Well, with season one done, I guess I had better finish up this Freddy’s Nightmares TV show and take a look at season two. While season one’s quality was very up and down, season two features a lot of downs. I think they were running low on ideas. However, this season has a lot of continuity connections and there are several sequel/follow-up episodes here, this seems to be where the focus was and not on writing good stories.
SEASON TWO
Dream Come True
Story 1
Cathy is a distraught mother whose son, Randy is having terrible nightmares. She enlists the help of a psychiatrist, Dr. Brandon Kefler to find the root of Randy’s issue. Dr. Kefler documents everything with the help of news cameraman, Gary. Of course, Randy’s nightmares are about Freddy, and the good doctor soon learns all about the child killer when Freddy shifts his attention from Randy to Dr. Kefler.
Story 2
Following previous events, Gary (the cameraman) wants to prove that Freddy is real and he tries to capture the dead child killer on film for all to see. When Gary’s fiancé and work colleague turns up dead, he suspects that Freddy is behind her death. Maybe he was, maybe he wasn’t.
Story 1
Cathy is a distraught mother whose son, Randy is having terrible nightmares. She enlists the help of a psychiatrist, Dr. Brandon Kefler to find the root of Randy’s issue. Dr. Kefler documents everything with the help of news cameraman, Gary. Of course, Randy’s nightmares are about Freddy, and the good doctor soon learns all about the child killer when Freddy shifts his attention from Randy to Dr. Kefler.
Story 2
Following previous events, Gary (the cameraman) wants to prove that Freddy is real and he tries to capture the dead child killer on film for all to see. When Gary’s fiancé and work colleague turns up dead, he suspects that Freddy is behind her death. Maybe he was, maybe he wasn’t.
Honestly, this is a pretty good start to season two. Yeah, it’s another Freddy-focused episode that offers up an interesting idea – what if someone were to film Freddy? Story one works as a nice set-up, and story two delivers a satisfying resolve. Could’ve done with a bit more scary horror though.
Heartbreak Hotel
Story 1
Low-quality tabloid reporter, Roger is sent to Springwood to report on a sighting of Elvis at a sleazy hotel. While there, Roger’s editor, Ellen keeps pestering him over the phone for the story that he does not want to cover. According to the hotel manager, Elvis is not there because he has gone on tour with John Lennon. With no Elvis to report on, Roger has to make up a story for Ellen, and he soon learns that what he writes comes true.
Story 2
After surviving a car crash, Jerry is suffering from amnesia. Jerry’s wife and daughter arrive at the hospital to take him home. As he recovers, Jerry begins to have nightmares that he may have killed somebody before losing his memory. Not wanting to go home right away, Jerry and his family check into the hotel from the first story. After some snooping around in his wife’s purse, Jerry suspects that his family are not really his family.
This is quite a strange episode. The first story is played for laughs with some nonsense humour… like Elvis being alive and touring with John Lennon. But the second tale is much darker and more serious. There’s this instant flip from a lighter story, to a far more sinister one. I’m not really a fan of the first tale, it just doesn’t seem to sit right, but it does have a good ending. The second is much better and saves this episode from being terrible, to it being okay.
Welcome to Springwood
Story 1
Doug and Roxanne have just moved to Springwood. Doug is a lawyer who goes to his new place of work to meet everybody. Meanwhile, Roxanne is at their new house and starts to unpack their belongings – only, they aren’t their boxes. Roxanne finds magazines about murders and bloodstained clothes and knives. Under medication, Roxanne begins to worry about the rightful owner coming to retrieve his goods.
Story 1
Doug and Roxanne have just moved to Springwood. Doug is a lawyer who goes to his new place of work to meet everybody. Meanwhile, Roxanne is at their new house and starts to unpack their belongings – only, they aren’t their boxes. Roxanne finds magazines about murders and bloodstained clothes and knives. Under medication, Roxanne begins to worry about the rightful owner coming to retrieve his goods.
