Keeping up with the authenticity of previous Charlie Brown specials, It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown chronicles the best of Halloween night. The Peanuts gang gears up for the scariest night of the year with spooks, costumes, and The Great Pumpkin. Legend (and Linus) has it that The Great Pumpkin “rises out of his pumpkin patch, and flies through the air with his bag of toys for all the children.” His argument is so convincing that even the youngest of the Browns, Sally, is summoned to wait all night long with him.
This is the same Linus who wisely pointed out the spirit of Christmas, and comes through as the voice of reason in trying times. Believing in a giant pumpkin that flies through the night to deliver goods to children? Perhaps not the most rational moment Linus has had in a while.
However, Linus so organically walks the line between childhood beliefs and great wisdom. Maybe he’s trying to prove a point, but maybe he’s just nuts. He stays there all night, waiting for The Great Pumpkin to show up.
Charlie Brown and the gang head on out for treats while Linus sits in the neighbourhood pumpkin patch, awaiting The Great Pumpkin’s arrival. Charlie Brown, prone to the worst of the holidays, is so used to bad luck that of course, Halloween won’t treat him any differently. When his pals announce the treats they’ve gotten in their bags, including chocolate bars and quarters, he solemnly looks up from his and declares: “I got a rock.”
While Charlie Brown attracts failure like sugar attracts bees, he is the ultimate caricature of any of us. He is presented to us as relatable as they come—the representation of anyone who’s looked forward to a great day but meets unfortunate circumstances instead.
The kids end their night with a Halloween party, but not before Lucy configures a way to grab extras for her brother. At one house, she asks: “Can I have an extra piece of candy for my stupid brother? He couldn’t come with us because he’s sitting in a pumpkin patch waiting for The Great Pumpkin.” Then, to no one in particular, she says: “It’s so embarrassing to have to ask for something extra for that blockhead Linus.”
