The Tale of Watcher's Woods

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Midnight Society

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Air Date: Saturday, January 22, 1994
Storyteller: Sam (Joanna Garcia)

Frame: As a calm thunderstorm rolls through the clearing, the Midnight Society gathers, along with a new potential member named Sam (Joanna Garcia), with a bag over her head, whom Betty Ann (Raine Pare-Coull) has recommended for initiation. As Frank (Jason Alisharan) unsuccessfully hits on her, Gary (Ross Hull) asks her if she's aware of the rules. She reviews them and eventually takes her seat in the storytelling chair to tell her tale, using the forestry setting and thunderstorm to her advantage to set the mood.

Story: An overachiever named Sarah (Kendall Saunders) enrolls in an all-girls' summer camp where, upon her arrival, she meets Kelly (Jewel Staite), a "mean girl" type who attempts to scare Sarah with a folk legend about the nearby woods and the three sisters who got lost. The next day, the girls go out on a hike together and end up lost and separated from each other, Kelly finding herself captured by three old hags (Sheena Larkin, Victoria Barkoff, and Babs Gadbois), needing Sarah to save her. Meanwhile, Sarah deals with a creepy tree man (Tom Rack) who seems to be stalking her.

Review: This is a fun episode to look back on, mostly in knowing who Jewel Staite eventually became (namely, the far more likable Kaylee in 'Firefly'). Her character here isn't the best, but it's always interesting to see someone's humble beginnings. This particular story has become one of the more famously scary episodes over the years, particularly between "The Watcher" (the creepy tree guy) and many of the set pieces that could give any Halloween yard display a run for its money. In the end, I credit this one for standing out among some of the other titles, if only due to its genuine creepiness, even if the characters aren't among the most likable.

Final Rating: Scared

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