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Watching this after nearly 20 years reminded me why I love this show and why it didn’t last beyond a season - it was mumblecore before anything was mumblecore. It was the most realistic, awkward depiction of regular life. Nothing over the top, intercrossing storylines a’la 7th Heaven or Full House; nor was it a sitcom with intentional funny moments. Plus, the actors are aged appropriately for their roles - I’m looking at you Beverly Hill 90210 and The O.C.
For Halloween, this episode hits perfectly on the nose for each member of the Chase family:
- Angela, neck deep in “I want to be someone else, not pretend to be someone” teen angst, is too old for trick ’r’ treating and too young (and outcasted) for parties.
- Danielle is caught in tween Halloween morning crisis needing a costume. She’s in the transitional point of needing a “cool” costume, not cute.
- Patty & Graham need a last minute costume for a friend’s Halloween party, which neither wants to go to, but being what married couples do… they concoct a plan.
Rayanne’s outlandish costume with vampire teeth, a strip of white hair, red fishnets, a very Rayanne, boho style dress, and a cape gets her the “Best Dressed” award.
However, “Best Overall Costume” goes to Rickie wearing Brian Krackow’s clothes and no makeup. A total transformation from his everyday style to “be like everyone else”. This is driven home later when Rickie bails on the girls’ seance and stumbles upon Jordan Catalano under the bleachers watching the drunk burn-outs of the school tear up the football field. While talking, Jordan tells Rickie he should get going since these guys were pretty fired up. My heart and soul sang for Rickie Vazquez.
In the end, Danielle takes home the “Best Costume Under Pressure” working with what was literally in her sister’s closet for her costume - Angela Chase.
Angela’s costume with a skirt, mohair cardigan, and cat glasses is cool and definitely embodied her soft spoken voice, especially when talking to Jordan about going to class so he doesn’t get kicked out. I’d like to take a moment to appreciate Jordan’s quintessential stoner kid style of the 90s (I couldn’t find a picture, so it was a blue Dickies gas station shirt over a thermal shirt with sleeves over his hands and his classic blue jeans).
The main storyline of this episode is hinged upon a ghost story that’s been handed down a couple generations about a greaser kid, Nicky Driscoll, who died in the ‘50s. Rayanne is convinced they can contact Nicky’s spirit with a seance and calls for Rickie and Angela to meet her at school at 9pm. This was said in front of Brian who, awkwardly, thinks he’s been invited. Meanwhile, Angela has been seeing the rebellious ghost of Nicky Driscoll all over school and develops a crush on him, so she must save him… him being Nicky from death or Jordan from getting kicked out of school. As a teenager, this made total sense; as an adult, I’m eating my popcorn saying “You go girl, get those bad boy decisions out of your system!”
The next day we’re all back to normal, mostly..
Rickie returns to school in his regular flamboyant style; Rayanne was always Rayanne, but with vampire teeth; and Angela is in her uber ‘90s, super cute outfit - multicolored shirt and purple overalls (my teenage self had to settle for purple pants since we couldn’t find a single pair of purple overalls in the mall).
Danielle doesn’t hate Angela, in fact she leaves her a few pieces of Halloween candy. Patty and Graham are more in love after skipping the party for an intimate night at home.
And finally, Jordan shows up to class!
In true TV Halloween fashion, as Angela accepts she dreamt the whole night of ghosts she finds the dried rose Nicky gave his girlfriend in her text book.
