[AYAOTD? Recap with Erin Callahan] Curse of the Shadows Episode 1 "The Tale of the Haunted Woods"

If you’ve been following Troy and Erin on their journeys through the old episodes of Are You Afraid of the Dark? you know what to expect here. But we are taking a break from their older recaps to focus on the new season Are You Afraid of the Dark: Curse of the Shadows from Nickelodeon! So sit back and enjoy.

A LITTLE HISTORY

Troy: Initially, Nickelodeon announced Are You Afraid of the Dark? was coming back as a brand new, hour-long, three-episode mini-series, which of course we covered in 2019. And that story, “Carnival of Doom,” very much had a beginning, middle, and end, as you’d expect a mini-series to have. But it was a success critically and commercially, so to no surprise, a few months later, Nick announced they were turning it into a series proper, with season two doubling the episode count and introducing a brand new new Midnight Society.

Erin: I really loved the “Carnival of Doom” cast, especially Graham, the big-hearted, horror-loving cinnamon roll I have always wanted to see on screen. That said, it’s always fun to see new characters introduced and changing the cast was also an opportunity to change the setting for this new season.

T: My biggest complaint about changing the cast was that I liked them, but didn’t know the two girls very well, so I was hoping to spend more time with them. But, I feel like these different Midnight Societies can co-exist since they’re in different cities, so there’s hope someday we’ll get an Avengers-style team-up with Graham.

E: That would be amazeballs!

T: It feels like it’s been forever since season one, but it was only fifteen and a half months ago. If it weren’t for COVID, I think this would have aired in October, so they must have been really eager to get it filmed and on the air. It’s another telltale sign in my mind that Nick really wants to get behind the series and give this legs. As a fan, it’s great to know the studio is showing confidence in the property.

E: And why wouldn’t they! This is a show that has the potential to appeal to young viewers and also millennials nostalgic for a thing they loved.

RECAP

Since this article is being published immediately upon the episode airing, we’re going to do things a little differently and avoid specific spoilers. This episode follows Luke, a member of the Midnight Society, as he grows increasingly worried that close friend (and MS leader) Connor has vanished after going on a late-night excursion. The investigation takes the Midnight Society to Sardo’s Magic Mansion, where they learn about the titular curse of the shadows.

REVIEW

T: First thing that struck me is wow, does this look good. Production value was pretty high last season, but they amped it up even more. Can you even imagine what D.J. MacHale and Ron Oliver could have done with the original series if they had this budget? There are some gorgeous shots of the town Shadow Bay, especially those aerial views of the lighthouse. It gives the story a great scope.

E: My jaw pretty much dropped at that first aerial shot of the lighthouse and coastline. It really makes this show feel like prestige TV or a feature film. Is that the coast of British Columbia? Was it partially CGI?

T: You know, it looked so good I couldn’t tell, but I would guess there was a little CGI touch-up. It does look like they found a great location to shoot in.

E: Yay Canada!

T: We get the Magic Mansion right up front and I feel like I’m back in the world of Are You Afraid of the Dark?, unlike last season. I thoroughly enjoyed last season, but it felt like an homage to the series while this feels like a proper reimagining. It also answers questions I had last season. Was this a continuation or a remake? Could one of them have been Gary’s nephew or whatever? But Sardo’s line about his family heavily implies that this is a continuation.

E: That’s a great point. “Carnival of Doom” had some cute callbacks to the original series and was really a love letter to horror fandom. But this first episode of “Curse of the Shadows” feels positively steeped in AYAOTD? mythology. At the same time, even though AYAOTD? fans will get a huge kick out of that first glimpse of the flickering neon sign for Sardo’s Magic Mansion, kids who’ve never seen the original series should be equally intrigued. The production design is great.

T: And I do appreciate that while this is a new story with new kids in a different town, it fits into the world of season one. They established there are multiple Midnight Societies, and this happens to be one of them. I imagine next season we’ll stick with this crew, or we could move on to another.

