SPOOK!

Submitted for the approval of the Spook-night Society is this last individual episode on Are You Afraid of the Dark?. What begins as a fairly standard setup of a child with cool scientist parents being dropped off at an older relative’s house unfolds into a surprisingly bittersweet meditation on loss and finding love again, and isn’t that fitting? It’s been almost two whole years since we started our humble little podcast and the next chapter is still to be written, but don’t expect us to go away completely! So, until the next time our podcast graces your ears again, please continue to be nerdy and quirky and enjoy the spooky things in life!  

Warning: 

Episode contains spoilers and mentions child endangerment and accidental death. 

Follow us on Instagram @spook_podcast

Email your spooky stories to [email protected]

If you want a shoutout in our next episode, email or DM us!

Sources: 

Available to stream: Paramount + and Amazon Prime Video

“Are You Afraid of the Dark?” The Tale of the Jagged Sign (TV Episode 1995) (1995, October 28). https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0514424/

Wiki, C. T. a. Y. a. O. T. D. (n.d.). The Tale of the Jagged Sign. Are You Afraid of the Dark Wiki. https://areyouafraidofthedark.fandom.com/wiki/The_Tale_of_the_Jagged_Sign

We hope you’ve enjoyed your stay in The Twilight Zone! Nicole and Joe cover this existential tale for their penultimate regular episode, and it involves cosmic beings that would make the Mad Titan Thanos green with envy and Mel Gibson’s Signs character put on an extra layer of tin foil. We’ve really loved talking about this show for everyone and will likely return to it in some form in the future, so stay tuned!

Warning: 

Episode contains spoilers and mentions paranoia and psychological distress. 

Follow us on Instagram @spook_podcast

Email your spooky stories to [email protected]

If you want a shoutout in a future episode, email or DM us!

Sources: 

Available to stream: Paramount +

“The Twilight Zone” And When the Sky Was Opened (TV Episode 1959) (1959, December 11). IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0734555/

Wiki, C. T. T. Z. (n.d.). And When the Sky Was Opened. The Twilight Zone Wiki. https://twilightzone.fandom.com/wiki/And_When_the_Sky_Was_Opened

It’s a monumental Spookisode for bittersweet reasons. Alas, this is the last regular episode on Twin Peaks. But fear not! As there is undoubtedly more to come in the future about this quirky Washington town and its many strange residents. Nicole and Joe witness what is hopefully the end of the Evelyn Marsh storyline, a very strange re-enactment of the surrender at Appomattox Courthouse, and some very unconvincing disguises from Windom Earle. Also included is the definitive ranking of the various relationships in Twin Peaks. 

Warning: 

Episode contains spoilers and mentions gun violence, murder, domestic violence, and torture. 

Follow us on Instagram @spook_podcast

Email your spooky stories to [email protected]

If you want a shoutout in a future episode, email or DM us!

Sources: 

Available to stream: Paramount + 

“Twin Peaks” Slaves and Masters (TV Episode 1991) (1991, February 9). IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0734832/?ref_=ttqu_ov_bk

Wiki, C. T. T. P. (n.d.-e). Episode 22. Twin Peaks Wiki. https://twinpeaks.fandom.com/wiki/Episode_22

Introducing: Stig! Yes, Frank is out, and with him gone comes a new, different breed of jerk who tells scary stories: the Ratboy. Nicole and Joe dive (get it?) into this iconic episode with gross pool zombies, questionable chemistry, and the Midnight Society’s newest prospective member. 

Warning: 

Episode contains spoilers and mentions drowning, murder, and child endangerment. 

Follow us on Instagram @spook_podcast

Email your spooky stories to [email protected]

If you want a shoutout in our next episode, email or DM us!

Sources: 

Available to stream: Paramount + and Amazon Prime Video

“Are You Afraid of the Dark?” The Tale of Dead Man’s Float (TV Episode 1995) (1995, October 7). https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0394122/?ref_=ttfc_ov_bk

Wiki, C. T. a. Y. a. O. T. D. (n.d.). The Tale of Dead Man’s Float. Are You Afraid of the Dark Wiki. https://areyouafraidofthedark.fandom.com/wiki/The_Tale_of_the_Dead_Man%27s_Float

Do you remember The Thing? Chris Carter certainly did, as this episode of The X-Files contains enough similarities to the horror classic, specifically John Carpenter’s 1982 iteration, to make Fox Mulder say, “Oh, sh*t. Here we go again.” But don’t worry! No dogs are harmed in the making of this episode.

Warning: 

Episode contains spoilers and mentions suicide, murder, and body horror. 

Follow us on Instagram @spook_podcast

Email your spooky stories to [email protected]

If you want a shoutout in a future episode, email or DM us!

