‘Creepshow’ Recap: ‘Dead & Breakfast’ / ‘Pesticide’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

‘Dead & Breakfast’

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 202 of ‘Creepshow’.
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If there is one particular storytelling concept out there, that could be considered as cliché in this day and age, it would have to be exploring what drives people to do dark and twisted things to one another. For countless stories and shows and movies have focused upon this for some time now, and while that has indeed allowed for us to come to understand how abuse and environmental factors can lead a person to perform monstrous acts upon their fellow man, this is a trope that has become predictable in nature. But while it might be easy to consider this concept to be tired or overused, it is one that isn’t going away anytime soon. Because sadly, there are far too many reasons as to why people are cruel to one another and when creative minds dig deep enough, they can uncover fresh angles to examine in regard to that notion… as evidenced by this week’s episode of Creepshow.
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For the pair of vignettes present in this week’s entry, dive deep into a fascinating reason as to why we impart pain upon our fellow man. In that, sometimes people so desperately want to be seen and acknowledged and recognized for something special, that they will go to great and evil lengths to make that happen. Something that is incredibly relevant in this modern era of social media and influencing and that made ‘Dead & Breakfast’ quite the engrossing tale. Since every single character in this story, is striving for those very things. For Pam and Sam Spinster are eager to be in the spotlight for being the spawn of a serial killer and are eager to use others to spread the word about the horrific history of their family’s home and of course, Morgue is looking to be the internet authority on all things haunted and evil. Which makes Miss Morgue's arrival at the Spinster Bed & Breakfast, to explore its illustrious history, a seemingly perfect match. The kind that will allow for everyone to achieve their respective goals.

But once she discovers that the house might be nothing more than a grand lie, one that these siblings have bought into, lock, stock and barrel; the exploration in question comes into play. Since Pam cannot believe the possibility that her entire life has been a lie, and that said lie has been exposed in the simplest way imaginable and being confronted with the possibility that her dream and her hope for fame will be dashed by a little logic and scrutiny… drives her to do terrible things, the kind that eventually make her family famous for all the wrong reasons. But what matters more here, is that this story hammers home the fact that marginalization in any capacity will indeed push people to do horrible things to get their name trending on Twitter, making this quite the bone chilling and realistic tale, when all is said and done.

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‘Pesticide’

As for the second vignette in this episode, well it too focuses on marginalization and the need to be seen by others. But ‘Pesticide’ handles that exploration in a far different light. For this is a story that serves to remind us that our collective inability to exhibit kindness and courtesy on a more consistent basis, can help to make people feel excluded, to the point where they feel that committing dark acts are no big deal since no one cares about who they are or what they do. An exploration that this story accomplishes by making it clear that Harlan is a guy that has been written off and told off more times than we can count before we meet him here, and that has indeed jaded him, to the point where he is ready to do whatever it takes to enjoy a little success and recognition in this world. Which is why he is quick to accept Murdoch’s offer to kill for a boatload of money and a chance to finally be ‘the guy’ in regard to his preferred trade. 
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But while his journey definitely mirrors some of the elements present in the first tale, what happens after Harlan uses his poisons to kill a bevy of human beings is what allows for this particular story offer up something new. For there is nothing but regret in Harlan’s heart, the kind that drives him mad since he begins to dream up images and hallucinations of giant spiders and rats and every bit of vermin that one can imagine. Which makes Harlan’s journey in this story, a grand and gory tragedy of sorts, one that leaves the viewer wondering what might have been, if Harlan had been shown a little courtesy and respect. And it also more or less explores the nature of the ‘crime of passion’ since Harlan is compromised when he meets up with the mysterious Murdoch, something that likely helped to amplify his marginalization and eagerness to do the unthinkable, once again lending credence to the importance of treating everyone we meet with a little respect, since that really can go a long way.

If anything, this really was quite the brilliant episode when all is said and done. Simply because it was filled to the brim with fascinating commentary and unique concepts to explore, the kind that were both subtle and direct in nature but engrossing and thoughtful none the less. But all commentary aside, we would be remiss to not point out that the scares and gore and special effects in this episode were equally as amazing, as was the acting. Because everyone in this particular episode brought their A-game to the table, allowing for these vignettes to truly resonate and well, this just goes to show that that Greg Nicotero and his talented team, are determined to provide all of us with top notch horror, week in and week out. And truly, an episode this good will have each and every one of us counting down the seconds until next week's entry, since we are all beyond eager to see what other incredible themes the finest horror series on television, is going to explore. Until next time, kiddies. 

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