Meter Reader
Written By: John Esposito
In a post-apocalyptic world lit under an orange sky, a mysterious man on a motorcycle rides through a deserted town. As he approaches a suburb, he witnesses garbagemen empty trash cans filled with severed heads into modified garbage trucks, in which they are incinerated. When the man rides up to them, one of the garbagemen warns him to go back, since he's currently in "the red zone". The man informs the worker that he's headed for the nearby town of Celestial Falls. The garbageman offhandedly mentions that he and his fellow workers just came from there, and as such, "the Devil beat you to it". Nonetheless, the man rides off, destined to reach the town. Over images of an abandoned city, a voiceover explains how the world was ravaged by a pandemic: a supernatural virus that strikes indiscriminately, where people succumb to demonic possession. The exact reason why this demonic contagion emerged is still being debated, but there is still hope for this ruined world: the Department of Meter Readers. They are a "sacred few" with a natural proven immunity to the contagion. They travel the world in the hopes of identifying the plague before it can spread further, and eliminating those who are unfortunately too late to be saved.
The mysterious man, who happens to be a Meter Reader himself, reaches his destination: the home of Mrs. Jones (Samantha Worthen). When Mrs. Jones answers the door, the man introduces himself as Dalton Fuller (Johnathon Schaech), having come to examine Mrs. Jones' daughter Mercy (Reagan Higgins). Upon entering the house, Mrs. Jones tells Dalton that Mercy has been spewing bile at her and shouting profane words in a language she has never studied. Hoping that Mercy hasn't reached "the final stage" of the sickness, Dalton tells Mrs. Jones that he'll need to perform a test before his prognosis. Entering Mercy's room, Dalton discovers the child tied to her bed. As he introduces himself to Mercy and assures her that he's going to help her, Dalton scans Mercy with the Meter, a specially crafted tool that Meter Readers use to check for demons within those who are potentially infected, then checks her out with a sacred mirror that will supposedly reveal the demon possessing her. To Dalton's surprise, it is actually Mercy's mother who is the infected one. As Dalton commands the demon to leave Mrs. Jones' body immediately, she proceeds to spew projectile vomit at him and bite a chunk out of her daughter's leg. Dalton arms himself with a saber and enters combat with the possessed mother. Outside the house, the sounds of a struggle, the tearing of tearing, a thud, and crying are heard, which indicate that Dalton has become victorious.
Three days later, Dalton's wife Maria (Cynthia Devans) and his children Michael and Theresa (Boston Pierce and Abigail Dolan), eagerly await his return. As Michael and Maria work on a jigsaw puzzle, Theresa listens to a podcast where the hosts discuss the nature of the plague, as well as mentioning that infection rates are off the charts in multiple areas and the only way to kill an infectee is through decapitation. Later that day, as they prepare dinner, Michael and Maria optimistically discuss how things will soon be returning to normal, with Maria mentioning that the salons are starting to open again and Michael saying that a friend told him they would be returning to school. In contrast, the bitter and jaded Theresa calls their desires "wishful thinking" because they aren't "essential". She also mentions that the infection rates are off the charts in Celestial Falls, and their father hasn't returned in three days, shocking Maria into breaking the glass she is holding. After ushering Michael out of the kitchen, Maria and Theresa argue about whether Dalton will be the same if and when he comes home. Theresa argues that a Meter Reader's immunity needs to be reevaluated every 72 hours, reasoning that he might have become infected. What's more, Dalton gave the family strict instructions not to let him in after 7 PM, further cementing her stance that her father may not be himself when he comes home. Despite clutching the glass shards so hard that her hand bleeds, Maria assures Theresa that Dalton will return before his curfew.
