23 years before the greatest jump scare in the horror genre, Are You Afraid of the Dark? had one particularly terrifying episode that a generation is still thinking about. Along with the equally popular cult classic ’90s show, Goosebumps, based on the work of R.L. Stine, the 1990s series was must-watch TV, featuring storylines about ghosts, haunted houses, aliens, and creepy cameras.
Are You Afraid of the Dark? stands out thanks to its narrative format, as the relatable young characters are part of a secret club that gathers in the woods to tell eerie stories. There are other reasons why we’re still thinking about the show several decades later, including one intense moment in an especially gripping episode.
It’s No Longer Horror’s Best Jump Scare, But Are You Afraid Of The Dark? Scared A Generation
Mike Flanagan’s Netflix horror shows are all solid, but The Haunting of Hill House has the best jump scare in the horror genre. No one can forget seeing Nell Crain (Victoria Pedretti) as The Bent Neck-Lady unexpectedly jump out of the backseat and scream while her siblings are driving back to the house.
23 years earlier, Are You Afraid of the Dark? had a horrifying moment that people still talk about: a well-timed jump scare in season 5, episode 1, “The Tale of the Dead Man’s Float,” which aired in 1995.
When the villain pops out of the pool at Zeke (Kaj Eriksen) and Clorice’s (Margot Finley) school and they scream, it’s shocking since until then, you simply saw movement in the water rather than the actual monster. Many remember this episode as the one that gave them nightmares as a child, and that they still shudder to think about now.
“The Tale of the Dead Man’s Float” stands out in our minds because the show often didn’t use jump scares, and most of the terror came from the unsettling atmosphere of kids sitting around a campfire and trying to freak each other out.
We could see ourselves in these characters and wished we were cool enough to be part of the Midnight Society. But, like any jump scares used in the most frightening episodes of Goosebumps, this one worked so well because when we saw it for the first time, we were young and therefore didn’t understand what a jump scare was.
Now we can watch it through the lens of a horror buff, knowing the typical beats of a story, but back then, we had no idea what to expect. If a character’s sibling, friend, or classmate sprang out of the shadows, trying to get a rise out of them, it was always unnerving.
And if an episode featured a “fake” jump scare where nothing scary was actually there, we would sigh in relief, but had no idea another big moment was coming later. “The Tale of the Dead Man’s Float” followed this formula, as characters hide in the pool and scare Zeke and Clorice. So, when the creature finally appears, it’s powerful.
“The Tale Of The Dead Man’s Float” Is Are You Afraid Of The Dark’s Scariest Episode
Like all the most memorable episodes of Are You Afraid of the Dark? “The Tale of the Dead Man’s Float” feels pretty innocent in hindsight, but it’s widely considered the scariest episode of the show. The main reason? The creature known as The Corpse, who hides in the school’s pool and looks like he’s covered in red liquid.
The creature’s physical appearance was perfectly designed to frighten children, as the red goop on his body is gross. Characters also smell acid when he gets close, which was a clever detail. Most of all, the Corpse has a scary backstory that is particularly unsettling for a child to hear about.
When you watched the episode, you might have felt like you were hearing this tale from a classmate, as kids love to creep each other out. The janitor named Charlie, who watched the Corpse kill several kids when he was young, explains that since the pool was built where a cemetery was, perhaps a dead body was left there.
The episode also works so well because it taps into many people’s biggest fear: drowning. In a moving moment, Clorice asks Zeke why he’s so unsettled by the water, and he shares a story of almost drowning as a child. He says he’s always wondered if a creature from under the water is going to come back and kill him.
That’s pretty gruesome, especially for a kids’ show. But, unlike Goosebumps, which has admittedly cheesy villains like Slappy the ventriloquist, you might have watched “The Tale of the Dead Man’s Float” and felt like this could really happen to you. What kid hasn’t gone swimming in a lake, pool, or ocean and wondered what’s beneath them?
The episode also perfectly ramps up the tension with several shots of kids swimming in the pool, both in 1954 and in the ’90s, from the Corpse’s perspective. You know he’s watching them, ready and waiting to strike. This plays into the frightening idea that the scariest monsters are hiding under the bed or in the shadows.
While we know better as adults, kids are always convinced that something dangerous is just around the corner, which is also why the show title is so effective and unforgettable.
Why Are You Afraid Of The Dark? Is Still The Perfect Spooky Season Binge-Watch
If you’re looking for horror TV shows to binge this Halloween, Are You Afraid of the Dark? is also a great idea. For one thing, there’s the nostalgia factor. It’s always fun to rewatch favorite childhood series and remember why you loved them so much, and now, you can pick out all the clever narrative decisions and character moments.
The show also delves into many horror tropes, particularly when the Midnight Society members tell ghost stories. When Kristen (Rachel Blanchard) shares “The Tale of the Hungry Hounds,” the episode explores the “ghosts with unfinished business” trope as the spirit of Giles needed to come back so someone could feed the dogs on the property.
Other episodes, like “The Tale of the Crimson Clown” and “The Tale of the Thirteenth Floor,” feature common horror elements, like creepy clowns, unnerving dolls, and the unlucky number 13.