Story 2
Archaeologist, Emily also moves into Springwood. In her new apartment, Emily finds a hidden stack of 19th-century love letters and as she reads them, she finds herself transported into the time they came from. Emily learns that the love letters are about an illicit affair.
Yeah, I didn’t much like this one. The first story starts out well, but soon becomes very predictable and dull. The second is a bizarre time-travelling love story that just does not fit the Nightmare/Freddy mould at all, and it feels very, very out of place. This is a strange episode that feels like it is part of a completely different TV show – there’s a lot of that in this season.
Photo Finish
Story 1
Professional photographer, Estonia “Stoney” was once one of the best in the business. Now reduced to taking family portraits, Stoney longs to be back at the top. After being offered a contract to do a special Halloween shoot for a popular magazine with some top models, Stoney sees this as her opportunity to become known again. Given an assistant called Oliver, he’s not much help and Stoney’s photos are just not working as she struggles to get the feel of terror from the models for the Halloween shoot. Then Freddy shows up to offer a helping hand.
Story 2
There’s been a multiple murder in a house with three people dead, a father, a mother and their child. Three FBI agents arrive to investigate the scene and try to work out what happened. One of the agents, Peterson has an unusual way of investigating that the other two agents do not like. When Peterson starts seeing visions of the murders, he may just know who the killer is. Then Freddy shows up to offer a helping hand.
There’s been a multiple murder in a house with three people dead, a father, a mother and their child. Three FBI agents arrive to investigate the scene and try to work out what happened. One of the agents, Peterson has an unusual way of investigating that the other two agents do not like. When Peterson starts seeing visions of the murders, he may just know who the killer is. Then Freddy shows up to offer a helping hand.
The second Freddy-focused episode of the season, and it’s only episode four. I can’t say that I enjoyed this one all that much. The first story is rather dry and seems like a waste of the Freddy character. The second one is slightly better and does have an interesting twist at the end, but the journey there is a wee bit tedious. Not one of the worst episodes this season, but a pretty average one.
Memory Overload
Story 1
Along with teaching Shakespeare to adults, Professor Charles Windom likes a drink or seven. Chuck, an old student of Charles’, turns up looking for help. Chuck has deserted the army and with his father being a general in the army, he is rather keen on finding his son. Charles decides to help his old student and plans on getting out of the country. Only, things do not work out and they both may be trapped forever.
Story 2
Barbara, a current student of Professor Charles Windom, works for a credit company that has been computerised. Being the head of her department, she (wrongfully) changes the credit rating of her mother. When a good-looking guy walks in, Barbara falls for him and changes his credit rating too. However, her computer becomes self-aware and soon lands Barbara in trouble.
Along with teaching Shakespeare to adults, Professor Charles Windom likes a drink or seven. Chuck, an old student of Charles’, turns up looking for help. Chuck has deserted the army and with his father being a general in the army, he is rather keen on finding his son. Charles decides to help his old student and plans on getting out of the country. Only, things do not work out and they both may be trapped forever.
Story 2
Barbara, a current student of Professor Charles Windom, works for a credit company that has been computerised. Being the head of her department, she (wrongfully) changes the credit rating of her mother. When a good-looking guy walks in, Barbara falls for him and changes his credit rating too. However, her computer becomes self-aware and soon lands Barbara in trouble.
This whole episode is just bad. The first story is the better of the two, but even that is pretty poor. It is so out of place that you are left questioning why it was filmed as an episode of Freddy’s Nightmares. The second one is even worse and full of nonsense techno-crap about computers that makes no sense. So far, the absolute worst episode of the series.
Lucky Stiff
Story 1
Lenny is down on his luck, unemployed and struggling to find a job. While he is out looking for work his wife, Greta has been having an affair with Hank and preparing to run away with her lover. Lenny passes away after suffering a heart attack. After Lenny’s funeral, Greta and Hank marry and Greta learns that Lenny won $20 million on the lottery before he died. The only problem is that Lenny was buried with the ticket in his suit pocket and Greta and Hank only have until midnight to claim the prize. Instead of claiming the $20 million as a couple, Greta decides to double-cross Hank and claim the money all for herself.
