Five Stages of Grief: Amos Pike, the old man in the "haunted house" is firmly in denial stage, as he refuses to accept the fact that his love has long passed away. He goes through anger when Laura tries to get him to accept the truth, and later asks for her help to reach acceptance.
Halloween Episode: While not set during the holiday, the episode is about a house where lives a lonely old man whom the children believe is a maniac.
The Lost Lenore: Pike's wife Lilly died years ago and he never got over it, feeling guilty for her death due to her falling ill after they moved to the countryside by his decision.
Misunderstood Loner with a Heart of Gold: The old man turns out be a sad loner who can't accept that the love of his life is long gone. He's initialy harsh on Laura when she breaks into his house and later explodes when she tries to get him to accept his grief, but he warms up to her after accepting it, and even helps her scare Willie and Nellie to return the favor.
Motive Decay: Nellie and Willy dare Laura to go up to a haunted house. She runs away scared. Later, to redeem herself, she approaches the house again, but is discovered by the owner of the home. She ends up forming a friendship with the owner and never tries to prove her bravery again, even though it was an important plot point and her motivation for approaching the house in the first place.
Scare Dare: Nellie and Willie dare Laura to go into a supposedly haunted house, where an old man lives alone and some believe he is a maniac.
