[AYAOTD? Recap with Erin Callahan] S05E11 "The Tale of The Vacant Lot"

RECAP

Kiki asks all the members of the Midnight Society to bring their most prized possessions to the meeting, then tells a story about what people are willing to trade when their lives--and the lives of those they love--depend on it.

Fed up with being average, Catherine is thrilled to find a stall full of pretty things in a vacant lot. Marie, the enigmatic owner of the stall who wears a black veil, tells Catherine she can take anything she wants in exchange for her ring. Catherine refuses and explains it was a gift from her grandfather. Marie says she’ll take something of no value and Catherine leaves the stall with a pair of sneakers that make her a track star. Catherine doesn’t seem to notice that she’s suddenly become mean and cold toward her best friend and sister, but she does notice a strange spot on her face when she glances in the mirror. When the spot disappears, Catherine shrugs it off and goes back to the stall. This time, she takes a new outfit that draws the attention of Eric, a cute boy at school. Catherine continues to see spots on her face when she looks in the mirror and knows she shouldn’t go back to the stall, but Marie shows up at school to tempt her with concert tickets, which she accepts. Eric agrees to go to the sold-out concert with Catherine, and she heads back to the stall to get more clothing. Her sister follows her, and also accepts clothing from Marie. Both girls break out in hideous lesions and Catherine runs off to confront Marie. Marie explains that she was like Catherine once, desperate to be special. The previous owner of the stall tricked her just like she tricked Catherine, and now Catherine is going to take her place. Catherine offers to give Marie her ring if she’ll spare her sister. Marie agrees, and Catherine’s act of selflessness reverses the curse. The stall disappears, the lesions fade, and Catherine passes her ring onto her sister.

After everyone heads home, Stig reveals to Tucker that he didn’t share his prized possession because it’s a goldfish and he knew everyone would make fun of him. Tucker, ever the twerp, does exactly that.

REVIEW

T: Kiki makes them play show and tell and their items are fantastic. “Hey everyone, schlub your most valuable possessions through the woods and hold them by this fire!” Gary’s got an autographed picture of Houdini, Sam has her great-grandmother’s bracelet, Tucker shows off a Hank Aaron rookie card, Betty Ann has a vintage Edgar Allan Poe poetry collection… and Stig has nothing. Does this reinforce that Stig is poor?

E: At this point I actually assumed that Stig had just forgotten, like the equivalent of a kid forgetting to do his homework, which seems in line with Stig’s slacker energy.

T: I looked it up, Betty Ann’s book while super cool is probably worth $200. There are some really nice Houdini placards he signed going for $8,000, so Gary’s playbill would be maybe half that? But Tucker’s baseball card is one of the rarest. I’m not even into baseball cards (obviously) but somehow I already knew that. You’re talking $27,000.

E: Holy flip! Tucker should sell that thing so he can pay for like...half a year of college.

T: Did you notice Stig isn’t sitting next to Tucker? Is that a first?

E: Ooooh, I didn’t notice. Who is he next to?

T: Betty Ann. I guess she’s nicer to him than Sam or Kiki.

E: There goes out theory that Kiki and Stig became besties after their impromptu sleepover.

T: It’s a Kiki story, so we’re getting female athletes. But why are they all white, Erin?

E: Ughhhhhhhhhh. *whines into the void* I wish I knew? Is this the show’s open casting policy working against diverse representation? If yes, I suppose it’s a great example of why diverse casting needs to be intentional and thoughtful. If you just see who shows up to a casting call and go from there, maybe you’ll end up with a diverse cast. But most of the time, you probably won’t.

T: But it wasn’t just open casting, they purposely cast young actors of color throughout the series. It feels to me like a really strange oversight. There’s more to say, perhaps I’ll save it for the season wrap up in a couple weeks.

E: Looking forward to that!

T: Catherine’s rocking a Blossom hat!

E: Okay, my knee jerk reaction is, “No, Troy, that’s not a Blossom hat,” but it turns out you are totally correct that Blossom frequently wore wool beanies sort of like the one Catherine’s wearing in this ep. That said, Blossom’s beanies were typically more colorful and usually had flowers on them, and I think she’s more well known for the bucket hat with the brim flipped up on one side. Either way, I love Catherine’s hat and her whole look before she goes to the stall. Why can’t you just love yourself, girl?

T: Um, a sweaty, shirtless sex object on AYAOTD? That came so out of the blue. It’s very innocent, but doesn’t read as part of this series’ language. What did you think?

E: LOLOLOL. Agreed. This was just as out of place as that random couple making out in “Long Ago Locket.”

T: Got to love that clunky expository dialogue. “Since I stopped being your baby sister.” It is delivered well. Have we had sister protagonists before?

E: Good question, and not that I can recall? The two cousins from “Hungry Hounds” seem as close as sisters but this might be our first actual sister-sister duo.

T: Did Catherine running track remind you of Kevin obsessing over Bostick and the 600?

E: Totally did! I’m sure track is still a thing but I feel like it was such a weird staple of ’90s TV. I honestly can’t think of anything recent with a track scene, but maybe that’s because I don’t watch much broadcast TV these days. This ep also reminds a lot of “Dark Dragon.” It’s almost a female-centered version of that tale, minus Sardo.

T: That’s funny you say that because Sardo would actually fit this episode far better than he did “Dark Dragon.” They do both have that unsightly body horror going on.

E: They totally do! And in both cases the body horror is a result of the protags being unhappy with who they are.

T: They do a great job making Marie’s tent feel very ethereal. Marie herself sure is a creepster. It’s a great balance of sweetness and menace. I appreciate that while magic is involved, she’s not a witch, so we get a little more diversity in our female baddies.

