FEAR ITSELF Review: Episode 4 - "In Sickness and In Health"
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Episode 4 of "Fear Itself", "In Sickness and In Health" was written by Victor Salva, and directed by John Landis. The episode follows a bride-to-be who is understandably excited and nervous about her wedding day, which the episode is set on. But before she can walk down the aisle with her husband-to-be...she gets a mysterious note stating that the person she's about to marry, is a serial killer. |
From there, the episode plays out like a teen slasher movie, only with pretentious, quasi-snobby adults as the main players -- as the bride tries to find who gave her the note, why, and whether or not the notes contents are really true? While some may see "In Sickness and In Health" as a good episode because of it's creepy, and possibility-filled storyline...I felt the episode could've been a tad bit more polished. That doesn't mean alot of what is done in the episode doesn't work though. This episode uses backgorunds, and set pieces alot better than the previous four episodes have. And looking forward to next weeks episode "Eater", I think we're beginning to get into the clump of episodes which will focus on bringing the sceneries and background more into the "scare the viewer" machine, and use them to their fullest advantage. This episode is set inside one of those gothic looking catholic cathedrals, and there are alot of moments where the bride-to-be is alone in the dimply lit areas of the cathedral, surrounded by statues of all sorts. While this old-school little directing trick is nothing new, it still can be effective depending on what director is using it and how. And John Landis uses it very well in this episode.
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There are many moments in this episode where you think the killer, which we're constantly poked and prodded into believing is the bride-to-be's future husband...will jump out and get her, due to how many scenes with the dimly lit hallways, loud noises, doors closing, and mysterious figures lurking -- we're fed in this episode. While this trick does wear thin slightly as the episode goes on, it works for the majority of the time which is a plus. The acting isn't very bad neither, although many of the characters are not very likeable, other than the bride who you just feel 20 different kinds of sorry for that she has been charged with the task of solving such a horrible and dangerous mystery on her wedding day of all times. |
But like I said this episode did need some polishing, and it mostly comes during the ending. While the ending is certainly a twist ending, it meshes alot of different cliches together. A particular group of cliches which have always annoyed me as a horror film/series viewer. The ending is also a take from a slasher movie from the early 2000's, and an old cult classic from the 80's. I did not hate the finale, but I felt it could've really, really been alot more original. On the flipside of that, it did have one bright spot for a few of the main characters, which I won't reveal here. "In Sickness and In Health" is certainly one of the better episodes due to it's unique storyline, but the cap put on things at the end really needed some tweaking.
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