Normally, Grandma gets her holidays confused. But in this episode, she knows it is Halloween.
Big Bob drives a Hummer.
The mailman is revealed to be named Harvey.
The wheel on the show Big Bob was watching had spaces marked OOPS! Bye-Bye, No Cigar, New Car, See Ya, Winner, Whole Enchilada, Sucker, Loser, Spin Again, and S.O.L. (the latter of which is an acronym for the phrase "sorta outta luck").
All of the credits (except in the show's opening) are orange instead of the usual yellow.
In the Shout Factory DVD release of Season 2, the episode is listed as "Operation: Arnold's Halloween", as well as in the Hey Arnold! The Complete Series DVD set.
Airing[]
This episode aired 4 days before the actual day of Halloween on October 31st.
Cultural References[]
This episode's entire plot is based on Orson Welles' 1938 radio broadcast The War of the Worlds, which while being a story rather than a prank, also sent many people into a panic (although the amount of panic has long been disputed).
A "Welles Ridge" is mentioned in the episode. Obviously, it is a reference to Orson Welles.
Douglas Cain's voice is almost exactly like the voice of Brain, a character from Pinky and the Brain. This is because both characters are based on Orson Welles, and they are both voiced by Maurice LaMarche. Maurice LaMarche has also impersonated Orson Welles on the animated sitcoms The Simpsons, The Critic, and Futurama, as well as the Tim Burton biopic Ed Wood.
Douglas Cain's surname is possibly a reference to Citizen Kane, Orson Welles' best known movie.
Big Bob, when perusing the sports section of his newspaper, mentions "Green Bay". This is probably a reference to the Green Bay Packers football team.
The costume and makeup selected by the kids for their hoax are similar to that of the Talosians from Star Trek: The Cage (1966).
Story Analysis[]
It's a running gag that Arnold can hear Helga yelling at him from all over the city (and Gerald can't). She yells his name in Downtown as Fruits, when he's not there at the beginning of their play. She shrieks after she realizes she left a message telling Arnold she loves him in Helga Blabs it All. She yells his name for a second time in Arnold's Halloween. Each time, Arnold says, "Did you hear something just now?" And each time Gerald says, "No."
This is one of the few episodes where Helga shows no indication of her love for Arnold.
