List of Monsters episodes
This is an episode list for the televised anthology horror series Monsters, which aired from October 1, 1988, to April 1, 1991.
Directing and writing
A number of directors helmed more than one episode. Bette Gordon and Ernest D. Farino each directed four episodes; Gerald Cotts (directing as "Jerry Smith") and Jeffrey Wolf each directed three episodes; and Warner Shook, Theodore Gershuny, Brian Thomas Jones, Allen Coulter, and Tom Noonan each directed two episodes.
Several writers also wrote more than one episode. Edithe Swensen wrote six scripts, and the writing team of Peg Haller and Bob Schneider wrote five scripts. Michael Reaves and Benjamin Carr (writing as "Neal Marshall Stevens") each wrote four episodes. Jule Selbo, Joseph Anderson, Michael Kimball, D. Emerson Smith, and Haskell Barkin each wrote three scripts, while Harvey Jacobs, David Misch, Paul Dini, Michael McDowell, David Odell, and Dan Simmons each wrote two.
Three stories by noted fantasy and horror author Robert Bloch were used for the series. Theodore Gershuny contributed two stories to the series (and a script).
Four individuals both wrote and directed the same episode: Bruce Feirstein, Robert T. Megginson, Scott Alexander, and Tom Noonan.
Director Allen Coulter also contributed a story.
Season 1 (1988–1989)
| # | Title | Summary | Original Air Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pilot/01 | "The Feverman" | A poor farmer with a dying daughter can't afford to pay his doctor for treatment, so he goes to "the Feverman" (David McCallum)—a local healer who literally fights the illness. The doctor, angry at the farmer's belief in superstition, tries to expose the Feverman as a fraud but not only learns the truth but also that there is a price to pay for faith. Directed by Michael Gornick, later a producer on the show. Written by Benjamin Carr (as "Neal Marshall Stevens"). | October 22, 1988 |
| 02 | Holly's House | Katherine is the star of Holly's House, a children's television show. Holly (played by Michael J. Anderson) is a remote-controlled child-size robot. When Katherine is linked to the robot via wires and radio waves, she can make Holly walk and talk like a real person. Eddie (Perry Lang), plays "Mike the Mailman" on the show, and has gotten Katherine pregnant. But a stressed out Katherine soon begins to think Holly is talking to her, and "Holly" becomes jealous of Eddie and others on the show. Is Katherine mad, or is something else going on? Directed by Theodore Gershuny. Written by Jon Connolly, from a story by Theodore Gershuny. | October 29, 1988 |
| 03 | New York Honey | Greedy apartment dweller Jay Blake (Lewis J. Stadlen) blackmails his beekeeping neighbor into allowing him to market the special honey his bees make. A beautiful woman (Andrea Thompson) appears out of nowhere and begins pushing aside Blake's mousy wife, and turns out to 'bee' much more than Blake bargained for. Directed by Gerald Cotts (as "Jerry Smith"). Written by Harvey Jacobs. | November 5, 1988 |
| 04 | The Vampire Hunter | Ernest Chariot (Robert Lansing) is a veteran vampire hunter who is considering retirement. His assistant is kidnapped by vampire Charles Poole (John Bolger), who wishes to wreak revenge on Chariot for disfiguring him years ago. Written by Edithe Swensen. | November 12, 1988 |
| 05 | My Zombie Lover | A nerdy teenage girl, Dottie (Tempestt Bledsoe), discovers that her handsome, athletic boyfriend Paul—who died six months ago—has come back as a zombie. Her zombie-hating parents and her bratty little brother (Eugene Byrd) return home with terrible results. But no mother should let a guest leave the house hungry... The episode is played for laughs rather than horror. Directed by David Misch. | November 19, 1988 |
| 06 | Where's the Rest of Me? | Mad scientist Willard Wingite (Meat Loaf) owns a plantation on a small Caribbean island. He's developed a serum that keeps dead bodies alive, and is harvesting the body of dead guerrilla leader Adam (Frank Tarsia) for his clients: Football player Joe (Franco Harris), who has a bad knee; torch singer Regina Wells, who has lost her voice because of too much cigarette smoking; and developer J.J. Marshall, who was blind. But Adam wants his parts back. Directed by Richard Benner. | November 26, 1988 |
| 07 | The Legacy | Failed horror writer Dale (David Brisbin) buys the home of a deceased horror movie actor and moves in with his shrewish wife, Debbie. Dale discovers the dead man's makeup kit, and to gain inspiration puts on some of the makeup to act out his favorite horror roles. But he gets a lot more than he bargained for. Directed by Jeffrey Wolf. Written by John Harrison, based on a story by Robert Bloch. | December 3, 1988 |
| 08 | Sleeping Dragon | Merrick (Kin Shriner), a young man who believes in goofy conspiracy theories and myths, brings a gigantic, egg-like artifact to Jeffrey (Russell Johnson), a skeptical professor. Merrick's girlfriend and Jeffrey's daughter, Lisa (Beth Toussaint), begs her father to give Merrick a chance. He does so, but the two men unleash an ancient reptilian creature that's very, very hungry, as it looks for victims to kill and eat. Written by Michael Reaves. | December 10, 1988 |
| 09 | Pool Sharks | Natasha is a rich, beautiful woman who loves to play pool in run-down bars while attended by her mortician friend, Lester. She's challenged by pool shark Gabe, who's mourning his dead brother. Natasha turns out to be a vampire, but it's not clear who is hunting who. The episode is played in a strong film noir style, with 1940s blues jazz musical score. | December 17, 1988 |
| 10 | Pillow Talk | Famous author Miles Magnus (John Diehl) brings home a buxom blond date, who gets ready for sex with him. But his bed literally eats her. The creature under the bed then tells Magnus its dreams, which he turns into novels. The next night, Magnus brings home romance writer Viki (Mary Woronov), but she steals his diary and leaves before the bed can gulp her down. Magnus tries to retrieve his diary, but Viki tries to seduce him. During their banter, Viki reveals she might know more about "house monsters" than Magnus realizes. Directed by David Odell. | December 24, 1988 |
| 11 | Rouse Him Not | Artist Linda McGuire (Laraine Newman) lives alone in an old house in the country, where she's harassed by local peeping tom Ritzen (Terrence Evans). She's visited by author John Thunston (Alex Cord), who is conducting research on a warlock who used to live in the home. But the house and Thunston are both more than they seem. Directed by Mark Shostrom. Written by Michel Parry, based on a story by Manly Wade Wellman. | December 31, 1988 |
