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The Best Episodes of Tales from the Darkside

Every episode of Tales from the Darkside ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Tales from the Darkside!

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Tales from the Darkside is an anthology horror TV series created by George A. Romero, each episode was an individual short story that ended with a plot twist. The series' episodes spanned the genres of

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  1. #1 Fan Favorite
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    Tales from the Darkside Season 4 Episode 15 - Do Not Open This Box
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #1 - Do Not Open This Box

    S4:E15

    An aged inventor and his wife come into possession of a box marked "Do not open this box." The wife opens it and finds it empty. The next day a man comes to claim the box and the lady makes up a story about losing the box. The man begins giving them nice things in exchange for eventually getting the box back. The couple begin living the sweet life thanks to the stranger but when they finally give the box back, the man tells them that it contained a human soul - since the box was opened the soul has escaped and now the man needs a replacement.

    Director:Jodie Foster
    Writers:Franco Amurri, Bob Balaban

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  2. Tales from the Darkside Season 1 Episode 19 - Levitation
    7.5/10(2 votes)

    #2 - Levitation

    S1:E19

    A teenager enraptured with magicians goes to a flee-bitten circus to seek out one of the greater: Kharma. However, Kharma now does cheap magic for the crowds, and none of the great illusions the teenager believes him capable of. When Kharma refuses to do them, the kid heckles him until Kharma relents and uses the boy as a subject for his greatest feat of levitation. However, Kharma dies of a heart attack, and the boy simply keeps on levitating...up into the sky and out of sight.

    Director:John Harrison
    Writer:David Gerrold

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  3. Tales from the Darkside Season 1 Episode 7 - Inside the Closet
    7.2/10(5 votes)

    #3 - Inside the Closet

    S1:E7

    A student takes a room with an abrupt, somewhat rude anthropology professor. He instructs her never to open the small door in the back of her closet. Hearing strange noises, she eventually opens the door and finds the chamber beyond occupied by a small, hairless-monkey sort of a creature. It kills her and goes after the professor...only to reveal that it is his deformed daughter, which he lovingly dotes on.

    Director:Tom Savini
    Writer:Michael McDowell

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  4. Tales from the Darkside Season 1 Episode 20 - It All Comes Out in the Wash
    7.0/10(1 votes)

    #4 - It All Comes Out in the Wash

    S1:E20

    Henry, a greedy developers, stumbles upon a Chinese laundry that offers a unique service - it can "wash out" guilt. Henry employs their services but soon finds there is a unpleasant price to pay.

    Director:Frank De Palma
    Writer:Harvey Jacobs

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  5. Tales from the Darkside Season 3 Episode 10 - Deliver Us from Goodness
    7.0/10(1 votes)

    #5 - Deliver Us from Goodness

    S3:E10

    Valeria is a saint - literally - and finds it more then she can bear. She seeks out a way to fall from Grace but is unable to do so no matter how hard she tries.

    Director:Warner Shook
    Writer:Jule Selbo

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  6. Tales from the Darkside Season 3 Episode 11 - Seasons of Belief
    7.0/10(1 votes)

    #6 - Seasons of Belief

    S3:E11

    On Christmas Eve, a couple decide to preoccupy their restless children by telling them a fable concerning a massive, winged creature called "The Grither". The children initially balk at the story, which describes the creature as a proud, hateful beast who becomes enraged when it hears its name being spoken aloud. Although it lives at the North Pole, its humongous ears allow it to hear its name being spoken from anywhere in the world, and the parents assure the children that The Grither is well on its way to their house to kill them. The children become progressively more frightened as the story continues, eventually to the point of utter hysteria. Finally, in an effort to calm their children, the parents reveal that the story is make believe. At that moment, the huge arms of The Grither smash through the windows of the house and break the necks of the parents as the children look on in horror.

