Joe has been signed up for a Halloween Scavenger Hunt, but he would prefer to just stay home because he thinks the holiday is bad luck for him. Wishbone is reminded of the superstitious schoolmaster Ichabod Crane from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving.
This is the second of two episodes to adapt a story by Washington Irving. It follows "Digging Up the Past," which adapts Rip Van Winkle.
One tie-in book was released — The Super Adventures of Wishbone #2: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, a straight adaptation of the episodes.
Tropes
- Adaptational Heroism: Ichabod Crane does not appear to have any interest in inheriting Katrina's fortune through marriage. He does court her, but that's about it.
- Adaptation Title Change: While the episode is titled "Halloween Hound: The Legend of Creepy Collars, Parts 1 & 2", the novelization (from the The Super Adventures of Wishbone book series) is instead simply titled "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", sharing its title with the book the episode was based on.
- Adapted Out: Ichabod's horse Gunpowder is not included, possibly due to the difficulty of getting a dog to ride a horse. Therefore, Ichabod is on foot when he encounters the Headless Horseman in this version.
- Adventurer Outfit: Sam's costume is a safari outfit with a pith helmet.
- Afraid of Doctors: Wishbone is alarmed when one of the clues is at the animal clinic.Wishbone: I hope you appreciate this, Joe. I'm only in here because you need me, and if I see one needle, I am outta here!
- Appeal to Flattery: When Wishbone as Ichabod is told that he needs to check out a supposed supernatural occurrence:Wishbone as Ichabod: I'm sure it can wait until morning.
Katrina: Maybe you should go. I know that you're the only man qualified to inspect the scene.
Wishbone as Ichabod: Ah, well, that is true. All right, I'll go. - The Bad Guy Wins: As in the original story, it's implied that Brom successfully chased away Ichabod Crane by posing as the Headless Horseman so as to court Katrina without interference.
- Call-Back: Wishbone mentions the time he ended up in Wanda's house.
- Crystal Ball: Wanda uses one to tell the fortunes of every trick-or-treater who comes up to her house.
- Darker and Edgier: The show's retelling of Sleepy Hollow, in contrast to the main story being a fun Halloween scavenger hunt, frames it as a ghost encounter. Due to making Ichabod Crane an Adaptational Nice Guy and not conveying the original text's satirical notes, we feel more sympathy for him as he studies spirits and courts Katrina. Rather than the text reassuring us that Ichabod probably fled for safer parts from the Horseman, the townsfolk find Ichabod's bell at the bridge, and a smirking Brom Bones looking onward from his black horse.
- Dick Dastardly Stops to Cheat: Damont is the first to reach the last challenge in the Halloween scavenger hunt. But instead of just, you know, claiming the prize, he decides to linger around at the end so that he can sabotage Joe, Sam, and David when they get there.
- Face Your Fears: By the end of the episode, Joe overcomes his superstitions about Halloween and his fear of the Murphy House.
- Halloween Episode: The episode takes place on Halloween, features everyone wearing costumes, and centers around a Halloween-themed scavenger hunt. Additionally, this is one of the many Sleepy Hollow adaptations that portrays the Van Tassels' "quilting frolick" as a Halloween party, which is an anachronism as Halloween did not catch on in the U.S. until after the Civil War.
- Headless Horseman: Well, it is a Sleepy Hollow adaptation, isn't it? In accordance with the original story, it's implied that the Horseman was Brom Bones in disguise.
- Hidden Depths: Damont is actually quite clever when he thinks to use his brains. While he follows the gang to solve the first puzzle of the Halloween scavenger hunt, he figures out the other two with only his cousin Jimmy for help. If he hadn't stopped to lock David in a room in the final location — a haunted house — he might have won the gift certificate.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall: When Sam asks where Wishbone's costume is.Wishbone: A dog, wear a silly costume? I think not.
- Linked List Clue Methodology: The scavenger hunt works this way. Each clue leads to a game, which when completed, reveals another clue leading to another game.
- Magic Countdown: The thirty seconds in which the kids have to choose a horse is more like thirty-seven seconds, which is actually not that bad by normal Hollywood standards.
- Mummy: The Murphy House includes a scene of mummies having a tea party. At the end, the mummies stand up and pull off their wrappings, revealing them to be Melina and Marcus.
- Rube Goldberg Device: One such device is used for one of the games that hides a clue. Tech geek that he is, David is immediately entranced by it.Wishbone: Uh-oh, David's gone bye-bye.
- Scare Dare: Joe is afraid of the Murphy House because of an incident years ago when David dared him to approach it.
