Creepshow - Pipe Screams (3/5)

Eric Edelstein is Linus, a plumber fallen on hard times due to a brother who left his business nearly in shambles, primarily due to bad publicity and customer complaints. He's perfect fodder for the owner of a number of buildings, Victoria (Barbara Crampton, whose presence put a big smile on my face), who always looks to capitalize on the difficulties of others in order to save a buck or two, allowing her properties to remain in ruin while obviously charging tenants for apartments quite worse for wear (including lead pipes that are in dire need of removal, not to mention, bad mold clearly capable of causing sickness and death!). I think Linus even calls her a Karen, so Victoria's rotten attitude and use of the word "animals" to describe her minority tenants is more than a bit on the nose, but the episode (and Crampton's toxic character, with her performance really laying it in) certainly looks to make her the actual Big Bad, despite this being a creature feature. So whatever is creeping about the building, in the basement, through the steam pipes, seems to have spawned from years of cutting corners and lack of give-a-fuck in taking care of the property...clearly when Linus does an inspection/investigation of the basement and a tenant's apartment, he recognizes just how far Victoria has allowed the building to fall into disrepair and decay. I'm sure Victoria still charges them a ridiculous amount despite the clear signs of renovations needed in order for the dump to be even remotely and appropriately livable. So, in essence, Victoria gets what is coming to her after Linus encounters the "clog monster", as his hand endures injury when it attaches to it. And when the icky creeping sludge latches onto his face, I figured Linus was a goner. Thanks to help from the tenant (Selena Anduze), who returned to her apartment after picking up her daughter, Linus is able to trap the clog monster under a bucket...in revenge for this creature's existence due to her own failure to keep the building "up to code", the tenants, and Linus who was harmed by the creature, want to introduce Victoria to another "tenant" living rent-free thanks to her.

Crampton really goes the extra mile to make sure we detest her, while the episode really makes its case that too often the disadvantaged and downtrodden are reduced to living in bad conditions through no fault of their own while those who have more than enough continue to take advantage of them with zero fucks given. Anduze's daughter leaving behind a sketch drawing of her and the clog monster at its floor hole is a development I hadn't really expected, but the tenants did provide it quite a meal. I was getting serious "The Raft" (from "Creepshow II") vibes and "The Blob" just seems like an inspiration, too. 

5 - Loved

4 - Really liked

3 - Likes

2 - Men

1 - Nah