Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: "I Am Ashamed"

Premiered October 19, 2018

It's a few days before Halloween and Rebecca Bunch (Rachel Bloom) is happily munching on candy corn and decorating for the spooky season, when her friend Paula (Donna Lynne Champlin) stops by and asks if she's been online at all today.

Rebecca learns that her recent mental health exploits,  like accidentally pushing someone off a roof and other not-so-good things from her past, have become fodder for a local gossip website. 

She's very upset by this and by the comments section on the article, but also acknowledges that most of what is being said happens to be true.   She experiences agoraphobia and is unable (or unwilling) to leave the house as she is afraid that everyone will judge & revile her. 

Her friends try to get her to come out to a special Halloween cemetery screening of Hocus Pocus - Kathy Najimy is even going to be there!  But even this is not enough to shake Rebecca out of her shame about her past. 

Rebecca receives a video message form her favorite witch:Kathy Najimy!

Additionally, the house that Rebecca and roomie Heather (Vella Lovell) are living in was the site of a grisly series of murders back in 2015.   Rebecca finds a book on the history of the town that has mysteriously fallen off the shelf and opened to an account of the murders.  She decides that this is a sign from the spirit of Devon Lee (Valerie Yu) - one of the murder victims whose demise was rather ... messy and embarrassing.

She enlists the enthusiastic aid of Valencia (Gabrielle Ruiz) and holds a seance to contact the spirit of  Devon.   Heather and Paula are less enthusiastic about the prospect, but play along because they love their friend and want to do what they can to help snap her out of her agoraphobia.

Meanwhile, back at the law firm where Rebecca worked,  Halloween costumed drama is brewing between Nathaniel (Scott Michael Foster) and no-longer-silent-partner Bert (Michael Hitchcock).

Additionally,  Josh (Vincent Rodriguez III) finds a koala bear costume for Darryl's (Pete Gardner) baby Heabecca,  and White Josh (David Hull) -- who hates Halloween -- gets roped into babysitting and handing out candy to trick or treaters.

Josh dresses up as a "weatherman" for Halloween!

Will Rebecca and Valencia make contact with Devon's spirit?  Will Nathaniel find dirt he can use against Bert?   Will there be dancing in a graveyard with J. Castleman (Patton Oswalt)?

RigbyMel says:

Full disclosure:  I was super-excited to learn there was going to be a Halloween episode of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.  One of my favorite TV shows taking on one of my favorite holidays, what could be better?1?  I was delighted that "I Am Ashamed" did not disappoint.

Vampire Paula!

I loved the way that the Crazy Ex-Girlfriend writers used the Halloween setting to highlight that sometimes the scariest things of all are things from our past that haunt us.

Maya (Esther Povitsky) dresses up as Katy Bear-y!  Get it?

This show is a musical, and the episode's 2 songs are great.  "Seize The Day" is a peppy number that's ultimately about Rebecca's inability to do so and we get a great "Monster Mash" takeoff in the form of "The Cringe," a song about foot-in-mouth moments set in a graveyard.

Patton Oswalt returns as creepy cemetery guard J. Castleman and does a creditable Bobby "Boris" Pickett impression.  Plus, the choreography and costuming are just fabulous.  Take a look, you won't regret it! :



I also love that other Halloween accoutrements are woven in, such as the "Friendtopia" favorite Hocus Pocus, seances,  ghosts, and costumes. 

Moreover, everything ties into Rebecca's journey to becoming a better person with all the "two steps forward, four steps back" that this sometimes entails.

Darryl's daughter Madison (Olivia Edward) goes trick or treating dressed as "Snailor Swift."

"I Am Ashamed" is a fun episode of a great series and it (and the whole Crazy Ex-Girlfriend series) is highly recommended.

RigbyMel's rating:

4 jack o'lanterns!

J.A. Morris says:
I don't have a lot to add, I'm in agreement with my co-blogger about "I Am Ashamed."  It's an excellent Halloween episode of a great series.

Tim (Michael McMillian) REALLY gets into the Halloween spirit! 

All the principles in the main cast are great and Patton Oswalt makes a very memorable guest appearance.  "The Cringe" is one of the best songs written for Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and that's really saying something.

This episode also contains a brief cameo by Hocus Pocus star Kathy Najimy.  Her cameo is literally phoned in:

I loved "I Am Ashamed" when it first aired a year ago and I believe it'll be part of my annual Halloween viewing in the future.

J.A. Morris' rating:

4 jack o'lanterns!

Night Court : "Halloween, Too"

Premiered October 31, 1985

It's four days before Halloween and Judge Harry Stone (Harry Anderson) is busy planning his annual Halloween bash.  Court bailiff Bull Shannon (Richard Moll) is experimenting with new methods of carving pumpkins.

In the middle of this, Harry meets a woman named Kim Daniels (Mary-Margaret Humes) and is instantly attracted to her.  The feeling is mutual and the pair begins dating.

The judge and Kim fall for each other fast.  Prosecutor Dan Fielding (John Larroquette) and public defender Christine Sullivan (Markie Post) are disgusted by Kim and Harry's public displays of affection.