Story 2
Now $20 million better off… and single. Greta is loving her new lifestyle. But, there is a bit of a hiccup because it seems like Hank is back, despite being dead. Greta is not sure if she is going insane or if her dead husband is trying to claim her money. Thankfully, a helpful gravedigger who witnessed Greta and Hank’s grave robbing is on hand to clear matters up.
This is a massive step up over the previous episode. It’s still not great, but it is much better. There’s some good, creepy imagery and several nightmarish visions. This feels like a Freddy’s Nightmare’s yarn with some pretty decent horror vibes. I guess I should mention that Greta is played by Mary Crosby, daughter of Bing Crosby.
Silence Is Golden
Story 1
WOQ, the popular radio station in Springwood, has a rather obnoxious and outspoken DJ called Rick. Rick gets a lot of mail about his opinions, usually hate mail. Rick wants to tone down his show, but the station’s manager wants Rick to push things even further because even hate mail means that people are tuning in. When Rick accidentally punches an annoying street mime, he soon learns that keeping his mouth shut instead of insulting people may be for the best.
Story 2
It turns out that the mine has another vocation, outside of annoying people on the street with his performances. His name is Kip and at night, he’s a cat burglar known as The Daisy Burglar. While Kip is non-violent, the victims of his latest burglary turn up dead. The police are looking for Kip with the intent to charge him with murder. Kip suspects that somebody is trying to frame him, but who and why?
This is another one of those episodes that doesn’t feel like it should be part of this series. The stories themselves are okay, but neither of them really feels particularly Freddy Krueger-inspired. As I previously mentioned, this is a major issue with a lot of the episodes from this season, it’s more like you are watching The Twilight Zone over Freddy’s Nightmares. Not enough horror and scares and just unusual tales that might have a bit of a twist at the end.
Bloodlines
Story 1
Woody is a bank robber who has escaped from prison and returns home to retrieve the money he stole, which is hidden in the house. An abusive husband and father, Woody has to get past his now grown-up, but unwanted son, Jack if he ever wants to see that money again.
Story 2
Jack has moved on from his ordeal with his father and settled down with his own wife, Maggie. The couple can’t conceive, so Jack uses the money from his father’s bank robbery to illegally adopt a child called Patty. As Patty grows, she seems to have behavioural problems and Maggie starts to suspect that their adopted child may be pure evil.
The first story starts out with an interesting bit of back exposition. There’s a news report on the radio that mentions no indictments will be brought in relation to the Freddy Krueger burning. Then there’s another radio report that mentions a teenager mysteriously dying in their sleep. So this must take place after the events of the very first episode and this is the first episode this season to share any continuity/connections to anything from season one. As for the two stories, with the first one, we are back in that “this doesn’t feel like it is part of the right TV show” territory again. Story two is essentially a remake of The Omen… and it knows it too as it directly references that film more than once. This second tale is much better than the first and does have a horror feel to it. But it is also very predictable if you have ever seen The Omen. Overall a very average episode only saved by the second yarn.
Monkey Dreams
Story 1
Joe is a scientist with a bit of a gambling problem and he owes a lot of money to some very unsavourable people. Joe’s lab partner, Jeannie is working on an experiment to communicate with chimps. Joe is conducting an experiment of his own, he is trying to make contact with aliens. Joe thinks he may have made contact with aliens and this could be his ticket to becoming rich, that is when a violent debt collector turns up.
Story 2
Jeannie’s experiment with her chimp, Winston is progressing. When Jeannie’s boss starts conducting experiments that are harming Winston, she decides to leave the project and confide in an animal rights activist.
Guess what? Yep, this really has nothing to do with Freddy’s Nightmares. At this point, I’m sure the writers were starting to run dry and that they just had zero worthy ideas to connect to Freddy or the Nightmare franchise. A lot of the episodes and individual stories from season two seem to be drifting further and further away from the concept of the show. Neither of these are good stories and neither of them should be part of this series. A pretty bad episode, all things considered. Oh, Robert Englund directed this one.
