‘Tales from the Darkside’ Retro Recap: ‘Levitation’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

It is definitely safe to say, that each and every one of us out there… are big fans of something. It could be a particular sports team or a movie franchise. Or for that matter it could be a beloved television franchise or a book series. But no matter what your particularly nerdy poison is, what matters more is that you love it… and that your love of it, has pushed you to be closer to it in some form or fashion. Either by following folks behind your love on social media or owning everything related to it that you can get your hands on, to express your love, and for the most part… this is something that is extremely healthy in nature. Since we all need vices and escapes, and our fandom provides us with that.
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But as if oft the case in our world, there are those out there… who take their particular passion in a far more negative direction, in a manner that makes everyone uncomfortable, courtesy of some oddly aggressive behaviors. For this is the person that is hyper critical of their favorite sports franchise or rips their favorite entertainment franchise to shreds because it doesn’t meet their needs or ridiculous expectations. In fact, we are seeing more of the latter as time goes on with the advent of social media, since these so-called fans are happy to take to the cloud to express their disdain for anything that they feel doesn’t go the way they envisioned in their mind, creating quite the toxic environment when it comes to fandoms right now. One that doesn’t appear to be ending anytime soon. 

Which does leave one to wonder… what it would take for a toxic ‘superfan’ to finally back off and perhaps find joy in something else and oddly enough… that’s something that the next episode of Tales from the Darkside explores in a supremely bleak manner. A feat that ‘Levitation’ accomplishes by introducing us to a pair of magic aficionados named Frank and Ernie, and they have traveled a great distance to see the world-famous magician, The Great Kharma. Who disappeared from public sight after trying out some incredibly risky magic tricks that some say went wrong and others say went right and their hope is to see those incredible tricks in action. But when Frank notices that Kharma just resorts to parlor tricks that any novice can do, he expresses his frustration and disappointment in the most negative way possible, in the hopes of getting Kharma to do his bidding, and well… that is a toxic decision that Frank will come to regret when Kharma decides to perform the trick on Frank, to teach him a lesson in humility.

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If anything, that is the perfect plot to explore the central theme to this tale. Since Frank is, the Star Wars fan boy that believes things should go his way and he exhibits all the toxic behaviors that we deride in this modern world of fandom. Since he is both abusive and aggressive with Kharma, to the point where even his good friend is wildly uncomfortable with his actions and this of course… leads to the horror in question in this tale. Because his pressing not only manages to kill The Great Kharma, since his genuine levitation of Frank takes every ounce of his failing health… but it likely kills Frank as well. After all, he never stops floating, and he cannot break the spell, subjecting him to the horror of either running into a plane or continuing on to the stratosphere where he would suffocate slowly, and that’s a dark ending to this tale for certain.
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One that does press the question… how does one put an end to the toxic nature of superfans? Because let’s be honest, that’s not exactly an ending that offers up an answer, just an ugly fate for an ugly man. But oddly enough, potential answers are present in this tale, most of which comes from an exchange between Kharma and Frank. Wherein this broken magician speaks to the fact that they’re just tricks. Illusions that surprise and captivate and most important of all, entertain, and he also points out that Frank is putting too much personal stock into that… and therein is the answer. In that, we have to find a way to express to these folks… that they don’t own these stories. They own the emotions they receive from them, and the memories, but they don’t control the story and they don’t control the people that make it. Their job is just to enjoy the ride, find the personal meaning it provides them with and move on.

Because they still have a life to live, one they do own and control and that’s where their energies either good or bad should be focused. However, getting them to that point is no easy task since entertainment is so easily consumed now and so accessible, as is a place to vent their odd and toxic concerns. Which might not be a perfect answer, but it is one none the less and it definitely gives the audience something to ponder upon. Which makes this, another fascinating tale from a genuinely fascinating season of storytelling, one that is again prophetic in nature. Since this is something that wasn’t as widespread as it is now, and it is just fascinating to see how ahead of its time this show was and how deep it's thinking is in its inaugural season. Because that kind of depth is rare and well… we’re not done with depth yet. Because the next adventure through the Darkside, focuses heavily on race relations in America and the power of white privilege. Until next time, try to enjoy the daylight.

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