Goosebumps: The Vanishing Review

The first seven episodes of the eight-part Goosebumps: The Vanishing deliver a solid second season to the revived anthology series, but it fails to top season 1. The Vanishing brings a brand-new supernatural horror story from the same creative minds as season 1, with a new cast including former Friends alum David Schwimmer. However, this season takes a moment to build momentum and the story fails to spark the imagination quite as intensely as season 1, despite strong performances.

Season 2 revolves around teenage twins, Devin and Cece Brewer, who spend their summer with their eccentric divorced father in a largely unremarkable area of Brooklyn. As the kids settle in and try to make friends, they find themselves caught up in an intense mystery that goes back to 1994, when four teenagers went missing. Now, as history begins to repeat itself, Devin and Cece need to learn who they can trust and make sense of the weird events that appear to be taking over Gravesend.

Goosebumps: The Vanishing Struggles To Stand Apart

The original Goosebumps series typically featured individual episodes that would tackle a different story from the brilliant mind of R.L. Stine. This format offered the show flexibility and kept the stories succinct, with each new entry focusing on some supernatural horror. The latest iteration has taken this format and tried to make it fit into a more contemporary horror anthology framework. All ten episodes of season 1 revolve around one story; to be fair, they build intensity, mystery, and unique supernatural elements in each episode. Season 2 doesn't fare so well.

Season 2 has been further condensed to just eight episodes, but very little has been done over the first seven episodes. Where season 1 had unique artifacts that gave each episode a unique approach, season 2 blends everything over the episodes, constantly returning to one overarching horror. Beyond that, it feels like this season is too closely mirroring the action and horror of season 1, wtih a group of mismatched teens coming together against all odds, solving a mystery from the past, and then confronting supernatural horrors.

True, that may be a part of the formula for a series like Goosebumps, but it's harder to recognize the pattern when each episode is a self-contained story that requires more creative distinction. Goosebumps: The Vanishing could have done so much more to separate itself from season 1, but instead it feels like the show is already growing stale. Fortunately, the actors deliver great performances and create unique relationships between them that keep the show entertaining enough to carry on watching.

Goosebumps: The Vanishing Fails To Add To The Anthology Format

Goosebumps: The Vanishing makes the fatal flaw of doing very little to create a compelling story, while introducing somewhat interesting characters. As far as the Brewer twins are concerned, along with their eccentric father and the rest of the residents in Gravesend, the cast is great. They all have their quirks and flaws and a dynamic and rich history that ties them together. But, in the context of an anthology series, that means very little. None of these characters are likely to return beyond this season, so the story should be the highlight.

Despite a strong cast of characters, season 2 is less unique, introducing kids whose parents have dark secrets, a love triangle between competing characters, overt and confident characters who lead the pack, and those who need to be dragged along to succeed. The fact that it's repetitive of season 1 in this regard cheapens the quality of Goosebumps' sophomore outing. But more frustrating, the horrors that haunt the town of Gravesend have barely been seen.

Brief glimpses, tense scenes, and the occasional Invasion of the Body Snatchers takeovers add to the overall plot, but these are few and far between. Ultimately, Goosebumps: The Vanishing feels unoriginal, uninteresting, and lacks enough redeeming qualities to make the sequel season meaningfully stand out. If the show continues beyond season 2, the writers will hopefully venture forth into something that feels more unique.

All 8 episodes of Goosebumps: The Vanishing are now available to stream on Disney+.

Disney+

4/10

Pros & Cons

• Strong performance from the cast.

• Lack of action, horror, or intense scenes leads to a largely slow season.
• The entire season feels like a lesser version of season 1 with many overlapping ideas.

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