Martin
Season 1 (1992)
It’s not easy sharing your name with the name
of a sitcom. There must be some
sort of support group for us, the Maudes and Ellens and Martins of the
world. I was haunted by the theme
song of this show for years. My
high school crush would sing it every time I entered a classroom (but I didn’t
mind it so much when he did it—at least he was talking to me!). But despite having its theme song
thrust upon me I’ve always enjoyed Martin,
a goofy 90s sitcom with some truly excellent holiday episodes.
Martin loves scaring his girlfriend Gina
around Halloween but the tables are turned when, unbeknownst to him, Gina and
his friends concoct a story about “Old Man Ackerman,” the cantankerous (and
murdered) former tenant of his apartment.
When they gather at his apartment on Halloween they conduct a séance
that quickly spirals out of control (thanks to their hidden friend who just
happens to be a special effects wiz).
Tommy is seemingly possessed and man, can this
guy bulge his eyes and roll his tongue with the best of them! Cole gets beat up by invisible
“ghosts,” resulting in one of the episode’s funniest moments, in which Martin
tries to fend off the invisible assailants. Gina and Pam eventually disappear while cupboard doors slam
open and shut, plates and a vase go flying and a skeleton dummy in the closet
comes to life and attacks Martin.
All is revealed as an elaborate prank except when Martin and Gina are
making out on the couch afterwards the REAL ghost of Old Man Ackerman shuffles
by.
Perfection! Everything about this episode is done right, from the heavy
reliance on many tried-and-true Halloween sitcom tropes to the over the top
antics of a terrified Martin Lawrence.
There are lots of black and orange candles and drugstore variety
Halloween decorations. And just in
case you forget that this is a sitcom about African-American people in the 90s,
Whoopi Goldberg, Rodney King and Chaka Khan are all referenced.
Here’s a bit of bonus Halloween trivia: Tisha
Campbell and Tichina Arnold, the actresses who play Gina and Pam respectively,
are both excellent singers and appeared together as two of the three chorus
singers in the film musical Little Shop
of Horrors.
There is one other Martin Halloween episode but just wait until Thanksgiving—that’s
when things get REALLY good!
Recurring Themes: We’ve got ourselves a trope bonanza in this
episode: a Dark & Stormy Blackout, Prank War, Haunting
with a Logical Explanation, Séance and a Real Ghost Shows Up at
the End!
Halloween Quotient: Our first 5 of the season!
See It, Skip It, Own It?
Own it and enjoy it year after year! It’s up on YouTube or available for cheap on DVD.
It should only get a 5 if Sheneneh made a cameo in this episode!
ReplyDeleteAdmittedly, Sheneneh was the best part of the show. Although I was always partial to Pam as well.
ReplyDelete