Tales from the Darkside: “Lifebomb” (S2E02)

“Lifebomb” is a sharp, satirical slice of speculative horror that leans heavily into 80s corporate cynicism and questions about mortality. While not a traditional spook-fest, this episode succeeds in being both thought-provoking and unsettling. It takes a high-concept premise and stretches it into a fable about control, fear, and what it truly means to live forever.

Plot Summary

The story follows McCallister, a cold, cutthroat businessman who suffers a heart attack during a high-pressure boardroom meeting. He awakens to discover that a company—one of those ominous, ever-present conglomerates of the future—has implanted a device called a “lifebomb” into his chest. The lifebomb is a personal, automated life support system: if McCallister’s body ever begins to fail again, the device will immediately revive him.

Sounds great, right? Well, not so fast.

McCallister didn’t agree to this. The company saw him as a valuable asset and decided to make the choice for him. Now, he’s contractually bound to the lifebomb and, by extension, to the company. It won’t let him die, and it won’t let him leave.

At first, McCallister sees it as a blessing. But over time, he realises he’s become a prisoner of his own continued existence. When he tries to escape, the lifebomb activates its failsafe: it brings him back again and again, regardless of what he wants. Death, it turns out, is not an option.

What Works

Tightly-Written Concept

The premise of “forced immortality” is compelling. It flips the usual sci-fi trope of people seeking eternal life by asking: What if you didn’t want it? What if someone else decided your life was too valuable to end?

Bleak Corporate Satire

This episode drips with 80s-style anti-corporate sentiment. The idea that a business would literally own your right to die is a chilling exaggeration of real-world employment contracts, and it lands with a biting sense of irony.

Minimalist Setting, Maximum Impact

The bulk of the episode takes place in sterile, windowless rooms and featureless corridors, reinforcing the feeling of McCallister’s entrapment. The stark simplicity adds to the claustrophobic atmosphere.

A Morally Ambiguous Protagonist

McCallister is no hero. He’s arrogant, dismissive, and part of the very system that ensnares him. Watching him squirm under the very power he once wielded adds a dark layer of poetic justice to the story.

What Doesn’t Work

Lack of Visual Flair

Like many Tales from the Darkside episodes, budget constraints are obvious. The “lifebomb” is never visually shown—it’s just referenced as a device in his chest. The technology remains abstract, which limits the sci-fi impact.

Underdeveloped Secondary Characters

The corporate representatives and doctors are cardboard cutouts: polite, sterile, and soulless. They’re effectively creepy, but not memorable.

Some Pacing Drag

The episode’s middle section slows down significantly. After the initial reveal, it spins its wheels a bit before reaching the conclusion. A little tightening would have elevated the tension.

Themes: Control, Mortality, and the Dehumanising Nature of Capitalism

At its core, “Lifebomb” is a story about autonomy. It questions who gets to control your body, your life, and your death. The lifebomb doesn’t just sustain McCallister’s heart—it overrides his will.

There’s also a powerful critique of how people become property under corporate structures. McCallister is a successful businessman, but as soon as he becomes more valuable alive than dead, he stops being a person and becomes an asset. The horror isn’t just that he can’t die—it’s that he can’t choose.

Final Thoughts: Quiet Horror with a Philosophical Punch

“Lifebomb” may not be a standout in terms of visuals or scares, but it’s one of the more conceptually rich episodes in the Tales from the Darkside library. It trades in existential dread rather than supernatural fright, and it does so with an efficient, clinical style that mirrors its setting.

It’s the kind of episode that lingers, not because it shocked you, but because it made you think. It asks unsettling questions in a calm voice, which somehow makes it all the more haunting.

Who Would Enjoy This Episode?

• Fans of Black Mirror-style moral sci-fi
• Viewers who like philosophical horror over gore or monsters
• Anyone who enjoys dystopian corporate satire

Who Might Not Enjoy It?

• Those looking for traditional scares or creature features
• Impatient viewers who dislike slow burns
• Sci-fi fans who want flashy tech and visual effects

Final Verdict: A Smart, Subtle Thriller About the Terror of Being Owned

“Lifebomb” is a great example of Tales from the Darkside at its most cerebral. It doesn’t dazzle, but it creeps into your thoughts and lingers there like a cold shadow. Death may be inevitable, but this episode reminds us: there might be something worse than dying—never being allowed to.