General Information

Director: Timna Ranon

Writer: Timna Ranon

Cast: Carolyn Seymour, Jon Cedar, Lou Cutell, Shannon Kriska, Dawson Mays, Catherine Battistone, and Paul Sparer

Composer: Ken Lauber

Air Date: 1/19/1986

Overview

Along with colleagues Syd Grossinger (Jon Cedar), Joe (Dawson Mays), and Didi (Shannon Kriska), theatre director Andrea Caldwell (Carolyn Seymour) finds herself in a dreamlike reality. Upon further investigation, Andrea discovers that she and her coworkers are under the control of Otto Schrog (Lou Cutell)—a weasel-like stagehand.

“Dream Girl” is a dreadfully incoherent episode. Series enthusiasts would therefore be wise to avoid this effort, which fails to complement a surreal atmosphere with logical story progression.

Pros

None.

Cons

By continuously hopping from one random situation to the next, “Dream Girl” will result in a tedious, if not thoroughly unbearable, viewing experience for audiences of a critical mindset. To add insult to injury, teleplay writer Timna Ranon’s disregard for tone and narrative consistency is justified only through a longwinded, expository revelation (i.e. all characters exist in a dream world crafted by Otto) that never so much as indicates how Andrea, Sid, Didi, and Joe initially became trapped in the mind of another human being—a fantastic occurrence that requires explanation, even when allowing room for disbelief suspension.

Analysis

“Dream Girl” lacks a worthwhile moral lesson, possibly a consequence of the fact that Andrea—the main protagonist—proves to be a malicious, hateful person; yet goes unpunished for her abusive behavior.

Concluding Comments

Arguably the worst Tales from the Darkside episode ever made, “Dream Girl” operates on a nonsensical premise. Especially appalling is the character of Andrea, whose vile personality may elicit contempt, not sympathy, from those of a sensitive disposition.

Overall Quality: 1/10

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