Do You Know Where Your Kids Are?
Story 1
Hedi swaps babysitting duties with her friend, Lisa. The kids that need babysitting are the Burtons (the same family from the Bloodlines episode). When Lisa arrives at the Burtons, she meets Will, but only hears his sister, Patty. Lisa then meets Jack and his new wife, Jill and Lisa is told to never open the basement door…. which is where Lisa heard Patty. It seems that Patty is kept in the basement. When Lisa is tricked into opening the basement, Patty locks her in the basement and escapes.
Story 2
Lisa has been reported as dying in a car accident, even though a body was never found, and so her mother believes that Lisa will be home soon. With Lisa seemingly missing, her mother is driven to the brink of insanity. Lisa’s mother finds Patty living on the streets and takes her home to take care of her. With Patty now living as Lisa, the real Lisa escapes from the basement and goes home to reclaim her life.
Lisa has been reported as dying in a car accident, even though a body was never found, and so her mother believes that Lisa will be home soon. With Lisa seemingly missing, her mother is driven to the brink of insanity. Lisa’s mother finds Patty living on the streets and takes her home to take care of her. With Patty now living as Lisa, the real Lisa escapes from the basement and goes home to reclaim her life.
Now this is a step up in quality. Both stories pretty damn good and this episode is one of the best of the season. While it works as a sequel to the Bloodlines episode (with numerous references), it still works as a stand-alone episode too. There must have been quite a time jump though as Patty was a little girl, I think it is said that she was 7 in the Bloodlines episode. Here she is an older teenager. I’m guessing there was a (maybe) 9-10 year jump. Courtney Gebhart, playing Patty does a really great job of being this manipulative psycho and she is genuinely scary. Finally, a great episode in season two with two solid tales.
Dreams That Kill
Story 1
Charlie is the host of a talk show that is exploring the possibility of dreams that can kill. This is a subject that Freddy is not too keen on being brought to light, Freddy turns up and threatens Charlie to change the subject. Charlie begins to have nightmares as he is forced to continue his dreams that kill show by his producer. After another visit from Freddy, Charlie is left in a coma where Freddy is free to torment the TV presenter.
Story 2
While still a coma, Charlie is studied by Dr. Weiss. Meanwhile, Mark a motorbike crash victim, is brought into the hospital and is left brain damaged. A colleague, Dr. Erwin suggests to Dr. Weiss that an experimental procedure could restore Mark’s brain activity. Despite being warned, Dr. Erwin goes ahead with the procedure and uses some of Chalrie’s brain cells to restore Mark’s. When Charlie passes away, Mark begins to share some of Charlie’s traits and even some of his memories. Mark lands Charlie’s old job as TV host and Freddy turns up believing that he failed to kill Charlie before, so he turns his murderous attention to Mark.
While still a coma, Charlie is studied by Dr. Weiss. Meanwhile, Mark a motorbike crash victim, is brought into the hospital and is left brain damaged. A colleague, Dr. Erwin suggests to Dr. Weiss that an experimental procedure could restore Mark’s brain activity. Despite being warned, Dr. Erwin goes ahead with the procedure and uses some of Chalrie’s brain cells to restore Mark’s. When Charlie passes away, Mark begins to share some of Charlie’s traits and even some of his memories. Mark lands Charlie’s old job as TV host and Freddy turns up believing that he failed to kill Charlie before, so he turns his murderous attention to Mark.
And we have another sequel episode, this one follows on from the first episode of this season, Dream Come True. I’m not sure if they just put most of the bad episodes in the first half of the season or not, but this is the second good episode in a row. Both stories are pretty well done and feature Freddy a fair bit.
