Halloween is full of spooky scenarios, but is there anything more terrifying than having to flip through your television’s channel guide trying to find your favorite themed episode? Whether you’re into shows that will make you scream, laugh or cry, read on for 13 classic Halloween episodes that you can stream on Netflix right now.
1. How I Met Your Mother: “The Slutty Pumpkin”
Season 1, episode 6
You know the story: boy meets pumpkin, falls in love. Ted (Josh Radnor) spends Halloween on a mission to reconnect with a woman (Katie Holmes) he fell for years prior on the same night. He doesn’t know anything about her, except that she wore a pumpkin costume the day they met. This episode was so memorable that they brought back Holmes’ role for “The Slutty Pumpkin Returns” (season 7, episode 8).
2. Friends: “The One With the Halloween Party”
Season 8, episode 6
Babies, bunnies and radioactive potatoes? Monica (Courteney Cox) and Chandler (Matthew Perry) host a Halloween party, where she forces him to wear a pink bunny costume. He soon realizes it could be worse when Ross (David Schwimmer) arrives in his “Spudnick” costume — a potato with a satellite on his head — which Chandler misidentifies as “doodie.” Meanwhile, Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) realizes she may not be ready for motherhood after she gives out money to trick-or-treaters instead of candy.
3. American Horror Story: “Halloween Parts 1 & 2”
Season 1, episodes 4 & 5
To set the tone for the two-part episode on a mild note, Vivien (Connie Britton) reveals that the house she and Ben (Dylan McDermott) are trying sell was egged — by children who died in the show’s pilot. As the characters continue to figure out the mysteries surrounding Rubber Man, the episode offers everything a Halloween classic needs: candy, Ouija boards, and tons of murder.
4. Family Guy: “Halloween on Spooner Street”
Season 9, episode 5
Don’t take candy from this baby. Stewie and Brian (Seth MacFarlane) experience a trick-or-treating mishap when bullies steal their treats, which makes the two determined to get revenge. Meanwhile, Peter and Joe (Patrick Warburton) play pranks on Quagmire (ranging from egging him to infecting him with an unknown disease) while Chris (Seth Green) and Meg (Mila Kunis) attend a Halloween party where they end up accidentally kissing each other. Classic mix-up.
5. Gossip Girl: “How to Succeed in Bassness”
Season 3, episode 7
You know you still love them. Chuck (Ed Westwick) prepares for his club opening, as recent high school grads do, while Eric (Connor Paolo) and Jenny (Taylor Momsen) face the ultimate Halloween dilemma: find a party or be forced to hand out candy with their parents. Terrifying.
7. Grey’s Anatomy: Haunt You Every Day
Season 4, episode 5
Dark and twisty, indeed. In the middle of Alex (Justin Chambers) and Izzie (Katherine Heigl) carving pumpkins and baking treats, Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) dumps out her mother’s ashes because she feels they are haunting her. In the words of Alex: “Happy freakin’ Halloween.”
8. New Girl: “Keaton”
Season 3, episode 6
Jess (Zooey Deschanel) throws a Halloween party, but Cece (Hannah Simone) refuses to attend if Schmidt (Max Greenfield) will be there. Meanwhile, Jess, Nick (Jake Johnson) and Winston (Lamorne Morris) pose as Schmidt’s childhood idol, Michael Keaton.
9. That ’70s Show: “Too Old to Trick-or-Treat, Too Young to Die”
Season 3, episode 4
Everyone’s favorite basement crew spoofs a variety of Hitchcock movies, including Psycho, Rear Window and Vertigo. Bonus: Fez (Wilmer Valderrama) wears black lingerie.
10. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: “Halloween”
Season 2, episode 6
This just doesn’t happen at Party City: Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and crew go to a store where customers turn into the costume they’re wearing.
11. Pretty Little Liars: “This Is a Dark Ride”
Season 3, episode 13
In arguably the show’s creepiest Halloween episode, the Liars attend the ghost train party, where they dance to a live Adam Lambert performance (what? He didn’t come to your high school parties?), hook up with each other, oh, and fight for their lives.
12. The Vampire Diaries: “Haunted”
Season 1, episode 7
High Stakes: Elena (Nina Dobrev) persuades Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen) to go to a Halloween party with her — in an attempt to get him to let go of Vicki (Kayla Ewell). A massive fight between the women leads to one of their deaths.
13. One Tree Hill: “An Attempt to Tip the Scales”
Season 3, episode 4
The Tree Hill crew celebrates Halloween at a masquerade ball at Tric, where Haley (Bethany Joy Lenz) tries to get back Nathan (James Lafferty) by dressing as Sandy from Grease, and Brooke (Sophia Bush) attempts to seduce Lucas (Chad Michael Murray). The whole thing is accompanied by a live performance from Fall Out Boy, because of course it does.
Tell Us: What’s your favorite Halloween episode?
