Except for the presence of Tatum O'Neal as guest star, I would have turned off this sub-par episode of the series, which managed to botch both halves of its mission: the ludicrous story line about a weirdo (what else is new?) serial killer, and the modest advancement of the teasing/hanging in there saga of Matthew in stir.
The killer's story was presented in little more than a throwback to old '60s sexploitation films that combined sex and violence, but with emphasis on the violence. I felt sorry for the actresses cast as victims who might as well have been taking their clothes off in a Skinemax cable-TV assignment, though network Standards & Practices had them doing similar roles but with clothes left on.
Tatum is well-preserved, with an interesting newish face that only moderately reflects Hollywood's plastic surgery craze. Her acting was top-notch as "mother of the monster", and surprisingly earnest given the grade-Z story line and characters presented here.
Episodes like this certainly make a loyal viewer (like myself) wonder whether the show can survive at such a low level of creativity, or whether it is time to put a sock in it, especially minus Thomas Gibson who was the cement holding many a segment together.