Andy, having taken up the violin, treats the others to a rendition of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." To play enjoyable music, Andy notes, takes loads of practise. Tonight’s tale concerns such a violinist - one of whose admirers takes devotion to an ominous extreme. Submitted for the approval of the Midnight Society, he calls this story "The Tale of the Last Dance."
Warrenville Recreation Centre is due to close down. Before a small audience, Tara plays violin. While friends Jane and Scot listen raptly, boyfriend Michael dozes off. From a ceiling ventilation grid, several drops of clear fluid fall onto Tara’s mounted music sheet.
With a whispered excusal to Scot, Michael leaves. From the ceiling vent sounds a low, heavy breathing. From its grid, a pencil falls onto Tara’s music stand.
In the hallway, Jane and Scott sincerely laud Tara’s playing. In the canteen, Tara excitedly shows Jane a headshot for the programme of the Recreation Centre’s farewell dance, at which Tara is scheduled to play. From above a ceiling ventilation grill, someone watches…
Michael and Scot then arrive - Michael to a cool reception from Tara. As they talk, the tiles around the ceiling ventilation grill start to split. Tara shows Michael her chosen for the programme. Michael chuckles dismissively. Scot notices the splitting tiles above, and quickly urges the others to duck.
In the locker room, Scott queries Michael's dismissive attitude to Tara's music. Michael doubts their to be much of a future in playing the violin. As Michael turns around, Scot notices a broad tear in the back of Michael’s leather jacket. They peer into Michael’s open locker - and see, at the far end, a hole…
In the girl’s locker room, from somewhere behind the grilled door of Tara’s locker, as she stores her violin, someone watches. By the mirror, to Jane, Tara confesses doubts about her relationship with Michael. Meanwhile, by the lockers, through a wide gap in a large ventilation grill, reaches a hand. It takes hold of Tara’s violin case, and steals it into the darkness. From across the room, Tara hears a small clunk - and sees her violin to have gone. Horrified, she wonders what can have happened. The two girls notice the broad gap in the grill.
That night, with the darkened canteen long deserted, a cloaked, hooded figure enters. The Lurker darts about the place, snatching food supplies. Into the bin, he reaches broad, long, leathery fingers, retrieves Tara’s crumpled photo, and stalks away…
A disco ball casts patterned lights across the Recreation Centre’s semi-darkened, balloon-bedecked hall. To a pulsing record, patrons happily mingle. Scot gently commiserates the abrupt cancellation of Tara’s performance. Michael urges revelry.
Tara scrunches up her programme, and storms off. In a darkened hallway, she hears a distant hiss. Jane, having followed her, calls through the darkness. Down the hallway, Jane passes a ceiling ventilation grill. A heavy breathing issues from beyond it. From inside, a heavy stream of bright red gunk falls heavily onto her head, splattering her hair, face and dress. She screams. Tara hears her friend scream, and breaks into a run.
With no sign of Jane, she sees, amidst a puddle of red paint, an upturned can. Above, the rim of the open ventilation shaft drips the stuff. Tara backs away, and hears a low, heavy breathing. She turns. Faced with the cowled figure of the Lurker, she screams...
Through the basement, past looming pipes, the Lurker, from behind, grips Tara’s arms.
With the dance in full swing, Michael wonders where Tara and Jane are. He enlists Scot to help him look for them.
In the basement, the Lurker steers Tara round a corner, and into a dimly lit expanse. In the middle, a table is covered with a sheet. The Lurker introduces himself as "a mistake of evolution."
In the darkened hallway, Scott and Michael descend find a shivering, red paint-soaked Jane. On the floor beneath the ceiling ventilation grid, Michael notices red footprints… and a flower, fallen from Tara’s dress.
In the dim light of a nearby candelabra, Tara peers at several lovingly rendered sketches of herself. Having loved her music for years, and with the building soon to be demolished, he has prepared this introduction - and returns her violin. On condition of revealing his face, Tara agrees to play. Very reluctantly, the Lurker lowers his cowl.Beneath long black hair is a frightened, sorrowful face. Unlike his hands, the Lurker’s face lacks any visible deformity.
Overjoyed at Tara's offer to play, the Lurker requests Pachelbel. Grinning back, Tara proceeds to play the Pachelbel Canon in D Major.
…
Now in the basement, Michael hears the distant strings of Tara’s violin. He hurries on…
As Tara brings the piece to a close, she sees the Lurker to silently weep. From behind a distant corner, Michael watches. Tara laments Michael's lack of appreciation. The Lurker entreats her to stay with him. She seems hesitantly tempted. At a distant noise, the Lurker suddenly stands. He seizes Tara’s hand, and pulls her into a run. He swings into her into a small chamber, and swings shut the door.
