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The Tick recap: ‘Tale From the Crypt’

By Kelly Shanaphy

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It’s been an excruciatingly long wait but The Tick finally returned this weekend with an excellent midseason premiere, “Tale From the Crypt.”

While the series has consistently been written off as a “spoof” of normal superhero shows, The Tick genuinely embodies too many elements to ever fit into one box. This premiere continues to expand this nutty world, and once again proves what an underrated hit that Amazon has on its hands.

“Tale From the Crypt” picks up where the midseason finale left off, with Arthur captured by The Terror and the audience gets to learn a little bit more about the villain. Before anyone knew whether he was officially alive or not, The Terror was mainly seen through the eyes of everyone else. Viewers only knew him through Arthur’s perspective: as the man who killed his father and his favorite superheroes.

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Now, Jackie Earle Haley gets to shine as the unhinged villain who seems to be in complete control while also relished in the chaos. He’s the kind of person who hires a man to berate him to play the drums better, only to threaten his life when “his instructor” isn’t tough enough. When he orders Ms. Lint to “allow” Arthur to escape, there’s no telling what his master plan is because The Terror’s motives never seem to make any sense.

While it’s nice to spend more time with the villain and see Arthur begin to gain some confidence, the best part of “Tale From the Crypt” is the unlikely team-up. Worried about her brother, Dot runs into Overkill leading the two to work together despite their qualms. Based on their interactions, it would appear as though the two are headed towards a romantic subplot, but for now, Overkill’s lack of social skills are played for laughs.

He’s forced to start working alongside people again, something he’s not used to and for the first time it’s not a situation he can just fight his way through. Meanwhile, The Tick and Dangerboat end up getting to spend some time together where the former learns a bit more about his vehicular friend. Turns out, Dangerboat is a “male boat” who is attracted to other men, which endlessly confuses the blue hero.

Arthur jumps on the opportunity escape but not before taking Dr. Karamazov, the scientist who allegedly died in a lab explosion, from under The Terror’s nose as well. While the two make it out as well, and The Tick manages to save Overkill from a lair full of C-4, Karamazov ends up making a break for it before they can question him about the plot to kill Superian.

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It keeps the team in the dark for a little longer, but ultimately sets up the big mystery for the remainder of the season. What is The Terror planning? Based on his erratic actions, there’s no way to guess the intricacies of his plan, but it looks like Ms. Lint might be feeling a bit underused already.

It’s amazing how to watch how much each of these characters has developed throughout “Tale From the Crypt.” Arthur isn’t the whimpering coward from the pilot, Dot isn’t the apprehensive doctor, and Ms. Lint is no longer satisfied with just being a pawn to the latest crime boss.

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The Tick has come a long way since the premiere, and it’s exciting to watch how the story unfolds throughout the rest of the season.

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