Creepshow Season 2 Finale Review

Season two of Creepshow made sure to save its best for last. Greg Nicotero returns as director in season two’s fifth and final episode, Night of the Living Late Show. Justin Long (Drag Me to Hell) stars in this high concept story as Simon, inventor of a VR machine called the ‘Immersopod’. This high-tech invention allows any individual to enter the worlds of their favorite movies. Overall, Night of the Living Late Show has a perfect blend of sci-fi, horror, and comedy making it one of the series’ best entries to date.

Unlike the rest of the season, the finale only features one story, but I hope this is something the creators continue to do. On occasion, Creepshow’s entries feel a bit rushed. However, the season finale has excellent pacing helping the story flow and progress in a very natural way. Dedicating an entire 40-minute episode to one entry allowed Nicotero and writer Dana Gould to completely flesh out the story’s themes and ideas. While 20 minutes is a decent amount of time to work with, having the extra time proved to be beneficial.

Likewise, the episode also benefited from an improved budget. If an episode is split into two stories, it automatically lessens the budget for each entry. By focusing on one story, the creators were able to put all of their resources into it. Given the concept of Night of the Living Late Show, the increased budget helped in numerous ways. For starters, the ‘Immersopod’ is incredibly well-designed and looks very realistic. Without a doubt, the extra budget also helped creators fulfill the VFX necessary to make Justin Long look like he was inside the movie Horror Express.

Moreover, the episode has some of the best acting in the series. Justin Long does a tremendous job in the lead. Many of the comedic moments in the episode are enhanced by Long’s charisma. D’Arcy Carden (The Good Place) also does a great job playing Simon’s wife, Renee. Carden and Long have great chemistry together making the episode more interesting and compelling to watch. As absurd as Creepshow can get, it’s nice to have actors that can ground you in the reality of the story.

Lastly, the season finale has a solid plot. The episode is able to balance a high concept idea with a grounded storyline. Too, the ‘Immersopod’ acts as an engaging plot device throughout the story. After all, who wouldn’t want to venture inside their favorite movies? Beyond this, Dana Gould was able to turn a staple Creepshow theme (revenge) into something fresh and original. It goes to show, you don’t need to reinvent the wheel to entertain.

Season two’s finale is now available on Shudder.