Main cast: Asia Vieira (Erin), Jean Daigle (Ben Arnold), Janet-Laine Green (Erin’s Mom), Len Doncheff (Grandpa), Len Carlson (Visitor Leader), and John Kassir (The Crypt Keeper)
Director: Mike Csunyoscka

Town Gathering is surprisingly solid for a Tales from the Cryptkeeper episode, and of course I am not complaining.

Erin is an annoying teenager that loves to play pranks on everyone around her, a habit that she looks way too old for and hence she appears deranged as a result. However, when a mysterious Ben Arnold — nothing to do with Benedict Arnold, I am sure — approaches her mother, the town mayor, Erin suspects that something is amiss with that fellow. 

Ah, but will anyone pay her any heed, given her reputation as the overgrown brat that cries wolf 24/7?

This episode surprises me in many ways.

For one, the female protagonist doesn’t have a shrill voice that power drills itself into my skull in a most painful manner. That’s always a plus.

Also, the episode actually feels like a complete story with very little filler scenes or cringe slapstick humor. The villains genuinely look scary despite the cutesy cartoon style, and Ben Arnold still manages to sound sinister despite being the most obvious bad guy ever. The whole thing really resembles a full story and not something put together in a half-assed way to force a PSA down the kiddies’ throats. 

Sadly, the usual limitations apply. Were this a regular grown-up episode, the ending would be gloriously bloody and gory, but sadly, I get a pretty lame one instead.

Well, that and the usual problems that come with a show made by people that believe its target audience has low double-digit IQs. 

So yes, what could have been an average episode elsewhere is easily one of the best episodes of this season so far, for what that is worth.