R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour: The Series (nearly all episodes of the entire show with some definite exceptions) is set in the same shared universe as all of the following
Transformers Prime
Dan Vs.
The Jurassic Park Trilogy
The Mummy (1999)
King Kong (2005)
Overlord (2018)
Treevenge
One Last Dive
and
Pair Of Kings
Not only does almost every episode of the entire series take place in the same Crapsack World as each other but R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour: The Series also shares the same universe as Flight 29 Down, Pair Of Kings, Transformers Prime, Dan Vs., Lights Out, Aquaman and SHAZAM!
It makes sense as all the neighborhoods and locations are very suspiciously similar so it's safe to assume that they do share the same messed up world and live in the same area which appears to be California since it's rarely seen snowing. As for the show also being in the same universe as the other four shows and three films, it too makes sense with the five sharing the same styles and even looks that link and connect each other so it seems they're all set in a weird world with living dolls, alien robots that can transform into Earth vehicles, evil dentists, secret quasi-government originizations, transforming shark people, Scary Mary, superheroes, demons etc...
Quite ironic since Sara hated magic and yet Alice became, well, a witch. This could also mean that Gresilda will take her revenge out on Alice and Pete for what Sara and Ned did to her. Everything in Afraid of Clowns from Kaptain Krazee volunteering Chris for the jack-in-the-box onward was Chris's hallucination.
The Show seems to take place in a rather Crapsack World
Judging from the suspiciously similar neighborhood's in "Really You", "Game Over", "Catching Cold", "Brush with Madness", etc you can probably assume that all the episodes in this series (except maybe "Scarecrow") take place inside the same universe. So if you think about it, the main characters all live in a weird world full of restless ghosts, aliens in disguise, scary monster clowns, transforming shark people, controlling robots etc... Executive Meddling forced R. L. Stine to change the ending of A Creature Was Stirring
The episode contains a throwaway reference to cannibalism and ends with an Esoteric Happy Ending, where the family is together (they say "we have each other!") and the parents won't divorce, but they literally lost everything (except for the clothes they wear) and they have nothing to eat and nowhere to live, being forced instead to live like hobos in the freezing winter. However, shoehorning a happy ending contrasts with the usual style of R. L. Stine, whose trademark is to end his stories with a Cruel Twist Ending. So, what if that was not the original ending? What if, after the parents say "we have each other" like the oh-so-lovey family they are supposed to have become, there was supposed to be a final scene, where the oldest son asks "But what are we gonna eat now?!" then the daughter (who mentioned cannibalism earlier) looks at her parents, just grins and says "We have each other"? That would be more consistent with R. L. Stine (not the cannibalism in particular, but the cruel twist ending), and the reference to cannibalism would be more actually useful for something in the story.- As a corollary: the ending was changed because executives were too afraid to broadcast a story with the Aesop that material possessions really are more important than family.
In Sick Alex was actually visited by an Elder One and the government tracked it down
This would certainly explain all the trippy Lovecraftian Horror overtones this episode had, so symptoms of being in touch with an Elder One is helplessness and hopelessness, unanswered questions and often involves gelatinous substance, such as slime (or mucus)... Which all feature in this episode. Also Alex seemed to be isolated and talking to the TV, which brings up Alex's sanity issues. The government found an Elder One that escaped to Alex's house and quarantined the house so the Elder One wouldn't escape... The fact that Steffani from the Wrong Number just might be related to Alex might be a Laser-Guided Karma for the whole family. Cynthia controls the titular "Uncle Howee" and/or created him as an Imaginary Friend
Cynthia seems to know when exactly Uncle Howee is on- and she may actually control when he's on tv. She laughs excitedly when she says she spoke with him in the bathroom, and throughout the "game" Uncle Howee plays with Jared, which she may have planned in the bathroom. Maybe Uncle Howee is also her Imaginary Friend? She also seems to be expecting Jared appearing on her favourite show at the end. While there's no proof Uncle Howee wouldn't do the same to others, there's no proof he's ever had this kind of interaction with anyone else, either. The seven Reality Warpers are all related to each other.
