SPOOK!

Submitted for the approval of the Spook-night Society is this last individual episode on Are You Afraid of the Dark?. What begins as a fairly standard setup of a child with cool scientist parents being dropped off at an older relative’s house unfolds into a surprisingly bittersweet meditation on loss and finding love again, and isn’t that fitting? It’s been almost two whole years since we started...

We hope you’ve enjoyed your stay in The Twilight Zone ! Nicole and Joe cover this existential tale for their penultimate regular episode, and it involves cosmic beings that would make the Mad Titan Thanos green with envy and Mel Gibson’s Signs character put on an extra layer of tin foil. We’ve really loved talking about this show for everyone and will likely return to it in some form in the future...

It’s a monumental Spookisode for bittersweet reasons. Alas, this is the last regular episode on Twin Peaks . But fear not! As there is undoubtedly more to come in the future about this quirky Washington town and its many strange residents. Nicole and Joe witness what is hopefully the end of the Evelyn Marsh storyline, a very strange re-enactment of the surrender at Appomattox Courthouse, and some...

Introducing: Stig! Yes, Frank is out, and with him gone comes a new, different breed of jerk who tells scary stories: the Ratboy. Nicole and Joe dive (get it?) into this iconic episode with gross pool zombies, questionable chemistry, and the Midnight Society’s newest prospective member.  Warning:  Episode contains spoilers and mentions drowning, murder, and child endangerment.  Follow us on Instag...

Do you remember The Thing ? Chris Carter certainly did, as this episode of The X-Files contains enough similarities to the horror classic, specifically John Carpenter’s 1982 iteration, to make Fox Mulder say, “Oh, sh*t. Here we go again.” But don’t worry! No dogs are harmed in the making of this episode. Warning:  Episode contains spoilers and mentions suicide, murder, and body horror.  Follow us...

Have we mentioned that it is happening again? Because, yet again, it is happening again. Nicole and Joe return to the quirkiest town in Washington (sorry, Bright Falls) to learn about Agent Cooper’s tragic past with Windom Earle, Ben Horne’s continuing Confederate delusions, and question Doctor Hayward’s treatment of Nadine’s condition. Warning:  Episode contains spoilers and mentions domestic vio...

Are you ready for some football? And war crimes? These are the questions Joe and Nicole answer during this episode about The Twilight Zone . When an amnesiac suddenly wakes up on a British ship in 1942, he feels an unsourced sense of dread. Our hosts dive into this heady episode and discuss Rod Serling’s history with war stories, time loop afterlives, and ask for your favorite NFL teams.  Warning:...

Prepare for the most influential television episode of all time, with Are You Afraid of the Dark?’s Ghastly Grinner! Ethan Wood is a struggling comic book artist who gets roped into unleashing a terrifying villain into the real world. While it may seem like a simple premise, its visuals and motifs would undoubtedly go on to inspire works like Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight , Zac Cregger’s Wea...

Guess who’s back? Back again? It’s your friendly neighborhood Spookercast! Nicole and Joe return after hiatus with an X-Files episode about a killer computer that frames its creator for murder. Along the way, they discuss Nicole’s sourdough project, the prescience of a story about AI in the 90s, and why Scully should really just trust Mulder more by this point. Warning:  Episode contains spoilers...

It’s the first Spook-isode about a game in a long while, and we’re celebrating by kickstarting a new segment: Ghoulish Games! Today’s last episode before the hiatus covers the celebrated indie horror gem Mouthwashing , a psychological walking simulator/puzzle game that asks the player to take responsibility for once. Nicole and Joe discuss their shared history with spooky games, what it’s like to...

One episode to go until hiatus! And this one covers a very middling episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark? . When a girl’s grandfather gets an ambiguous and unimportant illness, he rents out his upstairs room to a ghost! Joe and Nicole discuss how irresponsible the local psychic is, whether this episode is actually scary, and the meaning behind Santana’s “Smooth.” Warning:  Episode contains spoile...

What do this episode of The Twilight Zone and Super Mario Bros. 2 have in common? You’ll have to listen to find out, as Joe and Nicole recount the tale of a man accosted by deadly dreams of a woman who laughs at his heart condition. Is she Death? A figment of his imagination? We’re not entirely sure, but feel free to come to your own conclusions! Warning:  Episode contains spoilers and mentions su...