| 12 | Fools' Gold | Sherrie (Mary Cadorette), a construction foreman, leads worker Phil (Jeff Conaway) and his buddy into the basement of an office building to find a fellow worker whom she believes is goofing off. They find him dead, but also discover that he'd broken through the basement wall and into a cave full of gold. But the gold is guarded by a deadly troll (Debbie Lee Carrington). Directed by Greg Cannom and written by Michael Reaves (his second script for the series). | January 21, 1989 |
| 13 | Glim-Glim | An alien named Glim-Glim crash-lands in a small Midwestern American town just before Christmas, accidentally unleashing a virus that wipes out the town's populace in a single weekend. Local bully Carl, an unnamed male high school teacher, and the teacher's daughter Amy (Jenna von Oÿ) take refuge in the basement of the local library, while the alien scours the library books to learn why these three humans are resistant to the virus (which is harmless to aliens). Glim-Glim has established a force field around the town to keep the virus from spreading. But this force field will soon fail, and Glim-Glim must make contact with the trusting child and find a cure (by analyzing her blood) before the angry adults find a way to wreak vengeance on him. Written by F. Paul Wilson. | February 4, 1989 |
| 14 | Parents from Space | June (Peggy Cass) and Ward (Frank Gorshin) Ellers are abusive foster parents to young Cindy (Mary Griffin). During a terrific thunderstorm one night, giant rat-like aliens arrive and transfer their minds into her parents, turning them into wonderful people. When Cindy learns the truth, will she destroy the aliens' bodies to keep her "new" parents? Directed by Gerald Cotts (as "Jerry Smith"), his second directorial effort for the series. Written by Peg Haller and Bob Schneider. | February 11, 1989 |
| 15 | The Mother Instinct | A paraplegic mother (Elizabeth Franz) worries about her daughter, Sheila (Finn Carter), who is married to Nelson (Tom Gilroy), a physically abusive man. The mother reveals that she has developed a melon whose juice is a miracle drug. Nelson tries to steal one, but discovers the melons are protected by vicious "Brazilian blood worms." He manipulates Sheila into learning the secret of the melons (and the worms) from her mother, but there is much more to both the melons and a mother's protective instinct than he realizes. Directed by Bette Gordon. Written by D. Emerson Smith. | February 18, 1989 |
| 16 | Their Divided Self | Conjoined twins James (David L. Lander) and Robert (Keith MacKechnie) Self constantly fight with one another. James' girlfriend, Elegy, brings in noted psychiatrist Dr. Blackman (Rich Hall) to help them get along. The Self brothers quickly discover they have a common enemy in Dr. Blackman. The episode is played for laughs rather than horror. Written by Michael Bishop. | February 25, 1989 |
| 17 | Taps | Dancer Gary Gregory (Neal Jones) won't let his dancing partner, Suzy St. Claire, head to Hollywood. Her agent, Sam (Dan Frazer), advises her to dump Gary. Instead, she poisons Gary and cuts up his body with an electric knife. A year passes, and Suzy becomes a big star. Returning to New York City, she's housed in her old apartment. But Gary insists that they dance together, forever... Directed by David Misch (his second directorial effort for the series), and written by Larry Charles and David Misch. | March 4, 1989 |
| 18 | The Match Game | Four teens—Paul (Byron Thames), Paul's girlfriend Jodie (Ashley Laurence), Beverly (Tori Spelling), and Beverly's boyfriend, Matthew (Sasha Jenson)—break into an allegedly haunted house one night to tell each other a ghost story. Each person can make up part of the story, but only so long as a match burns. Paul's story seems to be coming true: When he mentions thunder, thunder rumbles; when he mentions the clock striking midnight, the clock in the house chimes. They tell the story of Herbert Waverly, former owner of the house who is hacked up by a jealous husband and thrown into the swamp. In telling their story, they accidentally conjure up a real Herbert Waverly. The kids have to finish the story before Waverly kills them all. Directed by Michael Brandon. | April 15, 1989 |
| 19 | Rain Dance | Tom Solo (Kent McCord) is a greedy archeologist who has a bored, beautiful wife, Vanessa (Teri Copley). An old Native American woman brings them the statue of a Native American rain god, and tells them that the "rain dance" would make it rain so long as the Indians sacrificed a person to the rain god. But in time, the tribe's materialistic greed caused the rain god to turn everything to stone. She warns the two against selling artifacts for profit, and departs. The Solos scoff at her prophecy, an attitude the rain god doesn't like. Written by Michael Kimball. | April 22, 1989 |
| 20 | The Cocoon | A woman, Madeline Westcott (Kim Johnston Ulrich, appearing as "Kim Ulrich"), carrying $5,000 in cash and a cache of diamonds, is in a terrible automobile accident but seems to suffer no serious injuries except for amnesia. A police detective, Richard (Billy Drago), is called in. He asks his psychic girlfriend, Sarah McPherson (Silvana Gallardo), to investigate. Sarah gets impressions of a cocoon, the faces of many different men, and vast time. Richard is attracted to Madeline, and they have sexual intercourse in the hospital. When an angry Sarah discovers Madeline's secret, she uses it to destroy both her rival and her straying lover. Written by Edithe Swensen (her second script for the series). | April 29, 1989 |
| 21 | All in a Day's Work | A white witch, Fiona Flynn (Adrienne Barbeau), is consulted by Steven Rose (James Morrison), a professor of ancient history who has unwittingly summoned a doppelgänger from an ancient text. The doppelgänger is trying to take over Rose's life, and Flynn summons a demon named Belphamelech (Eddie Velez) to deal with the doppelgänger. But with Fiona's son, Ian (Brandon Bluhm), in the apartment while the conjuring goes on and Rose unlearned in the magical arts, things start to go wrong. Directed by Allen Coulter. Written by Jule Selbo, from a story by Maureen F. McHugh (using the pseudonym "Michael Galloglach"). | May 6, 1989 |
