Tales from the Crypt/The Sacrifice

The Sacrifice
Season 2, Episode 7
Airdate	May 15, 1990
Screenplay by	Ross Thomas
Directed by	Richard Greenberg
← 2x06 The Thing from the Grave	2x08 → For Cryin' Out Loud
Tales from the Crypt — Season Two

The Sacrifice is the seventh episode of the second season of Tales from the Crypt, and the thirteenth episode overall. Jim falls in love with Gloria Fleming, the wife of one of his insurance clients. Together they plot to kill her husband, Sebastian, but another former lover of hers, Jerry, witnessed the whole thing and blackmails them.

Starring: Kim Delaney (Gloria Fleming), Kevin Kilner (James), Don Hood (Sebastian Fleming), Michael Ironside (Jerry)

Cast: John Kassir (voice of the Crypt Keeper), Willie C. Carpenter (Mallory), Deborah Packer (Voice of Parrot), Dana Craig (Doorman), Kenny Bates, Nick Brett (Stunts)

Plot Overview

Jim is a salesmen who says he can sale anything to anybody. He goes to see Sebastian Fleming to attempt to sale him insurance for his penthouse complex. He also meets Gloria Fleming, Sebastian's wife. He tells them about a houseboat he lives on. A few days later Gloria shows up at his houseboat wanting to know about her husband's new insurance plan; the two begin having an affair. Jim attempts to convince her to help kill Sebastian (he calls it an "accident"), but she is cautious.

When their deal is complete Sebastian is hanging out on the balcony of his penthouse when Jim comes from behind him and throws him over the balcony. The cops talk to Gloria and she pretends to be hysterical. Because Sebastian had not signed the insurance documents there is no motive to tie her to killing him; they believe it was an accident. Jerry, Jim's boss at the insurance agency, comes to check on Gloria. The two have a history with each other. Jerry tells James that Gloria left him for Sebastian; Jerry had become obsessed and stalked her. He had been stalking her that very night and witnessed Jim murdering Sebastian and had photographic proof. He tries to blackmail the two and demands to "share" Gloria with him.

Three months later Gloria has been suffering from Jerry's strange fetishes, such as making her hire people to watch them have sex. Jim thinks that they should do something but Gloria says there is no other way than to accept Jerry's demands. She arrives home a few nights later and can't find Jim. She goes to his houseboat where he is dying; he took pills and wrote a confession that would clear Gloria's name. Gloria burnt the letter and met back up with Jerry. They had planned out the entire thing. Sebastian was murdered by Jim who then killed himself out of grief for what Gloria was going through.

Notes

• Crypt Keeper introduces this episode wearing a chef's hat and talking about sacrificing a goat.

• The episode ends with Crypt Keeper putting himself in a noose and hanging himself. He is disappointed; thinking that suicide would have a bigger "punch".

Trivia

The Show

• This episode is based on the EC comic Shock SuspenStories #10.

Reviews

• Overall Grade: B, 1 review
• Review Breakdown: A+: 0 A: 0 A-: 0 B+: 0 B: 1 B-: 0 C+: 0 C: 0 C-: 0 D: 0 F: 0
• B: This is a pretty typical type of episode that is done on Tales. There were some problems that I had with the plot, though. We are supposed to believe in the end that Jerry and Gloria had planned out all of the preceding events, but it doesn't make much sense. The murder had been suggested by Jim; the suicide had occurred without even Gloria's knowledge. Heck, they didn't do much planning at all. Things just seemed to happen to fall their way. That was the major annoyance that I had while watching this episode. Otherwise it is the type of thing that makes Tales great. I was truely puzzled at where the episode was going to go the entire way through. --MateoP 13:13, 10 August 2006 (EDT)