'Nightmares & Dreamscapes' Retro Recap: 'The Road Virus Heads North'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Sometimes horror can be outright beautiful, especially when it can convey a complex and powerful concept, in the most absolute simplest of fashion. This is the kind of experience that allows for maximum enjoyment since fans looking for something more, have plenty to ponder upon when the story has come its end.

But even if you're looking for something simple, that kind of horror becomes a special experience, since it often conveys terror in its purest form, and you are treated to raw and powerful emotions and scares on a primal level. However, this is an incredible feat to pull off since it requires a powerful attention to detail to mix everything together just right and to date, only a handful of horror masters can pull it off, one of which being the legendary Stephen King and one such story in this vein was featured in Nightmares & Dreamscapes in 'The Road Virus Heads North'.

Author Richard Kinnell is a master of horror. His terrifying novels have forced many a fan to sleep with their lights on, but for the first time in his life, Richard is the one feeling a sense of fear. For while he is in town to attend a book event, he stops by the Doctor's office for a checkup, and receives the news that he may indeed have an advanced form of cancer. The Doc wants to do more testing to be one hundred percent sure of course, but in his gut, Richard knows it's bad news. The news gives Richard plenty to chew upon as he begins a long drive home, but along the way, something catches his eye at a garage sale, a disturbing painting entitled 'The Road Virus Heads North' and well, the backstory of an artist that went mad after painting it, makes this macabre trinket to good to pass up and he purchases it. But as he continues his trip home, something about the painting begins to unsettle him, and as the hours pass, he realizes that the painting is beginning to change and it's clear...the being behind the wheel on canvas is heading to Richard's home, and now it is a race against time to see who will arrive home...first...

So, we talked briefly about loading up a story with high level concepts in simple fashion, and when you strip down the layers of this genius episode, it's core meaning is simple. This is a story about death, and facing one's morality since Richard is now staring down the darkness with his likely cancer diagnosis and he simply cannot process the fact that his life may quickly come to an end, which means that in many ways, The Road Virus represents his worst fear, dying, and this strange being is chasing him, and racing alongside him every step of the way as Richard tries his best to get home and well...it's a concept that works through and through. For those wanting a scare, the painting is indeed terrifying as it stalks our intrepid writer and the fear is evident and primal and through the entire story, there's a sense of doom closing in on both the viewer and Richard, culminating in a tense finale.

But for those looking for something more, in addition to the metaphor and specter of death hovering over the episode, there is more to be found as well. After all, one has to consider exactly how much the cancer diagnosis is affecting Richard mentally, and whether or not The Road Virus is real. Since Richard is a writer and a good one at that, his imagination may be taking over and putting images in his head where there are none, or...it could flat out be a horrific monster from the recesses of our worst nightmares and the man really is in big time trouble at the end of the episode. But what makes this story so great, is that it gets us thinking through and through, and provides plenty of chills along the way and as this mini series progresses, it only seems to be getting stronger in its storytelling and I cannot wait to see what this series will be putting on the table next. 

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