Between the trees drifts a figure shrouded in a flowing white gown and matching veil. Around the campfire, the majority of the Midnight Society await the arrival of Kristen. Gary turns to take some firewood from Frank, and sees the ethereal figure. The Society leap to their feet, and huddle behind the fire. Have they on their hands a genuine apparition? In the eerily softened voice of Kristen, the figure announces a story, an oft-retold tale of woe. Gary casts into the fire a pinch of Midnight Dust, and Kristen submits for the approval of the Midnight Society, the Tale of the Prom Queen...
In a quiet, daylit cemetery, a young woman, Didi, lays wildflowers on a grave. As Didi nears the gates, a young man, Jam, startles her by jumping out and shouting "raaa!" Jam's friend Greg pops up to reassure her.
The two are here to investigate a local ghostly legend. Years ago, on prom night, a girl stood by the cemetery, in wait for a lift from her boyfriend. Through the fog, a car, its driver thought to have been drunk, took a wide turn, and fatally hit her. Found the next morning, the girl was buried in her prom dress. On the anniversary of her death, her restless spirit is said to have been seen standing by the cemetery gates, in wait for her boyfriend to give her a lift. Didi decides to help search for the gravestone.
Unsuccessful, the three adjourn to a mobile diner. Greg suggests checking for newspaper obituaries. At the town library, on microfilm, a 1956 article reports the fatal accident, and identifies the girl as Judy Larson. Ricky Mitchell, having been unaware of his waiting girlfriend, heard of the disaster, and drove his 1956 Chevy off the Mianus river bridge. Car and driver were never found. Suddenly, in the darkness behind them appears a silhouette. On flicks the light, and a librarian genially offers some tea.
As the three walk through the park, Greg is weary of the whole business. Didi suggests they take it a step further, and attempt, via a seance, to unite the deceased travellers.
That night, they board a small, motorised boat to a spot beneath the fateful bridge. Didi has them join hands; close their eyes, and focus on what they know of Ricky, whose death she solemnly recounts. As they ponder the car, lying for years on the riverbed, the water behind them is disturbed by an abrupt surge of bubbles. To the submerged spirit, Didi calls of the plight of his waiting girlfriend.
In the water behind them emerges another surge of bubbles, which spurt in a continuous froth, and start to flow towards the boat. The boys each grab an oar, and row for dear life. The three leap onto the bank, and the bubbles slowly subside. As the shock wears off, Jam regains his appetite for spooky investigations.
The following night, on the anniversary of the dual tragedy, the three, having found the grave of Judy Larson, sit inside the cemetery gate. They hear a soft metal clinking: wind chimes. Jam rises, and alerts the others to a distant figure draped in a white, hooded shroud. It drifts between the gravestones, carrying a luminous set of wind chimes. Greg defiantly approaches the apparition, and touches its shoulder. It whirls around, to reveal its hood to be occupied by the face of a young man with electric green lights mounted on his head.
Jam laughingly introduces his cousin chuck. Greg is not amused. Suddenly, in the distance on the cemetery road, two round headlamps drift through the mist. Jam supposes it must be the caretaker. Didi thinks not. The car, a red, roofless 50s model, slows to a halt. From its radio drifts gentle music. The driver is a young man in a white dinner jacket. Across driver and car lies a faint blue luminescence.
Didi loosens her hair, nears the Chevy, and twirls. Now enfolded in both the blue radiance and a flowing blue gown, she happily addresses the boys. Having been unable to leave the cemetery un-escorted, she earnestly thanks them for helping to solve the mystery and alert Ricky. Didi, it turns out, is a nickname, her real name being Judy. Awestruck, the boys wave as the ghosts happily drive seamlessly through the bars of the cemetery gate.
Kristen raises her veil, and closes the story. To a general hush, Gary ends the meeting, and douses the fire.
This episode provides examples of:
- Agent Scully: Greg is eternally skeptical about the existence of ghosts.
- Amphibious Automobile: Whether by spectral animation or discarnate echo of its workings, Ricky's fatally submerged car seems to drive along the riverbed.