At 7:02 PM, Theresa's laptop, hooked up to security cameras around the house, detects someone approaching, causing an alarm to sound. The mysterious person is revealed to be Dalton, who walks up to the door and knocks, insisting that the family let him inside. As the family gathers at the door, Theresa reminds Dalton about the curfew he set for them and refuses to open the door. When Maria attempts to take charge of the situation and let her husband in, Theresa grabs a customized meat cleaver and threatens to chop her father's head off. With no other options, Maria tells Dalton to spend the night in the cellar, and that they will get a doctor to retest him first thing in the morning. Dalton is forced to accept their terms and descends to the cellar, the doors closing behind him. Once Dalton descends, Theresa (who is revealed to be the narrator) reminisces about the first year of the pandemic. According to her, the world just wasn't ready to believe that the demonic plague was real, deeming it a hoax or mass hallucination. As society proceeded to fall apart and entire families succumbed to the infection, things became far too difficult to ignore, with revolutions even developing to rise against the "new world order". Theresa also remembers that her baby sister Madeleine was infected early in the pandemic, and she personally had to assist her father in putting her down. After giving a brief description of the origins of the Meter, and the fact that less than 10% of the population are capable of using it, Theresa reminisces about the day her father left home. Dalton reminded her that "the Devil is the master of lies", and warned her to trust no one, not even him.
Theresa is then startled awake when she drops her cleaver and hears alarms blaring, and checks her laptop's camera to discover that the cellar doors are open. Entering the supernaturally darkened kitchen, she finds her possessed father raiding the fridge, standing beside Maria and Michael's corpses while ominously laughing at her. This experience is revealed to be a nightmare, as Theresa finds the doors still closed. When Theresa checks the kitchen, she finds her mother cooking dinner for Dalton, hoping to leave it outside on a tray outside the door for him. The two once again argue about Dalton's potential possession and the risks of letting him out, when Michael suddenly descends to the cellar himself, the doors slamming behind him. As Maria panics and begs Dalton to give Michael back, Theresa grabs her cleaver and storms off to the cellar to do as her father taught her, prompting Maria to knock her unconscious in a move of desperation. When she awakens, Theresa arms herself and descends to the cellar, where demonic voices and laughter are heard.
Wielding her father's mirror, she commands any possible demons in the cellar to reveal themselves. At once, Michael suddenly appears behind her, wearing both a devil mask and red pajamas, carrying a plastic pitchfork, and having grown a pointed tail. He silently points in the direction the demon supposedly is, where Theresa slowly investigates. Following a trail of blood on the floor, Theresa discovers her father slumped in a chair. Dalton is not possessed, but he is mortally wounded. He weakly explains that Maria and Michael have actually become infected, and the three day delay he endured at Mrs. Jones' house meant he was unable to save them. He reminds the scared Theresa of what she has to do, even though she doesn't want to. Theresa then discovers Michael crawling across the ceiling, as well as her mother levitating behind her. The possessed Maria invites her daughter to look at her newly-clawed "nails" as Michael appears behind her. As Maria lunges at her, Theresa moves out of the way, leaving Michael to be stabbed by the claws. As Maria screeches in anguish, Theresa proceeds to butcher her possessed mother and brother. When the deed is done, Dalton expresses pride in his daughter before he succumbs to his injuries. Theresa proceeds to pick up the Meter from his dead hand.
The next day, the sanitation workers Dalton met during his trip stop by the house, loading Maria and Michael's severed heads into their truck. As she watches the heads be incinerated, Theresa, having gained her father's immunity and thus now a Meter Reader herself, completes the jigsaw puzzle her mother and brother were working on. A news report on her laptop states that infection rates are still skyrocketing across the world, so much so that the debate on whether the plague is biological or spiritual in nature has been rendered moot. Deciding that there is nothing left for her at home anymore, and taking the news' advice that those with immunity are needed more than ever to join the fight, Theresa leaves the house on her late father's motorcycle, hoping to continue his work. As she rides along, she recites a final voiceover about how her father said that the Meter Readers weren't special people, "just regular Joes doing the work of heroes", and their actions would be sanctified by history in the end. Taking note of the fact that her choices have made her "a regular Josephine", Theresa grimly notes that her work is only beginning.
This episode contains examples of:
- Action Girl: Theresa, despite only being a teenager, is highly skilled at killing the infected, having been trained firsthand by her father. She takes down two in the episode itself, and even though they're her mother and brother, she only hesitates for a second. In the end, she takes Dalton's motorcycle and leaves home to travel the world, continuing her father's work in hunting the infected down full time.
