TV Series Review: Freddy’s Nightmares – Season 2

It really is amazing that the phenomenon that is Freddy Krueger reached such heights that we actually got a TV series. It didn’t last long, two seasons only but out of that we got 44 episodes, 22 in each.

You can read our definitive list of the movie series here where you can also find individual reviews too. We’ve also done a short video review of the movie series too which you can check out below. You can also read our review of season 1 here.

Season 2 premiered on October 2nd, 1989 a few months after the release of A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child. Robert Englund reprises his role but doesn’t exactly have much work to do here.

Season 2 followed the exact same format as season 1 but with even less input from Krueger this time round. Freddy would occasionally play a part in the stories in season 1 but most of them did not involve him. This time his input is even less, predominantly playing the part of The Crypt Keeper as he bookends an episode with a warning/morale.

Freddy’s Nightmares would tell a different story every time that took place in the town of Springwood and in particular, on Elm Street; the same setting as the most of the films. What made Freddy’s Nightmares a bit different was how most episodes would feature two different stories. With the second story usually surrounding a character that played a role in the first.

Just like season 1, this season is 22 episodes long and each one is about 45 minutes in length. A mixed bunch, the similarities between this and the likes of Tales from the Crypt are really hard to ignore but like that show, there are many moments that will entertain.

One of the nicer touches here compared to the first season is how it has reoccurring characters. Ones that play minor roles in some episodes but end up getting focus further down the line when Freddy decides to turn his eye on them. Robert Englund could play this role in his sleep at this stage and having to fire off puns and jokes is hardly taxing work for the man. That being said…he is Freddy Krueger and never fails to entertain especially when he shows off his evil side.

Talking about every single episode would see this review end up being 5000 words long, hardly a thrilling read. So instead we’re going to focus on some of the highlights and lowlights of the series. Starting with some of the best first.

The opening episode, Dream Come True is a good re-introduction to the series as it focuses heavily on Krueger. It sees a therapist trying to help a boy get over his Freddy related nightmares before the cameraman who wants to know the truth about the killer gets drawn in way too deep. What makes this such a good start is that it feels like part of the film series. Its dark tone, occasional black humour and violent moments really fits.

Then there is Lucky Stiff that really lays on the black comedy with a story about a recent widow realising that her late husband purchased a winning lottery ticket. Desperate for the money for her and her new lover she goes to great lengths to find it. Mary Crosby as the widow is really good here. This also has a follow-up episode called Easy Come, Easy Go that is pretty good too.

Bloodlines and its family related horror thrills, while Do You Know Where Your Kids Are? continues that story with a twisted tale.

One of the heaviest Krueger related episodes and coincidentally, one of the best, is It’s My Party and You’ll Die If I Want You To. Here old Fred possess a psychic to continue his killings before exacting his revenge on a girl who stood him up for prom when he was a teenager!

As the season progresses a more tongue in cheek humorous approach begins to dominate and while a lot of these episodes fall flat, the ones that are good are very good. The episodes of Prime Cut and Dust to Dust are absurd but highly entertaining. The cast playing their cannibalistic roles with a certain amount of glee.

Perhaps one of the most surprising things about the entire season is how sexual a lot of the episodes are! It’s often the most adult thing about the entire show as violence and gore is kept to a minimum.

It’s a pity though, that the season peters out without a big finale or anything. Instead, we get Life Sentence, one of the most disappointing of the 22-episode run. It’s not the only bad episode though with a few too many proving to be quite boring.

Early on, the season really struggles with several in a row not leaving much of an impression. Heartbreak Hotel, Welcome to Springwood, Photo Finish and Memory Overload are lumped together and really prove to be a difficult bunch to watch especially when each one is 45 minutes long!

The worst of the bunch though is Monkey Dreams. An episode that sees a gambling-addict lab researcher having to pay off his debts before the second part involves a monkey getting its revenge on the lab technicians. Mind-numbingly boring, something that might not have been such a problem it was alone.

So overall, is season 2 better then season 1? Yes, just. While it lacks the star power that were involved in the first season, it’s got more entertaining episodes. It’s no surprise that there wasn’t a season 3 though.