‘Creepshow’ Recap: ‘Drug Traffic’ / ‘A Dead Girl Named Sue’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

‘Drug Traffic’

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the season three finale of ‘Creepshow’.
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It is definitely safe to say, that season three of the Shudder series, Creepshow, has been the show’s most cerebral and fascinating to date. Because week in and week out, it has offered its viewers some supremely unique monsters and some equally as powerful commentary. The kind that has forced us to face fears we often don’t think about in our everyday lives. Such as how time is a monster that we cannot fight but can instead, outwit, by living our lives to the fullest. Plus, the series also took the time to help us face and process the horrors of the past year with stories that truly reflected the terror of the pandemic and oddly enough, it is that latter bit of commentary that is relevant to today’s discussion. 
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Simply because, Greg Nicotero and his team recognized another fear living within the framework of a global pandemic, one that we also don’t address all that often. In that, we are terrified of the possibility that modern society might crumble under the right pressure and that allowed for the show to offer up a pair of tales that explored what could cause such a collapse and what we can do to prevent it and the first vignette brought about that examination, by offering up some contemporary commentary. For ‘Drug Traffic’ is a story filled to the brim with familiar moments. Since it takes place at the border, where a congressman is trying to show the world how broken our health care system is and how racism is alive in America, by using the wanton racism and ignorance of a Border Patrol Agent named Beau, to prove his point.

But the big problem that comes forth in focusing upon that, is that it allows for Beau and the congressman to argue endlessly about which side is wrong while something horrible happens behind the scenes. In that, a woman trying to return to America with experimental drugs, transforms into a terrifying monster because of her affliction and because of the arguments taking place, since they deny her that very medication. And this transformed being is eager to eat the flesh of anyone around, because that is what it hungers for, and it isn’t until the two men work together that its reign of terror (mostly) ends.

Making it clear that one of the big things that could bring our modern world to a collapse is ignorance and rhetoric and a belief that only our side is the right side. And in order to prevent that, we need collaboration and understanding and an honest and hard conversation about equality with those who believe otherwise (to start with, that is) and those were some solid and frightening points, the kind that definitely gave us pause and what’s amazing… is that the show still had more powerful things to say about this week’s theme.

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‘A Dead Girl Named Sue’

For ‘A Dead Girl Named Sue’ opted to explore the dangers of rampant fear and how it could bring us down and it accomplished that feat, by resurrecting the wisdom of George A. Romero. For this tale was set on 10/23, the Night of the Living Dead, and when we catch up with small town Police Chief Evan Foster here… he’s struggling to deal with the events now happening. In part because, the end of the world at the hands of living death has arrived, but also because, the townsfolk are ready to just give into the chaos and settle some scores. Especially when it comes to the town’s resident monster, Cliven Ridgeway and well… despite Evan’s best efforts to maintain law and order in a time of need, he too eventually comes to realize that perhaps… now is the time to embrace a new and darker way. Which motivates him to bring Cliven in and lock him up… so that the townsfolk can enact quite the powerful plan for revenge.

For you see, Cliven killed a young girl named Sue, and got away with the crime courtesy of his scumbag dad… who also happens to be the mayor of this one stop town. And by putting him in a cell, with his hands firmly cuffed… Sue’s reanimated corpse can have her delicious revenge at last and the town can sleep easier knowing they did a good deed with the end times upon them and well… this brilliant vignette, based on the short story by Craig Engler, really is a perfect Romero tribute. Since it reminds us of the fact that fear can destroy civilization with minimal effort and motivate us to do terrible things. Since a genuine fear that America would be gone tomorrow, prompted these good people to abandon everything they cherish and abided by, to enact revenge. Which is meant to inform us that during times of crisis, we cannot lose our heads and we cannot give into fear, or all will be lost.

Which is a supremely relevant message to see play out in this vignette, since it reminds us of the uncomfortable moments that have popped up over the past twenty years where fear has indeed taken hold and well, this entire finale is quite sobering for certain. Since it puts some genuine concerns and problems on display, the kind that stay with you long after this episode has come to an end. Not because they’re so bleak in nature, but because they point out how foolish we can be and how common sense could fix a great deal of our problems and really, in the end, this is the perfect way to close out the third season of this phenomenal series.

Because not only does this vignette pay tribute to one of horror’s biggest icons and the messages he injected into his work, but because it points out that fear really is mankind’s biggest obstacle to overcome and the instant, we do that… so many of the worries we faced this season and in everyday life, will indeed fade away and that makes this season quite poignant and oddly hopeful. If anything, this just goes to show that Creepshow is genuinely evolving into something quite special and powerful and hopefully we get many more seasons of this series. So that we can properly face our fears and grow accordingly. Until next time, kiddies.  

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