E: I predict they’ll move on to another cast and Midnight Society, though I like this crew enough that I would be totally cool with sticking with them for another season. But when you’re framing the show not as “kids tell scary stories and we watch them” but as “kids tell scary stories and find themselves inside one,” the longer you stick with one group of kids, the less believable it becomes, right? How many supernatural curses and monsters can exist in one town? Unless it’s Sunnyvale, of course.

T: That’s a very solid point. D.J. MacHale struggled for years with the idea of, “How do I have the Midnight Society have an adventure, but then the next week they’re just telling stories?” It was something he wanted to do early on actually.

E: Really? That would’ve been interesting, but sticking with the Midnight Society as the frame story makes a lot more sense.

T: What did you think about the cold open? They’re selling that this thief (Connor) is bad news, so it’s a nice twist that he’s actually stealing a book for a protection spell.

E: Is that how you read it? I totally saw a scared and desperate kid, but maybe that’s because I’m a mom?

T: I knew from the trailer he would be the missing leader of the MS, but I tried to push that aside, and that’s how I’d read it going in blind. I think.

E: Interesting. Either way, it’s moody and intense and works superbly as an introduction to the  season.

T: I think we should be a little vague and not cover this beat-by-beat per usual. So how about we talk about the new characters? Luke is our central protagonist, played by Bryce Gheisar, and I found him generally likeable. They do a solid job making him our POV character. His apprehension over Connor’s disappearance feels very real to me. And as he looks to each of his friends for support, that’s a great way to slowly introduce the rest of the cast.

E: Luke is totally likable. He’s not an arrogant cool kid or an outcast with a chip on his shoulder, but still seems to have substance. Again, the production design is so solid, because his room says so much about him without taking up a ton of screen time. That said, I would’ve loved if they’d centered this story around someone other than a cishet white boy. Cishet white boys are like the default anchor for this kind of ensemble-cast story, which is why I loved that “Carnival of Doom” made the primary protagonist a girl.

T: I hate to correct you, but I will. Bryce Gheisar is a third-generation Iranian-Canadian/American. The character doesn’t scream “Middle East” but I clocked his ethnicity so I’m sure others will. I imagine there was no race specified in the script/casting, and they cast whoever best fit the role for all the kids, which means to no surprise, we have a lot of diversity. Just like the original series. And speaking of heterosexuality, I have a couple thoughts concerning Luke in our Queer or Not section.

E: I stand happily corrected! And I’m very much looking forward to your thoughts on potential queerness!

T: The kids’ horror appreciation feels nicely nuanced. Luke has horror posters on his wall, he falls asleep to old horror movies.

E: I love that blissful moment in “Carnival of Doom” when Graham realizes Rachel is a horror fan and that he’s found one of his people, but this feels more grounded.

T: We meet Jai, played by Arjun Athalye, and he’s my least favorite. I don’t dislike him, but I don’t always love the “I’m a nerd, but I don’t want people to know so I’ll act cool in public” trope. It’s realistic, sure, and he gets some laughs. As long as the character gets fleshed out, like I assume he will in future episodes, I can see myself enjoying him more.

E: I found Arjun Athalye totally charming, but I agree with your take on the undercover nerd trope. Is that even believable in this day and age? Nerd culture is a bazillion dollar business these days. I can’t imagine anyone batting an eye over one of their fellow students reading a comic book. If anything, they’d be intrigued.

T: It’s more believable if it’s internalized. We’ll see how it plays out.

E: I’ll keep an open mind!

T: I have a similar feeling about Hanna, played by Beatrice Kitsos—the only actor on this season who I recognized. She co-starred in the Child’s Play remake. I’m not going to say she’s one note, but she’s one and a half notes. Again, ensemble group in one episode, how much can you flesh out? I’m giving it the benefit of the doubt that she’ll be more than “eco-warrior.”

