Monsters (TV Series) The Waiting Game (1990) User Reviews

Ingenious episode

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 20 December 2019]

Several military officers responsible for launching the missiles that brought about the end of the world as we know it discover that something else that's quite deadly and dangerous is now free to roam the freezing cold nuclear wasteland.

Director Bruno Spandello not only keeps the clever and gripping story moving along at a constant pace, but also ably crafts plenty of claustrophobic tension along with a spooky gloom-doom atmosphere. The sound acting by the capable cast keeps things humming: Doug McKeon as the easygoing Lt. Eric Taylor, Stephen Burleigh as the hard-nosed Captain Stanley Levitt, Carrington Garland as the spunky Lt. Maureen Knox, and Leo Garcia as the rattled Captain Andrew Garza. John Fox's smart script delivers one dilly of a dark ending as well as an inspired explanation for why vampires would benefit from a nuclear war (two words: nuclear winter). Karen Grossman's sharp cinematography makes neat occasional use of split screen. A superior show.

No Sancturary from Doom

[hellraiser7 · 10/10 · 19 April 2024]

This is another of my favorite tales from the show. Really like the story as it almost feels like it could be spin of tale to "I am Legend". But also, you can say a little of the Greek myth of "The Sirens", what I really like about the episode is how it takes both the concepts but does something different with them which is putting them in the post-apocalyptic world and having all of it take place in a shelter. Which also makes this a bottle episode and one of the best of its kind in my book; I honestly do like bottle episodes/stories as the key is to keep it interesting and momentum building.

We see the four characters back and forth as sort of a dynamic in order and individuality; from this you know tension is bound to happen. One character that is probably the most relatable and sympatric is Lt. Eric Tyler who acts more like a regular civilian and has a fun persona with his surfer like tone and charisma which is what makes him even more sympathetic as we see it all eventually gets to him once fate takes a cruel turn.

There is also another dynamic which is with another officer who is female, but this officer unfortunately is from a distance as their only means of communication is on a weak radio channel. This in a way is that desire factor which we see just grows the more dire things get, but also the last voice of love and compassion which unfortunately in the world they're in is going extinct and the absence of it is part of what lead to where they're at now.

In a way the episode also shows just the absolute awfulness in existence in a post-apocalyptic world and being the last. As it's a world that doesn't have nor offer any opportunities of any kind, let alone the fact that unfortunately there were so few personae in the shelter, especially ones of the opposite sex. This just makes me even more grateful this never happened and should remain that way, as we see living in their world really sucks.

The vampires don't disappoint as we see they are just creepy and scary as frak, from their pale skin and just inhuman faces. One of them looked a little like Rondou from the "Subspecies" series which just adds more to the creep factor. But what makes them all the scarier is in their powers in seduction and deception as their constantly trying to get the last humans out of the shelters thought them. However, from the world they're in, it almost makes you wonder who really has it better and if there really are any choices anymore.

In the end of the world, there is no sanctuary from doom.

Rating: 4 stars.