History Recap / TalesFromTheCryptS4E11SplitPersonality

->'''Crypt Keeper:''' ''(wearing a poker visor and seated at a card table filled with chips, cards, and dollar bills; toying with an abacus made with severed eyes)'' Oh, hello kiddies! Tonight's coffin caper is so crammed with ghastly greed, sickening sex, and vomitous violence that parental guidance ''is'' advised. So... guide your parents out of the room, so we can have some fun! ''(cackles)'' This tale concerns a gambling man with a bad case of double vision, who's about to hit the ''hack''-pot. I call this twin helping of horror: '''Split Personality.'''

Vic Stetson (Creator/JoePesci) is a small-time con artist who has three major goals in life: stay out of trouble with the law, make a score big enough to set him up for life, and have sex with twins. After swindling a hapless gambler out of $10,000, Vic drives out of town, but blows a tire and swerves off the road near a secluded mansion. Vic lets himself in through an open door so he can call a tow truck, and it's there that discovers the mansion was built by famous architect Etchyson Dobbs Blair, whose beautiful identical twin daughters April and June now own and live in it. They are suspicious of Vic at first, but he soon wins them over by pretending to know about their father's work as he waits for his tow truck. The fact that they inherited their father's $2 billion fortune after his death gets Vic thinking that the twins could be the marks of a lifetime.

Vic starts separately spending time with the twins, romancing them one at a time. Vic realizes that he could ask either twin to marry him and thus get control of half the fortune, but he craves the entire $2 billion. To this end, he disguises himself with a pair of sunglasses, a ponytail, and a different accent to create "Jack", a fake twin brother for himself. He sells the lie to April and June by telling them that one brother has to be out of the country at all times to look after some investments in South Africa, and he and "Jack" usually take turns doing so every month. Vic marries the twins in separate ceremonies; April as himself, and June as "Jack". While Vic sunbathes by the pool, April and June talk about putting their lonely pasts behind them and ponder the idea of sharing whichever brother is home at any given time.

Later, the twins tell each other about their husbands' (identical) sexual fetishes and a pale patch of skin on the same location of the brothers' backs, caused by the sash of Vic's robe falling across his back while he was sunbathing. They soon find Vic's disguise he uses to turn himself into Jack, and realize that they have married the same man. Vic happens across a drawer full of newspaper clippings about the twins' father's death. April and June were teenagers at the time, when they were questioned, tried, and ultimately acquitted of his murder. They sneak up on Vic, knock him unconscious, and tie him to the bed in one of their rooms. They admit to Vic that they indeed killed their father because they could not share him equally, then slice him in half from head to crotch with a chainsaw. Each sister then lays half of Vic's body neatly in her bed, caressing it lovingly as bloodstains spread on the sheets.

!!Tropes:
* AdaptationNameChange: In the comic Vic Stetson is named Edwin King and the twins April and June are named Susan and Amy.
* AdaptationalVillainy: Aside from killing Edwin for revenge from trying to manipulate them, Susan and Amy do nothing wrong in the comics. In the episode, it's revealed that April and June killed their father because they were so obsessed with sharing everything they could not bare to have only one of something when there are [[NumberObsession two]] of them.
* ArcNumber: 2. Vic has a fixation with the number, firmly believing that "the best things in life come in twos". The episode goes along with this, since he ends up experiencing car trouble when two black cats cross the street, meets a pair of twins who eventually fall in love with him, and marries them both to [[GoldDigger collect their $2 billion inheritance]].
* ArtisticLicenseBiology: Vic meets his end by [[HalfTheManHeUsedToBe being cut in half, vertically, with a chainsaw]]. The final scene shows the two halves in separate beds, cut so cleanly that it appears as though he was bisected with a laser, an impossible result to achieve with a chainsaw, given the width of the blade and the general nature of chainsaws (which don't really cut cleanly though something, but more ''chew through'' in a narrow line).
* AssholeVictim: Vic is a scumbag and an all around {{Jerkass}}. When April and June [[HalfTheManHeUsedToBe slice him in half]] [[ChainsawGood by chainsaw]], no tears are shed for him.
* TheBadGuyWins: The twins get even with Vic for his deceit, and each take their own piece of him to enjoy.
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: Two of Vic's major goals in life are to [[GoldDigger make a score big enough to set him up for life]] and [[TwinThreesomeFantasy have sex with twins]]. He sees his chance upon discovering a mansion inherited by twin sisters April and June and learning that said twin sisters have inherited their father's $2 billion fortune, and sets out to woo both of them via a FakeTwinGambit to do so. Unfortunately for him, his scheme would lead to his own death, once April and June uncover the ruse.
* BerserkButton: April and June are nice enough on the surface, but they ''really'' don't like being lied to or manipulated.
* {{Bizarrchitecture}}: The twins' mansion, as designed by their father Etchyson Dobbs Blair. We learn that it's only one in a series of similar works, and that Vic has presumably seen others. Vic's initial reaction to the building says it all:

* {{Bookends}}: [[Music/NatKingCole Nat King Cole's]] song "Straighten Up and Fly Right" is played at the beginning of the episode, and again at the end, after Vic is killed.
* BreakingTheFourthWall: Vic looks at the camera and says "Bingo!" right after he marries both of the twins.
* CallBack: This episode shares a few similarities with Season 1's [[Recap/TalesFromTheCryptS1E3DigThatCatHesRealGone Dig That Cat...He's Real Gone]], including that it has a good amount of creative and wacky transitions, a cat (or two in this case) is what kicks off the plot, and Creator/JoePantoliano, who originally played Ulric in that episode, plays Jimmy, the blackjack dealer who tries teaching Don how to play, and is also implied to be in on Vic's scams.

