Creepshow started in 2019 and still has its game going strong. The director, Greg Nicotero, has ensured that the stories of the show are all unique and are presented effectively to the audience in the form of messages. The 3rd episode of the 4th season is replete with horror and bloodshed and is a feast for the gore lovers. Will the visuals be able to frighten us to our cores? Let’s hope that it does!
Spoilers Ahead
Story 1: Recap And Ending
Lyle VelJohnson is a loner who is despised by all his peers and even his parents. Gloria and Archibald, his parents, do not appreciate him and find fault in everything he does. This results in Lyle growing up to be a sadist who eventually becomes a murderer after having a fit of rage. On prom night, as Lyle gets dressed as a serial killer, his parents rebuke him and force him to dress up like a sailor. He waits to go to the prom with Violet Myers, one of the most popular girls at school. When time passes and nobody shows up, Gloria calls up Violet’s mother, and she is told that Violet had left for the prom two hours ago. Lyle is shamed by his father for being a disgrace to his family, which infuriates him, and he kills both his parents. Even after death, both his parents’ spirits do not leave his side and constantly criticize him for all his acts.
After almost more than four years, Lyle bumps into Violet in a market, and he tells her that both his parents are dead. She apologizes to him for having stood him up on prom night when they were in school. Violet confesses to Lyle that her parents had started a fraudulent scheme, robbing half the town of their wealth. When their scam was exposed, her father killed himself, and her mother drank herself to death. Lyle and Violet eventually get attracted to each other after a few dates. Meanwhile, Lyle gets visits from special agents Ella and Mann, asking him about the whereabouts of his parents. He wards them off by saying that his parents were out on a vacation to Switzerland. He ends up getting married to Violet, and it is not long before she reveals her intentions to Lyle. She says that after her parents had gone broke, she killed them to get the money out of their life insurance. However, the money was too little to sustain her, and that is why she married Lyle to get his wealth. Just as she says this, Lyle drops to the floor, and she says that she poisoned his alcohol. Just then, Gloria and Archibald’s spirits arrive and lament the death of their son and then kill Violet. Meanwhile, the detectives are seen to be pulling the bodies of Lyle’s and Violet’s parents out of the lake on the VelJohnson property.
Lyle is, however, later seen to have been restored to life by paramedics. On reviving his senses, he sees Violet’s spirit cursing him and saying that she would make his life a living hell. We are reminded of the film Corpse Bride after looking at Violet’s apparition, except for the fact that Violet is nowhere near as friendly as the corpse bride. He also sees the spirits of his own parents, along with the parents of Violet, arguing amongst themselves over the situation. As he is seen talking to the spirits, he is thought of as a madman by the police, and they blame him for all the murders. As he is being escorted out of the house by the paramedics and the detectives, the spirits are seen following him to his doom.
This story brings out how the love of parents never dies, even after they leave us. Lyle was constantly criticized by his parents, not because they saw him as a failure but so that he could improve his ways. They tried protecting him even after their deaths, which had been caused by Lyle himself. It is, however, true that parenting plays a crucial role in shaping one’s personality. Therefore, it is very important to give the children the right advice at the right time, rather than just insulting them for their failures. In a way, Lyle’s parents were equally responsible for his final doom.
Story 2: Recap and Ending
The second story revolves around Marcia, a golddigger who tries to pave her path to a wealthy lifestyle after the death of her old husband, David Higgins. Just when she thinks that she is going to be wealthy after his death, she is threatened by Higgins’ mother and state administrator. She said that Marcia would not see a penny. Not long after her husband’s death, Marcia heads out on a search for a new caregiver for her. She is seen breaking up with Benny in a restaurant because she states that he has scammed her by initially saying that he was very rich, but later she found out that he was only a poor farmer. As she stomps out of the restaurant with her stepdaughter, Ruby, we see Carla, the waitress, cursing her and calling her a “black widow”. She tells Benny how Marcia had also broken her brother’s heart earlier.
Marcia is seen lying on her bed when she receives a call from the caregiver of Higgin’s mother. She is told that the old lady is sick with cancer and wants to spend the last few days of her life with her granddaughter. Marcia seems very happy that the old lady will soon be dead and that she will inherit all her late husband’s wealth. She immediately calls Ruby and asks her to get ready to go to her grandmother’s villa. As they both head out, danger strikes them in the middle of the road. Marcia hits a huge animal with her car and bumps into a tree trunk. She initially thinks it to be a coyote, but later she and Ruby are attacked by the animal that seems to be a werewolf. Ruby is dragged out of the car by the animal, and Marcia waits anxiously in the car with a weapon. Just as the incidents are occurring, she notices Benny’s car and asks him for help. When Benny tries calling out for help, he is also killed by the werewolf. Marcia notices Ruby in the middle of the road, being chased down by the werewolf. Her motherly instincts suddenly kick in, and she rescues Ruby by stabbing the werewolf and killing it with the weapon in her hand. Later, it is revealed that Carla has actually turned into a werewolf who is attacking everyone. Marcia takes Ruby out of that place and somehow manages to reach her grandmother’s house. Later, it is revealed that Ruby has also turned into a werewolf herself, and she then attacks Marcia, killing her, so that they could forever stay together as a family.
The motherly love that the child, Ruby, had been craving after the loss of her own parents was fulfilled by Marcia. Just like the transformation of a werewolf into a monster from a human, Marcia is also seen to have a sudden transformation from a heartless woman to a woman with maternal love in her heart. The sudden shift of the story to that of a wreckage caused by a werewolf was quite unpredictable. It was also unexpected that Ruby would suddenly transform into a werewolf. There is a possibility that Ruby was already a werewolf before the attack, which was not known to the others. It could have also been that Ruby wanted to be more close with Marcia after receiving the maternal warmth, and therefore she attacked her suddenly to turn her into a creature like herself in the end.
Final Thoughts
Both the stories in the third episode have touches of comic elements to them, making them similar to other popular horror comedies like Truth Seekers, Dead End: Paranormal Park, and others. Despite the comic elements, there are deep-rooted messages that have been embedded in the stories. Both stories are similar to some extent as they depict how the loss of parents can affect the minds of individuals. The unexpected twists and turns in the stories are sure to keep the audience glued to their seats for a solid 50 minutes! The first story was quite impressive and could not have been presented better without the splashes of comedy! Despite having certain loopholes, the second story is also solid, but in my opinion, it could have been presented better through a consolidated plot development.
