Summary

• Goosebumps season 2's renewal disappoints as it renders season 1's ending pointless, wasting a chance to conclude the original story.
• Goosebumps season 1 had a nearly perfect ending until the final episodes added unnecessary twists, undoing the good work of "You Can't Scare Me."
• While Goosebumps season 2 could bring back the main characters, the anthology format means their story will be overshadowed and leaves season 1 without a satisfying conclusion.

The news surrounding Goosebumps season 2's renewal is disappointing as it makes season 1’s cliffhanger ending pointless. 2023’s Goosebumps was the latest screen adaptation of author R.L. Stine’s bestselling series of children’s horror novels from the 1990s. Season 1 of the Disney+ series followed a group of teenagers as they attempted to uncover a supernatural mystery after encountering various cursed items in a local haunted house. Goosebumps episode 8, “You Can't Scare Me,” ended with the teens vanquishing Slappy, a recurring villain from the Goosebumps novels, only for the dummy to return almost immediately.

The Goosebumps season 1 finale ending featured an awkward attempt at meta-plotting as Mr. Bratt, a high school teacher and wannabe writer who was previously possessed, actively sought out Slappy to get a better ending for his manuscript. Bratt’s possession, the question of who was haunting the teens, and the villainy of Slappy the Dummy were all solved by Goosebumps episode 8’s ending. However, Bratt then wrote a book based on the experience and was informed by his agent that it needed a stronger ending. As a result, he revived Slappy the Dummy and imperiled the town all over again.

Goosebumps Season 2’s New Cast and Setting Ruin Season 1’s Ending

Goosebumps season 1’s ending is now irrelevant

This twist forced the teens to reunite once again, and the group eventually defeated Slappy’s original creator, the magician Kanduu. However, this success came at a huge cost. One of the show’s heroes, Isaiah, was shot, resulting in his love interest, Margot, using Slappy’s magic to revive him in hospital. It looked like Goosebumps season 2’s anthology format has dashed these hopes.

The news that Goosebumps season 2 has a new setting and characters make season 1’s ending an abandoned cliffhanger. There is nothing inherently wrong with horror anthology shows replacing their characters and setting with each new season, and hits as varied as Slasher and American Horror Story have pulled off this approach. However, these shows feature self-contained single-season storylines, whereas Goosebumps season 1's twisty story was clearly not resolved. The fate of the main characters was still unknown, meaning Goosebumps season 2 focusing on a new group of characters wastes a chance to conclude the show’s original story.

Goosebumps Season 1’s Story Was Almost Perfectly Resolved

The horror series wasted a perfect ending before its season 1 finale

Season 1 could have been a perfect self-contained standalone season that set up an anthology format going forward if it weren't for those last two unnecessary episodes.

Frustratingly, Goosebumps season 1 almost had a perfect ending until the final two episodes complicated things and added a string of unnecessary twists. Season 1 could have been a perfect self-contained standalone season that set up an anthology format going forward if it weren't for those last two unnecessary episodes. By reviving Slappy, possessing Bratt all over again, and potentially killing off Isaiah, the Goosebumps season 1 finale undid all the good work set up in the ending of "You Can't Scare Me." As a result, the show ruined its opportunity to become a standalone anthology show like American Horror Story.

Although Goosebumps season 1 used many of Stine’s novels as its inspiration, there are still plenty more Goosebumps books for season 2 to adapt. Netflix’s earlier Fear Street trilogy adapted a handful of the author’s many novels from that series but left a lot more of them untouched in case of future follow-ups. However, the Fear Street movies made a pivotal choice that Goosebumps has failed to replicate. The trilogy functioned as a standalone series with a beginning, a middle, and an ending, so any further sequels could be standalone outings. In contrast, Goosebumps season 1 demands a better conclusion.

Goosebumps Season 2 Could Still Revive Season 1’s Story

Goosebumps can bring back its heroes but can’t do justice to them

It would be pretty easy for Goosebumps season 2 to bring back the main characters from season 1. Margot, James, and the rest of the gang could be introduced to the new setting’s heroes at some point in season 2, much like American Horror Story often brings back characters from earlier outings in new seasons. However, this wouldn’t improve the big problem with leaving season 1’s story unfinished. Even if Goosebumps season 2 revealed that Isaiah survived and Mr. Bratt was no longer possessed, this would just be a secondary subplot in the show’s larger story of its new characters.

The show can’t give its original heroes another ending that is as satisfying as Goosebumps season 1, episode 8’s conclusion because Margot, Isaiah, and company are no longer the heroes of the show.

By turning season 2 into an anthology show, Goosebumps has made it clear that the story of season 1 and its cliffhanger ending have been dropped. The show can’t give its original heroes another ending that is as satisfying as Goosebumps season 1, episode 8’s conclusion because Margot, Isaiah, and company are no longer the heroes of the show. Their story would inevitably be an afterthought unless season 2 started to focus on returning characters over new cast , which would be a problem in itself. Thus, Goosebumps season 2’s format change unavoidably ruins season 1’s story.