Hi all!
Today I am back to rank the episodes of Creepshow Season 3. If you want to check out my posts on the other two seasons, click here and here. In case you didn’t know, this Shudder Original series was produced by Greg Nicotero, who brought us The Walking Dead. It is also based on the film with the same name, directed by George A. Romero and written by Stephen King. I really like this show. It is fun, spooky, easy to watch and definitely worth checking out. Also, Season 4 is premiering very soon, so expect another ranking! Without further ado, from most to least favourite, let’s get into it!
Spoilers ahead!
1.) Skeletons In The Closet
In first place, we have Skeletons in the Closet. This episode is set inside an occult museum. Film lover and owner, Lampini, is particularly proud of his life-size skeleton exhibit that he acquired from various horror movie sets. One day, a rival prop collector visits him with a bargain: give him one of the skeletons or he will tell the police Lampini exhumed it from a grave. His girlfriend, Valerie, slits the man’s throat in a panic and together, they display his skeleton in the museum. However, it isn’t long before the murdered becomes the murderer. If you’re a horror fan, this one is for you. It was fun, dramatic, ridiculous and spooky. Think Evil Dead 2. I enjoyed it from start to finish.
2.) Drug Traffic
In second place – and this one surprised me – is Drug Traffic. Congressman, Evan Miller, brings a bus full of unwell US citizens to the Canadian border, as part of a campaign to illustrate the issues in the American healthcare system. The border security officer, Beau (played by Michael Rooker), detains one of the women who is caught giving a bunch of unknown pills to her sickly daughter. What he doesn’t know, is that the medication is not only saving her life…but everyone else’s. The creature is the best part of the episode. The Southeast Asian folklore implemented into the story was both cool and terrifying to witness. Furthermore, the acting was excellent. I liked the underlying message, gore and grisly ending.
3.) Time Out
In third place, we have Time Out. A young man in college inherits a large, mysterious wardrobe from his grandparents, with plenty of room to sit inside. It affords the user more time, allowing our protagonist to achieve his dreams. However, anything involving time travel always comes with a price and his is deadly. This episode had a fantastic concept and execution. The ending was so chilling, I struggled to come to terms with it. It wasn’t a particularly original idea, but it was done well and is one of the stronger episodes within the third season.
4.) The Things In Oakwood’s Past
In fourth place, we have The Things In Oakwood’s Past. This is the only animated episode in the season. It follows a couple who are intent on exposing the secret of Oakwood, Maine. In the story, a sinister looking “time capsule” is discovered, with the year 1821 printed on the front. The mayor decides to open it during a festival celebrating the 200th anniversary of the day the town’s population disappeared. As expected, what emerges is truly terrifying. Mark Hamill voices the mayor and Andy Daly plays the lead news anchor. I loved the animation style and the way it kept me guessing until the end.
5.) Familiar
In fifth place, we have Familiar. One evening, a couple come across a mysterious fortune-teller, who tells the man that a sinister being followed him into the building. Not long afterwards, strange things start happening, including the sighting of a demonic creature lurking in the darkness. Eager to rid himself of the evil presence, the man returns to the fortune-teller in hopes of learning a banishing spell. What he doesn’t realise is that the process will be a lot more complicated than anticipated. I’m a sucker for a demon and this story had enough scares, plus a creative monster design to make it into my top five.
6.) Meter Reader
Meter Reader had all the makings of a potential mini-series. It was very The Walking Dead. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, a plague runs rampant, possessing its victims. Only a select few, called Meter Readers, are gifted with an immunity to the contagion. It is their job to travel the globe, curing or eliminating the infected. I don’t want to reveal too much but I highly recommend this episode. It will leave you wanting more in the best way.
7.) Okay, I’ll Bite
In seventh place, we have Okay, I’ll Bite. It is set inside a penitentiary and follows a quirky, intelligent inmate who is able to cook opium for a corrupt prison guard. Not only is he an adept pharmacist, but he also has a fondness for his pet spiders, who are loyal to him in turn. As you can imagine, things go awry when he is late to deliver a drug shipment. Luckily for him, his furry pets do not take kindly to those that threaten their master. This episode had some fantastic body horror and surprisingly, a lot of heart.
8.) The Last Tsuburaya
From here, the rest of the episodes were a bit sub-par. In eighth place, we have The Last Tsuburaya. It follows a greedy and corrupt art collector, who secures a prestigious painting from the sole surviving descendant of the Tsuburaya family. As it goes against the original painter’s will for an outsider to own the artwork, a curse is unleashed upon the buyer. The Japanese demon was quite impressive but sadly, the story didn’t hold my interest.
9.) Stranger Sings
In ninth place, we have Stranger Sings. A longtime divorcee and gynecologist meets a woman at a coffee shop and is invited into her home. There, he discovers that he is being manipulated by a pair of sirens, who wish to use his medical expertise to further their gains. Whilst this episode was entertaining, it was also quite ridiculous. I couldn’t tell if the acting was terrible on purpose, but either way, I wasn’t a fan.
10.) A Dead Girl Named Sue
In tenth place, we have A Dead Girl Named Sue, which was presented in black and white, aside from some intentional splashes of colour. It is the season finale, set in 1968, during the events of Night of the Living Dead. A group of vigilantes wish to bring violent justice to a criminal in the wake of the zombie invasion. However, the police chief, struggling to accept that law and order no longer applies in the post-apocalyptic world, tries to arrest and imprison him instead. Despite his heart being in the right place, the police chief soon learns that the lynch mob had the right idea all along. I truly appreciated the setting, but I wish it had been more fast-paced and less boring.
11.) Queen Bee
In second last place, we have Queen Bee. A group of teenagers discover their favourite pop artist is in labour at their local hospital, where the mother of one of them works. Using her key card, they sneak into the celebrity’s private ward, only to discover something very unhuman inside with them. Firstly, the kids were so insufferable, I immediately disliked the episode. Secondly, it took the term ‘fangirl’ way too far and thirdly, the concept itself just didn’t gel with me.
12.) Mums
In very last place, we have Mums, the premiere episode of the season. I don’t even know how to describe this one. In short, a boy’s dead mother is mutated into a zombie plant hybrid, in order to help him take down his abusive Nazi father. I didn’t like anything about this story. It was downright confusing, and the acting was AWFUL. I wanted it to end. Sorry!
Thank you so much for reading. How would rank the episodes of Season 3?
Peace & Love xoxo