** The episode is even filmed in a lower quality similar to the early episodes, making it look like an episode produced for Season 1 that didn't air until Season 4.
* CameraAbuse: The camera is given a transition in a way that makes it appear that it's being splattered with blood as Vic gets chain-sawed.
* CatStereotype: April and June each own a black cat, and true to the stereotype, they give Vic bad luck by causing him to suffer a blowout outside the mansion.
* ChainsawGood: April and June's weapon of choice, which they use to kill Vic.
* CigarChomper: Over half of Vic's scenes show him with a cigar in his mouth.
* ClingyJealousGirl: April and June can get pretty dangerous when they're jealous. They actually killed their father solely because they couldn't share him equally. They later do the same with Vic for his deceit.
* ConMan: Vic, who utilizes a silver tongue and pours on the charm to swindle old people and clueless gamblers out of their cash.
* ConsummateLiar: As part of his sharp wit, Vic's a pretty successful liar, able to use his charm to get nearly everyone he talks to to believe what he's got to say.

* CreepyTwins: April and June are psychotic, killing their own father after they were unable to share him.
* DaddysGirl: April and June were completely (and quite disturbingly) devoted to their father, even killing him when they were unable to share him.
* DeadpanSnarker: Vic gets in quite a few one-liners throughout the episode.
* DeathByWomanScorned: "Women" in this case, as Vic deceives April and June into marrying him separately, both [[GoldDigger for their money]] and to satisfy his TwinThreesomeFantasy, and the episode ends with the twins [[ChainsawGood sawing him]] [[HalfTheManHeUsedToBe in half]] once they discover his scheme.
* DisproportionateRetribution: April and June are revealed to have killed their father just because they couldn't share him, and it's very heavily implied he had no say in the matter.
* TheDividual: April and June, who think the same exact thing all the time.
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: Vic's has him overhearing Don from his seat at the bar, and he swindles the guy out of $10 grand by confidence and smooth-talk alone. It also shows that his primary targets for scamming are hapless gamblers and old people, and he's getting tired of the easy marks and dodging the Feds all the time.
* EurekaMoment: The moment when Vic realizes that he can only marry both of the twins by making a twin for himself.
* [[EvilDetectingDog Evil Detecting Cat]]: One of the twins' cats can sense that Vic is no good, swiping at him when he tries to pet it.
* ExactWords: April admits that she and June share everything, even their lovers... in the literal sense.
* FauxAffablyEvil: Vic can be polite and charming when he needs to be, as seen when he talks to the twins.
* FakeTwinGambit: As part of fulfilling his sexual fantasies and his quest for the twins' combined fortune, Vic pretends to have his own identical twin ("Jack") who can't be seen with him at any given moment because he purportedly needs to supervise some business investments in South Africa. When necessary, Vic is able to take on "Jack's" appearance by disguising himself with a ponytail, some shades, a new outfit, and a different accent.
* FallingInLoveMontage: There's a scene where Vic romances the twins, bringing them flowers, looking over their father's blueprints, treating them to ice cream, etc.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: April and June each tell Vic about when they used to fight over their father constantly. The end of the episode shows the audience just what they did about that...
** They also say that everyone has a dark side that no one notices initially, almost like a [[TitleDrop split personality.]]
** The Asian gardener is seen doing yard work with the same chainsaw the twins ultimately use on Vic.
* FormulaBreakingEpisode: This is the only episode of the series that begins with a jump cut straight into the story instead of a [[FadeIn fade-in]]. It's also the only episode that ends the story with a transition instead of a [[FadeOut fade-out]].
* ForWantOfANail: If Vic was aware of the position of his robe when he was sunbathing, or even just put some sunscreen on, he would've gotten away with his plot to scam the twins out of their inheritance.
* FourthDateMarriage: Vic marries both April and June after only a few dates.
* FourthWallPsych: Vic appears to be narrating his inner thoughts to the audience a few times. It's gradually revealed that he's actually talking idly to the bored hooker next to him in bed, who tunes him out when she realizes he isn't paying her for sex.
* GoldDigger: Vic's decision to concoct a FakeTwinGambit is mainly to gain control of the twins' $2 billion inheritance by marrying them separately (the other reason is that he harbors a TwinThreesomeFantasy).
* GroinAttack: After discovering Vic's fake twin identity, lies and manipulation of the both of them, the twins kill him by chopping him up with a chainsaw... from the groin up.
* HalfTheManHeUsedToBe: How Vic meets his end. Vertically, crotch-first.
* ILoveTheDead: April and June end the episode getting intimate with Vic's freshly bisected corpse.
* IncestSubtext: The phrasing and tone that the twins use when they described how they had trouble sharing their father. We don't know if they ever referred to the struggle as one for parental affection, or one for decidedly more... nauseating intentions.
* KarmaHoudini: April and June were questioned and tried for the murder of their father, but they were acquitted. As of the end of the episode, they get away with murdering Vic as well.
* KavorkaMan: The twins fall for Vic even though he's pudgy, stocky, slightly balding, and a bit hairy in the chest.
* LargeHam: Vic, as is typical for a Joe Pesci character.
* NewspaperBackstory: Vic learns the truth about the twins when he discovers a collection of newspaper clippings in a locked drawer, which detailed how April and June were tried for their father's death, but were acquitted.
* NightmareFetishist: The twins end the episode pretty stimulated after they do Vic in with a chainsaw, even sweet talking the halves of his corpse.
* PaperThinDisguise: Vic's entire disguise as "Jack" consists of him wearing jeans, a Hawaiian shirt, a pair of sunglasses, a fake ponytail, and a single earring while speaking in a TotallyRadical Californian accent. It's justifiable, given that he's supposed to play an identical twin.
* {{Patricide}}: April and June killed their father because, as they admit to Vic, they couldn't share him equally.
* RageBreakingPoint: The twins are silently, but fiercely, furious when they learn how Vic swindled them, to the point of fashioning his fake ponytail into makeshift garotte wire.
* ShoutOut: Vic tells his hooker that his fetish for twins began when he saw ''Film/TheParentTrap1961'' as a kid, getting a boner every time Creator/HayleyMills and her "twin" appeared onscreen.
** Jimmy the blackjack dealer calls Vic "Slick" as thanks for his help in swindling Dom. Where exactly would you have seen another [[Series/WhereInTheWorldIsCarmenSandiego "Vic" who's been called "Slick"]] around the time this episode aired?
* SingleMindedTwins: April and June are essentially one woman in two bodies, speaking simultaneously, finishing each other's sentences, and also sharing the same pet peeves.

