General Information

Director: John Drury

Writer: Dick Benner

Cast: Maura Swanson, Lewis Arlt, Wanda DeJesus, and Paul Sparer

Composer: Pat Irwin

Air Date: 2/14/1988

Overview

Heartless collection agent Jeanette Simpson (Maura Swanson) receives a phone call from deceased client Rita Valdez (Wanda DeJesus), who committed suicide as a result of her deplorable living conditions. Representing the late Rita, attorney Michael Nelson (Lewis Arlt) pays a visit to Jeanette’s apartment—with a harrowing outcome.

“Payment Overdue” deserves praise for combining horror tropes with an old-fashioned moral lesson. This episode also benefits from a poignant twist ending, which makes effective use of a one-room set.

Pros

By making empty threats of litigation and imprisonment while collecting debts, Jeanette comes across as a loathsome and callous individual. Nevertheless, the main character gives a strong effort to justify her cruel methods, even referring to her victims as “takers” who refuse to work their way out of difficult situations—a line of reasoning that, though oversimplified and downright twisted, reveals a guilty conscience buried under Jeanette’s cold-hearted exterior. (The majority of Tales from the Darkside villains, in contrast, suffer from a lack of nuance and believability.)

Cons

“Payment Overdue” is marred by repetitious and ill-fitting background music, which undermines the suspenseful nature of Jeanette’s plight.

Analysis

Sharing a valuable message on empathy, “Payment Overdue” demonstrates the importance of reserving judgment (at least within reason) before projecting oneself into the life circumstances of another person.

Concluding Comments

Despite low production values and predictable plot themes, “Payment Overdue” is a thoughtful and haunting episode of Tales from the Darkside. Especially worth noting is the characterization of Jeanette, whose unlikable traits are conveyed in a realistic manner.

Overall Quality: 7/10

If you enjoyed this post, please enter your email address in the subscription box to stay tuned for more updates.