It’s My Party and You’ll Die If I Want You To
Story 1
Marla is a self-proclaimed psychic channeler who attends a psychic convention. Oh, and she’s a fraud. While Marla keeps her fraudulent activity from the very people who pay her, she is a bit more open about her act to her new assistant, Oliver. A professional sceptic, Harry sets out to prove that Marla is a fraud. When Freddy possesses Marla’s body, she has the perfect chance to get rid of her sceptic enemy once and for all.
Story 2
Taking place in the same building as the psychic convention is a class on 1970 high school reunion. One reunion attendee, Denise moved away from Springwood after having terrible nightmares. Now that she is back, the nightmares begin again. Fellow reunion attendee, Larry is a screenwriter trying to write his next screenplay. Then there is nerdy Howard – who used to be a friend of Freddy Krueger. Yep, this is the reunion of the class that Freddy used to be in. When Larry learns of the story of Freddy, he comes up with an idea for a new film, A Nightmare On Elm Street. But is Freddy going to allow his life story to be immortalised on film?
Taking place in the same building as the psychic convention is a class on 1970 high school reunion. One reunion attendee, Denise moved away from Springwood after having terrible nightmares. Now that she is back, the nightmares begin again. Fellow reunion attendee, Larry is a screenwriter trying to write his next screenplay. Then there is nerdy Howard – who used to be a friend of Freddy Krueger. Yep, this is the reunion of the class that Freddy used to be in. When Larry learns of the story of Freddy, he comes up with an idea for a new film, A Nightmare On Elm Street. But is Freddy going to allow his life story to be immortalised on film?
Another kind of sequel episode, more of a follow-up than a sequel as there are no direct story elements, but Oliver, the assistant from the Photo Finish episode is on this one. He does make a reference to working with a photographer. Again, a good episode – three in a row now. There’s a little comedy mixed in with the horror here. Then there is the self-fulfilling prophecy of one of Freddy’s classmates coming up with the idea to make a film about his life, which would then lead to the creation of the Freddy’s Nightmares TV show… which leads to this episode where somebody comes up with the idea to write a film about Freddy. It is a bit of a shame that they never used Wes Craven’s name as the person who sold the script to Hollywood. Maybe he was asked but refused? Wes did sell the rights to make the first film and had a bit of a falling out with the producers in regard to the sequels too. Anyway, this is a good episode with some bloody kills, a little humor and plenty of Freddy.
What You Don’t Know Can Kill You
Story 1
Lecherous psychiatrist, Dr. Donald Crowley hypnotises a young female patient so that he can seduce her. However, he is caught, mid-almost rape by colleague, Dr. Stuart Rothman. Donald does his best to explain away the incident as an “experimental” therapy, but Stuart is not convinced. Worried that he could lose his job, Donald thinks up a way to keep Stuart quiet. When Derby, a man who is looking to quit smoking, comes into his office, Donald may have a way to silence Stuart without getting his own hands dirty.
Story 2
With Derby now wanted for murder, the police are looking for him. While being hidden in the hospital by his lover, Dr. Helen Veneer, she comes up with the idea for Derby to undergo plastic surgery to change his face using a new and fast procedure. Derby picks out a random face from a gossip magazine and Helen gets to making her lover’s face different. However, Derby didn’t read the article that had the picture of the man whose face was used for the surgery. It turns out that the man is Vinnie, a higher-up hitman who is turning state’s evidence against the mob. Vinnie is currently being protected by the police and when Derby leaves the hospital looking like Vinnie, he soon becomes a target.
And we are back in the “this doesn’t feel like a Freddy’s Nightmares episode” area once more. Neither story has any horror vibes and offers little in the way of scares or anything. Again, this is more The Twilight Zone than Freddy’s Nightmares. Even so, this is a pretty average episode. Story one has a nice concept behind it and all, but it never really seems to take off. Story two is just way too bland to find any entertainment value in it.
Easy Come, Easy Go
Story 1
Greta (from the Lucky Stiff episode) is trying to make it through her blackmail marriage to Eugene, the gravedigger. As long as he keeps his mouth shut about Greta’s murderous ways, Eugene is allowed to live in Greta’s very expensive house… but that is as far as the relationship goes. Wes turns up, Hank’s (Greta’s husband who she killed) twin brother and he has a lot of questions about what happened to his sibling. Greta seduces Wes and convinces him to kill Eugene so that she can be out of this sham marriage.
