‘Tales from the Darkside’ Retro Recap: ‘Monsters in My Room’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Seth Green as Timmy in Episode 212 of ‘Tales from the Darkside’ – ‘Monsters in My Room’. (Photo Courtesy of Laurel Entertainment.)

Something that is genuinely fascinating when it comes to modern television, is how many shows shy away from what can still be considered to be taboo and difficult topics. And what makes that so fascinating is that we are now in the year 2024, where we seem to have a better understanding of the fact that the world is a flawed place, where the bad things that happen to us are grounded in unique origin points that can be worked upon and prevented, and we need to acknowledge that reality and have conversations around the harm that is happening. So that it is recognized and discussed so we can bring about the end of such problems. 
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Granted, it is not completely up to television to solve our woes, but this is a medium that reaches so many and has in the past, tackled tough topics before and well, it is perhaps the past that can be looked to, to really garner a blueprint of how best to discuss such topics and believe it or not, a classic episode of Tales from the Darkside might aid in that. For back in the show’s second season, a particular story popped up that at first glance, was nothing more than a tale of irony, but upon deeper inspection, had a lot to say about mental health, the dangers of not treating it and the horrors of generational abuse.

Which are feats that ‘Monsters in My Room’ accomplishes by introducing us to a family in transition. For Helen has remarried and her new husband Biff, is struggling to connect with her son, Timmy. Which wouldn’t be of note, save for the fact that Biff… bullies his stepson around often. For he deems him soft, and feminine in nature, and believes that Timmy needs to be a man and fight like one, just like Biff did in Vietnam and well… that leads to tough times for Timmy. For now, he is constantly under fire from his stepdad during the day, and to complicate matters further, there are monsters lurking about his room that terrorize him at night, making it seem as though… poor Timmy is about to become a terrifying statistic. But thankfully, this story takes things in a vastly different direction, which we will discuss in just a moment.

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Greg Mullavey as Biff in Episode 212 of ‘Tales from the Darkside’ – ‘Monsters in My Room’. (Photo Courtesy of Laurel Entertainment.)

Because what matters most here is that this episode presented, in an incredible manner, how we can use television to discuss big topics. And as evidenced here, we cannot shy away from it on the small screen, we must present it in an honest and earnest light, as was accomplished here. Since Biff’s actions, in all their terrifying glory, properly showcased PTSD and the dangers of not having it or mental health issues treated. Since it made Biff an abusive monster and that in turn allowed for another honest showcasing regarding generational trauma, and how repeated abuse creates new monsters, the kind that are eager to strike back as Timmy did here at the end of the story.
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But giving this to us in an honest light, and with a little horror chaser, made the lessons here palatable and poignant and worth discussing at home. And that’s just it, we need to start the discussions and this episode does that and really does offer a blueprint for how to do it at a time when television is ready to go full bore and tackle the tough stuff and expose it to the world. But of course, one cannot discuss this story without discussing its horror elements, which are equally as impressive as the commentary here. Because this is another one of those horror stories that preys on multiple childhood fears. Such as having our parents lose their temper with us, because we love them and want to be the best kid for them at a young age… alongside our fears of the dark.

Specifically, the things that we think go bump in the night, and the monsters here are simply sublime. For they are indeed the stuff of nightmares and only something a kid could conjure up in their mind and those moments are indeed creepy and intense and add to one amazing episode. One that was also ahead of its time for addressing two topics we BARELY discuss now, and it was anchored by some solid performances. With Seth Green leading the way as the conflicted and wounded Timmy and Greg Mullavey selling the scares as the out-of-control Biff, and well, now that we’ve reached the end of this wondrous and pioneering tale, it will be interesting to see what other trailblazing moments await us in season two. Until next time, try to enjoy the daylight.

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