Skeeter convinces Doug to visit a supposedly haunted amusement park ride on Halloween, but plans change when Roger disappears.
One Halloween, Skeeter (Fred Newman) tells Doug (Billy West) the story of Baron von Hecklehoffer, a man who won his sweetheart's love by building an enormous mansion over a 17-year period.
Once married, he carried her across the threshold, only to fall to their deaths, having forgotten to put in a floor, and leaving the house cursed. Few dared to enter the house, and after years of abandonment, a hooded man, whose face was never seen, bought and turned it into a Funkytown ride, Bloodstone Manor. Skeeter wants to take the offer to get in for free, and Doug timidly agrees, believing he'll be okay if he goes as Race Canyon. His sister Judy (Becca Lish) mocks him downstairs, thinking he's going trick-or-treating, only to be horrified when she hears where he's going. She's heard the ride is terrifying, a sentiment echoed when a commercial reiterates the costume offer and cackling that there's no going back upon entering. This causes a fantasy from earlier, where Doug helps Race defeat the hooded man at Bloodstone Manor, to now end with the man returning and knocking him off a cliff. This causes Doug to change his mind, and Skeeter is disappointed when he learns his friend wants to trick-or-treat, pointing out the lines in Funkytown will be huge. Doug is sure they'll never be too old for free candy, but walk away embarrassed when they see their classmate Connie at a house they visit. As Doug struggles to stall the remaining two hours until the park closes, Roger (Chris Phillips) tries to scare the two by pretending his head has been chopped off. Roger makes fun of the duo for their costumes, especially Doug for thinking he could be Race Canyon, and he and his posse dare them to T.P. Mr. Bone's house. Doug refuses, and plods along as Skeeter points out a bus about to leave; Doug apologizes and tries to say he can't go, and the bus takes off. Doug berates himself, saying he's no Race Canyon, and after Skeeter suggests they go another time, Patty (Constance Shulman) shows up with her dad. She says she's going to a costume party and surprises the two by guessing their costumes, which causes another fantasy for Doug where he braves Bloodstone for her. Emboldened, Doug asks for a ride to Bloodstone, and once their, Patty admits she's impressed, having heard two workers went in, and only their shoes came out. Skeeter shrugs this off as a rumor on the way in, similar to the claim that the "maniac" who bought the house is still inside. As the boys reach the front of the line, Roger appears to cut into their spot with them, and to their confusion and anger, a worker says the park is closing with 15 minutes left. They argue, but he simply goes inside, and when the doors suspiciously open, Doug and Skeeter decide to follow the uncaring Roger inside, unaware the ride is going to be more of a horror trip than they think.
As a kid I watched this often on a tape combined with specials from Rugrats and Ren & Stimpy, but I've always preferred those shows to Doug.
When I watched an episode a few years ago, my sister and I were laughing, mostly at the odd nature of everything and how strange of a kid Doug is. Revisiting this special was a nice walk down memory lane, especially since there were aspects of it I hadn't considered as much as a kid. Inn particular, the lack of a floor in the original Bloodstone Manor was something I saw differently, as somehow the complete oddity of it didn't click in my head as a kid. Back then, I just found it a terrifying idea that you step through and there's no floor, and it was only while watching the episode now that I realized the lack of sense. I know, I wasn't exactly the brightest kid in some areas, but definitely got a laugh (as did my brother) when Skeeter plainly stated the man "forgot to put in a floor." I can't even fathom how the rest of the house was even built if the first floor lacked...well, a floor, but I digress! This actually leads to what I always thought was the coolest and scariest aspect of the ride: the first scare being a trick floor. Immediately upon entering the house, Doug, Skeeter, and Roger discover the floor ends after a few feet, after which there is a green, spiked pit. Horrified as the wall behind them pushes forward, Skeeter and Roger desperately try to scale the walls, but Doug, who simply pressed against the wall, discovers there actually is a floor, and some sort of illusion to make it seem like a hole. The room doesn't last long, but it's an excellent trick to play on the group, and gives us our first look at the "maniac." The man whose face was never seen has a strange, green appearance and strange red eyes, along with a creepy, distorted voice. We get to see more of him later, and his voice is truly an excellent sound to go along with the terrifying Bloodstone Manor. After this point come the spoilers for the end of the episode, so stop reading if you don't want to know it!
The end of the episode gives us a sign that there could be some real magic in the Doug world, much like holiday specials for other shows.
When the park closes, the ride stops, so Doug and Skeeter get out to search for someone to send them on their way, with Roger too afraid to join them. They eventually get the ride going again, only to discover Roger is missing, and their continued search leads them to a control room. Inside is a sarcophagus with the "maniac," who turns out to be real and snarls that Roger is not there and to get out. Doug refuses to leave like a chicken, so he leads them to the camera room. There, he reveals Roger is waiting with his friends to T.P. and egg them, to teach them a lesson as he believes they think he's a chicken since he didn't follow. The two are angry at the trick, so the amused maniac allows them revenge by dressing them up like him and using a camera to make them appear as holographic ghosts to scare Roger and his friends. On their way out of the park, the man surprises Doug by giving back his Race Canyon hat, which blew away when the bus left him and Skeeter behind. Confused, Doug asks who he is, and the man calls himself Baron von Hecklehoffer before disappearing, causing Doug and Skeeter to run home. Now I don't know how in the world Baron von Hecklehoffer is still alive, but obviously the bigger question is how he was able to disappear in a swirl like he does. This episode really presents a mystery that, much like the lack of a floor in his house, is never really solved over time. Whenever this guy is onscreen, he truly has a pretty menacing presence, and this attitude helps Doug with the courage he's struggling to develop. Throughout the episode, Doug faces the issue of playing it safe and doing what he knows, or being bold and risking the fear of Bloodstone Manor. Initially, he is content with just trick-or-treating, but Roger's mocking causes him to beat himself up, thinking he's not good enough to be Race Canyon. Later, Patti's words make him think he should be braver just to impress her, and this honestly isn't too much better because he's just putting on a mask. Upon deciding to refuse the Baron's orders and find Roger, Doug is finally being brave for the right reason: he's making a decision for himself. In this moment, Doug is terrified, but as far as he knows, Roger is in danger, and doesn't want to leave someone there when he could help. It can be hard to go outside your comfort zone and/or do something you're scared of, so while I didn't love this show as much as some others as a kid, I love this moral.
For those of you out there who watched Doug back in the day, this could be something fun to go back and take a new look at.
There's plenty of things to be considered, whether seriously just with the story, or laughing at how ridiculous some aspects are. I mean no floor, come on, man! At the same time, this episode doesn't have stuff nearly as strange as what I remember from some others, like Doug's odd "Quailman." The episode is a lot of fun for families, so it's definitely a good one to introduce your kids to this Halloween.
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AuthorI love the entertainment side of things. Video games, tv shows, superheroes and movies are my passion and I'd love to get the news out for things I enjoy. My contact page has links to my social media, so if you enjoy what I have to say, likes, shares, comments, and follows are always greatly appreciated! Archives
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