Everything seems to be going great for Kim and Judge Stone.  However, things change on Halloween night.  Kim and another woman named Edna (Anne Ramsey) are brought before Harry for trial.  They are accused of building a bonfire and "dancing robustly" in Central Park.

Harry gets upset when Kim tells him she's a witch and that the fire was part of a Halloween ritual.  Since he's too close to the case, he recuses himself and holds Kim's case for the next court.

Christine tells Harry that continuing his relationship with Kim is a bad idea.  If anyone found out about it, she believes Judge Stone would be removed from the bench.  Harry will have to make choice between Kim and his career.

Is Kim really a witch?  If so, will Harry break up with her?  Plus, Dan's Halloween costume rental plans get complicated...

RigbyMel says: 

I have quite a few fond memories of Night Court in general.   Harry Anderson's goofy humor and magic tricks as Judge Harry Stone appealed to me as a kid, plus this was one of the first "workplace comedies" I remember watching on a regular basis.    The quirky characters and ensemble cast were always fun and the holiday setting allows things to kick up a notch.

Harry's dresses up as his idol, Mel Torme!

Often holiday episodes (like this one) feature a touch of the supernatural.  "Halloween, Too" definitely has lots of festive hijinks going on -- the main storyline of course has to do with witchcraft!

And in a non-supernatural vein, we see decorations and costumes around the courthouse and get a gander at wacky costume choices by our main characters.

Christine as a witch, Bull as a kangaroo!

I am not sure how actual practitioners of Wicca might feel about the portrayal of witchcraft in this episode, but I know that watching it now, I got quite frustrated that Harry wanted Kim to give up an important part of herself to be with him.   She rightly points out that asking her to do that would be like asking him not to be a judge.

There's also an amusing subplot involving Dan's desperate search to find a last minute costume for Judge Stone's annual Halloween bash -- if he doesn't come up with something, he could lose his parking space(!) -- and there's a great 1980s running gag involving Dan being unaware of what a Smurf is.   Needless to say, he does not go as a Smurf.

Some fun trivia:   Anne Ramsey - who plays Edna, Kim's Central Park partner in crime - was quite a busy character actor in the 80s.  She is probably best known for playing "Mama Fratelli" in The Goonies and for her Oscar-nominated role in Throw Mama From Train.

Mary-Margaret Humes, who charmingly plays Kim in this episode, has had a nice character actress career as well.  Some might remember her as Gail Leery aka Dawson's mom on the Dawson's Creek TV series. 

All in all, "Halloween Too" is an enjoyable episode of Halloween silliness from an enjoyable show.  Worth checking out, especially if one's 1980s nostalgia is in need of feeding!

RigbyMel's rating: 

3 jack o'lanterns

J.A. Morris says: 
Like my co-blogger, I was a big fan of this series and a regular viewer from the first episode.  It's a good Halloween episode with costumes, witches and a Halloween party.

Richard Moll is particularly funny in this episode.  There's a scene where Bull mixes up Halloween and Easter customs.  Moll really sells Bull's disappointment when Christine explains that most people don't dye pumpkins.

I agree with RigbyMel that Harry doesn't come off particularly well in this episode.  Nor does Christine, who is the first person to tell Harry that he must break up with Kim if he wants to remain a judge.

The episode ends on a high note, with the entire cast in costumes at the Halloween party.  The ending reminded me of lots of Christmas episodes where co-workers become a family and celebrate the holiday together.

Dan's costume: Humpty Dumpty!

It's worth mentioning that this episode has lots of reference to 1980s pop culture.  We get mentions of  1984 Olympic Gold Medalist Mary Lou Retton, the series TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes, the Smurfs craze and the Moral Majority.  So you may enjoy "Halloween, Too" a bit more if you were alive in the 80s.

While it's not a classic, "Halloween, Too" is a funny, solid Halloween trip back to the 80s and is recommended.

J.A. Morris' rating:

3 jack o'lanterns

Scooby Doo! and the Goblin King

Premiered September 23, 2008.

"He who holds the Goblin Scepter holds the power of Halloween in his grasp."
-The Amazing Krudsky


On Halloween, Scooby Doo (Frank Welker) and his friends from Mystery Inc. are having a great time at Coolsville’s Halloween Carnival.  The gang decides to attend the Amazing Krudsky’s (Wayne Knight) magic show.

When Scooby accidentally splashes water on Krudsky, the dog is barred from attending the show.  This prompts Shaggy (Casey Kasem) and Scooby to sabotage Krudsky and reveal that his magic is fake.  This revelation causes the audience to walk out on Krudsky’s show, and the magician vows revenge.

Scooby and Shaggy’s actions get the gang kicked out of the carnival.  They decide to go Trick Or Treating, Scoob and Shaggy wear multiple costumes...

 ...in order to maximize their treats.