E: I really like Hanna and she had some very solid lines, delivered fantastically by the deadpan Beatrice Kitsos. “Quiet, Mommy’s working.” —That one pretty much had me on the floor. But she’s bordering on another trope that I find both annoying and outdated -- the militant, misguided kid with a cause who annoys the piss out of everyone around her. Like, why can’t she just chill? Oh, maybe because the planet is dying, for fuck’s sake. Though giving an actual shit about something wasn’t cool in the ’90s, things have changed, thank god. I want to see kids like Hanna celebrated, not portrayed as one-note bores who are met with eyerolls, and I’m hoping the show accomplishes that before the end of the season.

T: Seth (Dominic Mariche) is a lot of fun. We get the younger bro/scamp-like Tucker character while being very much his own person. He’s into stage magic and really wants to be in the Midnight Society? Awesome. And his “initiation” is great.

E: Seth is great! And I weirdly find myself rooting more for him than I did for Tucker? Must be the dimples.

T: Gabby (Malia Baker) made a really fun first impression being a bad waitress and owning that. She disappeared into the group after that, so I’d like to see more of her individual personality. Also, she wasn’t at school with them, right? It’s a small town and they all go to the same school, but not Gabby?

E: Love Gabby, and the bad waitress thing is such a great way to give her personality without framing her as a familiar teen trope. And you’re right, I don’t remember seeing her at school with them. Maybe she’s homeschooled or goes to a private one?

T: The bad waitress schtick is so smart. I was pleasantly surprised at how dark this episode is. A kid is missing, there’s a monster, it’s fairly serious and intense while still having humor. How did you feel about the tone?

E: Love it. Very gothy, very moody, and there’s a scene toward the end of the episode that is downright terrifying. I also have to admit that I’m always going to find the woods a much scarier setting than a carnival.

T: Sardo. I mean, I wish Richard Dumont was a part of this, but Ryan Beil sold me. The lines feel right for him, and he’s delivering them with such campy snark. His voice reminds me of Jon Lovitz, which just makes it funnier. This is also a more serious Sardo. His wardrobe is eccentric, but is muted colors. Dumont’s Sardo wouldn’t fit this world. That said, Dumont could play him differently, but that might be even more disconcerting?

E: You know I was hesitant about this recasting, but I’m on board with it now because you’re absolutely right—Dumont’s Sardo is too silly and surreal for the tone of this show. This is the grittier, more grounded Sardo. He’s like Christopher Nolan’s take on Batman, whereas the old Sardo is more like Tim Burton’s take. Both work fantastically in their respective movies, but you couldn’t swap them. 

T: Oh, I love that comparison! We haven’t really touched on the Shadowman, and you know how much I love a cool baddie. Such a completely different vibe than Mr. Tophat. The look is fantastic and he’s very ominous. We haven’t learned anything about him, but I’m very optimistic that they’ll continue to deliver with this character.

E: I really liked Mr. Tophat and the way his origin story dovetailed with the protagonist’s character arc. But the Shadowman is already scarier. I hope he remains scary, but also gets more developed and fleshed-out as the story progresses.

T: Random last thoughts – Luke’s dad is fun, and a nice change from the awful parents from the original. I thought it was barbaric they make kids wrestle in gym class, then kicked myself when I realized it was wrestling practice. They meet at midnight on a Monday night – these kids so naughty! CGI looks good and is used sparingly. The clapper is so well done.

E: I will be haunted by that clapper scene for weeks to come. And you and I have talked about how we love the idea of kids sneaking out at night to tell stories, but we never see the original Midnight Society actually sneaking out. This new season pulls no punches. These kids are creeping out of their houses in the dark and they are doing it on a school night!

QUEER OR NOT?

T: This is exciting. Hanna and Seth have two moms! They’re mentioned in dialogue and we see a family portrait, which leads me to believe we’ll meet them in a future episode. But yes, explicitly queer characters.

E: I’m going to assume that when I asked Jeff Wadlow if there were any explicitly queer characters, and he said no, he thought I was talking about the members of the Midnight Society. Because, here we have it y’all—explicitly queer rep on Nickelodeon. 