| 22 | Satan in the Suburbs | Harried single mother and frustrated writer Xantipe Finch (Deborah Strang) is contacted by a demon named Clancy (Chris Noth), who wants to write Lucifer's memoirs so that the devil can be more popular than God. Clancy quickly sets a bad example for her son, Marty (Danny Gerard), and proceeds to solve all of Xantipe's problems. But the more he helps, the more devilish the Xantipe and Marty become. Xantipe agrees to help Clancy write the book, if he'll remove their new demonic natures. But can he do it? The episode is played for laughs rather than horror. Directed by Warner Shook. Written by Jule Selbo (her second script for the series). | May 13, 1989 |
| 23 | Mannikins of Horror | Dr. Collin (William Prince) is a former surgeon who had a mental breakdown and is incarcerated in an insane asylum. He began hallucinating that his body was coming apart, and in response began obsessively creating anatomically correct clay manikins. Dr. Jarrett (Glynis Barber) befriends him, but Dr. Starr (Brian Brophy) demands that the manikins be taken away for Collin's own good. But the manikins come to life and begin wreaking a horrible vengeance. Dr. Jarrett learns a terrible secret about them in turn. Directed by Ernest D. Farino. Written by Joseph Anderson, from a story by Robert Bloch (the second story by him adapted for the series). | May 20, 1989 |
| 24 | La Strega | Vito (Rob Morrow) is a young Italian American man who enters the dress shop of a young woman named Lia (Linda Blair), and attempts to kill her. She disarms and subdues him. Vito says Lia is "la strega" (the Italian language word for witch). Ten years ago, Vito was very ill and his mother (Maria Tucci) sold her engagement ring in Lia's pawn shop to pay for a doctor. Lia allegedly switched rings, then cursed Vito's mother so that she was ill for a decade before finally dying. Vito wants revenge. Lia says it wasn't her but rather her mother who owned the pawn shop, that her mother was a witch, and that she herself is innocent. To prove it, she makes Vito promise to stay with her for two weeks, after which he may kill her or not. Vito tries to kill Lia right away, but she morphs into a demon, then his mother, then a dressmaker's dummy. Realizing he's trapped, Vito stays with Lia and begins to suspect she is a witch, too. Vito becomes attracted to Lia. He dreams of making love to her, but she morphs into his mother—who accuses him of breaking her dying wish to retrieve her ring. Lia tells him that Vito's mother tried to defraud Lia's mother and take a ring which she had not pawned. Lia's mother had a vision of Vito's mother in pain for 10 years, but it was no curse. Lia and Vito make love. When the two weeks are up, Vito meets Lia in the shop and shoots her. Her body morphs into that of a demon, then Vito's mother—who accuses him of not retrieving the ring. She dies, and Vito removes the ring. Lia reappears, and Vito tells her that he kept his promise and returned la strega's ring. Directed by Lizzie Borden. Written by Michael McDowell, from a story by Richard Russo. | May 27, 1989 |
Season 2 (1989–1990)
| # | Title | Summary | Original Air Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 (01) | The Face | Two redneck brothers, Raymond and Cliff, attempt to rob an old woman (Imogene Coca). When she cries out for help, Raymond covers her mouth and she bites him. Raymond kills her. The wound turns into the face of the old woman later that night, and it begins to talk to him and torment him for his crime. Raymond can't bring himself to cut out the face himself and asks for Cliff's help, with disastrous results. Directed by Allen Coulter (his second for the series). Written by Benjamin Carr (as "Neal Stevens"), his second script for the series). | October 1, 1989 |
| 26 (02) | Portrait of the Artist | Art buyer Roger Darcy (Beeson Carroll) is introduced to gallery owner Hubert Pocock (Darren McGavin). The gallery features some life-sized, three-dimensional sculptures of missing people in tormented positions, hanging on the walls. Darcy discovers that one sculpture is of his missing daughter, Penny. Darcy suspects that Pocock is a serial killer, and attempts to play a psychological mind game with him that will induce Pocock to reveal the truth. But the truth is much worse than Darcy knows. Directed by Gerald Cotts (as "Jerry Smith"), his third directorial effort for the series. | October 8, 1989 |
| 27 (03) | A Bond of Silk | Wealthy young oilman Nash (Marc McClure) and his new bride Portia (Lydia Cornell) arrive in an expensive, underground honeymoon suite in a posh hotel. The bed is a hammock in the shape of a spider's web. Nash throws himself on the bed, and discovers it is a huge spider's web. The couple try to free themselves before the web's owner arrives. Directed by Ernest D. Farino (his second directorial effort episode for the series). Written by Michael Kimball (his second script for the series). | October 15, 1989 |
| 28 (04) | Rerun | Allison and Max are students studying anthropology, including tribes who believe that dreams indicate what a person's soul is really like. Allison is infatuated with the dead handsome movie star Tony Sterling (Mitchell Whitfield), and out of the blue he reappears and pledges his love for Allison. Max can't believe it, and goes to see Sterling's old agent, Faye Ingram (Kaye Ballard). She reveals that Tony was a Satanist. But there's more to Tony than just being resurrected, and Max tries to save Allison. Written by Peg Haller and Bob Schneider (their second script for the series). | October 22, 1989 |
| 29 (05) | Love Hurts | Vance works at the DMV, where he seduces a beautiful customer, Jewell (Olivia Brown). But Vance's father-in-law works in the same office, and interrupts his attempts at love-making. Vance is also married to Cora (Ren Woods), who has a horrific skin condition. Jewell is being taught voodoo by her Aunt Jem, and together they kill Vance's father. But when Cora denies Vance any of her inheritance, he tries to break it off with the voodoo witch. So Jewell decides to bind Vance's soul to her own—with sickening results. Directed by Manny Coto. Written by Edithe Swensen (her third script for the series). | October 29, 1989 |
