A RIVER OF CANDY CORN RUNS THROUGH IT

Sabrina the Teenage Witch

Season 2 (2007)

I finally got around to reading Melissa Explains It All, Melissa Joan Hart’s memoir, that we bought when we met Sabrina herself at our local B&N almost a year ago.  The book wasn’t very remarkable, thought Hart was pretty candid about her life. Of course the one chapter on Sabrina, The Teenage Witch was my favorite, though I wish she’d gone into even more detail.  The most interesting tidbits?

*Hart’s mom licensed Sabrina from Archie Comics for only a dollar (and then proceeded to make a lot of money when the show was a big success).

*Hart and co-star Nate Richert, who played Harvey, never dated in real life.  But they did once do mushrooms in the woods together.  And Richert did date actress Lindsey Sloane, who played Sabrina’s friend Valerie.

*Paul Feig, who played science teacher Mr. Poole for one season, went on to create Freaks & Geeks and direct Bridesmaids. Upgrade!

So you’re welcome, as I just saved you the trouble of reading the book.  In her memoir, Hart didn’t go into detail about any of the Sabrina Halloween episodes, which were always a highlight of the show (the Christmas episodes were particularly fun as well).  Season 2’s “A River of Candy Corn Runs Through It” is probably my favorite of the lot, and not just because the title references a semi-obscure 90s Brad Pitt movie.

This is about as Halloweeny as you can get, from the decorations, the magic, the monsters, and lots and lots of candy corn, as promised by the episode's title.  The premise is that Sabrina’s friend Valerie guilts her into hosting a Halloween party as a counterpoint to mean girl Libby’s oh-so-exclusive Halloween bash.  Sabrina is of course reluctant, given the weird happenings that usually go down at her house, but her witchy aunts are all for it.  Right before the party begins things quickly go downhill—the new furniture ordered from the Other Realm starts to talk, magical termites invade the house, monstrous “Halloween carolers” show up, and Hilda’s homemade candy corn won’t stop producing (the overflowing cauldron of candy corn in this episode always reminded me of Strega Nona’s pasta pot).

When some “cool” guys show up all seems lost, but after the promised river of candy corn comes bursting through the dining room doors, all of the guests just think the weirdness was  all party tricks planned by Sabrina. A relieved Sabrina then randomly conjures up the band 10,000 Maniacs to perform just as Libby shows up to receive her comeuppance, her own party having been a bust and ending early.

This episode is just fun, fun, fun from start to finish.  Aunts Zelda and Hilda are at their best here, with Zelda carrying a parade of furniture through the party to feed to the termites and Hilda trying to pawn off all of the excess candy corn.  Melissa Joan Hart is in good comedic form via her frantic efforts to keep things under wraps.  Even better, she wears a orange, yellow and black dress that makes her look like a piece of candy corn herself. 

Recurring Themes: Halloween carolers from the Other Realm show up and mix with Sabrina’s oblivious mortal guests (who think the otherworldly creatures are just wearing costumes) in an example of the trope Real Monsters at the Party.  Also, Valerie is the unfortunate victim of No One Else in Costume, when she shows up dressed as a duck only to discover that all of the other guests are in normal clothes.

Halloween Quotient: The first 5 of the season!

See It, Skip It, Own It?

Own this one so you have it on hand for annual viewings!