It's Halloween night and the kids encounter a boy named Russell who is convinced his house is haunted. Meanwhile, Dr. Doofenshmirtz's disdain for grass causes him to invent a "Mind-Transfer-inator" enabling him to merge minds with a cow. Unfortunately, his plan backfires and he transforms into a scary "were-cow" that wreaks havoc any time there is a full moon.
While trick-or-treating with Candace, Phineas and Ferb meet up with Isabella, Baljeet, and Buford, and they come across a house that they have never seen before. As they approach it, they meet a boy hiding in a bush named Russell. Russell says that hiding in the leaves makes him feel warm and secure, because his house is haunted. Phineas decides that they should help Russell by busting the ghosts, and Russell reluctantly follows.
Perry enters his Halloween-decorated lair through a jack-o'-lantern, where Carl greets him. Major Monogram gives him his mission by telling him of some sightings: the Danville golf course has been chewed down to bare dirt, howls at the moon have been heard, and cow-related graffiti and a crop circle have been seen in the Tri-State Area.
Phineas, Ferb, and the gang enter the house with Russell, and to Phineas' surprise, his EMF meter picks up a 78. Suddenly, the jack-o-lantern in front of him grows into a scary humanoid with a pumpkin head, and everyone runs from it.
Perry enters Doofenshmirtz's apartment to find that he has chained himself up. Doofenshmirtz explains that a few days ago, he declared war on grass, so he got himself a cow, the natural predator of grass. However, the cow was too slow, so Doofenshmirtz invented the Mind-Transfer-inator to motivate the cow to work faster. Instead, Doofenshmirtz developed gaps in his memory, a craving to lick salt, found himself watching the nightly farm report as well as the pasture channel way more than usual, and because of this, he suspects that he is no longer human, which is why he needs to tie himself up. All of a sudden, he begins to transform into a were-cow, and breaks the restrains. The Doofenshmirtz were-cow runs off into the streets with Perry pursuing it with a lasso.
Back in the haunted house, Candace desperately tries to open the locked door. The floor gives out, and the kids fall into the ghost-infested graveyard basement, where the monster continues to chase them into a red lake. Zombies rise, and the terrified children continue to run.
After watching a news report on the were-cow, a group of locals form an angry mob, while Perry finds Doofenshmirtz in his human form in the middle of a crop circle. Doofenshmirtz tries to go with Perry, but is transformed again as the clouds part from the full moon. The angry mob finds them, and they pursue the were-cow into the streets, trampling Perry in the process.
The jack-o-lantern monster has the children cornered in the basement. Ferb throws a skull at it, knocking its head off. As sparks fly from its neck, the children realize that it is a robot. They then learn that it was Russell, along with his parents Waylon and Mona, who had been tricking them with their animatronic haunted house. The EMF meters had been picking up on hidden frequency emitters. Impressed, Phineas asks for one more trick. Just then, the were-cow busts through the wall with the angry mob close behind it, trampling Candace. The children applaud, mistaking the mob for ghosts, much to the confusion of Russell and his parents.
As the children go their separate ways for the night, Phineas is surprised to see that the haunted house is gone, only to see Waylon deflating it for the season.
Man: And if it isn't little Candace Flynn! Where's your costume? Candace: "Where's your costume"?! I haven't worn my hair like this in two years!
Phineas: Nice fairy princess costume. Where'd you get it?
Isabella: Actually, I'm not wearing a costume. Phineas: Oh, okay. Isabella: (Frustrated Pause) I got it at the Googolplex Mall.
Buford: What kind of person hands out these weird orange peanuts? We gotta find a better neighborhood.
Phineas: That's strange. I've never seen this place before. You'd think we would have noticed it. Buford: I'm gonna give those orange peanuts a second look.
Buford: The light under his chin makes his story pretty convincing.
Baljeet: Actually, there is no scientific evidence for the existence of ghosts. Buford: What do you know? You're a daffodil. Baljeet: Daisy! Buford: Case closed.
Phineas: (to Russel) Maybe we can help you, Russell. (to Ferb) Got anything for ghosts, Ferb?
(Ferb opens his jacket and shows various kinds of tools) Phineas: Wow! Looks like we're in business, let's bust us some ghosts. Candace: Hold it there, fella! Nobody is doin' any busting around here without me.
Candace: Oh please.
Russell: Oh this always happens. Phineas: Don't panic everyone. Isabella: How can I panic when I'm holding your hand? Buford: I think that's my hand. Isabella: Ew!
