History Recap / CreepshowS1E6GrayMatter

* GoodWithNumbers: Dixie is shown to be quite good at math, having been tutored Timmy some time ago. Her first scene has her use her calculator to measure the amount of money in her store's register. In the end, she uses it to find out the rate at which the mutated Richie will devour the human race.

* PoliceAreUseless: Doubly subverted with Chief, who stays in town to prevent looting and attend to those who may need help during the hurricane. When he learns that Richie has been neglecting and apparently terrorizing his son and sent him out into the storm to get beer. When he discovers the skeletons of the missing Grady twins, he immediately goes to arrest Richie, but he unforunately didn’t account for Richie having turned into a BlobMonster who feeds on human flesh, who absorbs him.

* AdaptationDeviation: In the original short story, the disaster facing the town is a blizzard. The episode changes it to a hurricane, possibly because a hurricane would be easier to film.
* AdaptationalAlternateEnding: The short story ends on an ambiguous note, with the characters waiting to see whether the mutated Richie or the chief escaped the house. The episode's ending jumps straight to an apocalyptic scenario where Richie and his duplicates get out of the house and eat all the other characters.

** Furthermore, the radio in the ColdOpen details the total world population's increasing number. The number of people on the planet factors into Dixie's calculations at the end of the story.
* DownerEnding: Richie fully mutates into a BlobMonster, kills Chief Connors, multiplies at an alarming rate, and will destroy the world in a matter of days, with Doc, Dixie, and Timmy powerless to stop him. Richie then bursts through the ceiling to grab and kill Doc shortly after, and presumably Dixie and his son as well.
* DrinkingContest: Timmy tells Dixie that these were the only things his father became good for after he lost his job, being the only way their bills could be paid.
* DyingTown: The town where the story is set is nearly dead. Doc even says that the coming hurricane may be the final nail in its coffin.

** Ms. Parmalee makes a passing mention that the only thing her empty store is carrying is cat and dog food. This turns out to be the case because Timmy has been bringing all of the town's pets to Richie so he could eat them.
* GoodWithNumbers: Dixie is shown to be quite good at math, having been Timmy's tutor some time ago. Her first scene has her use her calculator to measure the amount of money in her store's register. In the end, she uses it to find out the rate at which the mutated Richie will devour the human race.

* MenDontCry: Richie is a firm believer of this mentality, keeping to himself and bottling up his emotions, and then just taking up the bottle in general. It's worse because his wife died right after a huge fight the two had, which only heightened the pain.

* WouldHurtAChild: Among the mutating Richie's victims are the half digested skeletons of [[Literature/TheShining a very familiar pair of twins.]] It's implied that he eats his own son after he eats Doc and Dixie.
----

* ShoutOut: A patch on Chief's jacket reads "King County Georgia", a reference to ''Series/TheWalkingDead''.

** All three of the elderly townspeople are played by actors who have previously appeared in adaptations of King's stories. Creator/AdrienneBarbeau played Wilma Northrup in the original ''Film/{{Creepshow}'', Creator/GiancarloEsposito played the gamer in ''Film/MaximumOverdrive'', and Creator/TobinBell appeared in a short film adaptation of [[Literature/NightmaresAndDreamscapes "My Pretty Pony".]]

In a small-town general store, a trio of local townspeople, shopkeeper Dixie Parmalee (Creator/AdrienneBarbeau), Chief Connors (Creator/TobinBell), and Chief's friend Doc (Creator/GiancarloEsposito), hunker down in the store as Hurricane Charlie sweeps the area. Local boy Timmy Grenadine (Christopher Nathan) comes into the store shortly after Connors finishes boarding up the windows. Timmy asks Dixie if she has any cases of Harrow's Supreme beer for his father Richie (Jesse C. Boyd), which he's done regularly for a while. As he pays for the beer with some particularly slimy bills, Timmy reveals to the townsfolk that his father has gotten "real sick", and he's terrified to go back home. As Dixie sends Chief and Doc head to Timmy's house to investigate, Timmy tells to Dixie just how things got so out of hand.

* ApocalypseHow: ApocalypseHow/{{Class 4}}.
* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: Richie's mutation into a BlobMonster gives him a strong sensitivity to light, a gradual hunger for flesh, and an addiction to afternoon soap operas.

* BookEnds: Dixie's first and last moments are, as detailed below, spent with her using her calculator.

** Timmy enters the store wearing a yellow raincoat, similar to Georgie from ''Literature/{{IT}}''. There's also a passing mention of a man that became scared after seeing "something in the sewers."
** The store counter contains a [[Film/TheGreenMile "Marsh Wheeling" cigar box]]. The blood-filled bucket from ''Literature/{{Carrie}}'' is also seen being used as a tip bucket.
** The mold and plant-life that is seen growing on the beer case and throughout the Grenadine house is similar to the plant-life from "The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill" from [[Film/{{Creepshow}} the original film.]]

