Tales from the Darkside: “The Shrine” (S2E17)
“The Shrine” stands apart in Tales from the Darkside for its emotional depth and melancholy tone. While most episodes in the series flirt with supernatural horror, moral irony, or monster-of-the-week antics, this one quietly leans into something more personal: the ghosts we carry from childhood, and the haunting ache of growing up too soon.
It’s an episode that may not scare you, but it just might linger.
Plot Summary
The story centres on Carrie, a young woman returning to her childhood home after the death of her mother. She left years ago, carrying the scars of a rocky relationship with her mother, and now she’s back to help pack things up and move her ailing father into a retirement facility.
In the attic, Carrie discovers a small shrine her mother had created—a carefully preserved nook filled with items from Carrie’s childhood: dolls, photos, toys, and even an old tape recorder. What initially feels sentimental takes a strange turn when Carrie plays the tape and hears her own voice, as a child, talking to someone… or something. Soon after, Carrie begins to feel a powerful pull back into her childhood self, and she starts seeing visions of her younger self and reliving painful memories.
The attic seems to serve as a portal, not just to the past, but to a version of Carrie she thought she left behind. And it begs the question: was there something supernatural about her relationship with her mother? Or is it all just guilt and memory manifesting in a deeply unsettling way?
What Works
Emotional Weight and Character Depth
Carrie is one of the most well-developed protagonists in the series. Her grief, resentment, and unresolved trauma are portrayed with subtlety and emotional honesty. This gives the story more resonance than the average Darkside instalment.
Atmosphere and Direction
The attic is the heart of the episode—dim, dusty, and filled with the ghosts of childhood. The lighting and set design are top-notch, making the space feel almost sacred, like a tomb or altar. There’s a quiet eeriness to the way the past is preserved.
Haunting Ambiguity
Is the shrine really magical? Is Carrie haunted by her younger self, or is this all in her head? The episode never firmly commits, and that ambiguity works in its favour. It leaves room for interpretation, leaning more toward psychological horror than the supernatural.
Subtle Horror
Instead of jump scares or grotesque visuals, the horror here is emotional. The idea that you can never truly escape who you once were, especially if someone else tried to freeze that version of you in place, is deeply unsettling.
What Doesn’t Work
Slow Pace May Not Work for Everyone
This episode takes its time. If you’re watching Tales from the Darkside expecting monsters or shocking twists, you might find “The Shrine” a bit too meditative. It’s more of a character study than a thrill ride.
Minimal Payoff
While the buildup is great, the ending might feel underwhelming to some. There’s no big reveal, no overt supernatural twist—just a quiet, emotional climax that leaves questions hanging. For viewers wanting a neat resolution, this could be frustrating.
Supporting Characters Are Thin
Carrie’s father plays a supporting role, but he’s underwritten. It would have been interesting to explore more of the family dynamic, especially if her mother’s motivations for preserving the shrine could have been more fleshed out through him.
Themes: Memory, Identity, and the Pain of Growing Up
“The Shrine” deals with the emotional complexity of childhood and how parents often try to hold on to their children in unhealthy ways. It also touches on identity—how we evolve, and how parts of us are frozen in time, especially in the minds of others.
The shrine itself becomes a metaphor for emotional stasis: a sacred space built not to honour who Carrie is, but who her mother wished she would always be. It’s haunting in the way that real grief and unresolved guilt often are.
Final Thoughts: Not Scary, But Strangely Affecting
“The Shrine” is one of the more emotionally mature entries in Tales from the Darkside. It eschews the usual monsters and demons for something far more personal and introspective. It won’t leave you afraid to turn out the lights, but it may leave you thinking about your own childhood, your parents, and what we leave behind when we try to grow up.
Who Would Enjoy This Episode?
- Fans of slow-burn psychological horror
- Viewers looking for emotional storytelling over gore
- Anyone who enjoys ambiguous, character-driven narratives
Who Might Not Enjoy It?
- Fans expecting overt scares or supernatural action
- Viewers who want clear resolutions or dramatic climaxes
- Anyone uninterested in introspective, memory-driven horror
Final Verdict: A Quiet Haunting
While not the scariest entry in the series, “The Shrine” succeeds as a haunting meditation on memory and the emotional residue of childhood. It’s a subtle ghost story—if not of spirits, then of who we used to be.