* SmallRoleBigImpact: The twins' cats, who cause Vic to suffer car trouble and leads him to meeting the twins themselves.
* SpeakInUnison: April and June are prone to doing this.
* SpotTheThread: Part of how April and June can tell that they married the same man is that their "husbands" have the same faded patch of skin on their back while sunbathing.
* ThemeNaming: April and June. Vic instantly takes note of it:

* TooDumbToLive: Don, the novice gambler who Vic deceives early in the episode, essentially has no idea about how the game of blackjack works.
* TotallyRadical: Vic speaks this way to pull off what he believes is a Californian accent.
* TwinThreesomeFantasy: This is one of Vic's lifelong goals. He achieves it via a FakeTwinGambit, but [[GoneHorriblyRight it backfires on him later, in a very bloody way]].
* TwoScenesOneDialogue: The episode switches back and forth between Vic seducing April and June individually, splicing the conversations he has with each of them.
* WaxingLyrical: Vic spends a few scenes near the end of the episode singing [[Music/RightSaidFred "I'm Too Sexy"]], utterly mangling it in the process.
* TheWoobie: Don, the gambler who tries (and fails miserably at) a few hands of blackjack to get enough money so his injured veteran son can receive some decent healthcare. Vic shares no concern for the guy and swindles him out of all his cash with his silver tongue and a phony investment.
* {{Yandere}}: April and June, who were completely dedicated to their father, to the point where they killed him via chainsaw when they were unable to share him equally. The end of the episode has them doing the same to Vic as revenge for his trickery.
* YouveGottaBeKiddingMe: Vic says this word for word when he finds the newspaper articles, just before the twins knock him out.

->'''Crypt Keeper:''' ''(still seated as his poker table, which now has a beating heart on it; he slams a meat cleaver into the heart, which stops beating)'' I guess old vino Vic thought he could double his fun ''and'' his bank account. Too bad he was only ''half'' right. Oh well, it just proves the old saying: "Behind every bad man, there's two women... with a chainsaw!" ''(cackles)'' So kiddies, care for a little ''maim'' of chance? ''Deads,'' I win, tails, you ''ooze!'' ''(flips a poker chip, then cackles)''

* AdaptationNameChange: In the comic Vic Stetson is named Ed King and the twins April and June are named Susan and Amy.
* AdaptationalVillainy: Aside from killing Ed King for revenge from trying to manipulate them the Susan and Amy do nothing wrong in the comics. Here in the episode It's revealed that the April and June killed there father because they where so obsessed with sharing every thing they could not bare to have only one of something when there are [[NumberObsession two]] of them.

* OedipusComplex: The phrasing and tone that the twins use when they described how they had trouble sharing their father. We don't know if they ever referred to the struggle as one for parental affection, or one for decidedly more... nauseating intentions.