- Affectionate Nickname: Maria is known for calling her daughter "Dumpling" as a term of affection, and she does so mockingly as she's possessed.
- After the End: The episode is set years after the plague left its mark on humanity.
- And the Adventure Continues: In the end, Theresa leaves her now empty house on her late father's motorcycle, hoping to use her newfound immunity to carry on his work in stopping the infected.
- And Then John Was a Zombie: Early in the episode, the unassuming Mrs. Jones is revealed to be possessed while lying that her child is the infected one. Similarly, Maria and Michael are revealed to be possessed by the end of the story.
- Anti-Hero: Theresa, despite her icy personality, ends up saving the day by slaughtering her possessed mom and brother.
- Apocalypse Anarchy: The comic interludes show evidence that cities around the world were gripped in chaos as the plague began to spread, complete with revolutionaries standing out against the new world order. Years after the plague first spread, the destruction remains, with many towns having long since left to rot.
- Apocalypse How: The plague unleashed a Class 1 upon humanity. Since infection levels are still skyrocketing, it could eventually escalate to a Class 2.
- Badass Preacher: Meter Readers have all the mannerisms of one. As Dalton states, however, they aren't actual priests, just everyday people with a quirk in their biology that renders them immune to the plague.
- Bait-and-Switch: Mercy appears to be infected, but when Dalton examines her, it's revealed that her mother is actually the one who's infected. Similarly, when Theresa suspects that her father has been infected, she discovers that he isn't, but her mother and brother are.
- Bookends:
- The episode begins and ends with Dalton's motorcycle being ridden through an apocalyptic wasteland.
- The sanitation workers from the beginning reappear at the end to collect Maria and Michael's severed heads.
- Theresa completes the jigsaw puzzle Michael and Maria were working during their first scene, just before she leaves the house.
- Call-Back:
- This is the second episode of the series to be set in a post-apocalyptic future, after Times is Tough in Musky Holler from Season 1.
- Infected people have the same eyes that the possessed Mrs. Bookberry had in Public Television of the Dead.
- Since the Devil is strongly implied to be the mastermind behind the plague, this is the second episode of the series after Pesticide to have him play a major role in a catastrophe that leaves a large number of people dead.
- The saber that Dalton uses to kill Mrs. Jones is one of Lampini's props from Skeletons in the Closet.
- Catapult Nightmare: Theresa has one where she discovers that her father has been possessed, and is standing over the freshly-killed corpses of her mother and brother.
- Chekhov's Gun: Dalton's mirror, which is used to reveal demons possessing the infected. Theresa later uses it to discover the truth about her mother and brother.
- Church Militant: The Meter Readers fancy themselves as these, though they're not really priests.
- Consummate Liar: Before he left, Dalton explicitly told Theresa that "the Devil is the master of lies" and warned her not to trust anyone, even him.
- Cool Bike: Dalton travels to Celestial Falls on a tricked-out motorcycle. Theresa takes ownership of it at the end of the episode, riding off to continue her father's work.
- Crapsack World: The episode is set in a world ravaged by a Satanic plague. Most towns and cities are abandoned, entire governments have fallen, anarchy runs rampant, and anyone you know can be a flesh-hungry demon waiting to devour you.
- Crazy-Prepared: During the outbreak, Theresa was very well-trained by her father to combat the infected, keeping a close eye on the infection rates, checking security footage around the house, and carrying a tricked out meat cleaver to chop an infected person's head off. Dalton even took her on training missions to kill infectees back when she was a kid.
- Cynic–Idealist Duo: It's more of a "trio" to be exact. Maria and Michael share optimistic views that the plague will pass and things will soon be back to normal. The bitter Theresa, on the other hand, is certain that the plague is nowhere near over, continuing to rain on their parades by bringing up the infection rates.
- Darker and Edgier: The heavy parallels of the COVID-19 Pandemic make this episode significantly bleaker than the others in the series.
- Deadly Euphemism: When recalling how she had to help her father kill Madeleine when she was infected, Theresa notes that the man "did what was necessary."
- Death of a Child: Theresa's baby sister Madeleine became infected, and Theresa was forced to help her father put her down.
