Gremlins' origin stories of the Mogwais in a much more child-friendly way.
However, that doesn't mean it's void of all horror. On the contrary, it includes many of the same aspects and themes as the original films. For example, all the mogwai rules remain the same. The creatures should not be exposed to sunlight, drink water, or eat after midnight. Sam's grandpa makes these rules clear early into the series, hinting that the result of breaking any of the rules will not be good. However, the show gets even darker during episode four when Sam ends up at an Inn, and from the episode's title, "Don't Drink the Tea," it's clear something sinister is occurring there.
Gremlins' Horror Still Works (Despite Being For Kids)
The Secrets of the Mogwai episode reveals that the Inn owner has been mind-controlling all its inhabitants for years and turning them into her workers who will do whatever she says. This is quite a terrifying concept for a children's series, but it still works for the show. The series puts a comical spin on it while still keeping it pretty scary, just like the original Gremlins films did.
The episode gets scarier when the Inn owner encourages her workers to go after Elle, who didn't drink the tea and has discovered the Inn owner's secret. It even ends on a dark note when all the workers abandon the owner, leaving her to everything she once had and how she lost it by being selfish and trying to control them all.
Why More Child-Friendly Horror Is A Great Thing
Child-friendly horror is great for the genre because it raises a generation of kids who will grow up to appreciate more mature horror films as well as whatever new horror films are to come in the future. It's also great for the genre because the future horror filmmakers who are currently growing up watching shows like Gremlins: The Secrets of the Mogwai are finding inspiration for the horror films they will one day create, allowing the genre to live on.
