That's one nasty reptile right there.note
Consider that all the episodes are based on the Bible... and the Bible was a very dark novel indeed.
- "In the Beginning": During the kids' time with Adam and Eve in Eden, there's a big lion that hangs out with them for much of their stay, and whose side Joy uses as a comfortable resting spot more than once. But once Adam and Eve eat the Forbidden Fruit and sin enters the world, that same lion confronts them with every intention of eating them. While it's not likely that a lion will show up to attack anyone in real life, try likening it to your loyal pet suddenly turning vicious enough to attack you.Joy: Lion? Kitty?Gizmo: My scanners indicate he is not a kitty anymore! (they run for their lives)
- "Miracles of Jesus": While travelling together through the country of the Gadarenes, Jesus and his followers meet upon the man possessed by the legion of devils, as in scripture. In this version, the possessed man's appearance is preceded by an extremely unnerving noise loud enough to carry across the tombs.Satan: Beware, oh Son of God...for in this place, the sinful hear my voice.
- "He Is Risen!": A lot of times, depictions of Jesus's death on the cross that are presented for younger viewers either clean up Jesus considerably, or otherwise use distant shots so we don't get to see the rigors of crucifixion up close...but not this show, despite it being for kids. Jesus's blood-covered body and wounds are shown in all their gory detail, and just at the point of one commercial break we get a slow zooming close-up of His lifeless face...pretty intense stuff for a children's show. See it here
. - "The Road to Damascus": The episode opens with Chris and Joy coming home from school, discussing asking Gizmo to go to the park for a game of soccer. Then they notice that the front door is both unlocked and wide open, something they both note is out of character for Phoebe. Chris calls out for his parents as he and Joy come up the stairs, worry clear in his voice, only to confront someone ransacking his father's lab after having tied up Gizmo. The stranger attempts to throw a stool at Chris, but while he misses and activates the house alarm (summoning the police to arrest the burglar shortly after), the whole experience still doesn't detract from the very realistic horror of coming home to find a robber in your house, not to mention the risk of said robber harming you (or your kid, if it's your kid who came home and caught him). It's no wonder Chris wasn't feeling particularly merciful before the Superbook adventure.
- "Revelation": While Satan's demonic form is creepy enough throughout the series, the climax of this episode has him transforming into a gigantic snake (pictured at right) and and getting exceptionally vicious as he makes every effort to kill Chris, Joy and Gizmo, both on his own and with his army of demons. Adding to the nightmare factor is that, in this form, Satan speaks with the Voice of the Legion as he issues his threats to kill both the protagonists and everyone else who serves God. If not for Jesus's Big Damn Heroes moment right then, he would very likely have followed through on his threat to murder the trio.
- "Jonah": Imagine getting eaten by this. (And that's just the DVD box image.)
- "Joseph and Pharaoh's Dream": When Pharaoh is telling his dreams to Joseph, during the dream about the seven healthy cows and the seven unfit cows, this◊ is the view we get of the latter group. Especially those Black Eyes of Evil...creepy.
- "For Such a Time as This": When the trio arrive in the palace, Joy is almost immediately taken away to the queen's chambers for no other reason than because she's a girl, while Chris and Gizmo are put to work cleaning the palace chariots; Chris is understandably worried sick until they manage to find Joy again. What makes this so scary? Imagine being forcibly separated from a loved one with neither of you knowing if you'll see each other again (a fear made worse if you're a child being separated from your best friend against your will).
- "John the Baptist": There's a rather nasty Jump Scare during Chris's search in Herod's dungeon to find the titular prophet, in which a rat appears out of nowhere with a loud screech, startling Chris. It's an especially bad moment for anyone with a fear of rats.
- "Noah and the Ark": Chris, Joy and Gizmo find themselves in a town where they have to be running for their lives lest they run the risk of being killed by psychos chasing them on horseback or on foot (twice!), in addition to the robberies and other acts of violence all around them. Did we mention this is the opening scene?
- There's also the pretty nightmarish reality of the floodwaters appearing and covering the Earth. Not only is there torrential rain but geysers of water also erupt from the ground, leading to massive waves high enough to swallow even the tallest mountain ranges that shake the ark, even sending a penguin flying into the storm and clearly struggling to swim before being retrieved by Gizmo. And finally, after being scolded by Joy for treating the shaking like an amusement ride, Chris opens the window to gaze on the vast nothing-but-dark-water and completely sobers.
- "Gideon": The beginning of the episode gives us a scenario that can be significantly scary for both kids and adults for the sole reason that it's something that could easily happen to you or your loved ones in real life. Joy is anxiously waiting for either her parents to come home or call her to let her know how much longer they'll be as a rainstorm pours outside. Then her mother calls her and tells her they're on their way...only for a tree to fall on top of their car in that moment. Fortunately, the Pepper parents are fine, but now they're stranded as a result...and as Mrs. Pepper's telling her thoroughly distressed daughter where they are, her phone dies, leaving Joy calling for her mother in a panic, a panic that doesn't die off until after the Superbook adventure.
- "David and Saul": The scene where David is playing his music in an effort to soothe Saul's troubled spirit, only for Saul—with bloodshot eyes and hatred for the greater praises that are going to David instead of himself—to sling his spear at David, then to charge at David himself when that attack fails. David's shocked and horrified expression is quite the appropriate reaction to have when someone you thought you could trust suddenly tries to kill you for seemingly no reason.Gizmo: What is it? Is someone after you?David: The king.Joy: The king?Chris: WHAT?Gizmo: But he is your friend!David: And I thought he loved me.
- "Paul and Barnabas": Immediately upon arriving in Bible times, the trio get to witness the events of Acts 13:6-12, where Paul curses the false prophet Barjesus with blindness for trying to deter Paphos's deputy Sergius Paulus from hearing the gospel. Thing is, we get to see the onset of blindness from Barjesus's point of view as his vision suddenly goes cloudy-white, and he's naturally terrified at having just lost one of his pivotal senses with seemingly no explanation.
- "The Birth of Moses": Think of how you'd feel if soldiers came kicking down your door to snatch your child/younger sibling, a newborn infant at that, out of your hands with the express intention of murdering that innocent child. For Miriam and her family, the tension is there throughout the episode that their efforts to keep baby Moses safe will end up being for naught.
- "Paul Keeps the Faith": Another episode that leans on Primal Fear, combined with the fact that the events depicted in this episode are based on historically-documented information. People being taken from their homes and imprisoned or killed because of their beliefs, parents and children being separated by imprisonment or death, children being targeted for said imprisonment or death...and that's without getting into Nero's personality as witnessed by Chris, Joy and Gizmo, where he's revealed to be someone with low-key insanity who can fly off the handle at the slightest drop of a hat (do you know anyone who you have to walk on eggshells around because the least little thing can set them off?).
- The aforementioned encounter with Nero also has some added Nightmare Fuel for anyone who stops to think about it long enough: the kids are basically Alone with the Psycho, and someone who's already demonstrably cool with watching an entire city burn as well as ordering his men to kill innocent people—including children. How comfortable would you be with knowing that your child, however unwittingly, is about to have a run-in with a murderous psychopath with nobody present to save them?