- Decoy Protagonist: Dalton at first appears to be the central character of the episode, since we see him travelling through a ruined city to the house of a possessed victim. He spends three days traveling to the house, then kills that victim and spends the next three days traveling back to his home. When he gets home, he ends up forced by his own family to stay in the cellar. In doing so, the story shifts focus to Theresa, who is revealed to be the actual protagonist.
- Dissonant Laughter: When Michael becomes possessed, echoing laughter is the only thing that comes out of his mouth.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?: If it wasn't clear from the first few minutes, this entire episode is an allegory for the COVID-19 Pandemic. Let us count the ways:
- Theresa is listening to a podcast where different people with different opinions argue about the nature of the contagion.
- Michael mentions that a friend told him they would be returning to school in the fall, and Maria mentions that the salons are opening again. Theresa regards both of their desires as pipe dreams because they aren't "essential".
- Theresa notes in her narration that the contagion was first called a hoax; a mass hallucination, saying that the world just wasn't ready to wake up and see the truth.
- The tearful scene where Dalton leaves to check on and/or eradicate the infected easily mirrors that of an essential worker like a doctor or supplier being forced to leave their own families to treat the infected, not knowing whether or not they might come back home sick, or come back home at all.
- The news reporter at the end mentions, in a bit of Leaning on the Fourth Wall, that those who aren't infected are encouraged to join the fight in containing the plague, now more than ever.
- The most sinister real world aspect of the entire story would have to be the sheer paranoia that comes with not knowing whether someone is infected or not.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: When the possessed Maria accidentally stabs her similarly-possessed son with her claws, she screeches in agony at what she's done.
- Evil All Along: Maria and Michael are revealed to be carriers of the plague, and have been attempting to let Dalton into the house so they could kill and eat him. Similarly, their optimism regarding the plague to be ending soon could have been an early sign that they wanted Theresa to either fall for their tricks or let her join their ranks.
- The Extremist Was Right: For all her gung-ho mannerisms, it turns out that Theresa was right in not trusting her father and refusing to let him inside the house. Not because he was possessed, but because it indirectly led to the reveal of the people who actually were possessed.
- Foreshadowing:
- Michael is first seen wearing his devil mask before Dalton travels to Mrs. Jones' house. He later wears it full-time when he's possessed.
- The scene of Mrs. Jones and Mercy, where the unassuming parent of an apparently-infected child is actually the infected one, is repeated at the climax of the episode with Theresa's own family.
- Forging Scene: A brief comic illustration features a man crafting the Meter in a massive "ceremonial furnace".
- Freudian Excuse: Theresa is so bitter, jaded, and cynical because her baby sister Madeleine had succumbed to the plague during the first days of the outbreak, and she personally had to help her father put her down. Even before that day, her father rigorously trained her to combat the infected, to the point where the two of them went on "field trips" to take down infected people firsthand. Her gung-ho willingness to kill Dalton himself when he arrives after curfew could easily be seen as her way of ensuring that she doesn't lose another family member to the plague.
- Godzilla Threshold: Some of the demonic plague's worst effects took place in the first few weeks of the outbreak, to the point where one of the comic interludes showcases a huge demon apparently devouring the Pope himself as he speaks from the Vatican.
- Great Offscreen War: Several revolutions are shown or hinted in the illustrations to have taken place as humanity slowly fell to the plague, but none occur during the actual story.
- Greater-Scope Villain: The Devil, who is hinted to be the mastermind of the plague.
- Hell on Earth: According to Theresa, theologians believe that this is the cause of the plague; the gates of Hell having likely broken and unleashing its demons upon the Earth.
- I'm a Humanitarian: Theresa notes that the infected have a nasty habit of devouring people, starting with their own families.
- The Immune: Meter Readers have a naturally proven immunity to the plague, though it isn't infinite.
- Immunity Attrition: As stated above, Meter Readers like Dalton have proven immunity to the plague, though it's unfortunately hinted to be finite, as Theresa reminds her mother that it needs to be reevaluated every 72 hours.