Throughout the run of the show, there are seven different Reality Warpers that, unlike the fairies from "Intruders" or Seamus from "Lotsa Luck," don't come from any particular culture's folklore. Perhaps the seven are an immortal family that's been around for thousands of years, working to protect good children and punish the bad (in some cases operating within a Gray-and-Gray Morality). And since there are seven, each one corresponds to a particular deadly sin. Here are my guesses as to their identities:- The Reaper: Appears in "Flight" (and possibly "Dead Bodies"). She's the mother of four children and grandmother of two grandchildren, and possesses powers including shapeshifting, controlling the weather, and casting glamours. The Reaper is the most powerful member of her family, and as such, she is called to locations of Pride, the deadliest sin: both "Flight" and "Dead Bodies" feature individuals (Vincent and Jake) who believe that they don't deserve to die and are willing to let innocent people go in their place, and pride is all about thinking yourself better than others. The Reaper is relatively kind, but as the main page points out, she also has no problem using her powers to kill innocents if it means fulfilling her duties. It's implied that she eventually comes to everyone, but her lessons also inspire Josh to live a better, humbler life.
- Mrs. Worthington: Appears in "Mrs. Worthington." The oldest child and daughter of the Reaper, she has powers including summoning objects from Hammerspace, altering communications, performing voodoo magic, and suggesting her existence to children (Nate thinks he dreamed her up, but she actually placed the idea in his head). Mrs. Worthington is called to families that are suffering from the sin of Gluttony in the traditional sense—that is, overindulgence and excess, rather than eating too much. Everyone in that particular episode is excessive: Molly gets her brother in trouble at every opportunity she can, Nate dreams up elaborate punishments for her, and even their mother only listens to Molly despite Nate's requests for help. Mrs. Worthington is a "traditional" disciplinarian, and has no problem punishing anyone who disagrees with her, not just her intended victims. She survives the end of the episode because, like the rest of her family, she can't be killed. Mrs. Worthington is also the mother of Abigail, who inherited her tendency to ignore insincere apologies.
- Uncle Howee: Appears in "Uncle Howee." The second child and oldest son of the Reaper, he can do things like communicate over televisions, teleport from his show's set to children's homes, alter communications (just like his older sister), and transform people into characters on his program. Uncle Howee defends children who are suffering from the sin of Sloth. Jared, Cynthia's older brother, wants to ignore his responsibilities and not take care of her, and is more concerned with himself than others. Uncle Howee is somewhat kinder than Mrs. Worthington, but he still has a cruel side, as he can easily favor the child he's protecting over the one he's punishing. Even his ability to change people into show characters is appropriate for his sin: he punishes the lazy by forcing them to work for him forever.
- The Angel: Appears in "Goodwill Toward Men." The third child and youngest daughter of the Reaper, her unique gifts include conjuring fire, generating objects from nowhere, and creating entire alternate realities. The Angel's job is to teach those who suffer from Avarice a lesson. The Jordans (with the exception of Missy) are exceptionally greedy and cruel, and she puts them through a difficult test by making them poor and homeless—but even that cannot break their materialism. Only Missy is able to pass by showing kindness even when facing hardship herself, prompting her and her alone to be rewarded with wealth at the end of the episode (although her altered family members are happier, too). The Angel is the kindest of the Reaper's four children—she does grant the selfish Jordans a happy ending to a degree—and that kindness is manifested in her son, the Carny.
- Cupid: Appears in "Terrible Love." The youngest child and son of the Reaper, Cupid's powers are the most limited—like all of his relatives, he can teleport, and his special skill is the ability to make people fall in love with one another (but only when they request it). As might be expected, Cupid's duties are related to the sin of Lust (which, in this case, manifests as excessive love—come on, it's a kids' show, what were they going to do?). Maggie spends all of her time pining after Brendon, and even when he's under Cupid's spell, she still demands more love (which backfires horribly). She also receives her just desserts for ignoring others by ending up in love with Stuart at the end of the episode. Cupid possesses the nasty streak that runs in his siblings, but unlike them, he can't outright torture people who he dislikes, as he's the most susceptible to magical law.
