Just Beyond is intelligent and perceptive, perfect for fans of Goosebumps who are older now than they were when they first tuned into the ’90s series but who want a show that delivers scares and emotional moments.
RELATED: Goosebumps’ Creator R.L. Stine’s The Babysitter is Coming to TV
Fans of the Goosebumps TV show and/or R.L. Stine’s novels were able to watch Netflix’s Fear Street trilogy in the summer of 2021 and Just Beyond is also a great pick for horror fans. The plotlines in Just Beyond manage to be scary while talking about young adult issues. The show also feels timeless and classic.
In an interview with Syfy.com, R.L. Stine shared that Goosebumps could take place in any time period because children are always afraid of similar topics. Stine said, “But [kids are] still afraid of the dark, afraid of being in a strange place, afraid of being lost, that doesn’t change. Kids don’t change. It’s the technology that’s changed. I would say cell phones have ruined every mystery plot, right? You’re in a cabin, five teenagers in a cabin. Someone’s a murderer. They’re killing one by one. Now you pick up the phone, call for help, the book’s over. It’s done.” Stine added that when he writes today, he has to make sure that there aren’t any cell phones that the characters can use but otherwise, the same stuff feels terrifying.
Of the scary and perceptive storylines, the first episode “Leave Them Kids Alone” is fascinating. McKenna Grace’s character Veronica is sent to a Stepford Wives-style boarding school because she’s a rebel and her parents don’t know what to do with her. Veronica realizes that the terrifying headmaster Miss Genevieve (Nasim Pedrad) is performing rituals on every new student that removes their ability to think for themselves. Since everyone faces the pressure to fit in, this story ends up being incredibly scary. Just like the best horror movies for children, this episode feels accessible and understandable while being interesting.
Two other great episodes are “Parents Are From Mars, Kids Are From Venus” and “Unfiltered.” In the first, two best friends think that their parents are acting pretty weird and learn that they’re all aliens. In the second, a teenage girl feels bad about her physical appearance and learns about an app that will change her features and make her look the way that she wants. This is a particularly strong storyline as she can’t go back in time and undo what she changed, so she learns a hard lesson about loving herself the way that she is. It’s easy to imagine that these situations would be terrifying IRL and the episodes are impossible to stop watching.
The best episode of Just Beyond is definitely “My Monster” starring Megan Stott as Olivia, a young girl who moves into an old house that has been part of her family for a long time. Olivia thinks that she’s making things up when she keeps seeing a monster following her around the house. But after talking to her mom Brook (Sally Pressman), Olivia learns that this monster followed her mom around, too, and Brook learned to make peace with it. This episode fits into the best movies about monsters and has something new to say about the genre: maybe it’s possible to be okay with seeing a monster everywhere.
A metaphor for facing one’s fears and learning to change and grow from it, this episode of Just Beyond offers a fresh take on a typical scary monster/haunted house story and shows how Olivia and Brook learn to deal with the fact that life can be horrifying but they’re all the stronger for it.
The best part of Goosebumps was definitely the funny and scary tone. The combination worked so well and that’s one reason why fans love the meta tone of Scream. In an interview with Comicbook.com, R.L. Stine shared that he loves the Just Beyond episode “Which Witch?” because it is hilarious and creepy. Stine said of the episode, “witches actually exist and this girl is the only witch at a high school. She’s on her own and then her cousin shows up who’s even more of a witch, and it’s totally embarrassing for her. I just think it’s a very witty script and wonderfully performed, and it made me laugh a lot, so that’s one of my favorites.”
In this episode, Fiona (Rachel Marsh) is a good witch who just wants to fit in and not draw too many people to her situation. When her cousin Luna (Jy Prishkulnik) visits, Fiona has to deal with being in the spotlight more. As R.L. Stine noted, the episode is funny and sweet with many clever and interesting moments. Goosebumps fans will appreciate the playful and hilarious moments in Just Beyond along with the opportunity to feel creeped out.
MORE: Fear Street Should Have Looked To This Horror Anthology For Inspiration
