The plot of this animated special is a simple one. Kevin and his sister Dottie are visited by the magical David S. Pumpkins after a trip to the pumpkin patch. DSP and his Skeletons fail to answer their questions about who the heck DSP is, but they do help them go trick-or-treating. The siblings got a bunch of candy, but were informed of a "ghost" called the Raincoat Man, who was stealing candy. David Pumpkins and his skeletons managed to unmask the true Raincoat Man (or rather, Raincoat Boys), a trio of bullies. Through the power of song (or lack thereof), they were able to convince them to give up the candy. They needed to get back to the pumpkin patch before 10:30 PM, so they quickly devise a plan to get the candy back to the kids of the town. They're successful, and they make it back to the pumpkin patch in just enough time.
The plot of the special was interesting, and I really enjoyed getting to know more of DSP's backstory. Unfortunately, he didn't really answer many questions we've all had. But his allure is all part of the fun. I really enjoyed the animation in the sketch, and I think it works well as a funny tribute to Halloween specials of years gone by, with a great Halloween Is Grinch Night vibe. It's also a very unique type of the classic Great Pumpkin special, with an actual person (???) being the "Great (David S.) Pumpkin(s)" this time around. I'll certainly be adding this one to my yearly Halloween movie binge starting next year.
I will be honest, though. I was expecting this special to be a bit more adult-oriented, especially with the 11:30 airtime. It was truly a family special that should have probably aired at 8. It didn't take away any of my enjoyment of the special, but it did leave me a bit confused at first. Soon enough, I realized what was going on and I quickly adjusted my expectations, but it would have been interesting to see how this would have been had it been more in the vein of Family Guy than in the vein of the Great Pumpkin.
Another thing I wish is that the special would have given us a bit more David S. Pumpkins. It might seem like an off complaint to have about a special called "The David S. Pumpkins Halloween Special," but it's one that I have. This might be a complaint that only I have because I could watch David S. Pumpkins for all of eternity, but I wanted a bit more of him. I understand focusing more on the kids, but David S. Pumpkins was obviously the more interesting character here.
The original David S. Pumpkins sketch was flawless, and this special was not without its flaws. However, it was funny enough, and it had heart, and it had David S. Pumpkins. All of this combined made for a supremely enjoyable half hour that also featured the wonderful Peter Dinklage, which never hurts. This has instantly become a Halloween classic for me, one that I'll revisit each year, just like the original sketch. It might not be the new Great Pumpkin, but it was still a satisfying watch for me. Also, thanks to TVLine, I discovered that Kevin "Can a bitch get a donut?" Roberts made a brief appearance in the form of a kid's costume, and that just delights me. Speaking of which, who else wants a Kevin Roberts reprise next week when
My Score: 9/10My Grade: A-
Happy Halloween everyone, and I hope David S. Pumpkins, doing his own thing, scared the heck out of you.