- Abigail Raven, the Proprietor: Appears in "The Red Dress." Mrs. Worthington's daughter and the Reaper's granddaughter, she's not quite as powerful as her older relatives, but can still move her shop from place to place, teleport, and cast balancing spells on those who take things from her. Abigail handles cases of Envy. Jamie, who longs for a wealthy person's life, becomes obsessed with the red dress of the title and steals it, only to find Abigail pursuing her at every turn. Like her mother, Abigail has no interest in apologies that only come when people are found out for doing something wrong, and is perfectly fine with punishing Jamie—even after the girl tries to return the dress—by removing her sight. This may be a common price to pay—after all, if Envy is seeing what others have and wanting it, what better way to prevent it by taking away the power to see?
- The Carny: Appears in "Funhouse." The Angel's son, Reaper's grandson, and youngest member of the family, he is the weakest of his relatives; however, things such as warping his carnival from place to place, teleporting, and reading minds are easy for him. The Carny's responsibility is helping those who suffer from the sin of Wrath—but since the victim of that sin is often the person who performs it, much of his magic is devoted to saving the wrathful individual. Chad has repressed his anger over his father's abandonment for too long, and the fun house becomes the perfect outlet for that anger—but over time, he becomes addicted to it. The Carny helps him by providing a place for him to work through his rage and allowing Chad's sister Kelly enter the attraction for free to save her brother from destroying himself. That genuine (though well-disguised) kind streak comes from his mother, who taught him long ago that people deserve happy endings.
The Salesman in "The Scarecrow" isn't evil
He actually says himself "no one is to blame, this is always the way it was meant to be". He could simply be a harbinger like the horseman of death carrying out destiny or fate. He just comes off callous because he doesn't fear what he knows must come to pass and may even be aware of a better place human souls are sent to.He took a liking to Bobby and simply chose him be his companion.
Lilly D just wants to be loved
There's no denying Lilly D is evil and her actions can't be forgiven so easily, but there is some motivation behind her actions, being I Just Want to Be Loved. In "Really You", the only reason she wants to be human is to be loved by someone. Her creator, the Doll Maker, quickly found her to be evil, showing only irrational hatred, and asked that she be destroyed by Really You, the company she works for, only for good fortune and ignorance on part of the company allowing her to survive and find a family to take her in and love like she wanted. Things were perfect at first, but it quickly goes downhill when Lilly, the girl who owns and whom she was modeled after, begins to treat her horribly. Lilly D soon latches onto human Lilly's mother, Jill, who starts to shower her with more affection than her own daughter. Lilly D thought that if she can replace human Lilly, she'd get the mother's love, so she frames human Lilly for various destructive pranks, while manipulating Jill into liking the doll more than her daughter. Eventually, Lilly D succeeds in taking over Lilly's body, and her wishes can be fulfilled, but the family quickly figures out something's wrong and she's forced to flee and turn back into a doll, and then gets run over by a garbage truck. When she returns in "The Return of Lilly D", she is found and taken in by a kind girl named Natalie, who shows her genuine love and warmth in trying fix her mangled body. Knowing she won't be loved as a human, Lilly D is content with being loved as a doll, thus she may have truly become good after all, as the Doll Maker revealed. But, then comes the baby bird Natalie decides to take care of and pays more attention to, at which point, Lilly D gets up to her old tricks again, this time exhibiting Yandere traits. In a jealous fury, she tries to kill not just the baby bird (twice even), but also Natalie's grandfather, because she wants Natalie's love all to herself. By the end of the episode, now knowing Natalie won't love her again after what she's pulled, Lilly D decides go the "If I Can't Have You…" route and attempts to murder Natalie, only to finally be killed by the same girl. In a sense, Lilly D is a child who wants to be loved like any other, but her lack of understanding of what love is, and her evil actions always working against her, ended in her permanent demise. The clowns in "Afraid of Clowns" are of the same kith as Papa Lazarou
Each species, if such they are, have subtle yet definite supernatural powers; natural faces which resemble lurid makeup, inhabit a sinister travelling show, and, beneath their whimsically detached grasp of the world around them, are frighteningly cunning and efficient.