Never Forget the Time ‘Family Matters’ Went Full ‘Dracula’

Family Matters knows how to do a Halloween episode right. That’s clearly evident by the show’s mini horror franchise “Stevil,” an unsettling slasher tale that haunted Season 8 and 9 of the series. Seriously, if you’re afraid of murderous dummies, you’ll either want to steer clear of “Stevil” or steer right into it.

But Family Matters‘ Halloween output doesn’t live and die by Stevil’s tiny little hand. In fact, the series has a lot tricks up its sleeve if you’re looking for seasonal viewing. There’s Season 2’s “Dog Day Halloween” and Season 4’s “Whose Kid Is It Anyway?”, and there’s one more fantastical and terrifying tale that may have paved the way for “Stevil’s” creation: Season 6’s “Dark and Stormy Night” (which you can stream on Hulu!).

Unlike the earlier Halloween episodes, which were totally all ages affairs with the average Halloween plots you expect from a TGIF sitcom, “Dark and Stormy Night” is notable because it’s the rare example of a family show leaning into the holiday’s horror roots. “Dark and Stormy Night” is the Family Matters episode that goes full Dracula, y’all—and I mean full Dracula.

The episode aired two years after Bram Stoker’s Dracula dragged the bloodsucker back to his 19th century roots and two weeks before Interview with the Vampire hit theaters, and you can tell. The episode is Bram Stoker by way of Miller-Boyett. There are no Bela Lugosi tuxes to be seen on these bloodsuckers. It’s all period piece puffy shirts all the way. Like I said, full Dracula.

In order to turnTGIF’s first family into the blood-sucking Von Winslows, the show establishes that the usual Halloween antics have been ruined by a thunderstorm and power outage. To cheer up a justifiably distraught Richie (first his mom is demoted to a recurring character, and then he can’t trick-or-treat?!), Carl suggests they play pass the ghost story. Carl kicks things off, which means he’s the reason the story is the creepy and kooky lovechild of Bram Stoker and Anne Rice.

Everyone’s character a chance to play in this fantasy, just like every actor got a chance to play on the elaborate, gothic castle set built for this one episode. Carl and Harriette are the vicious count and countess, Rachel’s the countess’ vain younger sister, Eddie’s their teenage Day-Glo rockabilly vampire son, Laura’s a peasant girl imprisoned behind a wall, Waldo’s a flat-footed butler, and Urkel is the eligible bachelor Sir Steve, Royal Duke of Urkel.

While the episode is nowhere near as genuinely upsetting as “Stevil,” it’s still a must-watch for those looking to stream something spooky. It’s a particular delight seeing Reginald VelJohnson and Jo Marie Payton sink their teeth into their undead roles. Look how much fun they’re having, sucking on blood-filled juiceboxes!

Even though Family Matters started as a spinoff for Payton’s Perfect Strangers character, Harriette Winslow was all too often overshadowed by Urkel. In this episode, though, she gets the pleasure of playing poisoned chalice switcheroo with Jaleel White in a sequence that you can tell was a blast for them to perform and for the audience to watch.

The episode even delivers the showdown fans had been waiting six seasons for: Steve and Carl’s scary story counterparts have a truly epic sword fight.

Family Matters being Family Matters, there’s also a brilliantly silly joke between all the swashbuckling.

There are a lot of sitcoms that brought it when it came to Halloween episodes. Roseanne, Bob’s Burgers, Bewitched—even Boy Meets World. When you’re planning your viewing schedule this last week of October, don’t sleep on Family Matters. If you do, the Von Winslows might take a bite out of you.

Stream Family Matters "Dark and Stormy Night" on Hulu