Story 2
Greta’s sister, Peggy and her husband, Sonny unexpectedly come to stay – just as Greta is trying to get out of the country. It turns out that Sonny is Greta’s ex-boyfriend and Greta is very suspicious of why he married her sister. Suspecting that Sonny is trying to get his hands on her lottery winnings, Greta needs to come up with a plan to keep Sonny away from her money and out of her life or good. Only Peggy has a little family secret of her own.
Yet another sequel episode, this season is crammed with them. This one is a sequel to Lucky Stiff. For me, the first story is the more interesting of the two, with the second being a bit of a disappointment. Even so, the whole episode is a fitting conclusion to Greta’s story. It’s one of the better of this season.
Prime Cut
Story 1
Johnny, Jake and Todd are out in the wild on a hunting trip. Their guide is Ginger, who seems to have a fear of wooden tent stakes and a love for human blood. While Jake and Todd lust after their female guide, Johnny starts to suspect that Ginger may be a vampire. But just maybe, Johnny’s imagination is blocking something else out.
Story 2
Yep, Johnny’s imagination was playing tricks on him. It turns out that everyone has been involved in a plane crash and they are trapped in a ravine. Johnny and Ginger are the only survivors and they have had to turn to cannibalism to stay alive. After a fumbled rescue attempt, Johnny’s fiancé ends up in the ravine with them, and there’s an escaped killer on the loose too. With the bodies of the others rotting, food supplies are running low and somebody will have to be the next course.
This is quite a fun episode. The first story is the weaker one here, but it works as a great set-up to the better second tale. There’s a good bit of blood and horror as the crash victims are forced to eat their friends to stay alive. Quite a twisted tale and one with a predictable ending, if I’m being honest. even so, this is a fun watch.
Interior Loft
Story 1
David and Kim are a young married couple living in a swanky loft apartment. Kim is writing a novel to try to bring some much-needed cash in. David is working and studying for a degree. The sexual relationship between them has died out and Kim wants to find a way to make David want her again. Kim calls David and puts on a sexy voice to seduce him and he falls for it. When David learns the voice on the phone is his wife, he persuades her to make and record an adult phone message to bring in some money. However, there’s a killer out there who is using Kim’s messages as inspiration to murder.
Story 2
David reads Kim’s manuscript and learns that she has been writing about a highly sexual femme fatale called Tanya who has a penchant for murder. Kim seems to be having trouble separating reality from fiction as she takes on the traits of her killer character from her book. As David reads Kim’s manuscript, he discovers that Tanya is planning on killing her husband.
I think my main problem with this episode is that they have already done the “writer’s ideas come to life” idea in multiple other episodes. This version is slightly different, but the premise is still the same. Both stories are quite good though and there is a sting in both tales that keep this episode from being too predictable. A pretty good episode overall, but maybe the whole “writer’s ideas come to life” idea is wearing a bit thin now.
Interior Loft Later
Story 1
When a struggling artist, Alex is told that the value of the art goes up after the artist dies, he comes up with an idea to fake his own death. Alex’s fiancé, Fabina helps to carry on the subterfuge while Alex hides away in his apartment. After a while, Alex starts to go a little stir-crazy and suspects that Fabina may be cheating on him with a fellow artist called Art.
Story 2
Two flatmates, Stay and Gina have moved into the loft apartment and are looking for a roommate to help pay the bills. Art (from the first story) turns up and while Stacy is more than happy to have him as a roommate Gina is more apprehensive. After Art moves in, he does his best to get Gina on his side and turns on the charm. After seducing both of the girls, they learn that he has been lying about his past to get them into bed and those lies could lead to Art’s death.
