TV Show review
October 13, 2023 · TV-14 · Ended · Action · Mystery · Sci-Fi · Fantasy · Adventure
Based on 1 season, 10 episodes · through November 17, 2023
Goosebumps is a spooky mystery TV show set in the rainy town of Port Lawrence. The story follows five high school students who accidentally unleash a dark supernatural force. To save themselves, they must investigate the mysterious death of a teenager named Harold Biddle who died thirty years ago. In their quest, they use magical objects like a creepy mask and a time-traveling clock, while also uncovering secrets that their parents have been hiding. Viewers will easily notice several modern diversity themes built into this update of the classic book series. One of the main teenagers is openly gay and has a romantic plotline where he tries to date another boy. The actor playing this character is transgender, which drew a lot of attention. The show also features a highly diverse cast of main characters with mixed-race backgrounds. These modern identity elements are highlighted in several episodes, making them hard to miss.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Goosebumps.
Woke representation / casting
The main cast is highly diverse, featuring mixed-race actors and a prominent gay character played by transgender actor Miles McKenna. The +15 queer representation bump is applied here.
52%
Woke political dialogue
While there are no heavy political lectures, James explicitly highlights his sexuality in dialogue, complaining about being "one of six gay people" in the town.
18%
Identity-driven story themes
The overarching plot is a supernatural mystery, but a notable subplot in Episode 3 focuses on James navigating a gay crush and a romance with another boy. A +15 queer theme bump is applied.
40%
Western institutional / cultural critique
The series deals with flawed parents and subverts classic high school stereotypes, but it lacks any direct activist attack on Western institutions or traditional culture.
15%
Woke character or canon changes
The show turns classic, standalone kids' stories into a continuous teen drama, completely overhauling book characters to create a highly diverse and queer-inclusive cast.
35%
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Traditional fans and conservative viewers complained about the addition of teen romance, gay make-out scenes, and "woke" agenda-pushing in a PG childhood franchise.
48%
Creator track record context
Co-creator Nicholas Stoller and writer Mariko Tamaki have strong histories of LGBTQ+ and feminist storytelling, though co-creator Rob Letterman has a neutral profile.
38%
Production
