This review covers episodes 1–6 of Goosebumps: The Vanishing and is spoiler free.
The second installment in the Goosebumps anthology begins with fraternal twins Devin and Cece adjusting to life with their recently divorced dad, Anthony. When the duo discovers a threat stirring, they quickly realize that dark secrets are among them, triggering a chain of events that unravel a profound mystery. As they delve into the unknown, Devin, Cece, and their friends — Alex, CJ, and Frankie — find themselves entangled in the chilling tale of four teenagers who mysteriously vanished in 1994.
The tone and vibes in the newest season of Goosebumps are almost identical to the first season, despite an all-new cast and story. The series continues to be more modern, TV-14, and mature than most programming offered on Disney+. The show hooks you and keeps your attention. It feels like a true TV series amidst this streaming era. Although some of the settings, story points, and characters can be uneven at times, the series is endlessly entertaining and has a unique charm about it.
Goosebumps: The Vanishing also offers plenty of humor and levity. David Schwimmer embraces the complicated nature of his character Anthony, a divorced dad and a botanist. Schwimmer has some great lines throughout these first couple of episodes as well. Ana Ortiz has also been a standout as Jen, a cop and mother to Alex, a friend of Devin and Cece. The entire cast has been strong so far and the teens this season have some well-defined personalities and traits.
This season at times has felt a bit darker and more serialized. It sometimes has the quirky Goosebumps stories but this season it seems like it has flowed a bit better and it’s not as noticeable. The overall mystery that is unraveling throughout the season is quite intriguing. That particular mystery storyline feels like a mix of Venom and Stranger Things. You can interpret that in any way you like.
Goosebumps also isn’t afraid to drop some popular music from popular pop songs to rap, this season has quite the soundtrack. It seems like something that the series may be subconsciously leaning into as a way to feel even more modern and relatable. If that’s the case it’s working.
After watching the first six episodes, I completely understand why this will be a binge-drop on Disney+ and Hulu. It’s endlessly entertaining but also extremely bingeable. As soon as you’re done watching one you’re going to want to watch another. I’m looking forward to seeing how they wrap up this season in the final two episodes.
Goosebumps: The Vanishing is a charming continuation and takes a step forward in the anthology series. I was a bit apprehensive at first as I thought changing to a whole new cast would make the series falter but that wasn’t the case. It’s a modern TV show and I think this season will experience a second life during the spooky season in 2025. I’m curious what a potential third season could look like as well.
Goosebumps: The Vanishing stars David Schwimmer (“Anthony”), Ana Ortiz (“Jen”), Jayden Bartels (“Cece”), Sam McCarthy (“Devin”), Elijah M. Cooper (“CJ”), Francesca Noel (“Alex”), Galilea La Salvia (“Frankie”), and Stony Blyden (“Trey”). The show was created by Nicholas Stoller and Rob Letterman. The series comes from Disney Branded Television and Sony Pictures Television.
Goosebumps: The Vanishing drops all episodes on Disney+ and Hulu on January 10.
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Zach Perilstein is the Editor-in-Chief of the Boardwalk Times