If the title of this one hasn’t already clued you in, then this is a follow-up to the previous Interior Loft episode. Not a sequel as there is no continual story (but one mild reference), just the same location of the loft apartment from the previous episode. I’m not a fan of this one because it is another one of those that doesn’t feel right for the show’s theme. No horror, no scares – just a couple of fairly plain stories that throw in a last-minute twist.
Funhouse
Story 1
Robert and Emma are a married couple who move into a new house with the help of a removal man, Turk. Turk tells Emma that 50 years ago, a husband murdered his wife in the house because she was having an affair and that her ghost haunts the house to this day. When Emma starts having bizarre visions and dreams, she begins to believe that the haunting may be true.
Story 2
Another couple moves into the house, Victor and Evelyn and Turk tells them that the previous owners disappeared. With Victor being in a wheelchair following an accident, Evelyn turns her womanly attention to Turk. Victor approves of his wife’s extramarital affair as he wants her to be satisfied, which he can’t do being in a wheelchair and all. However, not everything ends up going Turk’s way.
Another couple moves into the house, Victor and Evelyn and Turk tells them that the previous owners disappeared. With Victor being in a wheelchair following an accident, Evelyn turns her womanly attention to Turk. Victor approves of his wife’s extramarital affair as he wants her to be satisfied, which he can’t do being in a wheelchair and all. However, not everything ends up going Turk’s way.
At least this one has a bit of a horror vibe with the ghost story of the first tale. This is an okay episode with a couple of surprises, but it never really quite hits the mark. Nearing the end of this season now and I hope that they have saved the best ’till last, because these last few episodes have been a bit weak.
A Family Affair
Story 1
Paul is a well-to-do married family man with a son, Jason. But Paul has a secret, he is having an affair with Claire. Paul has promised Claire that he will leave his wife and get a divorce, but he keeps putting it off. Paul decides to end his relationship with Claire and she does not take it well at all. Paul has to resort to desperate measures to ensure that Claire doesn’t tell his wife about the affair.
Story 2
Two years later, Paul and his son, Jason have had a falling out and have not spoken to each other. When Paul suffers a heart attack but survives, Jason finally comes home to take care of his father. As father and son try to patch up their relationship, Paul has another heart attack that kills him – but he’s not ready to move on and tries to cheat Death so that he can spend more time with his son.
The first tale is rather boring and has the old classic “hell hath no fury” trope. The second is slightly better – but still not very good. I liked the concept of this tale, it just should’ve been handled better. And again, the whole episode just does not fit the Freddy’s Nightmares style at all.
Dust to Dust
Story 1
Recovering cannibals Johnny, Ginger and Mary (Prime Cut) set up an Alcoholics Anonymous style group… but with cannibals, the trio are doing well and have not eaten human flesh for several months. A mysterious stranger turns up and claims that he is being hunted by someone. When the stranger attacks Johnny, Ginger and Mary kill him in self-defence, and they all eat him. The trio then learn that the stranger had a virus and worry that they could now be infected.
Story 2
Taken to a secret underground base, Ginger and Mary are held captive and observed by various doctors. It turns out that the infection they ate was of alien origin and will eventually turn them into blue dust. Ginger may just hold the secret to the cure.
Taken to a secret underground base, Ginger and Mary are held captive and observed by various doctors. It turns out that the infection they ate was of alien origin and will eventually turn them into blue dust. Ginger may just hold the secret to the cure.
We have another sequel episode, following on from the Prime Cut one. This episode makes no sense – even for Freddy’s Nightmares. With the first episode, Prime Cut, there was a dark edge to it. This sequel is played for (bad) laughs, which is even more jarring when the main plot is about cannibals and aliens. Prime Cut was pretty good, but this could be a contender for one of the worst episodes of the show. It’s utter nonsense and both stories are terrible.
Prisoner of Love
Story 1
Violet is a prisoner on death row waiting to face the electric chair in two days. Then there is Brenda, a rival of Violet and in the cell next to hers. Brenda is due to be executed the day after Violet. The prison warden sends in a priest called James to talk to the women and offer them some comfort in their final hours. Violet seduces James, which puts him in a very difficult situation being a priest and all. James comes up with a daring plan of how he can help Violet escape, but Brenda has a plan of her own.
