If you were a ’90s kid, chances are you watched Nickelodeon. From animated shows like Rugrats to live-action sitcoms like The Adventures Of Pete & Pete, there was no shortage of entertainment for young viewers. But as much as these shows are remembered for their iconic characters and laugh-out-loud humor, they’re also remembered for the stars they produced. Be it Amanda Bynes in the self-titled The Amanda Show or Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell in the sketch comedy All That, a re-watch of old Nick shows can quickly turn into a game of “hey, I know them!”
One such series, Are You Afraid of the Dark? served as a stark contrast to lighter shows on the network, but it proved no less popular. Each episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark? told a different tale – campfire stories shared by members of the Midnight Society, a group of adolescents bonded over their shared love of the dark. While the cast would rotate between seasons and subsequent reboots, future Fargo star Rachel Blanchard appeared as a prominent member in the first two seasons, including season 2’s “The Tale of the Dark Dragon”, an episode regarded as much for its scares as its heart. Released 24 years ago, “The Tale of the Dragon” remains a prime example of what made Are You Afraid of the Dark? so special.
“The Tale of the Dark Dragon” begins like all Are You Afraid of the Dark? episodes do: with the Midnight Society gathering for a meeting. It’s Gary’s birthday, and for his gift, David is telling a story about one of Gary’s favorite things: magic. And so ensues “The Tale of the Dark Dragon”, which follows Keith Saunders, a boy whose leg was injured in a car crash. Hoping to woo his crush, Shelly, Keith pays a visit to Sardo’s Magic Mansion, seeking a potion which promises to “bring out the best” in people. Now, Are You Afraid of the Dark? fans will know Sardo as one of the series’ few recurring characters. He’s a magician and shopkeeper whose wares always go horribly awry for the person buying them.
For Keith, the potion works at first. He becomes a more confident version of himself, successfully charming Shelley while acting as his “cousin” KC. However, Keith’s potion begins to transform him into something monstrous – like a teenage Jekyll and Hyde. This, he discovers, is all part of the spell: to become your best self, you must defeat the “dark dragon” within yourself. At the school dance, Keith finds out his friend Mariah has taken the remainder of his potion, hoping it would make Keith like her. When she begins to change too, Keith’s tears turn Mariah back, and the episode ends on a happy note, both of them having conquered the “dark dragon”: their insecurity. It’s this powerful message that makes the episode stand out.
On its own, “The Tale of the Dark Dragon” isn’t particularly scary, at least not compared to some of Are You Afraid of the Dark’s most well-known episodes, like “The Tale of Laughing in the Dark”, or “The Tale of the Dead Man’s Float.” Instead, what makes “The Tale of the Dark Dragon” so strong can be found in its message and characters. As a protagonist, Keith is easy to like. He doesn’t take the potion for evil reasons, but for something much more relatable to viewers. No doubt many kids (and even adults) can relate to being insecure or wanting to be someone else.
As for the potion itself, it plays out like an allegory for drug addiction. It makes Keith and Mariah feel better about themselves, but it also physically and mentally transforms them. By extension, the episode’s ending becomes both about beating addiction as well as self-acceptance. In general, Are You Afraid of the Dark? was great at things like this: hiding moral messages within its stories. In this regard, Are You Afraid of the Dark? was able to push boundaries beyond just scaring kids. It’s no wonder the show also attracted future talent.
As a Canadian production, Are You Afraid of the Dark? starred both well-known Canadian actors and up-and-comers, such as Ryan Gosling and Neve Campbell. It’s within The Midnight Society itself, however, that there is another familiar face: Rachel Blanchard, who plays Kristen in the show, and would go on to star as Kitty Nygaard in Fargo, the acclaimed drama from FX. Though Blanchard would depart the show following season 2 – a result of the actress joining UK series Chris Cross – it was the bold personality she put into Kristen which made her character memorable.
Kristen would serve as the narrator for five episodes total, telling ghost stories, such as the well-remembered “The Tale of the Frozen Ghost.” Today, Blanchard’s career expands far beyond Fargo and her Nickelodeon beginnings, with a prominent role in Netflix’s The Summer I Turned Pretty. She remains one of the strongest examples of the future talent Are You Afraid of the Dark? would produce – and why the show is still remembered today.
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