Elsewhere, Krudsky is furious about being exposed.  Through a chance encounter with a fairy named Princess Willow (Hayden Penatiere), the magician learns of the Goblin Scepter, fabled wand of the Goblin King (Tim Curry).  Whoever possesses the scepter will control the magic of Halloween.  Krudsky uses a spell to steal Princess Willow’s magic powers, which gives him “the power of the light.”

After knocking on every door in the area, Scoob and Shaggy trick or treat at a mysterious mansion that turns out to be Mr. Gibble's Genuine Magic Shoppe.  They learn that Gibble (Wallace Shawn) knows the secrets of wielding real magic.

Princess Willow shows up at Gibble’s seeking help and tells him he must close up his shop.  She tries to warn them that Krudsky is chasing her and will attack the magic shop, but it’s too late.  The magician arrives, turns Gibble into a rabbit, captures Willow and flies away with a bunch of magic supplies.

Gibble explains that Krudsky has gone to the Land Of Halloween Spirits in order to get the Goblin Scepter.  This would enable Krudsky to unite the power of the light with the power of the dark and destroy the balance of the supernatural order.  If Krudsky succeeds, the powers of Halloween Night will rule the world forever and turn everyone into monsters.

Gibble tells Shaggy and Scooby it’s up to them to save the day.  They must find the castle of the Goblin King and get to the scepter before Krudsky captures it.  If they can’t accomplish this before midnight, the world is doomed!

Scooby and Shaggy encounter some interesting friends and foes on their Journey:

Glob (Jim Belushi) and Glum (Larry Joe Campbell), a duo of shadow goblins who attempt to capture Shag and Scoob when they hear they're seeking the Goblin King.

Jack O’Lantern (Jay Leno), a talking pumpkin who helps them escape from the shadow goblins.

The Headless Horseman, Jack’s “partner” who chases Shaggy and Scooby through a pumpkin patch!

The Grand Witch (Lauren Bacall), who gives our heroes a flying magic broom to help them reach their destination.

And last, but definitely not least, the Goblin King himself!

Can Scooby and Shaggy save the world from Krudsky?

J.A. Morris says:

I should mention that Scooby Doo and the Goblin King has a running time of 75 minutes.  That means it’s much longer than a typical Scooby episode.

The animation in this special looks great.  The voice actors are very good.  Casey Kasem was still alive when this was produced, so it’s nice to hear him voice Shaggy.  Frank Welker, the original voice of Fred, is back and also voices Scooby Doo.

The “guest” voice actors include several A-list talents.  Lauren Bacall brings a lot of gravitas to the witch.  Wallace Shawn makes Gibble an endearing character.  Tim Curry provides a great voice for the Goblin King and Wayne Knight is entertaining as the villainous Krudsky. 

The story here is basically good and the stakes are pretty high.  Shaggy and Scooby have to save the world from Krudsky.  That’s a bit more serious than figuring out the identity of the fake ghost or monster of the week.  The Headless Horseman is always a welcome addition to any Halloween special.

The train Scoob and Shag take to the Land Of Halloween looks pretty cool.

But Goblin King also has several problems.

It’s full of songs that feel like padding so the special could be “feature length.”  These songs aren’t bad, but most aren’t relevant to the plot and they do nothing to forward the story.

The depiction of Velma (Mindy Cohn) is problematic at best.  She’s always been the brains behind Mystery Inc, here’s she’s just a victim.  Making matters worse, there are two moments in Goblin King that insult Velma’s physical appearance (which my co-blogger will further discuss below).

Considering the talents involved and the great animation, Scooby Doo and the Goblin King could have been a classic Halloween special.  I enjoyed some of Scooby and Shaggy’s adventures and Tim Curry always makes everything better.  I’m recommending it for hardcore Scooby-philes and fans of the guest voice actors.  But the problems I mentioned keep it from getting a higher rating.

J.A. Morris’ rating:

2 and a half jack o’lanterns

RigbyMel says: 

There is a LOT going on in Scooby Doo and the Goblin King.   So much is going on that it feels like the writers didn't feel like they had enough material to fill out the time allotted to them in a feature length format.  Hence, they just kept throwing elements into the mix rather than trying to fully develop any of them.   

So we get Halloween, magicians,  fairy princesses, ghost trains, real monsters, witches, talking pumpkins, skeleton musicians, trick or treating, magical tarot cards, real monsters, the goblin king and it is ... exhausting.

As J.A. Morris mentions above, I also have big problems with the way Velma is treated in this.  Rather than being shown to be brainy, occasionally sarcastic and necessary to the Mystery Inc. gang, she comes off as a gibbering, shrill killjoy and winds up repeatedly depicted as a dog  (ok, werewolf, whatever).  Daphne (Grey DeLisle)gets turned into a witch and while not exactly a sexy witch, she at least stays more humanoid in her transformation.

The animation in Scooby Doo and the Goblin King is of reasonably high quality and the voice talent is top notch, it's just a shame it wasn't used in service of a better told tale.  Halloween and Scooby Doo would seem to go together like peanut butter and chocolate,  I feel like the writers could have done more to make this confection better.

RigbyMel's rating: 

1 and a half jack o'lanterns