Story 2
With the escape plan gone wrong and Violet now dead, James is haunted by Violet’s ghost who tells him that she is trapped in limbo and can’t move on to the afterlife unless Brenda forgives her. James saves Brenda from execution, but keeps her prisoner in an abandoned part of the prison. Using her outside ties, Brenda cuts a deal with James to set her free.
With the escape plan gone wrong and Violet now dead, James is haunted by Violet’s ghost who tells him that she is trapped in limbo and can’t move on to the afterlife unless Brenda forgives her. James saves Brenda from execution, but keeps her prisoner in an abandoned part of the prison. Using her outside ties, Brenda cuts a deal with James to set her free.
I quite like the premise of this one, but the execution (no pun) lets it down. Neither story is bad, they’re both pretty good in their own way – but this is one of those episodes that just does not suit this show at all. This is the penultimate episode of the entire series and the finale really needs to be great to be a worthy send-off because the last few episodes have been quite dire. It’s also worth noting that the first story “borrows” heavily from a 1964 The Alfred Hitchcock Hour episode called Final Escape, which was remade in 1985 for Alfred Hitchcock Presents.
Life Sentence
Story 1
Andy is in prison serving time for a robbery seven years ago that left a guard dead, but he is up for parole and due to be released in two days. Before his release, Andy has to undergo a psychological examination from Dr. Elaine. While being pushed by a rival prisoner, Johnny, Andy starts a fight. Apparently, Andy rolled over on Bruno, his accomplice for the robbery to get a lighter sentence and the two were sent to different prisons to keep them apart. Elaine is worried that Andy is too violent to be set free. Little does Andy know that Bruno is being transferred this his prison and Elaine has a connection to the robbery herself. Andy’s past comes back to haunt him.
Story 2
Before he was sent to prison, Andy hid the money from the robbery and he is the only person who knows where it is. The warden of the prison tests a new drug on Andy, a drug that works as a hallucinogen and causes Andy to see all sorts of visions. The warden is hoping that the drug will cause Andy to tell the warden where the money is hidden. But the warden’s plan backfires.
Oh look, another sequel episode. Set in the same prison as the previous episode – but in the men’s wing instead of the women’s. I haven’t counted, and I can’t really be bothered to, but this season had a lot of sequel/follow-up episodes. Just as with the previous episode, this does not fit the show. It would’ve made much more sense for the show to end on a Freddy-centric episode instead of this damp squib. You know what? the It’s My Party and You’ll Die If I Want You To episode would’ve been perfect as the finale, what with it being about Freddy’s class reunion and ending with someone writing A Nightmare On Elm Street and turning it into a movie. This episode is a very weak way to end a rather mixed season.
The general consensus for Freddy’s Nightmares is that it’s not very good. It was made quickly while Freddy Maina was taking off, with a low budget, and not much in the way of quality control. Honestly, the show was made to just cash in on the popularity of the Freddy character at the time. It certainly features the most obnoxious, annoying joke-making take on the character ever. However, despite my disappointment with the movie franchise at this point, I do have a slight soft spot for the show. Then again, I have a soft spot for anthology storytelling and TV shows anyway. Yeah, there are some really bad episodes here, but there are some great and imaginative ones too. I think the main issue with Freddy’s Nightmares is that it was rushed out due to Freddy Mania. If they had taken their time with this and given it more love, I think it could’ve fared much better.
It’s not perfect, it’s pretty far from being a great TV show, but I still do enjoy dipping in and out of Freddy’s Nightmares now and then. In fact, I’ve probably watched some episodes of this show more than I have the films in the franchise. Now that I have covered the entire Freddy’s Nightmares TV show, for the fifth and final part of this retrospective, I’m going to take a look at the time when the Freddy Krueger character was at the height of his popularity. I’m going to delve into the phenomenon that was Freddy Mania.
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