‘Creepshow’ Recap: ‘Pipe Dreams’ / ‘Within the Walls of Madness’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

‘Pipe Dreams’

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 204 of ‘Creepshow’.
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There are a great many reasons as to why the Shudder series, Creepshow, has been such a phenomenal, runaway hit. So many in fact, that a fifty-part series would be in order to properly cover them all. But for the sake of today’s recap, it’s best we focus upon the most important one of all… the sheer fact that this series is a chameleon of sorts. For week in and week out, this incredible show is able to shift its focus thematically and offer up episodes that reflect said theme, allowing for the audience to ponder upon a great deal once the story has come to an end and thus far, the series is showing no signs of stepping away from this fascinating format. For already in season two, we’ve been treated to stories that reflect upon the power of nostalgia, the darkness present in man and how horror works with any genre and it just so happens that this week's episode follows this proud tradition as well.

For this week’s dual tales of terror ponder upon the power of the fantastical, and how it ignites our imagination and leaves us wondering about the endless possibilities of the unknown and it accomplished this particular feat… by outright surprising us with the impossible in its first vignette. For early on, ‘Pipe Dreams’ appears as though a completely different type of tale is going to head our way. One where a semi-closeted racist landlord will get their just desserts in the most Creepshow way imaginable. And while the evil Victoria does indeed get just that, how she comes to that point is what brings about the exploration of the fantastical. For it takes a plumber named Linus to discover that the pipe problem in her complex is related to the fact, that a gross clog has come to life. And it is so hungry for blood that the only way to properly satiate it, is to feed it something evil… specifically, one bitter and racist landlord. 

But while that alone could have carried this tale, since we don’t know a thing about the glob and where it comes from, lending credence to the possibility that anything can exist in our world, what truly allows for this story to shine… are the little things it injects into the story. Such as offering a little social commentary on race relations in America, alongside hints of homage since this story has echoes of The Blob and Evil Dead II. All of which allows for this story to have depth to accompany the fantastical and that really is a testament to Daniel Kraus’ phenomenal script and Joe Lynch’s slick direction since you’ve never bored when watching this tale and it doesn’t hurt that it features some phenomenal performances as well, with Barbara Crampton stealing the show as the villainous Victoria and really, all of these elements make this a well-rounded tale for certain. One that is accessible to any horror fan since it offers everything you could ask for from a scary story and oddly enough, it might also serve as a prequel tale to another Creepshow related story. Since one must wonder if the tiny carnivorous blob here, was eventually washed away and ended up in a lake. Where it grew into the giant oil slick present in ‘The Raft’ in Creepshow 2.

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‘Within the Walls of Madness’

If anything, all those elements make that tale the ‘fun’ fantastical story, whereas the other vignette in this episode handles a darker exploration on the matter. Since ‘Within the Walls of Madness’ takes us deep within a secret government research facility where a former researcher named Zeller, is preparing his defense for a murder trial. For a horrible incident at the facility, wherein he hacked two of his coworkers to death, has everyone believing that he simply lost his mind and decided to take out his frustrations upon them. But Zeller claims that he made this decision because his coworkers violated the sanctity of the universe and explored other realms, and the desire of one such coworker to unleash horrors present in another dimension, upon our world, motivated him to end everyone in the hopes of keeping that evil at bay. Which is a defense that no one believes and after he is convicted and on death row, he decides the time is right to prove to the world that he wasn’t lying… by letting those horrors through.
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Which is a perfect way to explore the fantastical since it puts another realm on display and helps our imagination to ponder upon whether or not our reality is the only one out there. But what truly makes this particular vignette so special… is that it taps into something legendary as well. For it is revealed that the other realm that awaits beyond is the kingdom of The Old Ones, which means this is a genuine Lovecraft story through and through. One that is complete with Cthulhu himself and that makes this story quite the bleak treat. One that is hopeless and powerful and horrifying in every way imaginable and it too features another scene stealing performance from a big-name star. For Denise Crosby plays the enigmatic and twisted Dr. Trollenberg with a savvy evil that sells the power of the Old Ones, and Greg Nicotero and John Esposito and John Harrison deserve serious credit for their quality writing and directing, respectively, when it comes to this tale since they brought a classic monster back to life in a seamless and powerful manner.

In the end, this is just another perfect episode from a downright perfect season. Because every single story that season two has sent our way has been top-notch and delightful and this episode stands out for doing a wonderful job of reminding us why the fantastical works so well in horror. For this is a genre born out of our fears of the unknown and adding new wrinkles to that fold only engages and delights our brains and well, it just speaks to the fact that this show understands that the possibilities are endless when it comes to horror, and that it will explore every corner of it in great detail. So that the audience enjoys the most dynamic and terrifying experience possible and that realization, once again leaves this reviewer and undoubtedly so many of you out there, hungry for more carnage from the finest horror series on the airwaves. Until next time, kiddies.
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‘Creepshow’ is streaming now, exclusively on Shudder.

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