Review: Creepshow Episode 306 Says Farewell with Vampiric Nightmare Fuel and an Homage to a Legend

As the spooky season ends, so too does the latest season of Shudder’s Creepshow. With the finale, the creators aimed to terrify us with ‘Drug Traffic,’ written by Christopher Larsen and directed by Greg Nicotero. With ‘A Dead Girl Named Sue,’ writer Heather Anne Campbell and director John Harrison take us back to 1968 on an unforgettable night when the birth of modern horror rose from their graves. 

Our first spine-chilling terror tale is “Drug Traffic,” and all starts when a campaign bus arrives at the border station between Canada and the United States. Evan Miller (Reed Scott: Veep) is running for office, and his current campaign push is about pharmaceutical prices. Using every opportunity to win points and show the “everyman” he’s on their side. Miller’s always camera ready to call out perceived wrongdoing or mishandling of justice in the hopes of going viral. Unfortunately for Miller, he’s now at the mercy of station agent Beau (Michael Rooker: Slither, Guardians of the Galaxy), who sees right through his peacocking. 

When a mother-daughter duo begins to act suspicious, it becomes clear the younger is quite ill. Beau has everyone on the bus wait in a holding room as he interrogates the mom (Mai Delape). Turns out they are trying to cross the border with way more medicine than the legal limit allows. The mom tries to explain that her daughter, Mai (Sarah Jon) needs the pills to subdue the ever-growing hunger that’s building up in her. Without her medicine, she’ll need to find something or someone to feed on. Lucky for her, there is a buffet waiting in the other room. 

[Related] Creepshow Episode 305 Delivers with a Tale of Time and a Town’s Cursed Past

One of the more politically driven episodes ever featured on Creepshow; “Drug Traffic” is a commentary about health care and the clickbait/viral video aspect of modern politics. Handled in a way as not to disparage one side or the other, instead show the hypocrisy that’s on display when the cameras are rolling. Rooker and Scott play off each other so incredibly well that I could watch a whole series with these two teaming up to fight demons trying to cross the border. 

Speaking of demons, the penanggal, a vampiric entity from Malaysian mythos, is by far one of the most disturbing creatures to feature in a Creepshow. Though not explicitly named, I had read about it before seeing the episode, and it has been a monster that has always made my skin crawl. Seeing it realized for the first time on screen to this degree stays with you. The use of shadows and lighting sell the mystery and nightmare fuel surrounding the tale. 

Traveling back in time for the latter half of the finale, ‘A Dead Girl Named Sue’ gives us all the shakes and shivers as we transport to the black and white world of 1968. When a mob of town folk confronts sheriff Foster (Cristian Gonzalez: Vacation Friends) for assistance in some vigilante justice, he has no option but to try and dissuade them from their current course of action. 

Realizing that despite his warnings, the mob is dead set on getting justice, either way, tonight, he sets off to find and bring in Cliven (Josh Mikel: The Walking Dead), the source of their anger. Being the mayor’s son, Cliven has been getting away with his abhorrent behavior for years, and now with the daughter of Mr. Donovan dead, believed to be the work of Cliven, the town has had enough. 

Foster manages to locate Cliven in a nearby factory. He seems paranoid between his erratic behavior and shotgun in hand as slow-moving humanoid silhouettes shuffle past the covered windows. When he spots a peculiar piece of clothing on the floor, the sheriff has no choice but to take Cliven in for holding until the military can arrive and sort this whole mess out. During the long drive back to the station, the anger builds to a boiling point. Sheriff Foster devises a new plan to set in motion a form of justice that will be poetic in its savagery. 

What was so brilliant during the segment was the use of the televisied newscast playing in the background, pulled straight from George A. Romero’s classic Night of the Living Dead. We have a perspective from the same night the dead came back but in a different town. I love the idea of parallel stories all surrounding the events of the horror staple and how the people in a different location use the catastrophe for their form of comeuppance. 

Using black and white with only splashes of color for specific dramatic effect make it a standout visually. In a series that pays homage to the late great Romero in just about every episode, “A Dead Girl Named Sue” is playing in the world he created, expanding the mythos in a way I think would make the master grin that great smile of his. 

Season three ends with two of the strongest all-around episodes in a season that didn’t miss the mark once. I’m sad to see it end, but I’m sure we’ll be getting some specials soon. In its strongest outing so far, Creepshow keeps bringing in new viewers and surprising those of us who were along for the ride in the beginning. I wait in anticipation as Nicotero and company have hit their stride, and I’m sure they have many more nightmares to unleash on us.

The full third season of Creepshow is now streaming on demand only on Shudder. Be sure to follow ScaryNerd for all things horror, sci-fi and more.

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