** The ashtray from "Father's Day" is seen twice through the episode. Once on an end table behind Richie's chair, and again on the coffee table, covered in mold, when Doc and Chief investigate the house.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: While it is understandable, Timmy's fear of angering his father keeps him from getting the man some desperately needed help. It's because of that fear that he keeps bringing food to his mutating father, allowing him to mutate to a point where he ends the world in a matter of days.
* TheReveal: All those posters of missing pets and the mention of the missing twins mentioned at the beginning? Turns out they're missing because Timmy has been bringing them to his house so his mutating father could eat them.

* TragicMonster: Richie didn't intend to turn himself into a ravenous, blood-thirsty blob. He was just a broken man struggling with loss. His MenDontCry mindset had essentially rendered him unable to open up about the heartbreak he was undergoing, and he turned to Harrow's Supreme as a means to numb the pain.
* WouldHurtAChild: Among the mutating Richie's victims are the half digested skeletons of [[Literature/TheShining a very familiar pair of twins.]]

A trio of elderly townspeople, shopkeeper Dixie Parmalee (Creator/AdrienneBarbeau), Doc (Creator/GiancarloEsposito), and Chief Connors (Creator/TobinBell), have taken shelter in the town's general store as their town is about to be slammed by Hurricane Charlie. A young kid by the name of Timmy Grenadine (Christopher Nathan) comes into the store shortly after Connors finishes boarding up the doors. He asks Dixie for a case of beer for his father, Richie (Jesse C. Boyd), something he's done regularly for a while. When paying for the beer with some particularly slimy money, Timmy converses to the townsfolk that his father is "real sick" and that he doesn't want to go back home. As Chief and Doc head to Timmy's house to investigate, Timmy mentions to Dixie just how things got so out of hand.

According to Timmy, Richie's alcoholism began escalating after the death of his wife, Martha. Every day, for whatever reason, he'd just drink when something began grinding him down, to the point that he was fired for drinking on the job. Eventually, Richie ended up drinking from a contaminated beer, and over time, physically changed into something monstrous. At the same time, his thirst began to grow into a hunger for flesh.

Meanwhile, Doc and Chief explore the Grenadine house, discovering that the place is moldy, extremely hot, and covered in slime. The two also find numerous slime covered skeletons throughout the house, primarily made of pets and a pair of twins that had been reported missing. The duo then discover Richie, who at this point has fully mutated into a hideous, indestructible, gelatinous monster. Richie kills and absorbs Chief, then begins multiplying as Doc flees.

Back at the store, Doc and Timmy panic as Dixie calculates that the mutated Richie and his duplicates will exterminate the human race in a matter of days. The creature formerly known as Richie then bursts through the ceiling and grabs Doc as the others scream.

* BatmanGambit: Timmy puts on a scared and nerve-wracked façade when mentioning his father in order to convince Chief and Doc to visit Richie with his beer. This turns out to be a plot to have the men lured into Richie's clutches so he can eat them, as everyone else had evacuated due to the storm.

* MenDontCry: Richie is a firm believer of this mentality, keeping to himself, having his emotions pent up, and taking up the bottle. It's worse because his wife died right after a huge fight the two had, which only heightened the pain.

* ShoutOut: A patch on Chief's jacket reads "King County Georgia", which is the same sheriff's department from ''Series/TheWalkingDead''.

** Needless to say, this very sentence perfectly summarizes the series, if not the works of Stephen King as a whole.

** Needless to say, this very sentence perfectly summarizes the series, if not the ''Creepshow'' franchise as a whole.

* MenDontCry: Richie is a firm believer of this mentality, bottling up his emotions after his wife dies and taking up the bottle in general.

A trio of elderly townspeople, shopkeeper Dixie Parmalee (Creator/AdrienneBarbeau), Doc (Creator/GiancarloEsposito), and Chief Connors (Creator/TobinBell), have taken shelter in the town's general store as their town is about to be slammed by Hurricane Charlie. A young kid by the name of Timmy Grenadine (Christopher Nathan) comes into the store shortly after Connors finishes boarding up the doors. He asks Dixie for a case of beer for his father, Richie (Jesse C. Boyd), something he's done regularly for a while. When paying for the beer with some particularly slimy money, Timmy converses to the townsfolk that his father is "real sick" and that he doesn't want to go back home. As Chief and Doc head to Timmy's house to investigate, Timmy mentions to Dixie just how things got so out of hand. According to Timmy, Richie's alcoholism began after the death of his wife, Martha. Every day, for whatever reason, he'd just drink when something began grinding him down, to the point that he was fired for drinking on the job. Eventually, Richie ended up drinking from a contaminated beer, and over time, physically changed into something monstrous. At the same time, his thirst began to grow into a hunger for flesh. Meanwhile, Doc and Chief explore the Grenadine house, discovering that the place is moldy, extremely hot, and covered in slime. The two also find numerous slime covered skeletons throughout the house, primarily made of pets and a pair of twins that had been reported missing. The duo then discover Richie, who at this point has fully mutated into a hideous, indestructible, gelatinous monster. Richie kills and absorbs Chief, then begins multiplying as Doc flees. Back at the store, Doc and Timmy panic as Dixie calculates that the mutated Richie and his duplicates will exterminate the human race in a matter of days. The creature then bursts through the ceiling and grabs Doc as the others scream.