| 30 (06) | The Farmer's Daughter | Ma (Bobo Lewis) and Pa (George Hall) let a traveling salesman, Howard Filby (Soupy Sales), into their home during a terrible thunderstorm. He's permitted to spend the night, but must share a room on the second floor with their daughter, Lucy. Lucy has a beautiful voice, but Filby can only see her in silhouette through a bedsheet dividing their room. When he convinces Lucy to lower the sheet, she turns out to be just as beautiful he expected. But Lucy demands commitment from her lovers, and harbors a horrific secret. Directed by Michael Warren Powell. Written by Kenneth Pressman, from a story by Bob Balaban and Kenneth Pressman. | November 5, 1989 |
| 31 (07) | Jar | Mr. Hallet (Fritz Weaver) runs a general store and hotel near a swamp. A private investigator, Jack Bateman (Richard Edson), is looking for a missing woman last seen at the hotel. He meets beautiful Ann Spiros (Gina Gershon) and her loutish but wealthy husband, George (Ed Kovens), and is immediately attracted to her. Hallet is selling monsters he stores in large Mason jars. When released in the light, the creature attacks, kills, and in seconds devours the victim before itself dissolving. Ann uses just such a creature to kill her husband, allowing her and Bateman to have a night of intense passion. But can two unethical people trust one another? The episode features a film noir look and feel, and a 1940s era blues musical score. Directed by Bette Gordon (her second directorial effort for the series). Written by Peg Haller and Bob Schneider (from a story by Steven W. Davis), their third script for the series. | November 1, 1989 |
| 32 (08) | The Demons | A sorcerer in another dimension, Arturus (Richard Moll), accidentally summons an earthly accountant named Arthur rather than the demon he was seeking. To avoid a lifetime in a cage, Arthur decides to summon his own demon in an attempt to free himself from Arturus' control. But he, too, only manages to summon a dimensional counterpart (Eddie Deezen). Now two accountants have to work together to stop the sorcerer and free themselves. The episode is played for laughs rather than horror. Written by Martin Olson and Robert Sheckley, based on a story by Robert Sheckley. | November 19, 1989 |
| 33 (09) | Reaper | Mr. Ross (George D. Wallace) is an elderly man newly arrived at a retirement home. Nurse Sheila Brewer (Barbara Billingsley) helps him get a room. That night, the Grim Reaper (Curt Lowens) appears. Ross makes a deal: More life, but in return he has to deliver many deaths. After the Grim Reaper reappears several times to warn him to hold up his end of the bargain, Ross begins killing people. He also falls in love with Nurse Brewer. But Ross isn't the only one in the nursing home to have made a deal with Death. Written by Josef Anderson (his second script for the series), based on a story by Robert Bloch (the third story by him adapted for the series). | November 26, 1989 |
| 34 (10) | The Mandrake Root | A young woman named Angela (Melba Moore) is cleaning out the home of her grandmother who died after 30 years as a recluse. Angela's husband, Jack (Frankie Faison), doesn't pay much attention to her. In the basement of the house, Angela discovers a grotesque vegetable—a mandrake root—with her grandmother's ring on it. She pricks her finger on the plant while removing the ring, and discovers the next day that the root has turned into a tall, handsome, muscular, sexually irresistible man (Byron Minns). But the mandrake needs a steady supply of blood, and Angela not only learns what happened to her grandfather but also the horrible secret of the mandrake. Directed by Brian Thomas Jones. Written by Harvey Jacobs (his second for the series). | December 10, 1989 |
| 35 (11) | Half as Old as Time | A dying elderly archeologist (Leif Garrett) begs his tomboy archeologist daughter "Jake" to reveal to him the location of an ancient Native American spring rumored to be the Fountain of Youth. She does, but they are confronted by an Indian shaman (Nick Ramus) who tells the old man about the terrible price to be paid to achieve youth and immortality. The old man thinks he's paid once he's killed his daughter, but there is another payment yet to come. Written by Thomas Babe, based on a story by Taenha Goodrich and Jake West. | December 17, 1989 |
| 36 (12) | Museum Hearts | Danny (Patrick Breen) is a handsome museum curator who is cheating on his fianceé, Edwina, with a floozy blond waitress, Cheryl. Edwina stumbles upon Danny attempting to have sex with Cheryl in a basement gallery that's under construction. All three are unintentionally locked in for the night by the staff. Danny accidentally wakens a 3,000-year-old Incan mummy witch (Pamela Dean Kelly) after exposing it to a bloody handkerchief. The mummy was rejected by her lover in the past, and now seeks vengeance on all male lotharios. This was Pamela Dean Kelly's second appearance on the show. She previously played "Ducky" in the second season episode "Holly's House." Theodore Gershuny wrote and directed the episode. This was the second episode he directed for the series, and his second providing material (he had previously provided the story for the second season episode "Holly's House." Written by Theodore Gershuny, from a story by David P. Beavers. | January 7, 1990 |
| 37 (13) | Habitat | A woman (Lili Taylor) enters a plain room with a glowing blue triangular table in the middle. In a long monologue, she reveals that she and the "other party" have agreed that she will spend nine months in the room, in exchange for whatever she wants. She's being watched by someone (the audience, at times, sees her through the watcher's eyes). Without anyone to interact with, however, she starts to slowly go insane. But who is the other party, and why is this happening? Directed by Bette Gordon (her third directorial effort for the series). Written by David Morrell. | January 14, 1990 |
| 38 (14) | Bed and Boar | John Dennis (Steve Buscemi) is a traveling salesman staying in a sleazy motel. He is disturbed by his neighbors, who appear to be having a horrible fight. He receives a threatening phone call warning him to leave, but then the beautiful Sue Weatherby shows up at his door asking for help. She fought with her husband, and now seeks solace from Dennis. They are attracted to one another, and spend several hours making love. But then Sue's pig-like husband shows up and wants her back. But it's hard to tell who the real monster in the room is. Directed by Sara Driver. Written by David Odell. | January 21, 1990 |
