Top 10 Episodes of Are You Afraid of the Dark?

Obsessions always have a beginning.  If you rewind the clock 26 years, you would find hordes of kids crowding around the television at 9:30pm to catch Are You Afraid of the Dark? on Nickelodeon before being corralled and taken to bed.  The series became the subject of nightmares and terrors and created a new generation obsession with horror.  A combination of Tales from the Crypt and The Twilight Zone, mixed with kid-friendly subject matter, Are You Afraid of the Dark? was always destined to be a hit.  The success of the series helped green light Goosebumps and one episode even inspired M. Night Shymalan’s The Sixth Sense (1999), but unfortunately, the show now sits in relative and completely unwarranted obscurity.

Needless to say, this Canadian-American classic has a special place in my heart and, in honor of its 26^th anniversary, what follows is a list of my top ten episodes of Are You Afraid of the Dark?  Now, I don’t claim to be a master of 90’s television and the list is very subjective, but know that I have ordered the episodes by least-to-most frightening.  Moreover, every episode is a gem in its own way and a list of only ten episodes could never do justice to this amazing television horror.

So. Submitted for the approval of the Midnight Society, I call this article, The Top Ten Episodes of Are You Afraid of the Dark?

 The Tale of Train Magic

All cards on the table, this episode is probably not very scary.  It is, however, very creepy.  The story begins with Tim Williamson and his brother walking along the train tracks.  The boys have recently lost their father, a train conductor, and Tim has found solace in his model train set and hanging around the local train station.  Tim’s obsession seems harmless, until a long-dead conductor tries to draw Tim aboard his ghostly train.  What this episode lacks in fear, it makes up for in its attention to loss.  Death isn’t easy for anyone.  Kids, perhaps, are the most vulnerable.  “Train Magic” handles death in a mature manner and the last scene of a lonely, lost ghost walking along the train tracks is an image that has haunted me for years.

 The Tale of the Dream Girl

Did you ever wonder where M. Night Shyamalan got the idea for the twist ending of The Sixth Sense?  Look no further than this episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark?  And I’m not kidding.  Johnny Angelli works at a bowling alley with his sister and everything seems normal.  That is, until a beautiful young woman appears and refuses to let Johnny go, even if it means taking him far from the world that he knows.  This episode was the twist ending before there was a twist ending.  It begs you to ask what you really know to be true and whether or not you are actually alive.

You can stream “The Tale of the Dream Girl” on Amazon:

The Tale of the Water Demons

What if your sins haunted more than just your dreams?  What if they actually came for you in the night?  The premise of “Water Demons” is one you’ve seen before on 90’s kids programming.  Shawn, a troublemaker, is sent to spend the summer with his responsible cousin, Dean, and forced to spend time working in his uncle’s general store.  After making a delivery to an infamous sea captain, the two boys learn of a curse that haunts the old man.  When he sleeps, those he stole from emerge from the deep.  There’s a lot to be said about cultural appropriation and the theft that so often comes from empowered colonizers.  Moreover, the messages are hidden under a thick veil of fog and images of drowned corpses.  This episode is a definite nod to John Carpenter’s The Fog (1980) and is far better than the 2005 remake.

You can stream “Tale of the Water Demons” here:

The Tale of the Super Specs

The best thing about Are You Afraid of the Dark? is that it is unafraid of the unhopeful ending.  While they are in the minority, the darkest episodes are some of the most frightening.  This one centers on Weeds (a prankster), Marybeth (his victim), and a pair of trick glasses that give the wearer the ability to see into another dimension.  Or more accurately, as the two realize, to open a portal between two worlds.  Through the glasses, the characters see the blackened silhouettes of people and they don’t like to be seen.  The Nightmare (2015) echoes this type of negative-image-monster, and there is definitely something about an army of silhouettes running towards you that is unsettling.  Pair the minimalist monsters with the dark ending and this one is a nightmare waiting to happen.

You can stream “Tale of the Super Specs” here:

The Tale of the Crimson Clown

I love a killer clown.  The conflicting image of childhood whimsy crossed with the dangerous anonymity of the costume and makeup creates a perfect interstitial space.  “Crimson Clown,” of course, is a wonderful example of childhood gone wrong. The episode centers on Sam, who is a bad kid.  He steals, he is disrespectful to his mother and brother, and he’s the perfect target for the Crimson Clown.  This episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark? is pure terror.  There’s a good five-minute-long romp through frightening image after frightening image.  I was an only child.  I behaved after seeing this episode.

