Main cast: Jeannie Diggins (Mary Anne), Kevin Duhaney (Jamie), Jon-Erik Laggano (Leo), Tony Daniels (The Guardian), Kevin Hanchard (Mary Anne’s Dad), Linda Valentine (Jamie’s Mom), and John Kassir (The Crypt Keeper)
Director: Mike Csunyoscka

Imaginary Friends is another “spooks beat the bullies” episode, which is very popular because, I imagine, every kid watching this show must be some traumatized victim of bullies or something. Is there no other plot to use? Apparently not.

This time around, Jamie and Leo are two brats that do not cozy up to the new girl in town, Mary Anne. One of them think it’s cool to play pranks on her… until a friendly neighborhood spook, who goes around befriending kids that are being bullied in a not-creepy, not-grooming way, decides to get even with that brat.

That’s basically it. Mary Anne does nothing but to whine and cry a lot, and then this thing comes to her rescue and basically forces the two kids to be friends with her.

I’d argue that forcing kids to be friends or they will face the consequences is not exactly a happy solution, as the best friendships should come organically instead of a result of coercion and fear. Why not just let the boys learn their lesson and leave the girl be? 

I know, kiddie shows in the 1990s are required to have preachy moral lessons, so that the kids won’t grow up feral and think for themselves. However, I wonder what the lesson is here. If there is any lesson for bullies, it’s that don’t bully, not because it’s a bad thing to do, but because you will be bullied by a ghost. If this show is meant to teach victim of bullying anything, it’s just don’t do anything and just hope a supernatural woo-woo will solve the problem for them. 

Not exactly the best lesson for kids all around, but I suppose it can’t be helped. The adults doing this show clearly think their audience really is made up of idiots.