"Tales You Lose" is a classic of the series. For one thing, it features Colin Fox in a far better role then he had in last season's "The Poison Pen". He's sinister and imposing, everything he wasn't in that episode.
Another is reporter Tom Hewlett. Shame that he dies: he has a real Carl Kolchak vibe to him, what with his tape recorder, his camera, and his dogged persistence for the truth. Unlike Kolchak, Hewlett's doggedness gets him killed.
Another is that the script presents Jack, Micki, and Ryan as real human beings. The opening scene with them, while they banter while Ryan sculpts Micki, is the first time in the series that a) they have some downtime, and b) they come across as actual friends. The opening scene at the shop might just be to make them seem friendlier, to emphasize the tragedy later. But it's the first time I recall that the trio seem like friends. In the past, the "banter" between Micki and Ryan typically had an angry edge. Here everyone gets in their knocks, but the banter seems less cruel insults than the joking insults between friends.
All of this gives Robey a chance to finally act, and it's the start of her doing more on the show then just playing a screaming damsel. Or cheerleading while she has panic attacks. Lemay also gets some decent acting mourning Micki's death. As does Wiggins, who has to show Jack mourning Micki's death while trying to comfort Ryan. I also like his vicious streak when he threatens Sylvan with a knife.
The script itself is relatively clever. For one thing it breaks the show's established tropes while still involving an antique. The trio get pulled into a hunt for the antique coin, rather than getting a mailer and just finding it. It's a subtle change, and not an obvious one. Also, Colin Fox, makes a more impressive Satan stand-in then the Halloween-costume Satan they had in "Doorway to Hell". Although we still get Satan's voice, and he still sounds like a bull moose in love, like he did in "Doorway".
Also, for once the case comes to them. Hewlett has heard of them through his newspaper morgue, which makes sense: the number of witnesses to the supernatural shenanigans from season one is pretty lengthy, so it's hard to believe the trio haven't gotten some attention for their exploits. I don't expect them to be hosts of a supernatural cable show (hi, 'She-Wolf of London'!), but it's nice to see them getting some attention for their exploits.
Colin Fox's Sylvan puts the Coin to good use. Yes, it's basically a "Kill someone to get someone else resurrected" power that we saw a lot of the basics in season 1. But it's being used by Sylvan, who knows what it does and makes an effective wielder. Rather than just some rando psycho getting hold of an artifact and not-particularly-being-corrupted by the cursed item. Sylvan has a plan and is using the Coin to further his and Satan's own ends, rather than just killing whoever crosses his path and getting something in return. Yes, he's killing whoever crosses his path, but he has a reason beyond mere selfish motivations to bring back the three Satan worshippers.
I like that Sylvan defends his Satan-worshipping. Yes, his cult has sacrificed children to Satan. But at least it gives Sylvan a viewpoint, even if it's an evil one. The best villains always figure that they're in the right. Congratulations to Fox, who portrays Sylvan as an absolute bastard but also as someone aggrieved that "normal" humans have driven Satan worshippers underground.
The fact that Sylvan goes through all the Satanic ritual to use the Coin is also kind of ironic. We know it's not required, since none of the other cursed items require some elaborate ritual. So Sylvan is essentially gaslighting his own followers.
Ryan's previously hinted-at artistic talents, and his ability to sculpt Micki, are gaslit at the beginning of the episode. But his and Jack mourning Micki's death, and then tricking Sylvan into bringing her back, are clever. There are repercussions both in the episode, with them using an item to bring Micki back from the dead, and later in the third season episode "Bad Penny" when the Coin pops up and resurrects someone else.
The episode also dives deep into its horror roots, with cemeteries, lightning flashes, and robed Satan worshippers. It could also be a 60's Hammer movie. The Coin effect, with the brand on the forehead, is also well-executed.
It also helps that "Tails" kicks off a string of "best of" episodes of the series. From here through "Mesmer's Bauble" inclusive, there aren't any "bad" episodes of the series except "Face of Death". All of the other episodes are pretty good, and "Tails" kicks off the hit parade.
There's nothing really bad with "Tales". At most, it tends to stick out like a sore thumb after the lousy "Doorway to Hell" and the so-so "Voodoo Mambo". But I'd rather have a good episode that stands out among mediocre ones, then no good episode at all.