Most everyone’s favorite scarecrow is the one who wants a brain, but have you ever heard of a scaredeer? Nicole and Joe learn of the twisted tale of the Silent Servant, and discuss a young boy’s obsession with baseball, the surprising kindness of this episode’s older sibling, and whether Betty Ann’s message was made clear through the story. Warning:  Episode contains spoilers and mentions child en...

They’re heeeeere! Well, sort of. This X-Files episode deals with the telekinetic and the ghostly in an unexpected way, and features more side-plots than you can shake a Twin Peaks at. Nicole and Joe discuss how convoluted things get along with their favorite X-Files episodes so far. Warning:  Episode contains spoilers and mentions murder, death, suicide, and sexual harassment.  Follow us on Instag...

This episode of Twin Peaks is very busy, but also very slow? Despite this, hopefully you’re not too busy to listen to Joe and Nicole discuss the show’s branching storylines, ponder the existence of shows about women of a certain age setting each other up with their sons, and give updates on whatever their cats are doing while recording. Vague spoilers for Moon Knight ahead! Warning:  Episode conta...

Is there anything scarier than a boring summer vacation with your uptight uncle who runs a grocery store in a town of old people? Too specific? Well, that’s exactly what this episode is about, until things take a decidedly spooky turn, with soggy zombies, water demons, and an old man who took too much treasure. Nicole and Joe discuss the ideology of this thieving old geezer, as well as whether Tuc...

We hope you have time to read this without getting in trouble! Nicole and Joe cover this all-time classic episode of The Twilight Zone about a bibliophile who survives a nuclear war, with an iconic (and ironic) twist at the end. You may or may not already be familiar with it. Joe and Nicole discuss what this episode’s themes are, why everyone seems to be so anti-reading, and how some of the detail...

Welcome to Nicole’s Ghastly Ghosts! Our premiere miniature episode for this segment covers an unprecedented courtroom ghost! Did Zona’s mother really receive a message from beyond the grave about her daughter’s suspected murder? We may never know for sure, but listen on and discover for yourself! Warning:  Episode mentions murder, domestic abuse, and miscarriage. Follow us on Instagram @spook_podc...

Arthur once said, “Having fun isn’t hard when you’ve got a library card!” Clearly, Arthur has never been to this library, where a mysterious ghostly figure steals children and noise alike. Joe and Nicole quietly make their way through this episode, and discuss whether anyone was actually bullied for wearing glasses. Warning:  Episode contains spoilers and mentions child endangerment & kidnappi...

It’s a historic episode, as after eons of waiting, we here at Spook! have finally received a listener request! And what a request it was, with Heretic offering a refreshing and often unsettling look at the nature of belief, as well as being proof that Hugh Grant can do more than British rom-coms. Nicole and Joe embark on a theological journey, and cover the nature of spirituality, how well Love, A...

Viva Atlantic City!  Joe and Nicole reopen The X-Files for this unconventional tale about a legendary beast. Along the way, they discuss their favorite cryptids, make predictions about Daredevil , and come up with a new insult for Det. Thomas Thompson. Warning:  Episode contains spoilers and mentions murder, gore, and cannibalism.  Follow us on Instagram @spook_podcast Email your spooky stories to...

Hello world! This Twilight Zone episode is another melancholic journey through the human psyche, this time explored through the lens of an isolated man falling in love with a robot. Rod Serling hasn’t missed at all throughout the first season, and this one is another goodie. Nicole and Joe discuss solitary confinement on asteroids, the unusual name of one of the uncredited characters, and the over...

Get your Power Gloves ready to hack the uplink into the download, because this episode is about virtual reality and computer viruses! Gary continues his monopoly of telling good stories with yet another allegory for how annoying his little brother is, with radical 90s computer imagery and some surprising body horror. Joe and Nicole talk about how hacking is portrayed in media, their history with c...

And the side plots keep on coming! This episode of Twin Peaks expands James’s angsty arc, Audrey’s business acumen, and shows off Cooper’s uncanny ability to recognize various substances by taste. We’re past the halfway point of the original run of the show, so stick around and see what happens! Warning:  Episode contains spoilers and mentions domestic violence, death, and drug trafficking.  Follo...

You are about to meet a hypochondriac. Or at least, what people in the 1950s thought hypochondriacs were like. Stubborn narcissists prone to making Faustian bargains for immortality. Gather ‘round and listen to this tale of hubris and scheming, as Nicole and Joe discuss various DSM diagnoses and Walter Bedeker’s disappointing lack of imagination. Warning:  Episode contains spoilers and mentions ac...