Tell Me A Story Review: Madness (Season 1 Episode 5)

While things are beginning to pick up on Tell Me A Story Season 1 Episode 5, “Madness,” the performances continue to outweigh the quality of the story itself. 

Of course, the performances aren’t all the show has going for it. The cinematography is stunningly beautiful on “Madness;” director Solvan Naim does an exceptional job integrating the use of natural light and offbeat angles, turning the camera into a character of its own accord. 

Talent in front of the lens, however, is what’s truly remarkable; with Campbell, Wesley, Wolk, and Magnussun all bringing their characters to life in miraculous ways. 

The story itself continues to develop at a sloth-like pace, serving clunky dialogue that relies far too much on campy fairytale references to actually resemble real-life conversation.

Hannah and Gabe’s storyline struggles most here, with there being little to no substance to their plot. “Madness” features them at their estranged mother’s house, waiting to escape a still mysterious predator, who hasn’t been around for two whole episodes now. 

A reconciling of long lost mother and children could be riveting television, but instead, the story lands completely flat; Hannah and Gabe spend more time taking luxury baths and eating hamburgers than actually reconnecting with their family.

It’s a rare blunder for someone like Kevin Williamson, who tends to write his shows with narratives that unfold at breakneck speeds.

Things at least move forward for the Three Pigs and Riding Hood, as both storylines move forward in ways that are beginning to resemble their own sinister versions of classic fairytales. 

Paul Wesley is just so incredible in this series, portraying spiraling junkie Eddie with an unnerving realism that gets better every episode. It’s a genuine shock he’s not featured more prominently on Tell Me A Story, considering Williamson is well aware of what Wesley is capable of.

Both Wesley and Michael Raymond James play conscious ridden, paranoid brothers opposite Works absolutely stellar scorned stalker with a fury that keeps viewers on their toes.

Wolk’s own increasingly unhinged portrayal of the grieving husband is just as exceptional, especially when his deceased wife is used as a symbol of his last dwindling shred of rationality. 

Wolk is clearly functioning as the wolf of this story now, hunting his prey one house — and one pig — at a time. The parallels are now so present, the series could probably do without dead pig heads and dialogue references to drive the point home.

Nevertheless, at least there’s a solid — and somewhat captivating — storyline taking place.

While Jordan is busy blowing Eddie and Mitch’s house’s down, Kayla’s Red Riding Hood is twisting into a full-blown horror film. 

Billy Magnussen shines for the first time this episode, flipping his one dimensional, stoic Nick into a maniacal serial killer with ease.  Williamson still clearly has a knack for scary movies, and the scene of Ethan’s death takes a gruesome turn that emulates his earlier filmography to a chilling tee. 

It’s unfortunate Tell Me A Story has taken five episodes to unravel into something watchable, but thankfully, at least two of the three storylines are beginning to turn into riveting television — even if it is mostly thanks to the actors, not the material they’re working from. 

While it’s still awkwardly blending genres into one series, it has the potential to turn itself around in the final five episodes. 

If nothing else, hopefully, these three plotlines will eventually overlap somehow, giving a deeper more meaningful point to why they had to be told simultaneously to begin with.

What did you think of this episode of Tell Me A Story? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Tell Me A Story airs Tuesdays at 9/7c on The CW. 

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