| 39 (15) | Mr. Swlabr | Roy Barton (Robert Oliveri) is bossed around by his mother, Mrs. Barton (Kate McGregor-Stewart), and his teenage sister, Barbie (Danielle Ferland). He finds a toy in a cereal box that "grows" when water is added to it. But when he does so, the "toy" turns out to be a living, foot-high reptilian created named Mr. Swlabr (voiced by Rockets Redglare). Swlabr wants lots of "lick 'em up" (liquids), and starts to play tricks on Roy's mom and sister in an attempt to defend Roy from them. Thinking Roy has a pet of some kind, Mrs. Barton decides to turn the hose on Swlabr... The episode is played for laughs rather than horror. Directed by Warner Shook (his second directorial effort for the series). Written by Jule Selbo (her third script for the series), from a story by Steven L. Nelson. | January 28, 1990 |
| 40 (16) | Perchance to Dream | Alex (Raphael Sbarge) is a college student who received a blow to the head a few days before, and now everything he dreams of starts to come true: His book attacks him, a phantom train passes outside his dormitory room, and a chair drips blood. He can't leave his room, so his girlfriend Megan (Sarah G. Buxton, appearing as "Sarah Buxton") asks Kyle, a professor in paranormal studies, to offer advice. Kyle suggests that Alex enter the dream world and confront his dream self. Written by Michael Reaves (his third script for the series). | February 4, 1990 |
| 41 (17) | One Wolf's Family | Greta (Anne Meara) and Victor (Jerry Stiller) have a daughter, Anya (Amy Stiller), who is about to marry Stanley (Robert Clohessy). The audience learns that this is a family of werewolves. Victor is opposed to his daughter's marriage because Stanley is a were-hyena. Nosy neighbor Mrs. Peabody suspects something is wrong with her new neighbors. Can Stanley save his bride's family? The episode is played for laughs rather than horror. Directed by Alex Zamm. Written by Paul Dini. | February 11, 1990 |
| 42 (18) | The Offering | A young man named Louis is in the hospital with a concussion after a bad automobile accident. His mother is in the same hospital suffering from cancer, and according to the family doctor, Dr. Hubbard (Orson Bean), her prognosis is poor. In the night, Louis goes to see his mother and discovers a giant bug-like creature inserting larva into his mother's body. Louis begins to believe that cancer is really the creature's offspring. Louis discovers his doctor might also be a creature in disguise, and that the creatures are attacking his hospital roommate (who also suffers from cancer). Is it a hallucination, or reality? If reality, how can he fight these awful things? Directed by Ernest D. Farino (his third directorial effort episode for the series). Written by Dan Simmons. | February 18, 1990 |
| 43 (19) | Far Below | Dr. Rathmore (Barry Nelson) runs an obscure but important unit of a big city subway system from an underground office. His men—Jensen (Rick Goldman), Luchinsky (Calvin Levels), and Watson (Jan Munroe)—not only repair the sound and video cameras in the subway tunnels but seem to be fighting off some creatures as well. A young, arrogant accountant named Alex Kritz (John Scott Clough) wants to know why Rathmore's men are paid so highly, why this unit of the subway system is paid out of the police department's budget, and why its budget is many times larger than any other city agency. When Kritz learns the truth, he has to make a choice to help or hinder Rathmore's efforts. But Rathmore's been making choices, too... Directed by Debra Hill. Written by Michael McDowell (his second for the series), from a story by Robert Barbour Johnson. | February 18, 1990 |
| 44 (20) | Micro Minds | Astronomer Dr. Thomas Becker (Troy Donahue) is upset that his graduate student, Paula, hasn't been to class. Paula reveals that she's made contact with an alien species, but the source of the communication seems to be so nearby. This means a ship must be in orbit. Dr. Becker dismisses her claims, but is convinced of the truth after he speaks to "Gok" the alien. He begins to realize he might become world famous. Paula becomes suspicious of Gok's motives, and soon discovers just what Gok really is. But can she stop Dr. Becker in time? Directed by Anthony Santa Croce (who had served as producer of the series for most of season one and the first part of season two). Written by D. Emerson Smith (this was his second script for the series). | March 4, 1990 |
| 45 (21) | Refugee | Paul (Peter White) is an ex-spy who is asked by spymaster Oliver Ferguson (Philip Abbott) to retrieve a top physicist who is defecting from an enemy nation. Paul and the physicist, Anna (Judy Geeson), manage to make it to a safe house. But they are tracked down not by enemy agents but by one of the devil's minions (S.A. Griffin). It seems Anna sold her soul to the devil. But whose side is Paul going to come down on? Written by Haskell Barkin. | May 13, 1990 |
| 46 (22) | The Gift | Sid Dolan (Abe Vigoda) and Kirby (Brad Greenquist) have kidnapped rich kid Jeffrey and taken him to an unheated mountain hideaway in the snow. While searching the basement for warm blankets, they discover a monstrous, furry Beast (Carlos Lauchu) in the cellar. Dolan wounds it with his gun, and then the kidnappers chain boy and beast next to one another in the basement. The Beast makes telepathic contact with Jeffrey, explaining he is a good being who can shape-shift. Jeffrey and the Beast learn that they are to be killed. The Beast offers Jeffrey a way out, but the choice is gruesome. This is the second appearance by John Bolger in the series. He previously appeared in the season one episode "The Vampire Hunter" as vampire Charles Poole. He provides the voice of the Beast, and the voice on the radio. Directed by Jeffrey Wolf (his second directorial effort for the series). Written by D. Emerson Smith (his third script for the series). | May 20, 1990 |
| 47 (23) | The Bargain | Lonely bookstore owner Sarah (Kim Greist) is desperate to attract handsome customer Joe (Kevin Geer). She dials a number for a beauty ad in a 50-year-old magazine. Carmen (Sharon Sharth, appearing here as "Sharon Schlarth"), a young woman with a deformed face, arrives and offers Sarah a chance to become beautiful—for a price. Sarah leaps at the chance, becomes beautiful, and adopts the new name "Mandy." But is Mandy the person Joe really wants? Sarah finds there's a price to pay for beauty. Directed and written by Tom Noonan. | May 27, 1990 |