Female ghost: I have a tremulous voice! Male ghost: I'm non-corporeal, and that's scary. Female Ghost: I'm not a ghost, I'm a sheet, that lives!
Zombie: Brains.
Zombie: Spleen. Zombie: Pancreas...ses. Russell: Did I mention the zombies? Zombie: Kidneys! Zombie with tea: I don't care for organs, but I do enjoy a cucumber sandwich.
Phineas: Isn't this the part where someone turns into a ghost?
The screen cuts to Russell, then Phineas, then Russell, then Phineas, then Russell again Russell: DUDE, THAT'S IT! Phineas: Okay, see you next year!
Background Information[]
The costumes each character wears are as follows:
Phineas: Count Dracula
Ferb: Frankenstein's monster
Candace: Heidi
Perry: Igor
Isabella: Fairy Princess
Baljeet: Daisy
Buford: Pirate
Major Monogram: Carl
Carl: Major Monogram
Production Information[]
This episode aired on Disney Channel On Demand on September 30, 2011.
On February 10, 2011, Variety reported that Michael Douglas and his son Dylan would guest star in a haunted house episode.
International Premieres[]
October 14, 2011 (Family Channel)
October 15, 2011 (Disney XD Canada)
October 27, 2011 (Disney Channel Latin America and Brazil)
October 29, 2011 (Disney Channel Spain and Portugal)
At the beginning of the episode, Phineas and Isabella are carrying candy in brown paper bags, but at the end of the episode, they are seen carrying jack-o'-lanterns instead.
When Phineas asks Russell to come with the gang in the haunted house, Russell's mouth doesn't move.
When Doofenshmirtz first transforms into a Were-Cow, he has eight teats on his udder. Throughout the rest of the episode, he has only four.
When Phineas says "Cool!" to Russell, the center of the jewel on his cape turns black.
Hidden Mickey - When Ferb shows off his ghost hunting gear, there is a speaker type device that looks like Mickey Mouse's head.
Halloween - When the group enters the house, the background music sounds very similar to the main theme of this movie.
Ghostbusters/The Real Ghostbusters - The devices used by the kids to investigate the house closely resemble the PKE Meters used by the Ghostbusters.
The Nightmare Before Christmas - The Pumpkin-headed ghost resembles Jack Skellington's scarecrow costume at the beginning of the movie.
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit - Doofenshmirtz uses a mind transmitter on a cow and turns into a Were-Cow, similar to how Wallace used one of the rabbits and turned into the Were-Rabbit. Also, in the Book of Monsters, the page before Were-Rabbit is Were-Cow.
Linda does not appear nor is mentioned in this episode.
The images of the title sequence are from "One Good Scare Ought to Do It!", "The Monster of Phineas-n-Ferbenstein", and the Original Pitch.
Another version of the theme song is shown. Candace's line, "Mom, Phineas and Ferb are making a Halloween special!" is similar to her line, "Mom, Phineas and Ferb are making a Christmas special!" in "Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation!"
This is the second episode to take place entirely at night ("Candace Gets Busted").
This is the second episode to not take place during the summer, the first being "Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation!". It is also the first of three episodes not to take place during a seasonal break from school, followed by "Druselsteinoween" and "Doof 101".
This is the first time that the Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated jingle does not include "After hours" when played at night.
The farm where Heinz gets the cow to eat grass is similar to the area in "Ain't No Kiddie Ride" when Candace goes through the barn.
This is the second time a member of the Doofenshmirtz family turns into a monster and goes on a rampage. The first time was when Jekyll Doofenshmirtz turns into a monster in "The Monster of Phineas-n-Ferbenstein".
This episode reveals that Doofenshmirtz hasn't lost the extra pounds he mentions in "Fireside Girl Jamboree". Then again, his stomach could have been full from all of the grass, which he previously had four stomachs to accomodate.
This is one of the few times someone does not say "Oh, there you are, Perry!".
It is never revealed how Doofenshmirtz gets turned back to normal.
A mummy that looks exactly like the one Phineas and Ferb find appears in the beginning of the episode ("Are You My Mummy?").
Many monsters from the Best Monster Contest appear in the background when Phineas, Ferb, and their friends are walking in the sidewalk ("The Monster of Phineas-n-Ferbenstein").
This is the second time Phineas says "cool" and someone else says "no, not cool" ("Unfair Science Fair").
In the United States, the full episode, alongside "The Curse of Candace", was posted on the official Disney XD YouTube channel on October 4, 2021.[1]