* BatmanGambit: A tragic example; Timmy acts scared to go back home in order to convince Chief and Doc to visit Richie with his beer. This turns out to be a plot to have the men lured into Richie's clutches so he can eat them, as everyone else had evacuated due to the storm.

* DownerEnding: Richie fully mutates into a BlobMonster, kills Chief Connors, multiplies at an alarming rate, and will destroy the world in a matter of days, with Doc, Dixie, and Timmy powerless to stop him. Richie then bursts through the ceiling to grab and kill Doc shortly after.

* EstablishingSeriesMoment: Early in the episode, Chief Connors reminisces on something his father told him: "There are things in the corners of this world, that if you look 'em right in the face, they'll drive you insane." Needless to say, this very sentence perfectly summarizes the series, if not the ''Creepshow'' franchise as a whole.

** Ms. Parmalee makes a passing mention that the only thing her store is carrying is pet food. This turns out to be the case because Timmy has been bringing all of the town's pets to Richie so he could eat them.

A trio of elderly townspeople, shopkeeper Dixie Parmalee (Creator/AdrienneBarbeau), Doc (Creator/GiancarloEsposito), and Chief Connors (Creator/TobinBell), have taken shelter in the town's general store as their town is about to be slammed by Hurricane Charlie. A young kid by the name of Timmy Grenadine comes into the store shortly after Connors finishes boarding up the doors. He asks Dixie for a case of beer for his father, Richie, something he's done regularly for a while. When paying for the beer with some particularly slimy money, Timmy converses to the townsfolk that his father is "real sick" and that he doesn't want to go back home. As Chief and Doc head to Timmy's house to investigate, Timmy mentions to Dixie just how things got so out of hand. According to Timmy, Richie's alcoholism began after the death of his wife, Martha. Every day, for whatever reason, he'd just drink when something began grinding him down, to the point that he was fired for drinking on the job. Eventually, Richie ended up drinking from a contaminated beer, and over time, physically changed into something monstrous. At the same time, his thirst began to grow into a hunger for flesh. Meanwhile, Doc and Chief explore the Grenadine house, discovering that the place is moldy, extremely hot, and covered in slime. The two also find numerous slime covered skeletons throughout the house, primarily made of pets and a pair of twins that had been reported missing. The duo then discover Richie, who at this point has fully mutated into a hideous, indestructible, gelatinous monster. Richie kills and absorbs Chief, then begins multiplying as Doc flees. Back at the store, Doc and Timmy panic as Dixie calculates that the mutated Richie and his duplicates will exterminate the human race in a matter of days. The creature then bursts through the ceiling and grabs Doc as the others scream.

* BatmanGambit: A tragic example of the trope; Timmy acts scared to convince Chief and Doc to visit Richie with his beer. This turns out to be a plot to have the men lured into Richie's clutches so he can eat them, since everyone else had evacuated due to the storm.
* BaitAndSwitch: Chief and Doc head to a door they think Richie is hiding behind and order him out. The door slowly creaks open, only for the camera to reveal Richie standing behind the two men.

** The posters of missing animals feature pets from Stephen's previous works, like Literature/{{Cujo}}, [[Literature/PetSematary Church]], and [[Literature/TheStand Kojak]].
** The Grady Twins from ''Literature/TheShining'' are also among those labeled missing. Their skeletons are seen within the Grenadine house.
** Timmy enters the store wearing a yellow raincoat, similar to Georgie from ''Literature/{{IT}}''. Also from ''Literature/{{IT}}'', there's mention of a man that became scared after seeing "something in the sewers."
** The store counter contains a "Marsh Wheeling" cigar box from ''Film/TheGreenMile''. The blood-filled bucket from ''Literature/{{Carrie}}'' is also seen being used as a tip bucket.

* ShoutOut: A patch on Chief's jacket reads "King County Georgia", the same sheriff's department from ''Series/TheWalkingDead''.
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: An indirect example in Martha, since her death starts Richie's path to perpetual drunkenness.

* ForeShadowing: Timmy studies a math book that is opened to a page on multiplication, showing just what his mutating father will eventually be capable of.

