We're back to 2002's version of The Twilight Zone for the reason of why not? Which is half this blog.
This time I've chosen episode 37 (or if you get the hour long versions where it's two segments episode 19b) and this one fits well with one of original series favorite things dolls and or things that have to do with dolls. Dolls! This episode is called "The Collection" .
Jessica Simpson (that's how you know this episode aired in 2003) plays Miranda who has come to a home to baby sit a girl named Danielle (that's how you know this episode aired in 2003) who is wearing a lot of pink. The parents are going somewhere and they have a whole book for Miranda about Danielle which has sections for things like her allergies, acceptable foods, approved TV programs (ironically not this one) , and phobias which have a section and well that's something. she has more than one.
Did I forget anything else in the book, like where you like to go at 4pm ?
Danielle takes Miranda to her room which is also very pink, and the girl seems to like horses and dolls. [Show is really is stretching the belief here]. Miranda looks at the dolls in a case and Danielle says they aren't for playing with. Doesn't say why because reasons, I'm sure that won't come up later.
When one of the dolls falls, Miranda wants to fix it up right, but Danielle insists that she does it, then she opens the door the doll bit her? In my list of phobias being bitten by a doll is there. Miranda doesn't believe that the doll bit her. Then Danielle says that she thinks Shelly is mad at her, that's the doll that bit her. (That or Shelly is hungry for human flesh, feed her!) The reason is the she thinks Shelly is mad because she wants to play with Miranda instead. (Alright, I'm going to head out now)
Miranda is not just any baby sitter [she's Jessica Simpson] she's also studying child development and make child care her career. (or care-eer) She thinks that Shelly is "Shelly" a made up name the girl is using to express her own feelings. Danielle says she had a friend but she moved away, and she spends time with Shelly and the other girls. Girls= dolls.
Danielle mentions another doll named Katie who is a afraid of the dark [Which one is Goosbumps?] also Buffy mentioned! (That's how you know this was aired in 2003) Whilst Danielle is plot away, Miranda looks in her book from child development schooling to find a chapter about lonely children who make up imaginary friends and stuff. Shelly is gone. Now the two of them go on Shelly hunting.
Miranda doesn't believe that a doll can break glasses and really do other things living things do. Danielle says that she is like all the doll's mom or something. Danielle figures out that Miranda thinks that she's not talking about the dolls and thinks that she did something. They do find Shelly. (I'm glad that's over)
I think I would believe a kid when she repeatedly says a doll has to be put back, now the other dolls are gone. Miranda somehow thinks there was a long moment where she wasn't inches away from Danielle for her to move the dolls? Ok then. Does look her patience ran out too. (What was your job today, crew guy, oh I had to put random dolls all over the set, and pose them, oh)
We do get a creepy shot of dolls kind of hanging around like crows. Shelly knocked over a vas, and now Miranda did see a doll move. Oh we got a classic horror movie phone line has been cut, then even her cell phone battery is gone. She finds the fridge magnets now say Leave and a page torn from her college book, (rude don't they know those books are expensive!) The episode "Living Doll" Miranda but she's not dead. She wakes to the dolls dragging her, she gets up and it's more funny than scary here she yells at the dolls calls them "Stupid Bitches" and starts beating them with a stuffed unicorn. (Where's her Emmy?)
Playtime is over!
She finds Danielle who is being un helpful and freaks out over the fact Miranda has her stuffed unicorn. We find out that Shelly was a real human person and all the dolls were real human people. Was the unicorn a real unicorn? I have questions now. I wouldn't ask questions I'd leave, there's no reasoning, I'm out. (oddly this a new meaning to kidnapping) Miranda finds out the dolls were trying to help her. (and she called them stupid, mean) Why she realizes this she should have just ran.
Well Miranda is over. It cuts to Danielle's father yelling on the phone at an agency that provides child care and he's mad that the sitter ran out , and that's the third one. (not a very observantly questioning man is he?) The mom puts the dolls back and says her daughter is a wild child and that's why the sitters keeping running off. (Ok then) Danielle get sup and walks over to her dolls and she says they are grounded forever and wonders why they all hate her.( I can think of 1 reason) Also Miranda's been added, love her face there it's perfection.
Miranda's revenge is this horrifying face
When something says leave, run! I do find it an interesting detail that the parents seem to have all these details and regiments on their daughter but don't notice how she keeps losing baby sitters and adds extra dolls? I think the episode does a good job at feeling unsettling though, the awkwardness of Danielle shows through. You can also see her thinking, she automatically wants to call Miranda a friend and how she talks about the dolls like they are real people.
It's fun a twist, not an overall impressive episode, but there's still some fun to watch and it's not boring , at least.
That's it for now , tune in next time when we turn this guy into an action figure, or I mean in-action figure heh.