Tales from the Crypt/Three's a Crowd

Three's a Crowd
Season 2, Episode 5
Airdate	May 1, 1990
Screenplay by	Kim Ketelsen & Annie Willette and David Burton Morris
Directed by	David Burton Morris
← 2x04 'Til Death	2x06 → The Thing from the Grave
Tales from the Crypt — Season Two

Three's a Crowd is the fifth episode of the second season of Tales from the Crypt, and the eleventh episode overall. Richard and his wife Della are on vacation at the cabin of their friend, Alan. Richard, jealous of Alan's success and his willingness to share it, believes that Della and Alan might be having an affair.

Starring: Gavan O'Herlihy (Richard), Ruth de Sosa (Della), Paul Lieber (Alan)

Cast: John Kassir (voice of the Crypt Keeper), Dante d'Andre (Alvarez)

Plot Overview

Richard and Della are visiting a friend, Alan, for their anniversary. Della comes home late one night and Richard suspects she is cheating on him. The next day Alan takes them boating and Richard again notices how friends Della and Alan are towards each other. In the car on the way back Alan says he regrets not trying to steal Della away from him, but Richard takes it seriously.

That night Richard sits alone drinking while Alan and Della are talking in the kitchen. Richard goes out to get some air and Alvarez gives him advice on love, which just furthers Richard's outrage that something might be going on between his wife and former best man. He wakes up later that night and overhears Alan and Della talking. He mistakenly thinks they are plotting to get rid of him. Richard wakes up the next morning and finds that his wife is gone and thinks she's at Alan's cabin. Alan and Della come back and say that they have been for a walk. Richard starts accusing Alan of everything; of flaunting his wealth by buying Della a new coat and showing her how nice his life is. He yells at Della and she runs away in tears.

Later Alan comes over to get Richard and tells him that they have a surprise. But Richard has been waiting and has a surprise as well. Drunk, he pulls out a crossbow and comes towards Alan. He backs him against a wall and shoots him in the chest. After they've been gone so long, Della comes to the cabin looking for them. Richard shuts the door behind her wearing the coat Alan bought for her; blood is smeared on the coat. Della sees Alan's body hanging from the wall and runs. She locks herself in a room, but has to jump out of the window when Richard breaks through. Richard comes outside and chokes her with the lingerie he found earlier. Richard drags her body back to Alan's cabin with the intent to rape the corpse, but finds a surprise party waiting. Alan and Della had been planning a surprise party for Richard because Della was pregnant.

Notes

• Crypt Keeper poses as a radio DJ in the introduction.

Reviews

• Overall Grade: A, 1 review
• Review Breakdown: A+: 0 A: 1 A-: 0 B+: 0 B: 0 B-: 0 C+: 0 C: 0 C-: 0 D: 0 F: 0
• A: This is probably one of the better Tales from the Crypt ever created. It has all of the aspects that made the series work. The score alone made for a creepy environment, and Gavan O'Herlihy did an excellent job of setting up his character as being increasingly insane over the course of the episode. And like all good Tales episodes, this one had an excellent ironic ending that was neither obvious nor overly important. --MateoP 18:25, 6 August 2006 (EDT)