DISCLAIMER: Spoilers abound in this review of the Solar Opposites Halloween special, a.k.a. “A Sinister Halloween Scary Opposites Solar Special.” 

The Solar Opposites are back, baby, and they’re here to take on another holiday. Admittedly, I’m a sucker for Halloween specials, so this is already up my alley. It’s challenging to muck up a holiday-themed episode. Adhere everything to the theme, throw in some Halloween costumes and decorations and voila! You’ve got a bona fide spooky special. 

Jesse and Terry wear pumpkin masks while holding their arms up in the Solar Opposites Halloween Special

A SINISTER HALLOWEEN SCARY OPPOSITES SOLAR SPECIAL (It’s scarier than Hell)

“A Sinister Halloween Scary Opposites Solar Special” (try saying that 10 times fast) is peak Solar Opposites. It’s delightfully zany while brimming with the show’s trademark sardonic meta humor and biting wit. Design-wise, it’s akin to someone vomiting “Halloween” in every scene. It’s stuffed to the gills with spooky decorations and references. The opening credits sequence is the most on-theme I’ve seen for any Halloween special. 

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It even throws in a few Disney nods, from Jesse’s 101 Dalmatians comment and her costume that’s an amalgam of Disney princess outfits (Snow White, Aurora, Cinderella and Ariel, I believe) to the Jack Skellington figure The Pupa drags around. I also love the use of the Frozen knockoff characters in Randall’s Candy Corn Lane haunted house. 

The episode’s highlight is the inclusion of the great John Kassir, who reprises his role as the Crypt Keeper. He seamlessly slips back into the character. Everyone brings their A-game vocally, with our lovable crew — Justin Roiland, Mary Mack, Thomas Middleditch and Sean Giambrone — having a blast. 

This outing embraces everything that is Halloween, drawing inspiration from Halloween-themed media like It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and Tales from the Crypt. The narrative is a hilariously frenzied downward spiral that gets significantly stranger with each scene. The jokes are uniquely Solar Opposites, inducing as many laughs as the show’s standard fare. 

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Korvo’s fear of anything spooky is made all the funnier because he’s an alien. It endears us to him, a usually stringent and straitlaced character. Solar Opposites humanizes these aliens successfully, and Korvo’s irrational fear does just that. 

Korvo drives Crypt Keeper while eyeing him suspiciously in the Solar Opposites Halloween Special.

A SINISTER HALLOWEEN SCARY OPPOSITES SOLAR SPECIAL (Someone, check on Korvo)

Overall, the Solar Opposites Halloween special showcases this cast of characters at their funniest. It’s pure campiness à la Halloweentown with plenty of spoopy montages, sharply hilarious dialogue and magic only The Great Pumpkin can provide. The addition of the Crypt Keeper regaling us with punny anthological tales is a nice touch. 

Stray Observations: 

  • What if Yumyulack returned to Hell to conquer it with sci-fi after he rebuked Satan in person? His B-plot storyline in the special is hysterical. 
  • How many tubes of Chapstick do you think Terry used that night? Many people lined up outside his house, spanning blocks and blocks. 
  • Is Jesse now considered a Disney princess because of her costume? Who do I contact to make this official? 
  • Korvo might be more lenient regarding the Solar Opposites celebrating Halloween since he met and slaughtered The Great Pumpkin. Maybe. 
  • Did you spot the animatronic figures in Randall’s Candy Corn Lane that resembled Chuck E. Cheese and Big Bird? 

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“A Sinister Halloween Scary Opposites Solar Special” is now streaming on Hulu. 

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Melody McCune
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