Here at Pop Culture Spin we refuse to accept that Halloween is only one day. We’re going to be celebrating Halloween all month, by highlighting one of our favorite Halloween episodes every day. Today’s we’re looking at the Phineas and Ferb episode “The Monster of Phineas-n-Ferbenstein.”
Basic Info
Directed by: Zac Moncrief
Written by: John Colton Barry
Episode Number: Season 1, Episode 22
Where to Watch It: Netflix
Why It’s Great
The kids are stuck inside. The rain and lightning outside forces them to cancel their planned activity of “standing alone in a field with a metal pole.” Their Grandpa Reg (voiced by guest star Malcolm McDowell) tells them a story of Ferb’s ancestor Ferbgor who assisted a Frankenstein-like scientist named Dr. Phineastein. Together they create a giant platypus monster (“bigger than a refrigerator but smaller than a really big refrigerator) and enter him in a “Best Monster Contest.” Their disapproving governor Constance tries to bust them.
Meanwhile, Doofenshmirtz tells Perry the Platypus about a scientist similar to Dr. Jekyll. The stories intersect in ways that mirror the show’s usual format, with fun tweaks like Constance saying “I’m telling mob” instead of Candace’s usual line “I’m telling mom.”
It’s full of great meta jokes like when Candace interrupts their grandpa to ask if he can “tell the story in color” and Phineas chimes in saying that muted colors would be best.
Why It’s Full of Halloween Spirit
This episode actually takes place during summer, but there can be no denying this has the ambiance of a Halloween episode. It opens with Phineas telling the audience, “We thought it only fair to warn you that the show you’re about to see may disturb you. It may shock you! It may even horrify you!”
Costume Count
No costumes, but you get to see all the characters looking like people in Victorian times.
