I had planned to watch this on Youtube last year, but the only copy that was available got removed before I could do so. After searching for a copy of this elsewhere online, luckily, I was able to find and view this through the archive site instead. This became the third For Better or For Worse special I watched after The Christmas Angel and A Valentine From The Heart, and this Halloween special is just as great as those Christmas and Valentines specials. The makers behind it did it again: They made another great classic in the franchise.
This special revolves around a couple of characters, Farley, the Patterson family's pet dog, and Brad Luggsworth, a bully who gives the son, Michael, a hard time. I'm not sure whether there are both a plot and a subplot in this or if the whole thing is one, whole plot. But how this story all came together is well-executed. The "good-for-nothing" to whom the title refers is Farley, who always seems to be nuisance for the Pattersons and others most of the time. Brad is a guy who has a rough-and-tough exterior. Later, Farley proves that he really can be a good-for-something after all when he comes to Michael's aid after Michael is confronted by Brad. Although there is some focus on Halloween with scenes featuring costumes and candy being given to trick-or-treaters, the aforementioned is more of the main focus. In the end, it's proven that Farley isn't completely useless, he can be useful, and that deep down there is some goodness in Brad. A similar scenario or situation of the latter has been done in the Valentine special also.
The art style remains true to that of the comics, while the animation is fluid enough. The characters are all great as usual, but it's Farley and Brad who are the standouts. Especially with Brad's character development. Although the music isn't among the catchiest I heard, it's still good enough. Even though I'm not well-familiar with most of the cast, the voice actors are as good as ever and seem well-suited to their roles. The story and script, and how they all came together were well-done. Two lessons that are learned from this are that one may be surprised at what another is capable of doing and that one should always be humble, because you never know when karma just may come back for you. It's relatable to anyone who may have had the misfortune of facing off with a bully.
This is one of the best Halloween specials ever made. In this case, simply for the morals or the lessons provided. For all those who may not had seen it already, I recommend it to everybody as it doesn't disappoint and it has plenty of good moments to keep things intriguing. It's should be seen for anybody who is looking for a fine Halloween special.