    Director:Michael McDowell
    Writer:Michael McDowell

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    The 20 WORST Episodes of Tales from the Darkside

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  7. Tales from the Darkside Season 4 Episode 14 - The Cutty Black Sow
    7.0/10(1 votes)

    #7 - The Cutty Black Sow

    S4:E14

    On her deathbed, Jamie's great grandmother tells him the tale of a Celtic demon, the Cutty Black Sow, that comes to claim the soul of anyone dying that night, and Jamie vows to protect her soul from the beast.

    Director:Richard Glass
    Writer:Michael McDowell

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  8. Tales from the Darkside Season 1 Episode 9 - A Case of the Stubborns
    6.8/10(5 votes)

    #8 - A Case of the Stubborns

    S1:E9

    In the backwoods, a family patriarch dies...only to come back, unaware that he's dead. The townspeople are up in arms, but the old man is too stubborn to admit he's dead, despite his rigor mortis, lack of appetite, and bad smell. His grandson Jody eventually goes to an old voodoo woman for a solution. Rather than magic, she provides him with a simple solution: pepper. Jody puts it in his grandpa's handkerchief. When the old man sneezes, his nose falls off, which finally convinces him to go lie down and give up life for good.

    Director:Gerald Cotts
    Writers:Harlan Ellison, Robert Bloch, James Houghton

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  9. Tales from the Darkside Season 1 Episode 13 - Anniversary Dinner
    6.5/10(2 votes)

    #9 - Anniversary Dinner

    S1:E13

    A young girl fleeing her boyfriend finds herself in a small country home with a genial older couple. They take pity on her and invite her in, and even invite her to their special anniversary dinner. After getting her set up in the hot tub with plenty of wine, they start pouring vegetables in. As she passes out, the girl realizes exactly how the couple will be having her for dinner.

    Director:John Strysik
    Writers:James Houghton, D.J. Pass

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  10. Tales from the Darkside Season 1 Episode 21 - Bigalow's Last Smoke
    6.5/10(2 votes)

    #10 - Bigalow's Last Smoke

    S1:E21

    Mr. Bigalow, a lifelong cigarette smoker, wakes up to find that his windows have bars on them and his door is sealed shut. A mysterious figure appears on Bigalow's television, informing him that he will quit smoking. Bigalow scoffs at this notion and reaches for a morning cigarette. As soon as he lights up, a deafening alarm sounds, demanding that he extinguish the cigarette immediately. Bigalow is subjected to various endurance tests and is further tempted to smoke when thousands of cigarettes materialize in the room, only to disappear. After being driven to the edge of sanity, he wakes up to find that he no longer has a desire to smoke. Believing that the whole ordeal was a dream, Bigalow reaches for a cup of coffee, at which time the mysterious figure reappears on the television screen, insisting that Bigalow now work on his caffeine addiction.

    Director:Timna Ranon
    Writer:Michael McDowell

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  11. Tales from the Darkside Season 1 Episode 2 - I'll Give You a Million
    6.4/10(5 votes)

    #11 - I'll Give You a Million

    S1:E2

    Two old, rich men like to wager among themselves on trivial matters for huge amounts. One of them, Williams, offers his friend a million dollars for his immortal soul. Blaine accepts but discovers that he is dying of cancer - frightened, he tries to buy his soul back. Williams holds out for more money, until it's too late - Blaine dies. Soulless, he comes back for his soul, shocking Williams into a heart attack...and the Devil comes to claim his due from both of them.

    Director:John Harrison
    Writers:Mark Durand, David Spiel

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  12. Tales from the Darkside Season 1 Episode 3 - Pain Killer
    6.4/10(5 votes)

    #12 - Pain Killer

    S1:E3

    Harvey goes to Dr. Roebuck with back pains and Roebuck prescribes a miraculous cure. It's not until later that Harvey finds the price he must pay...

