Halloween Costume Guide
Timmy runs the last operating Blockbuster store in the country and refuses to accept the format is dead. The name tag is the one item that makes this Timmy specifically, since the polo by itself reads as anyone’s summer job. Blockbuster ran for a single season on Netflix before it was canceled in December 2022 (Wikipedia), so people who watched it will get the reference immediately, and everyone else will just see a video store employee.
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The name tag is the first thing people check, since the polo by itself just reads as someone’s day job. If it is missing, upside down, or covered by a jacket, the whole costume collapses into off duty retail worker instead of Timmy. At a party where nobody has seen the show, the polo and jeans alone will not get you recognized, and you will spend the night explaining a reference instead of wearing one.
In the pilot, a news crew shows up to ask Timmy about a viral video of a gorilla loose in the store, and instead of addressing that, he launches into an unprompted speech about human connection and supporting local businesses. That is the whole character in one scene, earnest to the point of missing the actual question in front of him. He says at one point that a movie changed his life and he knows it can change theirs, which reads as either sincere or completely oblivious depending on how charitable you are feeling that day.
Pin the name tag, do not tape it
Adhesive name tags are built for a few hours in an air conditioned office, not a costume party where you are moving around and sweating a little. Buy a cheap tag with a pin backing or add one yourself. A tag hanging from one corner by 10 PM reads as broken, not nostalgic.
The board game works better as a prop than a display piece
Leaving it in its box on a shelf does nothing for the costume. Carry it, or set it open near you at a table, so people have an actual reason to start a conversation instead of just clocking the reference and moving on.
Couples Idea
Might work, but recognition depends entirely on someone at the party having actually watched Blockbuster, and not many people did. The will-they-won’t-they dynamic between Timmy and Eliza is the emotional core of the show, so if you are both committed to the bit, a Blockbuster polo paired with a more put-together, off-duty look for Eliza tells the story. Outside that context, you just look like two people who work retail together.
Group Idea: The Blockbuster Crew
Might work, but this only reads as a themed group to people who know the cast list, and most people do not know there was a cast list. Percy, played by J.B. Smoove, gives the group its most recognizable face, and adding Connie, Carlos, and Hannah as staff rounds out a full store’s worth of nostalgia. Without Percy in the mix, the rest of the group is just several people in blue polos.
Group Idea: 90s Nostalgia Crew
Strong option if you want the costume to land without anyone needing to know the show. Blockbuster is really just a 90s nostalgia costume with a name tag, so it sits fine next to a 90s Will Smith look or a Ginger Spice costume without needing any shared plot to make sense. The connection here is the decade, not the character, which is exactly why it works on people who never watched a single episode.
Most of this is already in a closet somewhere or sitting on a thrift store rack. The only item worth buying specifically for accuracy is the name tag.
Timmy means well constantly, even when the situation does not call for it. That mismatch is the whole bit, so play it straight rather than winking at anyone.
The blue polo and the name tag are the two items that matter, everything else is filler. Add jeans and sneakers you probably already own, then carry the membership card if you want one more detail. Skip the name tag and you’re just a guy in a work shirt.
Niche, and fading. Blockbuster ran for one season before Netflix canceled it in December 2022, and it wasn’t a hit even when it was new. Most people at a party won’t clock the reference, they’ll just see a 90s video store employee, which still works as a costume, just not as a recognizable character.
Two lines carry the character: “I guess what I’m trying to say is… we’re not dying. We’re the last ones standing.” And: “Movies bring people together. A movie changed my life, and I know it can change theirs.” Both are delivered with more sincerity than the moment probably earns.
Randall Park, also known for Kim’s Convenience and WandaVision. Blockbuster premiered on Netflix on November 3, 2022.
No, it’s fictional and set in Grandville, Michigan, but the premise is clearly inspired by the real last operating Blockbuster, which is in Bend, Oregon.
Weak reviews and low viewership. IMDb users rate the show 5.1 out of 10, and it never broke into Netflix’s own Top 10 after release. Netflix pulled it after one 10 episode season.
Yes. The name tag is doing the actual identifying work, the card is just a bonus prop. If you’re keeping the budget tight, that’s the first thing to cut.
What animal causes a viral incident at Timmy’s store in the pilot episode?
Where is the real last operating Blockbuster store located?
How many seasons did Blockbuster run on Netflix?