‘Tales from the Darkside’ Retro Recap: ‘Madness Room’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

We are taught from a very early age that the world is a genuinely beautiful place, and we should celebrate its wonder often, and it makes sense as to why our parents teach us this lesson. Because… there’s a lot of truth to it. For just a simple trip outside in the middle of a particular season, can take our breath away with the majesty of the moment. Not to mention, there’s a lot to celebrate when it comes to humanity as well, since we are capable of such beautiful and wonderful acts. The kind that brings tears to our eyes when we see our capacity for kindness and love. But what is genuinely fascinating about this lesson, is that it has a tendency to confuse us in adulthood.
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Because as we get older and try to embrace that beauty… we find our efforts to do so to be complicated in nature. For there are dark acts that permeate our world as well. Since there are people that work to destroy the beauty of nature that we are supposed to take a moment and properly appreciate. Plus, for every kind and beautiful act that takes place, there is one of great cruelty imparted upon the world. Which means that the lesson in question, isn’t always applicable or truthful and well… how do we reconcile that and/or teach others a lesson that is a bit of a foolhardy lie? Well, the easy answer is, we cannot, not without understanding why evil is in the world and how to eliminate it so that we can in fact celebrate beauty and forget of the darker days we now know. 

One way we can accomplish that, is through storytelling of course since stories allow for complex answers to come forth for complex problems or at the very least… offer advice on such matters and it just so happens that the next episode of Tales from the Darkside ponders upon the root causes of evil to help us explore how to end it. A feat that ‘Madness Room’ accomplishes by introducing us to a seemingly happy couple comprised Cathy and Edward Osbourne. Who are well-to-do and well, bored because of it. To the point where Cathy decides to play a little game with a Ouija board she recently found when the family lawyer, named Michael, swings by for a social call. Which in turn, leads to quite the discovery when they manage to contact an actual spirit, one that informs them that this old house has a secret room… one that brings forth madness and of course… curiosity compels them to explore.

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Which at first glance is a plot that doesn’t seem too deeply mired in notions of darkness or the evil indulgences of man. But once the trio gets into the madness room, those themes become apparent. Since it turns out that Cathy set all this up as a long con to get Edward to have a heart attack. So, she could have his money and well… that’s a great way to explore the genesis of evil and why we commit to it. Because she has it all, she’s comfortable and can enjoy a relaxed life, so why do this? Well, in this instance and perhaps in a great deal of others… it all comes down to greed and this strange sense we are oft trapped in our lives. As though without pushing for more we become less and well… that drives her to this act and succinctly informs us… that we have to find a way to remove greed from the equation regarding the human experience and find new ways to provide humanity with worth and self-satisfaction, so we don’t become like Cathy.
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Which is more observation than answer since no real path forward is set up here. But that’s okay. Because that is more than we currently have on the table regarding the evil that men do. But while that is some fascinating commentary and some real evil on display, we’d be foolish to not talk about the horror elements present here. For that is what this show does best, and boy does it deliver on the creepy here. For this is a story that leans hard into the ghostly atmosphere, with a wonderful setup that keeps the surprise under wraps the whole way through. Plus, the madness room is the perfect setting for the finale and is eerie to the nines and of course, that twist at the end… well that’s just vintage Tales from the Darkside, since this series has always been big on having bad people be punished for their machinations in a unique and creative manner.

If anything, this is just a solid episode of the show. Not its best mind you, because there are other episodes that dig into far deeper concepts and offer wilder scares. But this one is still quite watchable after all these years and despite its more low-key and slow-burn approach, it works, and it keeps you engaged, and it deserves a round of applause for doing its best to be more from a commentary standpoint. Because you can never go wrong with horror stories that try to explore the human condition in a dynamic manner and this one does indeed do that just fine and well, it would seem that bigger societal concepts are going to be the focus of this series for a short while. Since the next episode, has a lot to say about one of the worst real-world monsters out there… politicians. Until next time, try to enjoy the daylight.  

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