‘Tales from the Darkside’ Retro Recap ‘Dream Girl’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Lou Cutell as Otto Schrog in Episode 213 of ‘Tales from the Darkside’ – ‘Dream Girl’. (Photo Courtesy of Laurel Entertaiment.)

One particular mental exercise that each and every one of us will take part in somewhere along the line… is pondering upon how great it would be to have total control over people. Where we could control their thoughts and their actions. Which is a fantasy that arises out of the fact, that people can be an outright pain in the butt to deal with, for a bevy of reasons. For instance, people can be stubborn and eager to resist suggestions that make life easier. Not to mention, they can be so rude and so cold for no reason and sometimes… they are just so much to handle from an energy and demand standpoint. So, we wonder how great it would be, to control the ones that annoy us the most.
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But of course, that fantasy eventually fades, and we get back to our everyday lives. Because there’s never going to be a day when we can get Dave from accounting to stop talking about the most asinine things ever. But alas, that irritation is simply part of the human experience and we do find ways to cope and find balance. But what if… the day actually came where we could control people with our minds? What would that look like? Would it give us the joy we hope for? Would it finally make life easier? Well as it turns out, storytelling is the best place to explore such concepts and believe it or not, one of the finest horror anthologies shows out there opted to ponder upon those questions and that possibility in its next episode.

For the Tales from the Darkside, episode, ‘Dream Girl’, takes the time to introduce us to a pair of people that well… grate upon one another’s nerves. For there’s Andrea Caldwell, a no-nonsense stage director that cannot stand her lazy stagehand Otto Schrog. Who seems to have taken a shine to her as cast members go missing at a critical time. Which brings forth a blow up between the two of them, one that reveals… that Otto has cracked the code to controlling human beings and now knows how to capture them and move them into a dream world where they are under his control and do his bidding… and Andrea is his next target, and she is soon privy to the horrors of Otto’s mental playhouse. But there is just one problem for Otto. In that, the people he’s locked away in his mind are coming to understand what’s happened… and they want Otto’s pedantic fantasies to end.

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Jon Cedar and Carolyn Seymour as Syd Grossinger and Andrea Caldwell in Episode 213 of ‘Tales from the Darkside’ – ‘Dream Girl’. (Photo Courtesy of Laurel Entertaiment.)

Which is a plot that quickly informs us… that being able to control others with one’s mind… would be a terrible gift to have. Simply because… it doesn’t matter how much supernatural power you have or how much control one chooses to exert… no human being wants to be put under someone’s thumb in that manner. For they have dreams, hopes, and desires in life and they will resist, and they will fight to have what they want. Yet, while that is indeed a fascinating lesson to learn, one that makes sense, it does beg a secondary question. In that, well, what if someone were to do this and be benevolent about it? Would that bring forth peace and quiet? To which the show states… no. Since a touch of kindness and a desire to level the playing field, just leads to a new jerk wanting to be the big boss, implying that this kind of power… would create a vicious cycle of sorrow.
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All of which makes, for a fascinating episode that in many ways… does not resemble the traditional horror present in this saga. But make no mistake about it… there are some creepy and unsettling elements here. For instance, there is the obvious one; Otto’s desire to exert control over people. Because it takes a twisted mind to make that happen, a real monster if you will and that’s eerie. As are the dream sequences that play out since you see normal people just fall under the spell of Otto and are helpless to resist him until he is at his weakest, and the thought of being stuck in that world, is equally as gross and scary. But above all, it’s the dream sequences that bring forth the terror here, since they are so surreal and outlandish that they truly disorient the viewer and confuse them and leave them uncomfortable, and this genre is all about that vibe.

But while there are some fascinating concepts here and some genuinely ethereal moments, let’s be honest… this is an episode that won’t appeal to all and understandably so. For this is in a way… almost gothic horror and features that slow burn style present within that subgenre that some find… boring. For lack of a better word. Not to mention, it does take a while to get to the good stuff and enjoy the messages at hand. Which makes this a slightly weaker entry in season two than some might like, but they cannot all be perfect tales of terror, and this episode does deserve some accolade. After all, it tried something new, something creepy, and effort goes a long way in this genre, but if by chance you watch this one and don’t like it… don’t feel bad in the slightest. Because while this is one is indeed ambitious, it is nowhere near perfect. Until next time, try to enjoy the daylight.

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