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

Written by John Edward Betancourt

It is definitely safe to say, that everyone has very unique goals when it comes to what they want out of life. For instance, some people want their name in lights, and will do whatever it takes to achieve that. While others want nothing more than to be a good person that is remembered by many and some… simply want a simple life where they can raise a family and enjoy the wonders of that. But what’s amazing, is that regardless of what particular goal you are seeking in life, everything we are after in our journey through the world shares in a common theme. In that, we want to be seen and recognized by someone in this world. 
​
Think about it for a second. Because the person that wants to be a star, needs people to keep their name in lights, and those who want to be seen as a great person, have to be recognized and remembered by others for their efforts and even the simple family life… involves us needing to be around people that care about us. Because sharing some kind of a connection with our fellow man in any capacity is essential to our mental health and our ability to function and that is why, so many of us fear being alone or failing in our goals. Because we simply cannot fathom the thought of being invisible in a world that celebrates the wonder of each of us and thankfully… we tend to rarely walk our paths alone since we do find ways to connect with people as we journey through life.

But… while we know we need that connection and likely subconsciously make it happen to satisfy our needs, it does beg some questions. Such as, what would we become if we seemingly didn’t exist to people and if by chance… we couldn’t make that connection? As it turns out, these are questions that horror is happy to explore, as evidenced by the next episode of Tales from the Darkside. For ‘Slippage’ is a story that introduces us to a man named Richard Hall, who is dealing with quite the problem. In that, people keep forgetting to invite him to events or even pay him the right time of day and well, these ignorant moments lead him to believe that maybe something has gone terribly wrong with the world, and he’s being erased from existence and well… he is right. For something dark is at work and it is indeed working to move the world on without him and there is nothing that Richard can do but desperately attempt to be seen by those that matter.

---

Which is… quite the impactful way to ponder on this concept since it uses real world horrors to play a game of ‘What if?’ with the audience. After all, each and every one of us worry about why someone would forget to include us in an event or how on earth someone we’ve known could forget us and playing on those fears really does draw one into the story and help to make it clear that fading from memories and the world, would indeed be a horrifying experience. One that would isolate us and terrorize us in a manner we’ve never known and that leads to a powerful ending that brings all of our fears together.
​
But while this is an impactful exploration of a reality that few of us will ever go through, thankfully… when one considers that season one of this series has leaned hard into deeper meanings for its stories, it should come as no surprise that this one has some messaging buried within the plot as well. Since this story does point out, that we can create this worst-case scenario by closing ourselves off to others and by doing everything we can to avoid to human contact and connection with others. A feat the story accomplishes by making it clear that at times, Richard isn’t exactly an easy person to know or get near since he does have walls and does tend to want to avoid people now and again. Making this a cautionary tale of sorts, one that informs us to ignore those desires for an extended period of time and be open with those we love so the connection is always maintained.

If anything, this is just another unique episode from a season of storytelling that continues to surprise. Because season one went far harder than any of us likely remember and well, being treated to such special and carefully crafted stories is quite the treat. For these tales of terror are holding up quite well decades after their release and the stories we’ve covered so far are unrivaled in their originality by the modern era of horror and what’s amazing… is we are only a little way into the journey. That means we will be treated to all kinds of incredible stories down the line, the kind that will titillate and terrify and it just so happens, that the next episode of this storied saga, is an iconic tale that should do just that… courtesy of its unique setting and one nightmarish antagonist. Until next time, try to enjoy the daylight.   

---