Sources: 

Available to stream: Hulu and Disney +

“The X-Files” Ice (TV Episode 1993) (1993, November 5). IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0751141/?ref_=tttrv_ov_bk

Wiki, C. T. X. (n.d.). Ice. X-Files Wiki. https://x-files.fandom.com/wiki/Ice

Have we mentioned that it is happening again? Because, yet again, it is happening again. Nicole and Joe return to the quirkiest town in Washington (sorry, Bright Falls) to learn about Agent Cooper’s tragic past with Windom Earle, Ben Horne’s continuing Confederate delusions, and question Doctor Hayward’s treatment of Nadine’s condition.

Warning: 

Episode contains spoilers and mentions domestic violence, sexual assault, mental illness,  accidental death, and murder. 

Follow us on Instagram @spook_podcast

Email your spooky stories to [email protected]

If you want a shoutout in a future episode, email or DM us!

Sources: 

Available to stream: Paramount + 

“Twin Peaks” Double Play (TV Episode 1991) (1991, February 2). IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0734821/?ref_=ttqu_ov_bk

Wiki, C. T. T. P. (n.d.-e). Episode 21. Twin Peaks Wiki. https://twinpeaks.fandom.com/wiki/Episode_21

Are you ready for some football? And war crimes? These are the questions Joe and Nicole answer during this episode about The Twilight Zone. When an amnesiac suddenly wakes up on a British ship in 1942, he feels an unsourced sense of dread. Our hosts dive into this heady episode and discuss Rod Serling’s history with war stories, time loop afterlives, and ask for your favorite NFL teams. 

Warning: 

Episode contains spoilers and mentions war violence and death. 

Follow us on Instagram @spook_podcast

Email your spooky stories to [email protected]

If you want a shoutout in a future episode, email or DM us!

Sources: 

Available to stream: Paramount +

“The Twilight Zone” Judgment Night (TV Episode 1959) (1959, December 4). IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0734582/

Wiki, C. T. T. Z. (n.d.). Judgment Night. The Twilight Zone Wiki. https://twilightzone.fandom.com/wiki/Judgment_Night

Prepare for the most influential television episode of all time, with Are You Afraid of the Dark?’s Ghastly Grinner! Ethan Wood is a struggling comic book artist who gets roped into unleashing a terrifying villain into the real world. While it may seem like a simple premise, its visuals and motifs would undoubtedly go on to inspire works like Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, Zac Cregger’s Weapons, the Matilda movie from 1996, and possibly even Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. Nicole and Joe dive into this pulpy comic book inspired adventure and talk about how everyone else clearly stole their ideas from this episode and how Hooper is the secret MVP of the episode. 

Warning: 

Episode contains spoilers and mentions child endangerment.

Follow us on Instagram @spook_podcast

Email your spooky stories to [email protected]

If you want a shoutout in our next episode, email or DM us!

Sources: 

Available to stream: Paramount + and Amazon Prime Video

“Are You Afraid of the Dark?” The Tale of the Ghastly Grinner (TV Episode 1994) (1994, December 3). https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0514442/

Wiki, C. T. a. Y. a. O. T. D. (n.d.). The Tale of the Ghastly Grinner. Are You Afraid of the Dark Wiki. https://areyouafraidofthedark.fandom.com/wiki/The_Tale_of_the_Ghastly_Grinner

Guess who’s back? Back again? It’s your friendly neighborhood Spookercast! Nicole and Joe return after hiatus with an X-Files episode about a killer computer that frames its creator for murder. Along the way, they discuss Nicole’s sourdough project, the prescience of a story about AI in the 90s, and why Scully should really just trust Mulder more by this point.

Warning: 

Episode contains spoilers and mentions murder.

Follow us on Instagram @spook_podcast

Email your spooky stories to [email protected]

If you want a shoutout in a future episode, email or DM us!

Sources: 

Available to stream: Hulu and Disney +

“The X-Files” Ghost in the Machine (TV Episode 1993) (1993, October 29). IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0751131/?ref_=ttfc_ov_bk

Wiki, C. T. X. (n.d.). Ghost in the Machine. X-Files Wiki. https://x-files.fandom.com/wiki/Ghost_in_the_Machine

It’s the first Spook-isode about a game in a long while, and we’re celebrating by kickstarting a new segment: Ghoulish Games! Today’s last episode before the hiatus covers the celebrated indie horror gem Mouthwashing, a psychological walking simulator/puzzle game that asks the player to take responsibility for once. Nicole and Joe discuss their shared history with spooky games, what it’s like to empathize with someone truly awful, and wacky cartoons in dark video games.

Warning: 

Episode contains spoilers and mentions murder, gun violence, suicide, self-harm, sexual assault, alcoholism, isolation, gore, cannibalism, mutilation, drug abuse, and psychosis. 

Follow us on Instagram @spook_podcast

Email us your spooky stories @[email protected]

Sources: 

Available to download: Steam

Mouthwashing on steam. (n.d.). https://store.steampowered.com/app/2475490/Mouthwashing/

Wikipedia contributors. (2025b, May 30). Mouthwashing (video game). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mouthwashing_(video_game)