* TestosteronePoisoning: A very mild example with Richie. He never opens up about the pain he's felt since Martha died, insisting to Timmy that "a real man don't cry."

----

Based on a short story of the same name from ''Literature/NightShift'' by Creator/StephenKing.

* ApocalypseHow: ApocalypseHow/{{Class 4}}. It's said at the end that the mutated Richie will overwhelm the world in only six days.

* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: An indirect example in Martha, since her death starts Richie's path to perpetual drunkenness.

A trio of elderly townspeople, shopkeeper Dixie Parmalee (Creator/AdrienneBarbeau), Doc (Creator/GiancarloEsposito), and Chief Connors (Creator/TobinBell), have taken shelter in the town's general store as their town is about to be slammed by Hurricane Charlie. A young kid by the name of Timmy Grenadine comes into the store shortly after Connors finishes boarding up the doors. He asks Dixie for a case of beer for his father, Richie, something he's done regularly for a while. When paying for the beer with some particularly slimy money, Timmy converses to the townsfolk that his father is "real sick" and that he doesn't want to go back home. As Chief and Doc head to Timmy's house to investigate, Timmy mentions to Dixie just how things got so out of hand. According to Timmy, Richie's alcoholism began after the death of his wife, Martha. Every day, for whatever reason, he'd just drink when something began grinding him down, to the point that he was fired for drinking on the job. Eventually, Richie ended up drinking from a contaminated beer, and over time, physically changed into something monstrous, and his thirst began to grow into a hunger for flesh. Meanwhile, Doc and Chief explore the Grenadine house, discovering that the place is moldy, extremely hot, and covered in slime. The two also find numerous slime covered skeletons throughout the house, primarily made of pets and a pair of twins that had been reported missing. The duo then discover Richie, who has at this point has fully mutated into a hideous, indestructible, gelatinous monster. Richie then kills and absorbs Chief, then begins multiplying as Doc flees. Back at the store, Doc and Timmy panic as Dixie calculates that the mutated Richie and his duplicates will exterminate the human race in a matter of days. The creature then bursts through the ceiling and grabs Doc as the others scream.

** The posters of missing animals feature fictional pets from Stephen's previous works, like Literature/{{Cujo}}, [[Literature/PetSematary Church]], and [[Literature/TheStand Kojak]].

** The store counter contains a "Marsh Wheeling" cigar box from ''Film/TheShawshankRedemption'', along with the bucket from ''Literature/{{Carrie}}'' being used as a tip bucket.

* ShoutOut: A patch on Chief's jacket reads "King County Georgia", the same sheriff's department from ''Series/TheWalkingDead''.

A trio of elderly people, a shopkeeper (Creator/AdrienneBarbeau), a doctor (Creator/GiancarloEsposito), and a sheriff (Creator/TobinBell), have taken shelter in a general store as their town is about to be slammed by an immense hurricane. A young kid by the name of Timmy Grenadine comes into the store. He asks the shopkeeper for a case of beer for his father, Richie, something he's done for a while. Terrified, he converses to the townsfolk that he doesn't want to go back home. As the sheriff and doctor head to Timmy's house to investigate, Timmy mentions to the shopkeeper, Mrs. Parmalee, about how things got out of hand. According to Timmy, Richie's alcoholism began after the death of his wife. Every day, for whatever reason, he'd just drink when something began grinding him down. After drinking from a contaminated beer, however, Richie began to change into something monstrous, and his thirst began to grow into a hunger for flesh, first for pets, then for people. By the time the doctor and sheriff reach the house, they discover that Richie has mutated into a hideous, gelatinous monster that is able to multiply. Based on the short story in Creator/StephenKing's ''Literature/NightShift'' collection.

A trio of elderly people, a shopkeeper, a doctor, and a sheriff, have taken shelter in a general store as their town is about to be slammed by an immense hurricane. A young kid by the name of Timmy Grenadine comes into the store. He asks the shopkeeper for a case of beer for his father, Richie, something he's done for a while. Terrified, he converses to the townsfolk that he doesn't want to go back home. As the sheriff and doctor head to Timmy's house to investigate, Timmy mentions to the shopkeeper, Mrs. Parmalee, about how things got out of hand. According to Timmy, Richie's alcoholism began after the death of his wife. Every day, for whatever reason, he'd just drink when something began grinding him down. After drinking from a contaminated beer, however, Richie began to change into something monstrous, and his thirst began to grow into a hunger for flesh, first for pets, then for people. By the time the doctor and sheriff reach the house, they discover that Richie has mutated into a hideous, gelatinous monster that is able to multiply. Based on the short story in Creator/StephenKing's ''Literature/NightShift'' collection.

After the death of a loved one, a man's drinking habit becomes insatiable. Based on the short story in Creator/StephenKing's ''Literature/NightShift'' collection.