Creepshow Season 2, Episode 4 recap: Pipe Screams/Within the Walls of Madness

In the first segment from episode 204 of Shudder’s Creepshow, we get another pest control problem! This time it’s a plumbing issue to be addressed by plumber Linus Carruthers (Eric Edelstein). Slumlord Victoria Smoot (Barbara Crampton) tasks him with addressing problems with her building’s pipe system.

There’s a problem, though: In addition to the pipes being greasy and moldy, Linus informs her that he cannot legally repair them as they are made of potentially hazardous lead. To assure we don’t sympathize with her situation, Smoot threatens to ruin his business if he doesn’t help and also refers to her tenants as “animals.”

Linus is successfully pressured to comply, though he does give her the bird and calls her “Karen” after she leaves. Things get complicated, however, when it becomes clear at least one creature is inside the rattling pipes. What sort of creature?

That’s not entirely clear, but it eats the cat when Linus isn’t looking. Attempting to track down the problem, Linus heads to the upstairs apartment of tenant Janet (Selena Anduze), still assuming it’s just rats and sludge clogging up the system.

Creepshow goes down the tubes (but not in a bad way)

Janet leaves Linus to pick up her daughter, Lyla (Alayna Bernard), and Linus finds a problem much worse than expected. Whatever creature he’s alone with leaves a sickly slime trail as it enters a cupboard under Janet’s sink. However, things really escalate as Linus attempts to locate the “clog” creature, as the thing swallows his hand and part of his arm! He manages to remove it, but it painfully removes most (if not all) of the skin from his hand!

A fighter, Linus stabs it with a piece of tubing but it slides through the tube and connects to his face. Janet returns with her daughter to save him by containing it in a bucket, and what follows is a breakthrough scene: The angry tenants implement some sweet and sinister revenge on Victoria Smoot.

Though Smoot pleads for mercy and offers them free rent, they’re through listening to her and, while threatening her with various tools, coax her into getting snagged by the “clog” creature which latches onto her and brutally drags her through a basement floor drain (which looks like a sewer manhole). The story ends with Lyla leaving food out for the creature, implying that it’s become like a pet over time.

Within the Walls of Madness

The second story from Creepshow 204 begins at a US detention center, 72 hours after a “containment breach.” We’re introduced to a Mr. Zeller (Drew Matthews) who appears to be in deep trouble. He is greeted by his Attorney, Tara Cartwright (Brittany L. Smith), who is skeptical of his claims of innocence.

We learn that Zeller was visiting a biotech research facility in Antarctica along with a freaky scientist named Trollenberg (Denise Crosby), whose research entails everything from ESP (extrasensory perception) to parallel universes. Zeller blames the murders he’s accused of on an interdimensional wormhole that Trollenberg activated.

Trollenberg’s team included Zeller, Carson (Nicholas Logan), and Mallory (Brooke Butler). In his flashback sequence, Zeller blames a mysterious force for the deaths of Mallory and Carson, rather than his chopping them up with an ax. He claims “they” attack people through walls. Indeed, we see Mallory gets attacked by a strange force in the walls, though Carson didn’t show up until after her death, to see Zeller standing above her chopped-up body and suspiciously holding the ax.

Treachery afoot (as usual)

Most Creepshow stories feature some treachery, and this one is no different. When Zeller was originally arrested, he insisted Carson and Trollenberg look at the security camera footage.  In the flashback, we see Trollenberg does watch the footage, knowing that Zeller wasn’t lying, but still tells Carson that Zeller killed Mallory. Carson, who is upset for obvious reasons, attempts to shoot Zeller, but Zeller slams an ax in Carson’s head out of survival instinct.

The drama builds back better when Zeller learns Trollenberg deleted the footage. She does tell Zeller the truth, however: Upon leading her team to investigate a mountain, she discovered a strange, almost amulet-like flute that emits a sound that bends times and “opens doorways.” Imperceptible to human ears, it is nevertheless heard by “The Old Ones,” who can be summoned to return to “set things right” (kill people and, perhaps, disassemble the universe). Zeller slashes Trollenberg’s throat open with his already-bloodied ax.

Zeller’s story leaves Tara Cartwright and the Justice system unconvinced, however, and we fast forward to mere moments before his execution. He reiterates that The Old Ones can come through the walls. In fact, he makes it his last wish is to use the instrument, and he calls the tune “an oldy but a goody.” It turns out that Zeller’s correct and his little tune has execution attendees ensnared by Cthulhu’s wondrous tentacles, no doubt choking the life out of each and every doubter!

What are your thoughts on this episode of Creepshow? Let us know in the comments!