| 48 (24) | The Family Man | Angie (Annie Corley) is a woman whose husband died a year and a half ago. She recently began dating a man named Warren (Michael O'Gorman). While her teenage daughter Terri is happy for her mother, her awkward young son Neil is not. Neil also has new glasses which he doesn't like, and continues to wear his old ones. When Neil meets Warren for the first time, his old glasses allow him to see Warren's true form: A reptilian monster with needle-like teeth who feeds off the emotions of human beings (killing them over time). But since no one else can see Warren's true form, how can Neil save his family? Directed by Michael Warren Powell (his second directorial effort for the series). Written by Allen Coulter (who had directed two prior episodes) and Gordon Rayfield. | June 3, 1990 |
Season 3 (1990–1991)
| # | Title | Summary | Original Air Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 49 (01) | Stressed Environment | Dr. Elizabeth Porter (Carol Lynley) has been experimenting heavily on lab rats, under the theory that subjecting them to environmental stress will cause their intelligence to rise. A new member of her team, Dr. Robert Winston (Victor Raider-Wexler), arrives to help with the experiment. But when a lab worker dies, it's clear the rats are learning a lot more than anyone suspects. The episode featured a brief moment of female nudity (a breast) in the opening minutes as actress Kathleen McCall dressed. Many outlets which rerun the episode censor this with pixelation. Directed by Jeffrey Wolf (his third for the series). Written by Benjamin Carr (as "Neal Marshall Stevens"; this was his third script for the series). | September 30, 1990 |
| 50 (02) | Murray's Monster | A hen-pecked psychiatrist (Joe Flaherty) has a domineering wife (Miriam Flynn) he loathes. He's also trying to get his ditzy blond secretary (Teresa Ganzel) to sleep with him. A new, mild-mannered patient named Murray (Marvin Kaplan) arrives who complains of having an "inner monster" that's trying to come out. When the monster (characterized by Colin Penman) turns out to be real, the psychiatrist realizes he has the ideal opportunity to kill off his wife—if the monster agrees. The episode is played for laughs rather than horror. Written and directed by Scott Alexander. | October 7, 1990 |
| 51 (03) | Bug House | The father of Ellen (Karen Sillas) and her sister, May, died some time ago, and May has started living in the family's broken-down, bug-infested cabin. While visiting May, Ellen discovers that May has a handsome new lover named Peter and that May is pregnant. May is due to give birth soon, but is having severe abdominal pains. Peter seduces Ellen, who has always been competitive with May (but has long denied it). Both the truth about Peter and his reason for seducing Ellen soon become clear. Directed by Kenny Myers. Written by Josef Anderson (his third script for the series), from a story by Lisa Tuttle. | October 14, 1990 |
| 52 (04) | Cellmates | An arrogant, wealthy, racist American named Timothy Danforth (Maxwell Caulfield) is thrown in jail in a South American country after hitting and killing a small child while speeding in his automobile. He's placed in a jail cell next to a man (Ferdy Mayne, appearing here as Ferdinand Mayne) who calls himself El Viejo ("The Old Man"). During the night, El Viejo turns into a white liquid and attacks Danforth. Danforth manages to escape, and the liquid turns back into the old man at dawn. When Danforth tells his tale to the guard and his attorney, they don't believe him. Instead, thinking he is on drugs, the guard chains Danforth to the wall. Can Danforth escape? David Sage appears in a small role as Danforth's attorney, and Geno Silva appears as a prison guard. Written by David Odell (his second script for the series). | October 21, 1990 |
| 53 (05) | Outpost | Cara Raymond (Juliet Mills) is inspecting a mining outpost on a hostile alien world for a big company. The outpost is manned by Sebastian, a man who was dying of an incurable disease. "The company" offers to bioengineer anyone who is dying, wipe their memories, and give them a second chance at life. Only, under the law, the bioengineered people are not considered human any more, and are put to work on unbearably hot planets with poisonous atmospheres (where they are the only beings who can live there without a spacesuit). Raymond demands that Sebastian get his mining quota back on schedule, but Sebastian says he's hearing alien voices. She warns him that if the project is shut down, the company has the right to kill him. Sebastian and Cara debate the importance of life, work, friendship, and belonging. He accuses Cara of being less than human herself due to her obsessive dedication to her work. Sebastian also harbors a deeper secret, one which involves Cara. Written by Michael Reaves (his fourth for the series). | October 28, 1990 |
| 54 (06) | The Hole | During the Vietnam War, American soldiers Sergeant Kenner (Ahmad Rashad) and Corporal Torres and a South Vietnamese lieutenant blast their way into an underground base and series of tunnels operated by the Viet Cong (VC). They discover a horribly wounded guerrilla, who tells them that the VC tunneled through an old burial ground, and now the dead want vengeance. The VC dies before he can say any more. The men become unnerved and panic as they encounter booby-traps left by the VC, and soon start shooting at everything. But there might be something worth shooting at. Written by Haskell Barkin (his second script for the series), from a story by Wayne Berwick and Gerry Conway. | November 4, 1990 |
| 55 (07) | Small Blessing | Wendy (Julie Brown) and Louis (Kevin Nealon) are parents to a baby, Eric. Eric's quite a handful, however, and meat delivery boy Teddy (David Spade) is bringing food to the house every day. The audience learns after just a few minutes that Eric is violent, eats only meat, likes to start fires, and is a monster with 37 fully formed, sharp teeth. Louis says that Eric can tell that Wendy isn't bonding with him, and that's why he's such a problem child. They call in Babs (Peggy Rea), an older woman, for advice. But it's only when a serial killer gets into the house that Wendy learns how important her relationship with Eric can be. The episode is played for laughs rather than horror. Directed by Roger Nygard. Written by Peg Haller and Bob Schneider (their fourth script for the series). | November 11, 1990 |
