Netflix's Forgotten Horror Sitcom Is the Perfect Weekend Binge Before Season 2

Published Sep 28, 2026, 3:12 PM EDT

Erin is a Books & Literature Writer for Collider. She received her MA in English from LSU New Orleans, where she maximized her Gothic literature obsession. She once aspired to be a ghost hunter, but has now settled into the writer’s life. A Pushcart-nominated poet and proud Piscean, if she’s not feverishly writing, you can find her stress baking, swimming, and adding to her tarot card deck collection. 

The horror comedy genre is having a huge year, from the unparalleled success of Widow’s Bay to A24’s bizarre, darkly comic release, Buddy, to the return of the Scary Movie franchise. Now, just in time for spooky season, Netflix's underrated animated horror sitcom, Haunted Hotel, is set to kick off its sophomore season on October 9th. Season 2 of Haunted Hotel will consist of eight episodes and continue the show's monster-of-the-week approach as the Freeling family tries to keep their ghost-infested hotel home peaceful(ish) and profitable.

Like many animated sitcoms, Haunted Hotel is grounded by a comedic family unit. Making their home out of the imposing, remote, and paranormally rich Undervale Hotel, the Freeling tribe is headed up by single mother Katherine, voiced by Eliza Coupe, and her deceased do-gooder brother, Nathan (Will Forte). Katherine's two kids, Ben and Esther, are accompanied by pale-faced Abaddon: a demon trapped in the body of an 18th-century child. Voiced by Jimmi Simpson, Abaddon is a fan favorite in the show's ghostly tableau, not just for his comedic impact, but for providing an unexpectedly endearing, heroic finale to Season 1, which proved that this hell-born character may not be so evil after all.

'Haunted Hotel' Has That 'Gravity Falls' Charm

Image via Netflix

Although Haunted Hotel is an adult animation series, most of its episodes are pretty kid-friendly. Creator Matt Roller, who previously worked on Rick and Morty, Community, and Archer, sought to avoid any “gratuitous gore,” which could hamper the show’s appeal to a wide-range audience. The show’s horror parody makes use of a wide array of recognizable tropes in its storylines, including exorcisms, masked slashers, portal-creating mirrors, and entities communicating through the television. Haunted Hotel also gives a fun spin on the found footage genre in Episode 6, when a team of ghost hunters comes to film at the hotel, but all the resident spirits go on strike when they arrive.

Haunted Hotel's blend of supernatural mystery and comedy notably conjures a similar vibe to Gravity Falls. Although Gravity Falls was a Disney product geared toward a young audience, the show likewise resonated outside its target demographic and became an all-ages hit. Both series have strong ensemble voice casts and a notable roster of guest voices. In Season 1 of Haunted Hotel, the guest voice cast featured comedy veterans Bobby Moynihan and Kumail Nanjiani, as well as Stranger Things alum Gaten Matarazzo. All in all, if you grew up traumatized by Courage the Cowardly Dog, the paranormal goings-on in Haunted Hotel will feel like light fare in comparison.

Season 2 Will Introduce a New Hotel Employee

Image via Netlfix

The woes of running a ghost-inhabited hotel are many, including keeping visitors out of the forbidden wing and dodging a purple tentacled monster named Jessica. The Undervale in Season 1 certainly suffered as a business since the only paying guests it attracted were occasional thrill-seekers and an apocalyptic cult. Early check-outs are to be expected. However, based on the Season 2 trailer, it looks like the hotel is finally starting to turn itself around as a legitimate business, with Katherine even hiring a new employee whose ties to the supernatural are hazy.

The new employee, spotlighted in the trailer, immediately sparked a slew of fan theories because the character design looks identical to a girl spotted in the hotel attic in Season 1, Episode 4, “How to Train Your Demon.” The only notable difference is a yellow letter emblazoned on their green shirt. The identity of this new character is a great hook into Season 2, which will hopefully reveal whether this new employee is a ghost, a human, a supernatural doppelgänger, or something else entirely. We do know through Episode 8, "Aunt Rose," that anyone who dies at The Undervale comes back as a ghost, trapped on the hotel grounds.

With such an elaborate ghostly cast of supporting characters, including Stabby Pete, Ben's flapper ghost girlfriend, Annabelle, and the squirrelish one-track-minded Candlehead, there are plenty of alluring backstories that Haunted Hotel could choose to illuminate in Season 2. Whatever direction the new season takes, the series' classic horror Easter eggs provide a strong parodic backbone. Haunted Hotel is a pre-Halloween treat that is mostly sweet, with fast-paced episodes that won't make you scared of the dark.

Season 2 of Haunted Hotel is streaming on Netflix October 9.