But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong. What do you think?
Another is reporter Tom Hewlett. Shame that he dies: he has a real Carl Kolchak vibe to him, what with his tape recorder, his camera, and his dogged persistence for the truth. Unlike Kolchak, Hewlett's doggedness gets him killed.
Another is that the script presents Jack, Micki, and Ryan as real human beings. The opening scene with them, while they banter while Ryan sculpts Micki, is the first time in the series that a) they have some downtime, and b) they come across as actual friends. The opening scene at the shop might just be to make them seem friendlier, to emphasize the tragedy later. But it's the first time I recall that the trio seem like friends. In the past, the "banter" between Micki and Ryan typically had an angry edge. Here everyone gets in their knocks, but the banter seems less cruel insults than the joking insults between friends.
All of this gives Robey a chance to finally act, and it's the start of her doing more on the show then just playing a screaming damsel. Or cheerleading while she has panic attacks. Lemay also gets some decent acting mourning Micki's death. As does Wiggins, who has to show Jack mourning Micki's death while trying to comfort Ryan. I also like his vicious streak when he threatens Sylvan with a knife.
The script itself is relatively clever. For one thing it breaks the show's established tropes while still involving an antique. The trio get pulled into a hunt for the antique coin, rather than getting a mailer and just finding it. It's a subtle change, and not an obvious one. Also, Colin Fox, makes a more impressive Satan stand-in then the Halloween-costume Satan they had in "Doorway to Hell". Although we still get Satan's voice, and he still sounds like a bull moose in love, like he did in "Doorway".
Also, for once the case comes to them. Hewlett has heard of them through his newspaper morgue, which makes sense: the number of witnesses to the supernatural shenanigans from season one is pretty lengthy, so it's hard to believe the trio haven't gotten some attention for their exploits. I don't expect them to be hosts of a supernatural cable show (hi, 'She-Wolf of London'!), but it's nice to see them getting some attention for their exploits.
Colin Fox's Sylvan puts the Coin to good use. Yes, it's basically a "Kill someone to get someone else resurrected" power that we saw a lot of the basics in season 1. But it's being used by Sylvan, who knows what it does and makes an effective wielder. Rather than just some rando psycho getting hold of an artifact and not-particularly-being-corrupted by the cursed item. Sylvan has a plan and is using the Coin to further his and Satan's own ends, rather than just killing whoever crosses his path and getting something in return. Yes, he's killing whoever crosses his path, but he has a reason beyond mere selfish motivations to bring back the three Satan worshippers.
I like that Sylvan defends his Satan-worshipping. Yes, his cult has sacrificed children to Satan. But at least it gives Sylvan a viewpoint, even if it's an evil one. The best villains always figure that they're in the right. Congratulations to Fox, who portrays Sylvan as an absolute bastard but also as someone aggrieved that "normal" humans have driven Satan worshippers underground.
The fact that Sylvan goes through all the Satanic ritual to use the Coin is also kind of ironic. We know it's not required, since none of the other cursed items require some elaborate ritual. So Sylvan is essentially gaslighting his own followers.
Ryan's previously hinted-at artistic talents, and his ability to sculpt Micki, are gaslit at the beginning of the episode. But his and Jack mourning Micki's death, and then tricking Sylvan into bringing her back, are clever. There are repercussions both in the episode, with them using an item to bring Micki back from the dead, and later in the third season episode "Bad Penny" when the Coin pops up and resurrects someone else.
The episode also dives deep into its horror roots, with cemeteries, lightning flashes, and robed Satan worshippers. It could also be a 60's Hammer movie. The Coin effect, with the brand on the forehead, is also well-executed.
It also helps that "Tails" kicks off a string of "best of" episodes of the series. From here through "Mesmer's Bauble" inclusive, there aren't any "bad" episodes of the series except "Face of Death". All of the other episodes are pretty good, and "Tails" kicks off the hit parade.
There's nothing really bad with "Tales". At most, it tends to stick out like a sore thumb after the lousy "Doorway to Hell" and the so-so "Voodoo Mambo". But I'd rather have a good episode that stands out among mediocre ones, then no good episode at all.
But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong. What do you think?