- I'm Not a Hero, I'm...: Dalton firmly believes that he and the other Meter Readers aren't heroes, just regular people doing heroes' work.
- Infodump: Given that this episode attempts to cram an entire movie's worth of lore in only 20 minutes, Theresa delivers a few of them to explain how her post-apocalyptic world came to be, the running time clearly unable to showcase everything.
- Killed Offscreen: Mrs. Jones is heard being decapitated by Dalton as the camera focuses outside her house.
- Knight in Sour Armor: The bitter and jaded Theresa, who was well-trained by her father when the plague first hit, arms herself with a tricked out meat cleaver and makes short work of her possessed family members.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall: The news anchor at the end of the episode mentions that those with immunity to the plague are encouraged to join the fight in stopping it. Theresa stares at the camera as the anchor speaks, signifying that the Creepshow universe itself is pleading with its audience to do the same for their own "plague".
- MacGuffin: The Meter. Dalton uses it once at the beginning to scan Mercy for potential possession, and aside from Theresa's narration regarding its origins and abilities, it isn't until the end of the story that the sacred tool has any significance again.
- Magic Wand: The Meter, a specialized tool forged by "holy disciples" that Meter Readers use to detect the presence of demons. Theresa's narration states that the Meter's power actually comes from its wielders, not from the instrument itself.
- Meaningful Echo: Dalton tells his family that he has to leave because the plague is "bigger than us". He repeats it to Theresa before he dies and passes his responsibilities to her.
- Meaningful Name: Theresa shares the same name as Mother Teresa, who also had a strong devotion to cure the sick. Of course, the two women also have very different ways of "curing" those infected.
- Middle-of-Nowhere Street: Dalton's house appears to be a great distance away from civilization, presumably as a safety measure to lower the risk of infection.
- Mythology Gag:
- Mrs. Jones' house number is revealed to be 1408.
- The ashtray can be seen on an end table in the Fullers' living room.
- At the end, a news report mentions that there is a large spike of cases in Castle County.
- Narrator All Along: Theresa's first bit of narration is played before she is properly introduced. Her being the narrator is finally revealed after Dalton steps into the cellar.
- Nothing Is Scarier: There's a brief comic interlude where a large, demonic creature creeps up behind the Pope and apparently devours him. The actual act itself is left completely unseen, with His Holiness' frightened eyes being the only hint we get of what it could possibly look like.
- Off with His Head!: The only way to kill an infected subject, presumably to "preserve their immortal soul". The heads are later collected and burned by sanitation workers driving modified garbage trucks.
- The Omniscient Council of Vagueness: The Department of Meter Readers are first presented as a group of hooded figures whom Theresa dubs "holy disciples" in an illustration as the demonic plague wipes out the population. Though this is likely what they looked like back in the Middle Ages, the organization as it is now is left almost entirely offscreen.
- One World Order: The Department of Meter Readers is implied to have merged every remaining world government into one faction, potentially as a means to unify whichever parts of the world hadn't descended into anarchy.
- Parent-Child Team: In the early days of the plague, Theresa and her father would go out together to identify and kill infected people as a training exercise.
- Passing the Torch: Theresa collects the Meter from her father after he dies, and thus becomes a Meter Reader herself.
- Poor Communication Kills: Dalton gave the family a strict 7 PM curfew, and ordered them not to let him in if he arrives after said curfew for whatever reason. When Dalton gets home 2 minutes after curfew and his family refuses to let him inside out of fear that he's possessed, all he does is bang on the door and begs the family to let him in, pleading that they can trust him while neglecting to reveal why they need to let him in. Maria could've known what her husband was actually referring to all along, but was covering her and Michael's tracks at the time.
- Power Floats: Once she's infected, Maria gains the ability to levitate.
- Properly Paranoid: Theresa turned out to be right that the plague was far from over, as well as being right about the possibility that someone in her family was infected, even if it wasn't who she thought it was. Sticking to her guns and refusing to listen to her mother and brother and letting her father back in the house ends up saving her life.
- Real Life Writes the Plot: As mentioned, this episode draws heavy parallels from the COVID-19 Pandemic, replacing a biological sickness with demonic possession.
