Forget ‘Scream,’ This Beloved ‘90s Sitcom Has a Near-Perfect 23-Minute Slasher
The article highlights “And Then There Was Shawn”, a 1998 episode of the sitcom *Boy Meets World*, as an unusually effective slasher story and one of the series’ strongest episodes. It argues that the episode’s mix of horror and comedy makes it a good choice for Halloween viewing, despite not being made as a Halloween special.
In the episode, Cory, Topanga, Shawn and their classmates are left in detention after school, where a masked killer appears to target them. Flickering lights, a blood-written threat and a creepy janitor set up the horror, while the script plays with slasher conventions such as the “virgins never die” trope and the early death of a minor character. The article says the episode draws on the 1990s horror style associated with *Scream* without simply parodying one film.
In short
- A *Boy Meets World* sitcom episode turns detention into a slasher story.
- “And Then There Was Shawn” aired in February 1998.
- Its horror references are balanced with the show’s comedy.
Explained simply
Boy Meets World was a popular American sitcom about Cory Matthews and his friends growing up, with episodes following them from school into adulthood. “And Then There Was Shawn” aired in 1998, when the show’s main characters were still teenagers.
The episode traps Cory, Topanga, Shawn and their classmates in school detention, where a masked figure seems to threaten them. Its flickering lights, ominous messages and suspicious janitor use familiar slasher-film devices, while the characters’ reactions provide comedy.
The episode came out during a period when horror films such as Scream were renewing interest in slasher stories and joking about their conventions. Its blend of suspense and sitcom humour helps explain why viewers still single it out as an unusual episode of the series.