Top Ten Shows for the Halloween Season

Emma Johnson ‘19 / Emertainment Monthly TV Staff Writer
Halloween is quickly approaching, but there’s still time to appreciate the spooky season. Make the most of October by binge-watching Emertainment Monthly’s ten TV picks for a truly chilling evening.
1. Bates Motel
The thriller series Bates Motel offers a modern prequel to the classic Hitchcock film, Psycho, by delving into the twisted lives of mother-son duo Norma and Norman Bates (Vera Farmiga and Freddie Highmore). Season one follows the aftermath of a shocking motel murder while examining the fascinating complexities of the two protagonists’ disturbing relationship.

2. The Walking Dead
Zombie apocalypse. If that doesn’t scream Halloween, what does? Follow a ragtag team of survivors on their quest to find a safe haven from the quickly growing “biter” population while fighting to protect the lives of their friends and families.

3. Bones
For a less sinister thrill, join forensic anthropologist Temperance “Bones” Brennan (Emily Deschanel), who uses her extensive knowledge of the human skeleton to aid FBI homicide investigations by finding clues through detailed analysis of victims’ remains. Witty banter between socially inept Dr. Brennan and her charming partner Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz) is an added bonus.

4. The Following
Kevin Bacon stars in fast-paced horror series as an FBI agent working to capture the escaped serial killer Joe Carroll (James Purefoy). This would be simple enough, if it weren’t for Carroll’s devoted cult of followers, a terrifying group of Edgar Allan Poe-obsessed, cold-blooded killers.

5. How to Get Away with Murder
In her Emmy-winning performance as defense attorney Annalise Keating, Viola Davis employs a team of five ambitious law students to help her defend clients in unorthodox ways. Meanwhile, a murder on campus has the entire university on edge, and the line between moral and immoral becomes severely blurred.

6. American Horror Story
This anthology series explores the dark and sinister from insane asylums to freak shows. Each season is full of morbid twists and turns making it impossible to look away, even when viewers probably should.

7. Dexter
Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) leads a thrilling double life — his day job as a Miami Metro blood spatter analyst is only a cover for his decade-long career as a vigilante serial killer. Juggling who he really is with who he is expected to be by friends and family causes Dexter frequent internal predicaments as well as creating one of the most complex antiheroes on television.

8. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Supernatural evils cross paths with Sunnydale High student Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar), who has been chosen to protect the earth against monsters from the demon realm. Each episode offers a new creature to be battled, providing fantastical fun for hours on end.

9. Scream Queens
Executive producer Ryan Murphy’s latest project is a strange mix of comedy and horror with a ridiculous cast of sorority girls being hunted and killed by the mysterious Red Devil. The series is simultaneously gruesome and hilarious and a perfect blend for a Halloween watch-a-thon.

10. Sabrina the Teenage Witch
For the readers that are afraid of all things creepy, that doesn’t mean it is impossible to take part in the Halloween fun! Sabrina the Teenage Witch gives viewers witches, magic, a snarky black cat, and fun for the whole family. So bake some pumpkin cookies and enjoy the Halloween sitcom for the faint of heart.