycle so much that he took it everywhere he went, including to his own grave.

Story: Mike (Matthew Edison) and Ricky (Benjamin Shirinian) were once best friends, until one day, Ricky was tragically lost in an accident while they were racing their bikes. Some years later, Mike often has nightmares about the accident, but one day, he starts seeing visions of Ricky's ghost and his "shiny red bicycle." While his parents and teachers are concerned, he has full support from his little brother, Ben (Jamieson Boulanger), but he can't help but wonder why, all of a sudden, Ricky's ghost has chosen to visit him now. Is he there to torment Mike about failing to save his life? Or is it something worse?

Review: This is a surprisingly comprehensive episode for this series. The creepy factor we all want is present, but for once, we have a sibling duo who don't bicker all the time and are more like best friends. As a result, I care about what's going on with them. Beyond that, though, this is an episode that delves into the tragedy of losing someone close to you and the difficulty of moving on. This episode is surprisingly well-written and well-acted, despite the "after-school-special" quality of the opening. As far as depth and heart go in this series, this is definitely one of the best titles.

Final Rating: Afraid

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