‘Creepshow’ Recap: ‘Stranger Sings’ / ‘Meter Reader’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

‘Stranger Sings’

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 304 of ‘Creepshow’.
​
Something that is genuinely fascinating about the various monsters that populate the horror genre, is how their popularity ebbs and flows as the years roll along. Because that simply informs us that our tastes in regard to what scares us, changes with the times and that allows for these creatures to serve us well when the moment is right. But it does leave one to wonder, if it is possible to make ancient monsters that are lying dormant popularity wise, scary and poignant, without waiting for society to deem them as such and that question is relevant to our discussion… because it is the exact one that this week’s episode of Creepshow takes the time to explore.
​
For this week’s tales of terror feature a pair of monsters that the horror genre really doesn’t ponder upon or feature all that often anymore, such as say, the Siren. Something that ‘Stranger Sings’ pulls off by introducing us to a lonely man named Barry that meets a beautiful woman named Sara, and their instant attraction leads to all kinds of trouble for Barry. Because it turns out that his crush is eager to absorb the power of the Siren, the ancient singing being that once lured men into doom related traps with its powerful song, and she has brought Barry to this house to make that happen. For Barry is also a doctor, an OB/GYN by trade, but that should be enough to help Sara obtain the power of her siren friend, Miranda.

Which is a plan that leads to near disaster when Sara becomes drunk with the power she’s given, but an assist from a monster turned human, saves Barry’s life… and in the end this plot makes the Siren quite relevant again. Because one big reason that this creature was so popular back in the day, is that it preyed upon our now lost fears of desire, since so many believed that lust would bring harm. But here, our newfound fears of dating and loneliness, the kind that revolve around the urban legends and horror stories we’ve heard about lonely folks that are lured back to a particular location by a charming monster with darkness in its heart… allows for the Siren to enjoy new life in 2021 and this slightly fluffy and downright fun story is counterbalanced nicely by its far darker counterpart.

---

‘Meter Reader’

For ‘Meter Reader’ is a story that is quite bleak in nature, since it uses modern day commentary to update a concept we’ve forgotten about, possession. A feat that this particular tale accomplishes, by plunging us into a world where it turns out that evil is actually quite real, and it has managed to sneak into modern society by way of a virus. One that resembles outright possession and grants the infected supernatural powers, and this rush of evil has brought society to its knees. But there is some hope to be found, by way of immune heroes that work for the church known as Meter Readers and when we catch up with one named Dalton, we come to realize how dire things are in this world. For Dalton’s latest mission goes awry and that delays him in getting home to his family, and that worries his daughter Theresa to no end.
​
Because she understands the dangers this transformed world now presents, and that brings about great frustration at home since her brother and mother do not, and that in turn leads to all kinds of horrifying strife when dad returns home… past curfew. But what matters more here, is that possessed beings are given new life here thanks to the pandemic related commentary present in this tale. For it truly mirrors our world right now and the fears we had of those infected by Covid-19 and of course, the horrors that the Anti-Vax and MAGA crowds have produced, after they were possessed by lies and the stupid bravado of their wannabe leader and that commentary really does make this quite the powerful vignette, one that genuinely gives new life to a tried and true and downright cliché corner of the genre.

If anything, this particular episode just serves to remind us that creative minds need not wait for a world crisis or a shift in society to capitalize upon the monsters that populate the genre. They merely need to look long and hard at the world and figure out which monster fits a particular scenario best and roll with that, because with a little care and creativity… even the most obscure monster can haunt our nightmares again. Plus, it doesn’t hurt if your story has KNB Efx and Director Joe Lynch behind it. Since the former made all the gross out moments here impactful and Mister Lynch, well he simply knew how to use darkness and shadows to terrify and now that this journey through the more obscure corners of horror has come to a close, we’re left waiting impatiently for next week’s tale. So, we can see how Creepshow will surprise us with its creativity once again. Until next time, kiddies.

---