| 56 (08) | Shave and a Haircut, Two Bites | A middle-aged man, Tom (Matt LeBlanc), reflects on the time when he and his friend Kevin (Wil Wheaton) used to think the local barbershop was run by vampires. Kevin's been spying on the two barbers, Mr. Innes (John O'Leary) and Mr. D'Onofrio (Al Mancini). The two friends break into the barber shop at night, but are caught. The two older men do everything they can to convince Kevin they are not vampires. But Tom discovers their real secret. Written by Dan Simmons (his second script for the series). | November 18, 1990 |
| 57 (09) | The Young and the Headless | Victoria (Karen Valentine) and the wheelchair-bound Edward (George Reinholt) are doctors practicing experimental surgery on living patients in a Third World country. Victoria has discovered a way to replace a person's brain with a microchip. "Hunk," Victoria's muscle-bound, handsome, soldier of fortune lover, returns after seven years in the jungle. When Edward fools Hunk into committing suicide, Victoria removes Hunk's shattered skull and replaces it with a computer chip. But Hunk still has a mind (and body) of his own. The episode is played for laughs rather than horror. Written by Peg Haller and Bob Schneider (their fifth script for the series), from a story by W. C. Morrow. | November 25, 1990 |
| 58 (10) | The Waiting Game | Lieutenant Eric Tyler (Doug McKeon) and Captain Stanley Levitt are staffing a nuclear missile silo when a nuclear war breaks out. Afterward, they discover that the world outside is a radioactive wasteland. Lt. Maureen Knox (Carrington Garland) and Capt. Andrew Garza, soldiers in another missile silo, make contact with them. A mentally unstable Garza goes outside after he sees people moving in the shadows. But he disappears. A lonely Knox goes out to find him, despite Tyler and Levitt's attempts to convince her not to. She, too, disappears. Tyler and Levitt are convinced post-apocalyptic monsters are out there. But how long can they wait until the creatures get inside? Directed by Bruno Spandello, from a script by John Fox. | December 9, 1990 |
| 59 (11) | Sin-Sop | In the American South, reporter Laura Daniel meets Helen at the home of a reputed faith healer. They meet Brother Roy, a redneck who claims that he can suck the sin out of you by the gallon—for a price. Brother Roy takes them upstairs to the dead body of "the world's most evil man." When touched, the dead body can literally drain the sin from you, depositing the sin in the form of a black goo in a nearby bucket. But the goo must be permitted to drain away before the "sin-sop" can be used again. Laura is skeptical, but then learns that everything she's been told is the truth. Things go horribly wrong when Larch Lazaar, a psychopathic criminal, arrives at the house and accidentally tests the "sin-sop's" powers. Directed by P. J. Pesce. | December 9, 1990 |
| 60 (12) | A New Woman | Thomas, a dying man, has a greedy wife, Jessica (Linda Thorson), who wants him to die as soon as possible so that she can get her hands on his money. Thomas' nephew, David (Dan Butler), wants to stop Jessica from securing his uncle's signature on an agreement to tear down a homeless shelter and construct an office building. On Christmas Eve, Thomas' doctor (Mason Adams) warns Jessica that she should change her ways or be visited by horrific spirits. Directed by Brian Thomas Jones (his second directorial effort for the series). Written by Edithe Swensen (her fourth script for the series). | December 16, 1990 |
| 61 (13) | Malcolm | Malcolm (Ed Lauter) is a clarinet player who inexplicably gave up fame and fortune years ago and has since lived a life of despair and torment. His wife, Lorna (Carole Shelley), is desperate to get him to return to playing so they can save their marriage. One night, Lorna sees light and clarinet sounds issuing from her husband's mouth, and his stomach bulging with a tumor. She takes Malcolm to a doctor (Farley Granger) who removes the tumor, which turns out to be a large alien-like slug. But now Malcolm can no longer play the clarinet. Will he pay the price to regain his creativity? Written and directed by Tom Noonan (his second directorial effort and second script for the series). | December 23, 1990 |
| 62 (14) | Household Gods | Deborah (Deborah Van Valkenburgh) is a married woman with a career who just had her first baby. Instead of taking care of her child and home, she hires a nanny/housekeeper to take care of things while she continues to work from home. All sorts of things begin to go wrong in the home, which the nanny says have occurred because Deborah has offended "the household gods." Deborah scoffs at this, but then things get much worse. Was the nanny telling the truth? [This story is a reflection of the horrible ideal that a woman can't have a job and kids, and must give up her career once she has a child.] Michael J. Anderson makes his second appearance on the show, this time as the "Household God." Directed by Michael Warren Powell (his third directorial effort for the series). Written by Edithe Swensen (her fifth script for the series). | December 30, 1990 |
| 63 (15) | The Space-Eaters | Howard and Fredrick are two friends living in New England. One night, as they play chess during a horrible thunderstorm, a local man named Henry Wells appears at their door. Wells says his brain has been eaten, and sure enough he has a hole in his temple and his brain is missing. But he's alive and talking. Wells tells the two men about a craft wreathed in light which landed near the town, and about being attacked by a "thing" that ate his brain. Wells finally dies, and an alien begins speaking to the two men through Wells' body. The alien says it is coming for them, and the two men must figure out how to survive. Written and directed by Robert T. Megginson, from a short story by Frank Belknap Long. | January 6, 1991 |
| 64 (16) | The Waiting Room | Benjamin O'Connell (John Saxon) travels with his son John (Christian LeBlanc) and John' new wife, Katharine (Lisa Waltz), to an empty motel in the mountains where Benjamin and his own wife spent their honeymoon 20 years before. That night, John gets up in the dark, goes into a nearby room, and disappears. Benjamin confesses to Katharine that he cheated on his wife on his wedding night with a beautiful woman in "the dark room," and agreed to give her a child in exchange for his own freedom. Over the years, Benjamin ran into the woman hundreds of times, and met her "nightmare child" many times as well. Benjamin eventually realized that the door to "the dark room" only appears in the dark. He's learned to avoid the nightmare woman by always turning on lights. Now John's been trapped by the woman in "the dark room," but Benjamin refuses to save his son. Instead, Katharine must find a way to do so. Written by Benjamin Carr (as "Neal Marshall Stevens"; this was his fourth script for the series). | January 13, 1991 |