- Bedsheet Ghost: Somewhat invoked by Kristen's white veil and ethereal affectation, and by Chuck's shroud-like costume.
- Creepy Cemetery: Downplayed - the lush, tranquil cemetery is, by its reputed haunting, lent an edge of spookiness; enhanced by later nighttime investigation. However, the most overtly tense hint of ghostly goings-on takes place on the river into which Ricky's car fatally plummeted.
- Dead All Along: The ghost hunting efforts of Didi, Jam and Greg reveal Didi, whose real name is Judy, to have been the ghost all along.
- Foreshadowing: At one point, Didi uses the word "keen" to mean "cool"; this usage was decades out of date in The '90s, which hints that she is the ghost of the Prom Queen, who died in The '50s.
- Friendly Ghost: A perfectly nice young road collision victim, Judy simply wants a lift from her boyfriend.
- Genki Guy: Boundlessly jovial Jam.
- Genre Shift: Rather than any horror elements, this episode's ghost story is closer to romance, with a hint of mystery.
- Ghostly Goals: Reunion with boyfriend Ricky, who, on learning of her death, crashed his car.
- Ghost Train: Or rather, a ghost chevy, which, in response to a seance, is implied to drive along the riverbed. It eventually escorts Judy to the afterlife.
- Given Name Reveal: After revealing herself to be the ghost, Didi reveals that her real name is in fact Judy, and Didi was only her nickname.
- Haunted Technology: The motor of the submerged chevy can be heard groaning from beneath the water.
- Jacob Marley Apparel: Averted at first, until the arrival of the ghost of Ricky, whereupon Judy’s gown flows spectrally into place.
- Nightmare Fetishist: Jam relishes sharing morbid details of local lore.
- Not So Stoic: While Jam is irreverently excited rather than stoic, the ghostly chevy gives him quite a fright.
- Ominous Fog: In the cemetery, from the direction of the approaching chevy, falls a bank of fog - since Jam earlier noted the first road accident to have happened in dense fog, this may be part of the haunting.
- Our Ghosts Are Different: Judy/Didi is fully corporeal and capable of changing her clothes to suit the current fashion (and she changes into her blue prom dress once Ricky arrives). She is unable to leave the cemetery unless two humans take her with them. She also appears to be able to contact other spirits at their resting places.
- The Prankster: Jam’s appetite for impudent merriment culminates in casting his cousin Chuck as a Bedsheet Ghost.
- Psychotic Smirk: Playfully invoked by Jam.
- Rewatch Bonus: Besides the "keen" incident mentioned above, there are several little clues to Didi's true identity.Greg: Don't you live around here?Didi: I used to. I'm just visiting.
- Jam offers her a milkshake and turns it down (ghosts traditionally don't have to eat).
- When going through the newspaper archive at the library, she says "I've never seen one of these before."
- After reading about Ricky's fate, her deliveries of "no way" and "he died too?" sound like she's talking about someone she knows.
- She automatically knows exactly what to do to contact Ricky's ghost.
- Even though every story starts with the storyteller naming the protagonist, when Kristen begins the story, she doesn't tell the viewers Didi's name, only referring to her as she, as if to conceal her real name.
- Scenery Porn: Some lovely shots of the cemetery and park.
- She Cleans Up Nicely: When Didi reveals herself to be the prom ghost Judy, she goes from wearing a ponytail and casual 90s clothing to wearing her hair down and sporting her elegant blue prom dress from the 50s. The costume change is even accompanied by a slow twirl and bright lighting.
- Spooky Séance: Held on water, it draws the bubbling pursuit of the submerged car.
- Stranger Behind the Mask: Near the end, the trio see a ghost apparently walking through the cemetery. It turns out to be Jam's never before mentioned or seen cousin Chuck.
- Supernatural Light:
- Theatrically invoked by the green-tinged lights beneath Chuck's hood and sleeve.Jam: Woo, ghostly green!
- Before crossing to the next plane, Judy acquires a slight luminescence.
- Theatrically invoked by the green-tinged lights beneath Chuck's hood and sleeve.