- Red Herring: Dalton arriving home after his curfew, having the cellar doors slam shut behind him, and Theresa's nightmare involving him killing Michael and Maria, seem to hint that he is infected. The climax reveals that he isn't, and he ends up dying after sustaining fatal injuries by the actual infectees: his wife and son.
- Red Sky, Take Warning: "Orange" sky, to be technical. The sky stays this color throughout the entire story.
- Rewatch Bonus: Maria and Michael's optimism regarding the plague and telling Theresa to stop bringing them down make more sense when the episode is re-viewed, as they were actually possessed the whole time and wanted her to go out so she could become possessed herself.
- Similarly, when they wanted to let Dalton indoors against Theresa's warnings, it becomes clear that they intended to let him in so they could kill and eat him.
- Riddle for the Ages: The exact nature of the plague is left deliberately ambiguous, with no hints as to whether the rampant possession cases are the work of genuine demons from Hell, or just a virus that happens to mirror the symptoms of demonic possession. By the end of the story, it doesn't matter anymore, since the news claims that infection rates are high enough that all debates about the plague's nature have been rendered moot.
- Satan: He's mentioned by Dalton to be the source of the plague.
- Self-Made Orphan: When she discovers her father mortally wounded and moments away from death, Theresa is forced under his orders to slaughter her infected mother and brother, leaving her the last living member of her family.
- Shout-Out:
- The sanitation workers advise citizens to dispose of the severed heads of their loved ones by yelling "Bring out your heads!"
- Dalton is likely named after the possessed child from Insidious.
- The infected display several mannerisms highly similar to the Deadites.
- The sign that welcomes people to Celestial Falls states that the town's mayor is named Samuel Wilson.
- Dalton's visit to Mrs. Jones' house is a giant reference to The Exorcist, complete with the house mirroring the appearance of Reagan's house (shrouded with fog and lit by a single streetlamp), a pot of pea soup boiling on the stove, the supposedly possessed girl being tied to the bed, and the person who actually is possessed spewing projectile vomit. The episode's cover even features a Reagan lookalike spewing vomit at Dalton.
- Small Role, Big Impact: Mercy, whose apparent infection draws Dalton away from his house for three days, rendering him unable to save his wife and son from possession and forcing Theresa to butcher them.
- So Proud of You: Dalton's final words to Theresa, just before he succumbs to his wounds.
- They Look Just Like Everyone Else!: The infected are capable of hiding their demonic appearances, abilities, and mannerisms perfectly, at least before they reach the final stage. This makes it incredibly easy for them to fool their loved ones into thinking they're still healthy, before they kill and devour them when they least expect it.
- Took a Level in Cynic: Theresa certainly became jaded over the years, ever since her baby sister succumbed to the plague and she had to help Dalton kill her.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Mrs. Jones, who manages to delay Dalton for 3 days, rendering him unable to save his wife and son.
- Very Special Episode: The first example of the series. Even though this virus is played for horror and entertainment, the virus it was based on is clearly not, and the episode pulls exactly zero punches to remind viewers of that fact.
- The Virus: From what this story is based off of, this is a given. The key difference is that this virus induces demonic possession instead of a sickness. Maybe.
- Vomit Indiscretion Shot: Mrs. Jones spews bile at Dalton when her possession is revealed.
- Walking the Earth: Theresa does this after the deaths of her family, taking her father's motorcycle and traveling the country to continue his work full time.
- Wall Crawl: Michael, when possessed, is seen crawling along the ceiling in the cellar.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: Mrs. Jones and her daughter Mercy only appear in the episode's first few minutes. While Mrs. Jones is heard being murdered by Dalton, Mercy's fate is left completely unanswered. It's worse since her mother bit a chunk out of her leg, potentially putting her at the risk of infection as well.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: Theresa is extremely willing to chop off her father's head, since it's the only way to kill an infected person and she had to help her father do the same to her baby sister.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: Mercy is never seen again after her and her mother's scene. Even though her mother is taken care of, it's never revealed what exactly happened to her after Dalton's visit.
- Would Hurt a Child: The possessed Mrs. Jones bites a chunk out of her daughter's leg.
