While the third episode of “Cabinet of Curiosities” talks about a creature from the outside world, the fourth episode, titled “The Outside,” brings forward the innermost demon that resides within us. The fear of missing out or the inferiority complex, whatever you name it, is without a doubt the most horrific psychological issue in modern society. Let’s see how Guillermo del Toro helped the makers of the episode to represent this inner demon that resides in all of us.
Spoilers Ahead
‘Cabinet of Curiosities’ Episode 4 ‘The Outside’ Recap And Ending
It was Christmas time, and everyone was preparing for a party. There, Stacey was seen cooking dinner for herself. She was all alone in her house when she heard a noise coming down from the basement. She feared the presence of someone in the house, so she called her husband, Keith, who was a policeman. Keith knew about Stacey’s fear, so he tried consoling her by saying that the noises were coming because their house was old. Later, we see different women gossiping about other men and women and about using costly skin-care products. They were Stacey’s colleagues. Stacey got inspired and thought of using skin care products just like them.
Later that night, a woman from her work came with a Santa hat and made her pick a token. She picked a token with Gina’s name on it. Stacey was excited about the party because, deep down, she admired Gina’s beauty and how she was friends with almost everyone. For Keith, Stacey was perfect, but she always thought less of herself. Because of her insecurities, she failed to make any friends and thus blamed her looks for that. Stacey mastered the art of hunting animals and stuffing them to be later used as collectables. So, she shot a duck and stuffed it to present it to Gina. When she reached Gina’s place, she saw that Gina had brought different presents for everyone. She gave everyone a packet filled with skin-care products. There was a beauty cream named “Alo Glo” that was the costliest cream in the world. Everyone started applying the cream right at that moment. Stacey also applied it to her skin, but it did not suit her skin. Rashes appeared all over her face. Stacey left for home, and Keith told her that there was no reason for her to use that cream.
Later that night, as Stacey could not sleep because of the itching, she started watching TV. There she saw an advertisement for “Alo Glo” that halted Stacey’s life for a moment. It was like the moment had seized her completely. Suddenly, the broadcaster started interacting with Stacey. Stacey got confused at first but later understood that it was not a dream and that it was happening in reality. The broadcaster told her to use the cream, but Stacey told him that her skin was itching because of it. Later, the broadcaster convinced her with the lie that the skin had recovered from the itching. So, if she continued applying the cream, her beautiful self would eventually come out. Stacey was persuaded by the broadcaster, and so she dialled the number displayed on the screen to order more Alo Glo cream.
The next day, someone left a box full of Aloe Glo cream on Stacey’s doorstep. Stacey started using the cream, and the itching became severe. Keith tried to stop her, but she wouldn’t listen. Later, one day, Stacey found a creature in their basement made of Alo Glo cream, and it behaved like Stacey’s reflection. She hugged and kissed the creature. Later, when Keith saw her all covered up with Alo Glo cream, he begged her to stop this nonsense. Stacey killed him and later followed the trail of the creature into her bathroom. Stacey literally bathed in the Alo Glo cream, and later, she became truly beautiful. Gina’s friends could not recognize her, and everyone was amused by her trespass. Everyone was now interested in learning about Stacey’s life; however, at the end of the episode, we get the vibe that Stacey was finding it difficult to cope with other people. Also, back at home, Stacey had stuffed her husband and turned Keith into one of her collectables.
‘Cabinet of Curiosities’ Episode 4: Ending Explained – Did The Alo Glo Cream Really Work? Why Did Stacey Murdered Keith?
After Stacey went into the bathtub and soaked herself in Alo Glo, we saw that the Alo Glo itself was trying to grasp her completely. Well, beauty products can work wonders at times, but some say it is the confidence you carry that attracts attention. It is pretty vividly shown that Alo Glo did work, and Stacey looked really beautiful. She had a completely different look now, and since she was beautiful, she had built a new-found confidence within herself. We have also seen that she did not care much about anything towards the end, apart from making herself look beautiful. So, it was a dream (or obsession) that finally came true.
However, in the process of becoming an appealing person to the world, she lost the only person who loved her for her inner beauty and kindness. He even told her that she was perfect and she did not need to change her looks. But it was too late because Stacey’s fears had clouded her mind and taken over her ability to think and make decisions. She killed Keith because she was so obsessed with him. But soon after she got what she had always wanted, she made Keith one of her collectables. She took his inner body parts out, put some Styrofoam in their place, and then sewed him back together. Keith’s body was even put on the couch, so it looked like he was watching TV. Even though Gina and her friends liked Stacey more, the price she had to pay was high. She did everything she could to be like them. Even though she thought she was in heaven, she didn’t feel like smiling. All she did was pretend that people like Gina made her happy.
See more: ‘Cabinet Of Curiosities’ Episode 3: Recap And Ending, Explained: What Was The Creature’s Mistake?
