Another episode based on a sequel where the predecessor was never adapted for television, but this one makes even less sense to have the same title as the book. I get that Slappy wasn’t the antagonist in the original ‘Night of the Living Dummy’ book, which I guess explains why they didn’t make that one into an episode, but I think it’s super weird to keep this episode’s title as number two.
We begin with the Kramer family doing their weekly Family Night, [Which seems to be some weird show and tell thing] beginning with eldest kid Sara showing off her latest painting. Youngest sibling, Jed, shows off the home video he’s made of his family, with highlights including Mum’s failure to stick to her diet, Dad’s toupee struggles and protagonist Amy trying on Sara’s clothes. He’s even scored it with a remix of the Goosebumps theme music! For Amy’s turn, she shows off her ventriloquist skills with her dummy, Dennis, who’s head quickly falls off. That’s OK though, because Dad’s got her a new one, Slappy [Who looks nothing like the book version, sadly].
She finds a scrap bit of paper in his pocket with some writing that “sounds like a foreign language or something”, which Amy reads out loud [Big mistake. Huge] before we see Slappy’s eyes move on their own as she cuddles him.
That night, Amy’s practicing her ventriloquist act when Sara warns her to stay out of her room and tells her it’s bedtime, to which Slappy agrees with Amy that “we don’t have to.” Surprisingly, Amy’s not completely terrified that the dummy has talked of its own free will and goes to bed [Clearly she’s never seen ‘Child’s Play’].
Later, we get a POV shot as Slappy sneaks into Sara’s room, ruining her painting with a red stick figure family. Amy is blamed for it the next morning, accused of being jealous of her sister, and no-one believes her cries of innocence. Before she heads to school later, she finds red paint on Slappy’s hand [And is only slightly puzzled… You’ve already heard him talk, Amy. Be more suspicious!].
Dad tortures the family at the next Family Night with a rendition of ‘If You’re Happy and you Know It’ while wearing a cowboy hat before Amy shows off her new routine with Slappy, which doesn’t go well when Slappy starts insulting the whole family. He calls Mum fat, Jed stupid, Sara talentless and likens Dad’s singing to a cat stuck in a dishwasher [Hahahaha brutal]. Naturally, Amy is blamed [Do they really think she’s that good at ventriloquism?] and sent straight up to bed [Even though it’s daylight, poor thing] where she locks a now-unresponsive Slappy in a chest.
The demon in the corner when I have sleep paralysisThe next day, Amy and her friend Margo are working on a poster for school in Amy’s room, accompanied by Margo’s little sister, Alicia. The two girls complain about being the middle child as Alicia snoops through Amy’s things. Sara comes in and yells at Amy for stealing her markers, snatching them away and storming out [Wow, bitch] before Amy notices Alicia holding Slappy. Amy grabs Slappy off her, and the dummy then insults Margot before painfully latching on to Alicia’s hand, only letting go when Mum comes in to see what the commotion is.
Margot doesn’t believe Amy when she blames Slappy [Not sure how she thought Amy was controlling his little hand, but oh well], and storms out with her sister, never wanting to see Amy again [Overreact much, Margot?]. After Mum leaves too, Amy notices that Slappy is sitting upright all by himself and laughing.
Later, Amy tries to convince her family that Slappy is “haunted or something”, but of course no-one believes her, assuming she’s just acting out because she’s the middle child [Which is the stupidest thing I’ve heard today]. Waking up in the middle of the night later, Amy notices Slappy’s missing and finds him downstairs, about to hit Dad with the guitar [Hahahahaha]. She tackles him to the ground, destroying the guitar and waking up her parents, and once again, they don’t believe that Slappy is alive.
Sometime later, Amy yeets Slappy down a sewer grate [Hiya, Georgie!], but is shocked to discover he’s found is way home later. Slappy tells her she’s his slave and they’re bonded forever after she spoke the words on the paper. She tackles him to the ground again and when Sara comes to check on Amy, she also sees Slappy moving and talking on his own [Finally!]. The electricity seems to cut out in the house and the girls lock themselves in the bathroom [Where the light is on?? But the power has been cut?]. Unable to get in, Slappy goes searching for Jed. Worried for their brother, the girls arm themselves with flashlights and look for Jed, taunted by Slappy, who eventually trips Amy to the ground.
As Slappy is about to attack her, he suddenly goes flying and a green mist pours out of his head after it shatters against the fireplace. The parents arrive home and the girls tell them how Jed saved them, but Jed appears from another room. So who defeated Slappy?!? Dennis, of course, also revealed to be alive as he remarks goofily “it’s good to be back in the family again.”
Final Thoughts
This was more fun than scary, but I really liked it! I felt bad for Amy, who seems stuck in a family of assholes, even before Slappy got involved, but it was nice to see her and Sara bond at the end. It’s funny how they blamed her whenever Slappy insulted one of them, though. Like, surely they don’t really think she’s that talented at ventriloquism so quickly? I guess it’s easier to believe than a talking dummy, though…
40 cringey dads singing in a cowboy hat on Family Night out of 52!