Michael advances. The Lurker runs into the depths. Tara and Michael hurry along the walkway. The Lurker drops from the ceiling, and stands between them. Michael shoves into the Lurker, who shoves back. As they repeatedly lunge at each other, Tara yells for Michael to stop. As Michael ducks, the Lurker trips, and falls across the edge. He grabs the railing. Tara desperately grabs his arm. His left hand slips. As the Lurker's grip starts to slip, Michael reaches down to grab his loose wrist with both hands. With a final goodbye, the Lurker hurries into the darkness.
Michael picks up the violin, and hands it to Tara. She bursts into tears, and they embrace.
…
In his dark, lonely lair, the Lurker gazes at Tara’s crumpled headshot. He hears distant violin, slightly muffled violin strings. By an old gramophone stands Tara. The gramophone plays Pachelbel Canon in D Major. As they waltz, Michael distantly watches.
…
Some time later, the Lurker, once more cowled, steals through the basement.
...
As Andy once more picks up the violin, most of the others flee. While Megan stays to listen, Andy ably plays the opening bars of Pachelbel Canon in D Major.
This episode provides examples of:
- Beast and Beauty: Tara and the Lurker.
- Beautiful All Along: Throughout the story, the Lurker wears a hood that conceals his face because he claims he's too hideous for anyone to see it. But at Tara's behest, he finally removes it. ...And he's not nearly as "ugly" as he thinks he is.
- Cruel to Be Kind: Michael views his overall treatment of Tara's passion as this. He knows Tara is good at the violin, but he legitimately thinks there's no future in playing professional music beyond busking in the streets. As far as he's concerned, his unsupportive attitude towards Tara's violin-playing is just his way of "letting her down easy" so she won't be disappointed later on in life.
- Dramatically Missing the Point: After Tara's violin is stolen, she bemoans that after playing it for years, she'll never be able to play without it. Oblivious to its sentimental value, Michael suggests she could always rent one of "those things" for the dance. Offended by his callousness, Tara rebukes "'Those things' are violins, Michael! Not bowling shoes, violins!" Even Michael's friend remarks "You know, for a smart guy, you're not so.. smart." Goes up to eleven when he defends himself with "I know what violins are!"
- Heel Realization: Listening in on Tara and the Lurker's conversation about him, Michael comes to his own conclusion that he hasn't been a good boyfriend to her nor has he supported her passion for classic music.
- I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: A variation where it's not just the Phantom-expy who takes this trope to heart. On one hand, the episode ends with the Lurker going his separate way after he has his last dance with Tara, so she may live her life. On the other hand, Michael helps save the Lurker from falling to his death at Tara's plea, recognizing him as her friend and the only person who never doubted Tara's talent.
- Innocently Insensitive: Michael has such insensitivity in spades. A prime example is when, during the party, Scott and Jane comfort Tara on how she won't be able to play her song for the last dance, knowing her now-stolen violin and the cancelled recital meant so much to her. Meanwhile, Michael is unable to read the room, and proceeds to encourage that now that his girlfriend is "feeling better", that means they should celebrate, instead of treating her worries rather gently.
- Obfuscating Stupidity: Or in the least, "Obfuscating lack thereof talent". The episode opens up with Andy demonstrating to the other members of the Midnight Society that he plays violin, but he's seemingly bad at it. After he tells his story, Andy's about to practice some more, but most of the members believe they've already had enough of his lousy music. He only plays when Megan supportively insists he play anyway. ...only to reveal he's actually so good that he himself can play Pachelbel's Canon in D, just like the lead female in the story. He then justifies to Megan "I was just warming up".
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: When Michael confronts the Lurker for stealing away Tara, the Lurker has his share of fighting words, and there's bitter truth behind them.Michael: Let her go!The Lurker: (Livid) Why, so she can go back to you?! Someone who doesn't see her? Doesn't listen to her? Doesn't love her?!
- Shout-Out:
- The story parallels elements of The Phantom of the Opera, and several adaptations thereof.
- Michael addresses the Lurker as Quasimodo.
- Theatre Phantom: A monster who lives in a high school and kidnappes a talented female violinist.
- What Does She See in Him?: Michael isn't exactly the most supportive or sensitive boyfriend to Tara. When he's not falling asleep at her violin recitals, he makes an excuse to leave as quickly as he can, or even downplaying her dream of being a professional violinist.
