Tina and The Real Ghost.

Halloween episodes are always a series highlight, and if a show doesn't know how to milk the holiday's spooky opportunities, then it deserves to be haunted with bad ratings. Luckily, the long wait for this week's Halloween episode was well worth it! Tina's torrid love affair with a ghost named Jeff trapped in a shoebox took center stage. When his spectral presence attracts two ghost hunters and subsequently paying customers, the family grows attached to Jeff. But is it all too good to be true? Well, yes. Obviously.

 

 

Much like Christina Ricci in Casper, Tina falls hard and fast for Jeff. However, Jeff takes the form of a shoebox rather than the shape of 90's minor heartthrob Devon Sawa. Luckily Tina believes, "it's what's inside that counts." Tina experiences Jeff's lust through a butterfly's butterfly kisses, Jeff's commitment, his shortly followed betrayal, revenge against his new woman, and the lesson that she must love herself, all in one episode. And when (or if) Jeff is discovered to be Louise's joke, this only proves how independent and multifaceted a character Tina really is. Yes, crazy. But impressively so.

 

The lack of "-" is for naming the ghost Jeff, but Louise seemed to have too much compassion and remorse this episode. The best part about her is that even when she does good, it is to her own profit in some way. When Louise chooses to forgo Halloween candy in order to take revenge on the girl who stole Jeff from Tina, she genuinely does this because of Tina's hurt feelings. She even wanted to tell Tina the truth before Linda stopped her.

 

Plus, The Driver from Drive was a disappointing Halloween costume, in comparison to Gene's Turner and Hooch ensemble. Even Gene commented that her revenge plan was lackluster. Louise being nice to Tina was perhaps the spookiest part of last night's episode, but not in a good way.  Bring back the conniving girl we know and love and hate!

 

Powering back seance wine and using her shoebox as a ghost vessel placed Linda in fine form last night. Ever supportive of her daughter's relationship with a ghost, Linda is at the heart of why everyone believes in Jeff, despite her husband's remarks. She lies to Tina to protect her daughter's feelings and compliments Louise's costume even though she has no concept of the reference. Linda is basically the mother we all want, while still knowing we wouldn't have made it to adulthood under her care. 

 

While returning to his relatively plotless existence after the premiere, Gene still had one of the best lines of the show without a doubt, introducing Jeff to classmates and calling it "a strong, Christian name." Additionally, he asked some very important questions that we as audience members, nay humans, also ponder: what are people supposed to eat in the days leading up to Halloween? Why don't people get presents on Halloween? Is Jeff still real? And couldn't have Louise done a better job in her revenge scheme? Questions for the ages. Plus, Turner and Hooch is probably the best TV character's costume I saw all week. I call dibs.

 

It's hard to one-up a premiere that includes a mashup musical, flashback narrative, prominent Jimmy Pesto butt, and Carol King. However, "Tina and The Real Ghost" brings us smoothly back into the normal narrative of events surrounding the Belchers, and by normal I mean the opposite of that. That there was a scene in a graveyard and Tina was the focal point only made this spooktacular episode a strong return. Now, three more weeks until episode three. The anticipation is killing me, but I'm guessing it will be Thanksgiving-themed. Anyone want to make a bet?