    Director:Armand Mastroianni
    Writer:Haskell Barkin

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  13. Tales from the Darkside Season 1 Episode 4 - The Odds
    6.3/10(6 votes)

    #13 - The Odds

    S1:E4

    Tommy Vale, a barroom bookie finds himself in a curious predicament: a man comes in who can't lose. As the story unravels, he finds out that his opponent is Lacey, a man who went broke gambling with Vale in the past. Now Lacey is back from the dead, with tips from the other side, and is unbeatable. In a final ghoulish wager, Lacey bets that Vale will die at a particular time, and he's never been wrong. But the clock chimes and Vale is still alive. Lacey is forced to depart, and Vale reveals that he set the clock ahead five minutes, then dies right on time.

    Director:James Steven Sadwith
    Writer:James Steven Sadwith

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  14. Tales from the Darkside Season 3 Episode 5 - The Geezenstacks
    6.0/10(1 votes)

    #14 - The Geezenstacks

    S3:E5

    A little girl, Audrey, discovers she can control her family by manipulating her doll family, the Geezenstacks, within her dollhouse.

    Director:Bill Travis
    Writer:Unknown

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  15. Tales from the Darkside Season 3 Episode 8 - A Serpent's Tooth
    6.0/10(1 votes)

    #15 - A Serpent's Tooth

    S3:E8

    A kibbitzing mother, Pearl, warns her unlistening family but her warnings start to come true.

    Director:Frank De Palma
    Writer:Edithe Swensen

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  16. Tales from the Darkside Season 3 Episode 12 - Miss May Dusa
    6.0/10(1 votes)

    #16 - Miss May Dusa

    S3:E12

    A robber accidentally brings a mannequin to life - its gaze turns him into a statue. The now-living mannequin flees into the night, unaware of her powers or the harm she can bring.

    Director:Richard Blackburn
    Writer:Richard Blackburn

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  17. Tales from the Darkside Season 3 Episode 14 - My Ghostwriter: The Vampire
    6.0/10(1 votes)

    #17 - My Ghostwriter: The Vampire

    S3:E14

    Hack writer Peter, writing worse and worse vampire stories, buys a coffin for inspiration and finds it occupied by Count Draco. Peter manages to protect himself, and the two strike a deal: Draco will supply new inspiration based on his life experiences, and Peter will write the books. Peter becomes wealthy, but refuses to share the proceeds. With the aid of Peter's secretary, Draco manages to get the drop on the writer and kill him, and the vampire and secretary strike up a new arrangement.

    Director:Frank De Palma
    Writer:Unknown

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  18. Tales from the Darkside Season 3 Episode 17 - Everybody Needs a Little Love
    6.0/10(1 votes)

    #18 - Everybody Needs a Little Love

    S3:E17

    Robert, a lonely divorced man, fixated on a mannequin, but the question soon becomes - is the mannequin alive?

    Director:John Harrison
    Writer:John Harrison

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  19. Tales from the Darkside Season 3 Episode 22 - The Enormous Radio
    6.0/10(1 votes)

    #19 - The Enormous Radio

    S3:E22

    Irene and Jim discover that a new radio they buy lets them overhear the neighbors, but Irene soon turns paranoid as she wonders whether they can hear her.

    Director:Bill Travis
    Writer:Unknown

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  20. Tales from the Darkside Season 4 Episode 6 - The Grave Robber
    6.0/10(1 votes)

    #20 - The Grave Robber

    S4:E6

    In this comedic episode, two treasure hunters discover a lost Egyptian tomb and accidentally revive a mummy. The mummy, Tapok, doesn't try to strangle them, but rather challenges the male explorer to a game of strip poker. The explorer loses, and with each piece of clothing he loses he takes on more of Tapok's wrappings until finally Tapok transfers his curse and leaves with the other explorer.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  21. Tales from the Darkside Season 4 Episode 7 - The Yattering and Jack
    6.0/10(2 votes)

