Halloween has led to some of tv’s best episodes, giving our favorite characters an excuse to dress up, get spooky, and make complete fools of themselves. While some shows embrace the ghostly side of the holiday, others focus on partying and funny costumes. Our favorites feature the inevitable disasters that come with things like candy obsession and masked identities. Certain Halloween episodes are the perfect way to get into the spooky season, maybe while carving pumpkins or brainstorming costume ideas. Some have creepy elements, while most are just hilarious, but all capture something special about the fall holiday. These eight Halloween episodes are worth rewatching.
That ’70s Show — “Halloween” (Season 2, Episode 5)
Halloween is perfectly nostalgic in That ’70s Show when the gang decides to do something truly scary: learn about their academic past. They revisit their old elementary school, breaking in to check their permanent records. During the episode, the friends learn some unexpected things about each other, including secrets that might change how they see each other. To his horror, Eric finds out that Donna once had a crush on Hyde. Other discoveries lead to teasing and even outright embarrassment. Naturally, Kelso becomes the target of all the jokes when they learn that he had to repeat the first grade. The episode has plenty of costumes, giving it a genuine retro Halloween atmosphere. Full of the gang’s usual ridiculous behavior, it’s one of the show’s most entertaining holiday episodes.
Friends — “The One with the Halloween Party” (Season 8, Episode 6)
Friends didn’t shoot many Halloween episodes, tending to focus heavily on its famous Thanksgiving Day episodes (The One with the Football is Friends at its best). However, in its eighth season, they made a fantastic Halloween episode. Monica and Chandler have a costume party, giving everyone an opportunity to show off some truly ridiculous outfits. Chandler dresses as a giant pink bunny, while Ross tries to be clever and comes as Spud-nik, a pun on the Soviet satellite. His costume is part potato, part satellite. Phoebe’s twin sister Ursula also makes a rare appearance, adding a layer of awkwardness and confusion. Monica and Phoebe have an argument, leading to one very weird arm-wrestling competition. With its silly costumes, relationship drama, and group dynamics America fell in love with, the episode is a great example of Friends‘ ability to make audiences laugh out loud.
Modern Family — “Halloween” (Season 2, Episode 6)
Maybe no other TV character takes Halloween as seriously as Claire Dunphy. Though many Modern Family episodes feature Claire’s over-the-top decorations and obsessive production, this episode might be the best. Claire turns the family’s normally cute home into an elaborate haunted house. She rigidly assigns everyone specific roles, trying to create the perfect spooky experience. Unfortunately, things begin falling apart almost immediately. Caught up in their own problems, family members don’t follow Claire’s carefully planned script. One of the best storylines involves Gloria being self-conscious about her Hispanic accent, and delivering her lines in a forced, fake-sounding American accent. At the same time, Cameron struggles with an embarrassing childhood memory associated with Halloween. Even Phil’s enthusiasm isn’t enough to keep the production going smoothly. The result is a Halloween-themed family disaster.
The Office — “Halloween” (Season 2, Episode 5)
Halloween at Dunder Mifflin is not all costumes and candy. With a boss like Michael Scott, it’s always sure to be incredibly uncomfortable. After waiting too long to act on a corporate order to fire an employee, Michael is forced to make the decision during the office’s Halloween party. Meanwhile, everyone really goes for it with their Halloween costumes. Dwight goes completely over the top dressed as a Sith Lord and Jim comes casual and clever as a three-hole-punched piece of paper. The episode is full of the usual awkwardness we love about The Office done with a perfectly Halloweeny vibe.
Bob’s Burgers — “Full Bars” (Season 3, Episode 2)
Bobs Burgers is known for its Halloween episodes, and one of the best follows Tina, Gene, and Louise as they trick-or-treat their way through a wealthy neighborhood trying to find the ultimate score: full-size candy bars. The kids are thrilled, as the neighborhood’s residents hand out massive amounts of candy, but their excitement fades when they come head-to-head with a group of mean teenagers. Meanwhile, Bob and Linda reluctantly go to Teddy’s Halloween party, where his pet guinea pig is murdered, leading to a dramatic mystery. The episode does a great job of capturing the excitement of being a kid on Halloween, as well as the sometimes-forced nature of being an adult on Halloween. For anyone who remembers how special it was to find a house that gave out full-size candy bars, this episode is pure Halloween nostalgia.
Community — “Epidemiology” (Season 2, Episode 6)
Community takes Halloween chaos to a whole new level when a costume party at Greendale Community College turns into a zombie outbreak. After the dean serves questionable food, students start coming down with some really disturbing symptoms. Soon, the campus is covered in costume-clad zombies, as the study group fights for survival. The disaster plays out to a soundtrack of ABBA songs, making everything extra ridiculous. Between the over-the-top costumes, horror movie references, and surprisingly well-done zombie makeup, the episode is both creepy and hilarious.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia — “Who Got Dee Pregnant?” (Season 6, Episode 7)
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia gave us a truly special episode in 2010 with “Who Got Dee Pregnant?” The episode follows the gang a couple of months after a huge Halloween bash at Paddy’s Pub. Dee announces she is pregnant and the guys think one of them might be the father. She must have conceived around Halloween night, so they try to piece together the events of the wild party. Unfortunately, everyone was so drunk that their memories of the night are entirely different. We get to see each flashback, and they grow increasingly ridiculous. In true Halloween mystery fashion, the costumes conceal identities and make everything even more confusing, especially when partygoers start swapping outfits. The episode’s funniest running joke is the guys’ inability to see Dee as anything other than a bird, despite the fact she is dressed as an angel. It’s dysfunctional humor at its Halloween best.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine — “Halloween” (Season 1, Episode 6)
The first Halloween episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine introduced something that would become one of the show’s recurring bits. Jake Peralta challenges Captain Holt to a bet; he says he can steal Holt’s Medal of Valor before midnight on Halloween. Holt accepts the challenge, believing there’s no possible way Jake could outsmart him. However, Jake comes up with an elaborate scheme using distractions, costumes, and the rest of the precinct. The simple bet grows into a highly competitive battle of wits between two very different detectives. The Halloween-focused episode is a good example of the show’s usual clever humor, antics, and elaborate planning.