You Can’t Scare Me – The episode opens in the journal world with the melting Biddle house. It doesn’t take Margot Stokes (Isa Briones) to make the connection that the journal has possibly gotten wet. In the real world, Nathan Bratt (Justin Long) fights to retrieve the journal while Harold Biddle (Ben Cockell) fights him every step of the way. Feeling the end is coming, James (Miles McKenna) makes the first confession, declaring the other to be his best friends. Isabella Chen Lopez (Ana Yi Puig) follows by apologizing for spreading vile rumors online about the others. After Lucas Parker (Will Price) makes his confession the journal world has become so deteriorated that the group falls through the floor and lands in Biddle’s basement. Once there, they meet Biddle’s parents Perry (Jonathan Silverman) and Georgia Biddle(Gillian Vigman) who claim to be waiting for Harold so they Passover together. In the real world, Bratt has managed to retrieve the journal and draw an exit for the group. After exiting, the group races off to find Lucas’s mother Nora Parker (Rachael Harris).

Nora isn’t at the cabin long before she’s surprised by a park ranger (Larry Joe Campbell). He apologizes and claims to be warning the tenants about the expected snowfall. Her attempts to brush him off make him more curious. Once he makes it clear that he’s not leaving without looking in the bag containing Slappy (Chris Geere), Nora dumps the contents on the floor. Surprised to see the disassembled puppet parts, he apologizes and points out that one can never be too careful.

Later, Bratt/Biddle runs into the same park ranger at a weather checkpoint, warning travelers of the heavy snow. The ranger carelessly gives him directions to Nora’s cabin, but won’t let him pass without chains on his tires. Bratt/Biddle travels back to the convenience store in pursuit of chains.

While the kids make their way to the cabin, James assures Lucas that Nora is fine. Nora plans out a trip on a map while Slappy taunts her with pleas to help her if she reassembles him. She says she’s not going to let him help anyone ever again and tapes his mouth. She also unveils her plan to bury him deep in the mountains where no one will ever find him. A short way down the mountain, Bratt/Biddle abandons his vehicle and attempts to approach the cabin by foot. With James at the wheel, the kids continue their trip to the cabin. In the backseat, Margot and Isaiah Howard (Zack Morris) text messages about what he was going to confess when they thought they were going to die earlier. He teasingly refuses to tell her, claiming that he doesn’t want to make her boyfriend mad. She assures him Lucas isn’t her boyfriend right before they find Bratt/Biddle’s abandoned vehicle. Lucas, Isaiah, and Margot pursue the footprints while James and Isabella stay behind.

Bratt/Biddle has made his way to the cabin where he watches Nora from the tree line. When she exits, he doesn’t bother trying to conceal himself. He menacingly waves at her, which sends her frantically fleeing towards the vehicle with him in pursuit. The car suddenly has problems starting, giving Bratt/Biddle sufficient time to catch her. While he terrorizes her and bangs on the windows, she claims that Slappy made him evil. He says Slappy made him special and it was her and her friends that made him a monster. When he breaks the driver’s side window she manages to get the car started and immediately throws it into reverse. Jumping on the hood, he is slung off and injured but the car stalls again, forcing Nora to flee on foot. He quickly follows after he, but does so with a limp, which allows her to lose him several minutes in the chase.

Sitting outside the Jeep in the snow, James tells Isabella that Isaiah and Margot will never be a couple. He refers to them as an “almost couple,” which he defines as people who only like the idea of being together more than actually being together. Lucas, Margot, and Isaiah assume the worst when they discover Nora’s vacated vehicle and the empty cabin. Still being relentlessly pursued and slowed down by Slappy, Nora attempts to hide and let Bratt/Biddle pass. He seemingly does, but when she comes out of hiding, he surprises her. A quick struggle ensues and the chase resumes.

Still waiting, James and Isabella are surprised by the unexpected arrival of their mothers (Laura Mennell/Francoise Yip) and Isaiah’s dad, Ben (Leonard Roberts). Together, they head in the direction of the cabin while the kids share everything they know about Slappy and Bratt/Biddle. Bratt/Biddle manages to catch and overpower Nora. During the struggle, he gets the duffle containing Slappy and leaves Nora at the bottom of a small ravine. While he reassembles Slappy, Lucas, Isaiah, and Margot try to pass an unsafe part of the mountain. Margot and Lucas make it with no problems while Isaiah ends up falling and clutching to the side of a mountain. Lucas stops to encourage Margot to turn around. Although she also notices Isaiah isn’t with them, she continues following Lucas. Just seconds later they discover the empty duffle bag and Nora. After a short, tearful reunion, Lucas and Nora vow to be truthful with one another should they make it through this ordeal.

Isaiah manages to nearly reach the top of the mountain when he’s startled by Slappy and Bratt/Biddle. With a rock in hand, Bratt/Biddle reflects on how strange it is that Ben’s was the last face he saw before he died. Just as Bratt/Biddle is about to strike him, Lucas intervenes but is flung to the ground. Nora and Margot’s attempts to talk him down fail but stall him long enough for Ben and the others to arrive. The parents continue to apologize, but it is Margot who finally reaches him when she refers to him as “Harebear”. She explains meeting his parents in the journal world and how they are still waiting for him to join them before passing over. Slappy tries to convince him otherwise, but he ends up pulling Isaiah to safety and throwing Slappy over the mountain. Upon doing this, Harold’s spirit exits Bratt’s body and materializes. His parents soon materialize and after joining them, they fade away. The kids help Bratt back to safety while the parents join together to look down the mountain in an attempt to spot Slappy. Although now disassembled, Slappy is revealed to be very much alive.

 

Goosebumps Review

I wouldn’t say the episode was horrible, as it did a good job of tying up a lot of the story. With two episodes left, it’ll be interesting to see where they go from here. Slappy will obviously still be a prominent part but how does he get reassembled? Will Margot and Lucas get together? If so, how will Isaiah react? Will the parents reveal more? I really enjoyed the snowy backdrop and the threat of the blizzard that loomed over the episode. The one thing I didn’t get was why James and Isabella would wait outside the Jeep when they could have been inside. I also thought it was a bit silly when just seconds after safely crossing one of the more dangerous parts of the mountain Lucas encourages Margot to turn back. Either way, not a horrible episode, and I’d give it a 5 out of 10, although it drug at certain points.

Synopsis: The kids safely escape the journal world. Harold seemingly passes on with his parents to the afterlife. Slappy is abandoned in the wilderness but very much alive.

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