The Adventures of Pete & Pete (TV Series) Halloweenie (1994) User Reviews

The Pumpkin Heads are causing havoc in Wellsville.

[kfo9494 · 8/10 · 25 January 2015]

I remember watching this episode during my younger days and actually thought that this episode was spooky. Now many years afterward, this episode is pure fun and in a way laughable.

To set the scene, it is Halloween in Wellsville and time for trick-or-treat. But for the last few years, there has been this bunch of hooligans, called the pumpkin heads, that has been ruining the night for many kids. The Pumpkin heads, lead by Endless Mike, wear pumpkins on the heads and go around causing mischief all over the neighborhood. In fact, it has got so bad that the town in thinking of stopping trick-or-treat because of the vandalism.

Since Big Pete is in high school, he no longer wants to trick-or-treat mainly because of a boy some years ago being disgraced by the Pumpkin heads. Big Pete does not want to end up like that boy. But with the threat of danger to little Pete, Big Pete will muster enough strength and pal up with his brother but only if he can wear a mask where no one will know that it is him.

There really is not much to this story but the scenes with the Pumpkin heads can be quite alarming for kids. I'm really not sure if the writer want the viewer to take away from the show the fact that people can overcome problems or the love of the two brothers- the ending is for you to decide. Viewing as an adult, the show does not contain the elements I remember as a teen but still like the show. Good watch.

Saving Halloween

[hellraiser7 · 10/10 · 2 March 2018]

Warning do not watch unless seen episode.

This is my fifth favorate episode of the show, it's also one of my favorate tv episodes based on "Halloween".

It's true that the whole believer and non believer dynamic is rather cleche in most of these holiday episodes/specials but it's really in the execution that counts and this episode does it well.

The back and forth between both Young and Old Pete is good as usual. We see that Young Pete is the believer and Old Pete is the non believer. I'll admit I almost find it rather strange that Old Pete would not be all for the Halloween holiday being the open minded spirit he is. It's probably because he's gotten older and when that happens so can our feelings and viewpoints of certain things. However we see despite his negative feelings toward the holiday, his mind is still open along with his conscious.

I really like a moment when we see Old Pete's humanity step up, it's once he destroys a Jack O Lanturn and sees what happens to Young Pete after an attack by the Pumpkin Eaters that he realizes something is missing inside himself. But also being the good big brother he is to Young Pete he decides to help him out in his dreams of being a Halloween legend.

It's of coruse fun as usual to see Endless Mike up to no good as usual, as he is once again trying to make Wellsville a living hell by destroying the holiday in Wellsville forever. Really like the designs of the jack o lantern masks he and the Pumpkineaters wear, it not just concils their identities but really adds a bit of menice and reflects their scummy natures. And he's got some fun memorable lines my favorate one, "Tag, your dead!"

There are a lot of great scenes, one is the chase with Old Pete and the Pumpkineaters. Or even where Old Pete had to hide and then we see the camera zoom out to the sign that say's Haunted House though it looks like it says Hunted House due to a tree branch blocking a letter. That wasn't even intentional believe it or not, but it was a fortunate visual that let you know that Old Pete is walking straight into his doom.

I really love the themes about the importance of respecting and celebrating tradition. But it's also about renewed faith. Old Pete at first we see him not wanting to do with the holiday and part of his disbelieve is his fear of having a ruined rep which in a teens perspective is the equivilant of death, but also simply just forgetting about a portion of his past which is never a step forward in growing up. But we see throughout his trick or treat plight with his brother it starts to ignite a spark long dormant that slowly turns into a fire; Old Pete we see is actually having fun and is remembering how much fun he had back then. But also his fear in a ruined rep and being exposed fades because it doesn't mater to him, to me that's part of what the holiday in fact any holiday is about being yourself having fun not caring what anyone thinks, what you do on the holiday is what matters.

There is even one scene near the end that is suspenseful as we see once again Endless Mike is playing the bad angel toward Pete's dark desires, giving him the power to destroy the holiday. Old Pete might of complied earlier but he doesn't as he does the right thing by retaliating against Mike because in the end because he still believes; Old Pete didn't just save the holiday, he saved his soul and became a legend along side his brother which just like the holiday will never die.

Rating: 4 stars