T: Um, is Connor gay? Luke is clearly into Gabby, but there’s some tension between Connor and Luke, right? We don’t see too much of Connor, but I suspect my reading will deepen as the season progresses.

E: Oh interesting! I didn’t pick up on that but they definitely seem to be close, and it could be deeper than friendship since it appears that they float in different social circles while at school. We don’t see Connor at school, but he’s referred to several times as one of the cool kids.

T: Sardo! I was worried when they recast that they might straight wash the character. We’ve talked a little about how audiences are savvier, and so there’s less queer-coding because there’s more queer characters. This can lead to fewer casual queer representation. But yeah, I think they kept the camp. It’s a slightly different vibe, but it’s similar enough.

E: I’ll take it! Also, Seth does not seem to give a flying fig about traditional masculinity and that was extremely refreshing.

MODERNIZE ’90s CANADIAN KIDS

T: This group feels so modern. We even get an “okay, boomer” line. Last season, they felt stylized-modern. They were cool geeks (the slow-mo intros might be coloring my memory). Writer JT Billings captured the dialogue of a modern tween/teen. That said, I’m not a modern teen, so I could be way off.

E: No, I think you’re right. The “Carnival of Doom” characters are a ton of fun, but they are also very clearly characters in a TV show about horror fandom. Even with the “undercover nerd” and “exhausting eco-warrior” tropes in play, these kids feel closer to actual teens. Once again, the overall vibe here is grittier and more grounded than either the original series or the first season, and I’m digging it. 

TRIVIA, USELESS TRIVIA

T: I don’t want to be that guy and point out all the fun connections to the original series and spoil those little “ah-ha!” moments. Maybe in the season recap we’ll run down everything we caught. I will say I jotted down eight definite easter eggs and four maybes. Like, something was framed in such a way that it reminded me of specific scenes so I think that counts. I think they went there. I will say I thought the connections to the series were fairly clever, some were very hidden (you have to read the credits to learn the wrestling coach’s name…), and they weren’t so in your face that they’d be distracting if you didn’t watch the original series.

E: Yes! Bring on the spreadsheets!

JUST GIVE IT A NUMERICAL RATING ALREADY

T: Here at the GaylyDreadful AYAoTD? Office, we don’t rate individual parts of larger stories. It’s a precedent. That said, if I had to, I’d put this up in the 8.5 to 9.1 range.

E: Agreed! This is a very solid first ep. I’d love to see the mythology of the baddie deepen, but I suspect that’s coming.

PREDICTIONS

T: Hmmm. I revisited “Carnival of Doom” and my predictions at the time, and they were right on. I’m a lot less sure of where the story is heading after this episode. Although we’d seen 1/3 of the story then, and we’ve only seen 1/6 of “Curse of the Shadows.” Plot-wise, Connor’s dad mentions a storm coming in six days, and there’s six episodes, and there are some posters at the school for a “Glow Dance,” so I think we’re headed for each episode being about a day with a big climax involving a lakeside storm and a glow dance – which sounds like it could be really cool.

E: The storm thing is a bit of a cliche, but there are so many amazing possibilities for trippy visuals with a glow dance.

T: Lore-wise, I really don’t know, all of this is 100% pure conjecture. I have this sneaky suspicion the grown-over campfire seen in the haunted woods is going to turn out to be where the original Midnight Society formed and they played a part in creating the Shadowman? When the season’s over, I’m going to feel very proud of myself or like a complete zeeb for that guess.

E: Ooooooooh! Yes, I love this theory.

T: Wild, baseless prediction – in your interview with Jeff Wadlow (LINK HERE), he teased a massive Easter egg that will blow fans’ minds. With so many shout-outs to the original series in this episode alone, it’s got to be something huge. We could end up with something like Zeebo, Vink, or Gary making an appearance. Who knows, but I’m excited to see what they have in store for us.

E: For the love of all that is spooky, I hope it’s Gary!!