    #21 - The Yattering and Jack

    S4:E7

    A normal, everyday, plain-as-day man, Jack Polo, lives a normal, everyday life...despite the fact that strange poltergeist-like events occur around him. He seems oblivious to everything bad around him. We soon realize that a small demon, a Yattering, has been sent to torment him because his mother was a witch. The Yattering's boss tells him he can do anything he wants as long as he doesn't touch Jack. Jack's daughter comes to visit, and she is surprised at both the host of strange occurrences (including an animated Christmas turkey) that occur, and her father's increasingly strident attempts to deny anything amiss. His motto: ""Que Sara Sara"". Finally, driven out of its mind with desperation, the Yattering touches Jack...which makes him his willing servant. Jack knew of the demon's plans all along, and that he hoped to trick it into touching him. Now he is safe from Hell's revenge, and has a new servant in the process.

    Director:David Odell
    Writer:Clive Barker

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  22. Tales from the Darkside Season 4 Episode 16 - Family Reunion
    6.0/10(1 votes)

    #22 - Family Reunion

    S4:E16

    Janice, a young mother, swears to a social worker, Trudy, that her husband Robert kidnapped their son Bobby six months ago and she hasn't seen either of them since. Trudy agrees to find the father and son, but discovers that everything isn't what she was led to believe.

    Director:Tom Savini
    Writer:Edithe Swensen

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  23. Tales from the Darkside Season 1 Episode 1 - The New Man
    5.9/10(7 votes)

    #23 - The New Man

    S1:E1

    A recovering alcoholic is disturbed to find a young boy who shows up at his office claiming to be his son Jerry. The man is further angered when the boy shows up at his house. While the other family members carry on as if Jerry is a regular member of the family, the man insists that he has never seen the boy before in his life. The man's wife assumes that he has begun drinking again and is harboring delusions brought on by his inebriated state. The family, disgusted by the father's unwillingness to acknowledge Jerry as his son, ultimately leaves him. Driven back to drinking by the ordeal, the previously sober father ends up in a state of emotional ruin. In the final scene, Jerry visits another man, claiming to be HIS son, as the nightmarish pattern continues.

    Director:Frank De Palma
    Writer:Unknown

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  24. Tales from the Darkside Season 1 Episode 12 - In the Cards
    5.7/10(3 votes)

    #24 - In the Cards

    S1:E12

    A fake fortuneteller, Caterina, soon finds that every fortune she tells comes true...but she can only predict gruesome and horrific ends for her customers. She soon discovers that another cursed fortuneteller slipped her a cursed pack of cards, and Caterina can only get rid of them by giving them to another fake. She does so by slipping into another fortuneteller's parlor, asking for a fortune, and slipping her the cursed deck. Unfortunately the first fortune the new cursee reads is of Caterina's death...which rapidly comes true.

    Director:Theodore Gershuny
    Writer:Unknown

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  25. Tales from the Darkside Season 1 Episode 8 - The Word Processor of the Gods
    5.5/10(6 votes)

    #25 - The Word Processor of the Gods

    S1:E8

    Richard Hagstrom is dismayed with the way life has treated him (a rude son, a shrewish wife). His nephew Jonathan gives him a birthday present: a homemade word processor. Hagstrom soon discovers that anything he types into the processor becomes real, and no one but him knows the difference. He begins with simple experiments, but then wipes out his son from existence. Even his wife is unaware of the changes. As the machine overheats into self-destruction, Hagstrom types in one last story: he makes sure that he and Jonathan's mother married and that Jonathan was his son. As the word processor destroys itself, Hagstrom's final wish becomes reality.

    Director:Michael Gornick
    Writer:Michael McDowell

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Best Episodes Summary

"Do Not Open This Box" is the best rated episode of "Tales from the Darkside". It scored 8/10 based on 1 votes. Directed by Jodie Foster and written by Franco Amurri, Bob Balaban, it aired on 5/15/1988. This episode scored 0.5 points higher than the second highest rated, "Levitation".