| 65 (17) | Leavings | Officer Mancini (Tony Shalhoub) and Officer Parkhurst bring a homeless man with no arms to the Inspector (Clifton James). They report that they have been running into many people, each one missing a different body part. But none of them show signs of surgery, and all of them had these body parts a few days earlier. They also report that they've seen a man seemingly assembled out of mis-matched body parts. Oddly, the Inspector doesn't seem too concerned, and offers to show the two what's really going on. Directed by John Tillinger. Written by Gahan Wilson. | January 20, 1991 |
| 66 (18) | Desirable Alien | A Latino immigrant, Luis (Luis Guzmán), and Greek immigrant, Hercules Valvalotus (Tony Spiridakis), are workers at a dingy urban café. Immigration officer Maggie Price (Wendy Makkena) is investigating Valvalotus' citizenship application, and Hercules turns on the sexual charm to try to get her to give him a break. Maggie reports his sexual harassment to her superior, Mr. Vega (Rick Aviles). That evening, Dr. Moss (Debbie Harry, appearing as "Deborah Harry") arrives at the café to give Hercules a physical. She succumbs to his masculine charms, but Maggie stumbles in on them and becomes insanely jealous. She meets with Hercules to try to seduce him, and learns that he's much, much more than a mere illegal alien. The episode is played for laughs rather than horror. Directed by Bette Gordon (her fourth directorial effort for the series). Written by Edithe Swensen (her sixth script for the series). | January 27, 1991 |
| 67 (19) | A Face for Radio | Ray Bright (Morton Downey, Jr.) is a late-night "hate radio" talk show host who interviews Cassandra Lefkowitz (Julie Wilson), a psychic who can tell the future. She warns him that she had a vision of him in a dark room writhing in pain, but he dismisses her prediction. His next guest is the beautiful Amanda Smith-Jones (Laura Branigan), who says she was sexually assaulted by aliens. She shows Bright a cage, in which there is a horribly disfigured small creature which begs for help. The creature, she says, eats evil but can only do so when evil volunteers to be eaten. The ever-skeptical Bright isn't sure what to believe. Will he volunteer to test Amanda's claims? Written and directed by Bruce Feirstein. | February 3, 1991 |
| 68 (20) | Werewolf of Hollywood | Hollywood horror screenwriter Buzz Hunkle (Richard Belzer) is assigned by producer Leo Tandoski (Shelley Berman) to work with a co-writer, Vicki, on a new werewolf movie. The outline is about a movie studio CEO named Billy who is a werewolf, and about a heroic producer named Leo who unmasks him. Studio CEO Billy Mariner arrives in Buzz's office and announces he's financing picture. Buzz and Vicki fight over the script. That night, they hear screams and wolf howls out on the studio back lot. They discover Leo's dead body and a werewolf running amok. But Leo warned them that there's more to the "movie" outline than there seems, and Buzz has to unravel the mystery. The episode is played for laughs rather than horror. Written by Ron Goulart. | February 10, 1991 |
| 69 (21) | Talk Nice to Me | Martin Lander (Ed Marinaro) is a womanizer and newspaper columnist with a beautiful girlfriend, Linda (Teri Ann Linn). He's being stalked by a woman with a sultry voice (Tina Louise) who keeps leaving messages on his answering machine and calling him all the time. Even though he changes his phone number, she keeps calling and leaving messages. When Linda comes over, the woman calls and embarrasses Martin and Linda. Is this mystery woman spying on Martin, too? Martin wonders if he has a haunted answering machine, but the truth might be even stranger. Directed by Ernest D. Farino (his fourth directorial episode for the series). Written by Paul Dini (his second script for the series). | February 17, 1991 |
| 70 (22) | Hostile Takeover | Greedy corporate executive Lawrence Bauer (Dennis Christopher) has taken over from ethical, older CEO Tom Hart. He's successful because he's been consulting voodoo priestess Matilde (Pam Grier) for the past year. The voodoo gods now demand that he sacrifice body parts for giving him wealth, but he refuses to do so. Instead, he kills Matilde when she threatens to send zombies after him. He thinks switching places with Ed the janitor (Tracey Walter) will throw the voodoo gods off his track, but Ed knows more about voodoo than Bauer realizes. Written by Jonathan Valin. | February 24, 1991 |
| 71 (23) | The Maker | A down-on-his-luck man named Mack (Philip Anglim) takes refuge in an abandoned hotel and runs into alcoholic magician J.J. "Freddy" Fredericks (Eddie Bracken). Freddy can make anything appear, but it always turns out wrong: The drink is sour, the food tastes awful, a rocking chair rocks side to side instead of front to back. Mack believes that Freddy's alcoholism prevents him from making better things. Mack takes away Freddy's booze. But a guy suffering from the DTs will begin seeing things... Written by Michael Kimball (his third script for the series). | April 18, 1991 |
| 72 (24) | The Moving Finger | Howie (Tom Noonan) is addicted to television quiz shows, and always gets the answer right. His wife (Alice Playten) goes out for ice cream while Howie watches his shows. Hearing a noise, Howie see an incredibly long, bony finger poking up out of the drain of his bathroom sink. Terrified because he doesn't know how such a thing could be happening, Howie ignores the frightening thing. His wife returns from the store and sees nothing. That night, Howie finds he can't go to the bathroom without the finger poking up out of the drain at him. As Howie tries to destroy the finger, first with drain cleaner and then a hedge trimmer, the finger attacks him and becomes longer and longer. But every finger is attached to a hand... Richard B. Shull has a voiceover role as a television announcer. Directed by Kenny Myers (his second directorial effort for the series). Written by Haskell Barkin (his third script for the series), from a story by Stephen King. | April 26, 1991 |
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