You can stream “Tale of the Crimson Clown” here:

 

The Tale of the Renegade Virus

Every time there is a new announcement regarding virtual reality, I think of this episode. Simon is a high school student who is a bit too cocky, as evidenced by his relationship with his family and best friend.  He does, however, have a love of technology, and he is the first volunteer for his teacher’s new virtual reality game.  But soon Simon can’t tell what is real and what isn’t and something is watching his every move… There is probably no episode on this list as culturally relevant as this one.  The mind-bending plot is an achievement and the character design is innovative and memorable.  Also, there’s an image of a skin-implanted computer port.  God, I love body horror.  Is it a nod to Videodrome (1983)? I like to think so…

You can stream “Tale of the Renegade Virus” here:

The Tale of the Dead Man’s Float

Although I’ve never been afraid of swimming, I have been afraid of the pool.  And “The Tale of the Dead Man’s Float” is the reason why.  The story begins eerily similar to Friday the 13^th (1980) and Jaws (1975), a lone swimmer, neglectful lifeguards, and a savage death.  At its core this is a story about a geek and the popular girl finding out that they aren’t all that different.  Yet, the creature design is the most terrifying thing that the show has ever put forward and is more than nightmare-worthy.  The red design of the creature and the effect it has on the pool subtly brings about the image of blood in the water.  It’s as far as a 90’s kid show has really gone and the image is lasting.

You can stream “Tale of the Dead Man’s Float” here:

The Tale of the Laughing in the Dark

“It’s the most fun in the park, when you’re laughing…in the dark.”

If there is one episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark? that everyone remembers it is “Laughing in the Dark.”  Again, clowns are always something to fear.  IT (2018) proved, again, that the specter of John Wayne Gacy still hangs over the once-jolly figure.  Zeebo, the canon clown that acts as a thread throughout the series, is not nearly as insane as Pennywise, but he still harbors the ability to shake the viewer.  The smell of cigars, self-inflating balloons, and ominous phone calls lead to a thrilling romp through a dark funhouse.  Carnivals are naturally creepy places.  How many people have died on those rides, how many of them were sick, scared.  Zeebo takes this fear and amplifies it.  Enter if you dare, but just know the rules…“choose the right door, you’ll go free.  Choose the wrong door…and there he’ll be…”

You can stream “Tale of the Laughing in the Dark” here:

The Tale of the Night Shift

What’s a scarier setting than a hospital? How about a hospital with an ancient vampire hiding in the basement?  Or what about a hospital, an ancient vampire, and a slowly growing army of bitten, obedient familiars?  Margot is an over-involved student and hospital volunteer who has taken the night shift to fit in her community service.  She is surprised by a handsome, but irresponsible patient and the creeping terror of a bloodthirsty shape shifter.  “Night Shift” combines so many horrific elements that it is hard to ignore.  The creature design is fun and it stands out as one of the best-written and best-acted episodes of the series.  Plus, there’s a rooftop scene that will upend all of your expectations.

You can stream “Tale of the Night Shift” here:

The Tale of the Ghastly Grinner

There may be episodes of Are You Afraid of the Dark? that are creepier, scarier, or even better written than “The Ghastly Grinner,” but there is nothing as psychologically upsetting as watching the Grinner possess every person that could have intervened or provided some assistance.  Not only does the mad jester take over every living person, he drives them mad and their blue-slime-dripping smiles are the only faces that the protagonists meet as they search for a way to stop the Grinner.  There are plenty of nods toward Batman’s Joker and his death-by-laughter joker gas, but the design of the Grinner is all its own.  The terrifying colors and the mangy teeth combine bright colors with evil motives.  This one scarred me as a kid and I still think it holds its terrifying nature, even after 26 years.

“Tale of the Ghastly Grinner” is available only on DVD:

So, that’s it.  But know that every episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark? is worth the watch.  You’ll see the familiar and the odd, the canonized and the totally original.  Maybe the new iteration of The Twilight Zone will fill the gap in anthology horror/sci-fi programming.  But until then, binge yourself an amazing TV gem like Are You Afraid of the Dark?

Honorable Mention:

• The Tale of the Sorcerer’s Apprentice
• The Tale of the Dark Music
• The Tale of the Midnight Madness
• The Tale of the Dark Dragon
• The Tale of the Dollmaker

Ethan Robles is a M.A. student at Lehigh University who studies the horror genre in fiction and film.  He also has worked in the digital humanities.  Outside of academia, he is a creative writer and higher education consultant. You can follow him on Twitter @Roblecop and on Instagram @Robo_gramm.

Ethan has written for Horror Homeroom on the Hulu original series, Castle Rock, Gerald’s Game, Annihilation, horror documentaries.