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"When Halloween Was Forever" is the eighth episode of The Real Ghostbusters, first aired November 1, 1986. It was written by J. Michael Straczynski and introduces the villain Samhain. When ancient ruins from Ireland arrive in New York for examination, the spirit of Samhain is loosed and declares that Halloween should last forever, summoning an army of the night to make it so.1
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On the night before Halloween, a UBN news van pulls up where Ecto-1 is parked and reporter Cynthia Crawford begins a report. Inside the building, the Ghostbusters trap several hairy ghosts in a job that proves unusually difficult. Back at the firehouse, Peter Venkman finds Egon Spengler deep in research. Winston Zeddemore wonders why the job was so hard, and Ray Stantz suspects the approach of Halloween has something to do with it. Peter blackmails Egon into talking by threatening to tell Slimer there is a cupcake hidden in Egon's socks. Egon explains that a large spike in P.K.E. readings is centered on ancient ruins brought to a New York museum from Ireland two weeks earlier, dated to the seventh century, and that Ray and he see a connection to the origins of Halloween.
Two goblins sneak into the museum chanting "Samhain" and draw an infinity symbol on the ancient Irish clock, releasing Samhain. He flies off to gather minions while the goblins head out into the city. When the goblins reach the firehouse and blow Janine Melnitz against the wall, the Ghostbusters suit up and begin trapping ghosts across town as a city-wide manifestation overtakes New York and the P.K.E. Meter goes off the scale.
Slimer is dragged from the firehouse to a gathering of ghosts where Samhain, disgusted by the smell of humans on him, orders Slimer to join his midnight army or pay the price. The Ghostbusters notice that despite hours of work their watches have not moved. Samhain appears, asks why they are harming his "little ones," and reveals he has halted time to make an eternal Halloween night. Ray recalls that Halloween began as the feast of Samhain. When Egon shines a flashlight on him, Samhain flees, and the team realizes light is his weakness, only to find the city's lights going out.
Egon devises a plan: Peter, Ray, and Winston mount a frontal assault to distract Samhain while Egon moves spotlights into position and charges them from his pack. On the rooftop, Samhain holds a weakened Slimer hostage and orders the Ghostbusters to lay down their weapons, but Slimer breaks free when Ray shouts "Pizza!" Egon switches on the spotlights, stunning Samhain, who is captured along with the rest of the ghosts.
Back at the firehouse, Winston empties the trap and Samhain sits calmly in the Containment Unit. Egon predicts that, having waited centuries for freedom, Samhain will simply wait again for his eventual return. The episode closes with a floating-pumpkin scare that turns out to be Slimer, after which the team plays a tickle trick on Janine.
The episode was recorded on July 7, 1986, and carries production number 75010.2 It is the first of three Halloween themed episodes of the series and the debut of Samhain. The character returned in "Halloween II 1/2"; the third Halloween episode, "The Halloween Door," does not feature him. The episode is also one of two appearances of reporter Cynthia Crawford, who is seen again in "Citizen Ghost."
Like the rest of the season's episodes, it uses a track from the show's soundtrack; the song "Midnight Action" plays during part of the episode.
When Peter presses him, Egon claims he and Ray were building a Spectral Differentializer, a device the series finally puts to use in "Adventures in Slime and Space." This is also the first time the Ghostbusters are shown using the viewer to look at the universe inside the Containment Unit. Winston refers to the proton packs as "Power Packs" when he confirms they still work after the blackout.
The episode was later referenced in IDW Publishing's comics. The news anchor dressed as a clown appears on a screen in Ghostbusters International #10, and Ghostbusters Annual 2018 features several callbacks: the Wheel of the Year symbol the goblins used to free Samhain, a miniature of the relic he was freed from, and ghosts visually based on Samhain's midnight army.
The episode appears on Season 1 of the series and was issued on home video as part of "The Real Ghostbusters: Complete Collection" (Volume 1, Disc 2).
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| Mr. Sandman, Dream Me a Dream | Air date | Look Homeward, Ray |
| Mr. Sandman, Dream Me a Dream | DVD order | Look Homeward, Ray |
