Unveiling the Top 10 Jaw-Dropping Moments in Goosebumps Episodes 1-5

Warning: Spoilers for Goosebumps episodes 1-5

Summary

The Goosebumps reboot centers around a band of adolescents who become the focus of supernatural happenings triggered by a hidden dark secret held by their parents.

In every episode, a distinct cursed object, like a camera, mask, or clock, emerges, plunging the characters into eerie and perilous circumstances.

The cursed items in Goosebumps 2023 are driven by the ghost of Harold Biddle, who is on a quest to find his old ventriloquist's dummy, Slappy. Throughout the first five episodes, the connections between the show's horror stories become more apparent. Goosebumps has undergone various adaptations throughout the years, starting with an anthology horror show for children in the 1990s based on RL Stine's bestselling series of children's horror novels. This was followed by several live-action movies in 2015 and 2016.

10 A Magic Camera Cost Isaiah His Football Season

Now, the 2023 reboot of Goosebumps takes a fresh approach to Stine's franchise. This time, the series centers around a group of teenagers who face supernatural events after experiencing cursed moments at a Halloween party in a haunted house. As the story unfolds, the teens uncover a dark and mysterious secret that their parents have been hiding, leading to shocking revelations in Goosebumps episode 5.

In the first episode of Goosebumps season 1, titled "Say Cheese and Die," the talented quarterback Isaiah stumbles upon a cursed camera while exploring the basement of an apparently deserted house. To his surprise, the photographs captured by this eerie camera reveal an ominous fate awaiting those depicted in the images. Strangely enough, Isaiah is the only one who can perceive these chilling visuals. Although this storyline is borrowed from a well-known Goosebumps episode featuring Ryan Gosling, Goosebumps 2023 alters the narrative's conclusion. In this adaptation, when Isaiah observes a disturbing picture of himself with a fractured arm, he attempts to obliterate the camera. However, destiny takes a twisted turn when he later sustains an actual arm injury on the football field, plagued by hallucinations of demonic players and a ghostly referee.

9 Harold Biddle’s Ghost Possessed Mr. Bratt

Harold Biddle, the teenager who perishes in a house fire during the prologue of "Say Cheese and Die," appears to be far from at peace. His tormented spirit takes over Mr. Bratt, a timid high school teacher who has inherited the opulent hunting lodge where Harold met his untimely demise years ago. Harold harbors unresolved issues with the parents of the central clique of teens in the show, although the exact nature of his grudge remains unclear.

8 Isabella’s Mask Improved Her Confidence (For A Price)

In the second episode of Goosebumps 2023 titled "The Haunted Mask," a reserved teenager named Isabella is unexpectedly exposed as an online troll in her free time. Things take a dark and twisted turn in the revamped Goosebumps series as it adapts Stine’s novel The Haunted Mask. Similar to Isaiah, Isabella stumbles upon an intriguing item in the basement that ends up being cursed. When she wears the mask, she gains the confidence to dance with her classmates at the Halloween party. However, the mask's influence escalates when Isabella's carefree classmate, Lucas, accidentally damages her expensive drone and the mask encourages her to seek revenge against him. But the situation turns alarming as the mask begins to manipulate Isabella's thoughts, almost driving her to harm her own little brother.

7 Mr. Bratt’s Clock Used A Time Loop To Clone James

6 Creepy Worms Gave Lucas Temporary Superpowers

In episode 3 of Goosebumps titled "The Cuckoo Clock of Doom," James, Isaiah's friend, becomes caught in a never-ending time loop after accidentally striking his head against the infamous timepiece. James seizes this opportunity to impress his crush but is appalled to discover that his manipulation of time results in the creation of numerous malevolent clones of himself. Imprisoning him within his family's deserted mine, these duplicates pose a great threat. Fortunately, Isabella stumbles upon the existence of James's clones and joins forces with Isaiah and Margot in a mission to locate and liberate him.

Initially, Lucas appeared to be nothing more than a reckless thrill-seeker. However, it soon became evident that his daring exploits were driven by a desire to emulate his late father's audacious adventures. Ultimately, this inclination led Lucas to consume a worm in a desperate bid to impress his crush, Margot. Unfortunately, his efforts were in vain, but miraculously, the worm bestowed upon him extraordinary powers, enabling him to effortlessly maneuver his motorcycle off the school roof and survive unscathed.

5 Lucas’s Mother and Margot’s Father Were Having An Affair

Initially,

4 Harold Biddle Was Behind All The Cursed Items

Lucas and Margot faced much greater challenges than just magical worms. In episode 4 of Goosebumps 2023 titled "Go Eat Worms," the teenage duo makes a shocking discovery that their parents are engaged in an affair. Despite the affection between the mild-mannered guidance counselor, Colin, and the widowed Nora, they decide to keep their relationship a secret from their children due to Colin still being officially married. This engaging storyline in the 2023 Goosebumps reboot unfolds further when Lucas and Margot find themselves being pursued by Lucas's deadly worms, eventually leading them and Nora to an abandoned factory. As a result, Nora is compelled to reveal to the kids the presence of something supernatural unfolding around them.

The reboot’s supernatural events have been traced back to Harold Biddle, who stored his pet worms, a cursed camera, the haunted mask, and an unidentified object in his basement. By utilizing the body of Mr. Bratt as a vessel, the vengeful spirit of Biddle instructed one of James’s doubles to recover a treasured possession hidden within "The Cuckoo Clock of Doom." However, the specific identity of this item was not revealed until a later time.

3 Margot Saw Harold Biddle’s Past Via His Scrapbook

2 The Teens Learned the Truth While Reading The Scrapbook

Margot received a cursed item from Mr. Bratt, who was actually Biddle's ghost, in the fifth episode of Goosebumps 2023 titled "Reader Beware." This item, a magical scrapbook, granted Margot the ability to venture into Biddle's high school memories. However, she became trapped there with his ghost. During her time in Biddle's memories, Margot made a shocking discovery: her mother and the parents of Isaiah, Lucas, Isabella, and James all played a role in Harold's untimely demise.

In a heart-wrenching revelation in this RL Stine adaptation, it came to light that Harold and Margot's mother, Sarah, were once close friends. Their connection blossomed during their high school years due to their mutual love for photography. However, a heated argument prompted the demise of their friendship, coinciding with Harold's peculiar behavior. Eventually, near Halloween night, Sarah and the other parents endeavored to penetrate Harold's house for unknown purposes. Tragically, their ill-fated actions inadvertently caused Harold's untimely demise.

1 Harold Was Searching For His Old Friend Slappy

In Goosebumps 2023, Harold's obsession remained a secret for a while. Eventually, it was unveiled that he was in pursuit of his former ventriloquist dummy named Slappy. Slappy the Dummy, inspired by a villain from the acclaimed horror film Dead of Night released in 1945, is undeniably the most iconic character in the Goosebumps series. Initially appearing as the antagonist in previous live-action movies, Slappy is now poised to become the primary villain in Goosebumps 2023, following the initial focus on Harold Biddle's reign of terror.