GROWING PAINS: HAPPY HALLOWEEN: PART 2 (TV)
Summary
One in this comedy series about the adventures of the Seaver family of Long Island, headed by psychiatrist dad Jason and reporter mom Maggie. The Halloween night plans of the Seaver family are ruined when a terrible storm hits. In order to ease Chrissy’s fit, Jason decides to tell ghost stories to pass the time; Ben and Maggie join in as well while Carol prepares for a date and Mike takes off to meet a friend. Jason begins with a story from the 1950s of a Halloween night from his teenage years, in which he envisions Mike as his younger self -- complete with flannel shirt, cuffed dungarees, white socks, and penny loafers. Jason recalls an encounter with human-looking aliens -- distinguished only by glowing eyes -- who could brainwash others via their coffee. After realizing that his mother, best friend Jerome, two policemen, and a group of trick-or-treaters have been taken over by the aliens, young Jason enlists the aid of his father, but he too has been brainwashed. The story ends with young Jason being cornered by the alien populace, telling him to “join us” as they make him drink their coffee.
Back in the present, Chrissy remains displeased, maintaining that “Halloween is ruined.” Maggie tries to cheer her up by telling a happier Halloween story about a mother and her little girl out trick-or-treating, when they encounter a witch, envisioned as Jason, at one home. After all the candy is gathered, the mother barely saves her daughter from doom as an explosive apple given to her by the witch is pitched out the window in the nick of time. The story ends with a message about always listening to mothers. Maggie's story goes over poorly with the rest of the family. Jason then gets a phone call from Mike’s friend, saying that Mike hasn’t shown up to his party. Jason voices his worries to Maggie while watching the storm as it grows in intensity. Ben recalls why he stopped trick-or-treating after approaching a spooky house, but becomes sidetracked as he pictures himself being adored by a group of bikini-clad women.
The family cuts Ben off and encourages Carol to take a turn. She relates a recurring dream set in a subway station where a disembodied voice urges her to jump the turnstile. Upon doing so, she encounters an old woman who claims that the subway car represents “success” and will never arrive for Carol if she simply waits for it. The old woman then introduces herself as the elderly version of Carol. After a mob mocks Carol as an underachiever, she finds herself falling through a cityscape before finding she can fly. Carol proclaims that she is special before witnessing her siblings flying beside her; the realization that she is not special sends her plummeting to her doom. Mike suddenly returns to the house, looking aghast. He relates the story of what sidetracked him earlier that night. While driving to his party he had stopped to help a pretty 17-year-old by the side of the road next to her wrecked car.The seemingly unhurt teen introduces herself as Kara Daye, stating that she wants Mike to take her home. However, she asks Mike to stop at the Paradise Diner, where she claims that Mike took her on their first date. A confused Mike takes her inside, where famous figures from history have gathered. Mike assumes they are part of an elaborate Halloween costume party.
When back in Mike's car en route to see her parents, Kara proclaims in the middle of nowhere that she is “home” and asks Mike to stop. She urges Mike to slow-dance with her and “releases” him from a “promise to love only each other.” She runs off into the woods and Mike chases her into a graveyard. When Mike searches for her, he finds a grave with her name on it.
As Mike finishes his story he breaks into laughter, admitting that he fabricated his disappearance and the story in order to scare everyone. The storm passes and Chrissy finally gets to go trick-or-treating. Finally, someone dressed as the Grim Reaper appears at the front door; Carol assumes it is her blind date and leaves with him. However, moments later, her actual blind date shows up. Carol drives off in a hearse, as her "date" admits to being in the business of "procurement." Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: October 31, 1990 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:45:56
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:23134
- GENRE: Comedy
- SUBJECT HEADING: Comedy
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 1985-1992
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Dan Guntzelman … Executive Producer, Writer
- Mike Sullivan … Executive Producer
- Steve Marshall … Executive Producer
- David Kendall … Co-Executive Producer
- Joey Scott … Producer
- Rich Reinhart … Producer
- Nick Lerose … Producer, Writer
- Laura Lynn … Associate Producer
- John Tracy … Director
- Neal Marlens … Created by
- Jay Abramowitz … Writer
- Steve Dorff … Music by
- John Bettis … Theme Music by
- Alan Thicke … Cast, Jason Seaver/Teen Jason's Dad/Witch
- Joanna Kerns … Cast, Maggie Seaver/Teen Jason's Mom/Little Girl's Mom
- Kirk Cameron … Cast, Mike Seaver/Teen Jason
- Tracey Gold … Cast, Carol Seaver
- Jeremy Miller … Cast, Ben Seaver/Jerome
- Ashley Johnson … Cast, Chrissy Seaver/Little Girl
- Matt Landers … Cast, Officer Krumpkey
- Joe Banks … Cast, Frank
- Joseph Weinberger … Cast, Dwayne
- Van Epperson … Cast, Truman Capote
- Bevis Faversham … Cast, Oliver Hardy
- Susan Griffiths … Cast, Marilyn Monroe
- Jamie Luner … Cast, Kara Daye
- Beau Richardson … Cast, Kid