TRICK OR TREEHOUSE

8 Simple Rules

Season 1 (2002)

Shiny happy pumpkin people.

I’d never watched an episode of 8 Simple Rules before now; I only knew it as the show that John Ritter was starring in when he passed away.  It’s a very sitcomy sitcom—in the bad way.  The jokes and the characters are stale (blonde sexpot daughter, redheaded smart daughter, etc.).  The worst part though was the overwhelmingly loud laugh track.  At one point I rewound because I thought I’d missed some amazing joke based on the uproarious fake laughter.  But nope, the “joke” was something about “letting your wife work.”  The laugh track technician just leaned on the button too long or something.

It's bad when the cyclops jack-o-lantern has more personality than the human characters.

I can’t remember any of the characters’ names so we’ll just call them Family.  The episode begins with Family carving pumpkins and discussing their plans for the upcoming holiday.  Dad is excited for the usual traditions: trick-or-treating with Son and then the entire clan spending the night in a treehouse.  Except no one is interested this year and it’s only after being grounded one by one that the teens are forced to camp out.

Dad finally realizes that he can’t force the love and everyone is freed.  However when a thunderstorm hits and the power goes the teens show up at their parents’ bedroom door, resulting in some cozy reminiscence. 

John Ritter vs. Too Old To Trick or Treat.

The Halloween elements, when they appear, are enjoyable.  The carving pumpkins intro scene is the highlight and there are a few good Halloween jokes.   We get a couple trick-or-treaters (including one dressed as Sully from Monsters, Inc.—hello ABC-Disney synergy!) before Family trundles off to the treehouse for boring family bonding.  I always get absurdly excited when I recognize objects that I own on screen so I was particularly thrilled to note that Family has the exact same fall leaf garlands that I do.

Recurring Themes: Unsurprisingly this clichéd sitcom relies on Too Old To Trick or Treat.  It also features the Carving Pumpkins Intro and a Dark & Stormy Blackout.

Halloween Quotient: This earns an uninspired 2.

See It, Skip It, Own It?

You can skip this one and its overpowering laugh track.