Are you Afraid of the Dark?: “The Tale of the Dollmaker” (S3E05)
Are you Afraid of the Dark?: “The Tale of the Dollmaker” (S3E05)
Plot Summary
This episode taps into one of the most enduring childhood fears, dolls that might just be alive. Melissa, a young girl, visits her friend Susan for the summer, only to find that Susan’s family has mysteriously moved away. The new owners of the house insist no one named Susan ever lived there, but Melissa can’t shake the feeling something is wrong. Drawn to the attic of the old house, she discovers a strange dollhouse that’s an exact replica of the home, and inside it, a tiny doll that looks eerily like Susan.
When Melissa investigates further, she’s pulled into the dollhouse itself, finding herself trapped in a miniature world where Susan still exists, transformed into a living doll. To escape, Melissa must outwit the mysterious force that controls the house and help her friend return to the real world before they both become permanent residents of the dollhouse.
Highlights:
- A brilliantly creepy concept with a genuinely unnerving atmosphere.
- The dollhouse set design and visual effects are some of the best in the series.
- The friendship between Melissa and Susan adds emotional depth to the horror.
What Doesn’t Work:
- Some of the exposition is heavy-handed early on.
- The final resolution feels slightly rushed.
- The doll transformation effect, while chilling, shows its age.
Final Thoughts
“The Tale of the Dollmaker” is one of Are You Afraid of the Dark?’s most iconic and haunting episodes. It perfectly balances emotional storytelling with spine-tingling imagery, offering a tale that’s as sad as it is scary. The idea of becoming a doll, frozen, silent, and trapped, is pure nightmare fuel, making this a standout in the series.