E: The stall reminds me of sooooooo many stores I frequented as a ’90s teen. All the billowy tulle and the witchy, hippie clothes and jewelry. I could almost smell the incense. And I just mentioned “Dark Dragon” but Marie’s role is more in line with the down-on-his-luck photographer in “Curious Camera.” She needs to pass on the stall to be free, just as he needed to get rid of the camera.

T: Good point. She’s more villainous in that she’s gleeful about passing it on while Mr. Calhoun was very sympathetic. But since the series needs more female villains I’m glad they went that route with Marie.

E: Agreed, though that’s an interesting distinction.

T: At first, I was worried Marie was going to lean into evil genie or Muslim stereotypes so I was at least relieved she wasn’t played by a woman of color. But as the episode goes on, it’s clearer that she’s not wearing a Hijab, but just black robes and a shawl. Did that cross your mind?

E: It totally did, though I’m not sure that imagery would’ve evoked a Muslim woman for viewers in the ’90s? 9/11 hadn’t happened yet and, thus, all the very unfortunate stereotypes that developed in the wake of that hadn’t been fully realized? Right? That said, I probably saw this episode as an unwoke white teen and initially thought Marie was vaguely Middle Eastern. Sadly, that may have been intentional, since the Middle East at that time was seen as very “exotic” by most Americans. I can see the showrunners looking at potential costumes and picking that one for that exact reason.

T: Jean Marie Barnwell is really good as Catherine. She only has a few other IMDb credits around that time, so I assume she found another path in life, but damn is she solid here. The music and camera work help but her turns from sweet to nasty mid-sentence are flawless.

E: She really does flip on a dime in a way that’s very unsettling. 

T: Ever since “Cutter’s Treasure” I was excited to see Emily Hampshire (Stevie Budd!) pop up again. And this is her other appearance? Two lines? I mean, it’s nice to see her, but I was hoping for more. She’s actually credited here as Heather, and not Girl 1, so I wonder if there was originally going to be a second scene with her character.

E: I literally shouted, “Was that Stevie Budd?” and then had to confirm via the interwebs.

T: I love that turn of having Joyce pop up in her red and black outfit. I didn’t see that coming, and it’s such a great upping of the stakes.

E: I knew from the get-go that Joyce was somehow going to be pulled into the shenanigans, given how much screen time she was getting, but her transformation is so rad! I dig her whole badass, gum-smacking Barbie look way more than the hippie-witch look that Catherine goes for.

T: It just dawned on me that Marie symbolizes drugs! Catherine’s doing drugs to be cool (complete with negative physical and emotional side effects), but she doesn’t realize how bad they are until her little sister spies on her and tries them?!

E: *blinks at Troy* Oh my god. I’m not sure how I didn’t pick up on that? I saw this as sort of a classic devil’s bargain tale, but I think you’re right. Yikes. And lord knows the ’90s were full of “drugs are bad” messages.

T: I’m so glad it wasn’t some super obvious thing I nearly missed. And, also, “drugs” ARE bad. Like, my views are very nuanced regarding personal liberties, but kids shouldn’t do them.

E: I’ll second that. Wait until your brains are fully developed before you alter them, kiddos!

T: The make-up effects on this are truly grody. It’s hard for me to look at.

E: They are! The lesions on the girls’ faces look downright painful. So full of puss and...ick.

T: Those shots of Marie falling back into the tent and then it turning into birds flying past Catherine are fantastic.

E: Yes! Very solid imagery. If Catherine hadn’t reversed the curse, what do you think Marie would’ve done? Do you think she’s learned her lesson?

T: Marie absolutely didn’t learn her lesson, that’s why she takes the ring - her greed is compulsory - which is her undoing. She has an out but she’s learned nothing. I imagine if she ever does get out, she’d be some sort of con artist. That’d be a fun sequel.

E: Wouldn’t it!?

T: Aw, the cute nice guy turned out to be cute and nice after all.

E: Good for him but I would’ve been super pissed about those concert tickets.

T: Gary calls out and has Sam wait up for him! Is he working up the nerve to ask her out? Is there finally going to be some movement here?!

E: Why does this keep stalling out? Is this what romance in high school was like? I didn’t date in high school so I have no idea. Most of my dating experience has been post-divorce and, thankfully, most grownups are capable of being straightforward about what they want. This whole “are they a thing or aren’t they?” BS seems exhausting.

T: It might be more confusing for them because they’re friends who don’t really socialize much outside of the Midnight Society? Like, Gary clearly likes her and she appreciates spending time with him in this specific setting, so he doesn’t know how to navigate turning that into a real relationship?

E: *collapses from exhaustion*

T: So Stig finally shows a little insecurity to his best friend, and of course Tucker mocks him for having emotions. That fits.

E: Oh Tucker. What a little shit.

QUEER OR NOT?

T: Not much queer action, but I’m interested in your feminist take, Erin?

E: The no queer action is a shame -- with her cool hat I was ready to read Catherine as queer-coded until Eric showed up in all his shirtless glory. Oh well. Also, I think you’re correct that this is mostly a giant metaphor for drugs, but everything that Catherine wants is so deeply rooted in toxic femininity. Her best friend is “prettier” and a better athlete, so she wants to cut her down, which she does with cruel words because girls aren’t supposed to be physically violent. She wants nice clothes and concert tickets so the cute guy will notice her and validate her existence. It’s pretty classic but presented here in a way that’s disturbingly relatable, and you could argue that each time you cave into the pressures of toxic femininity, you lose a part of yourself, in the same way that drugs take a toll on your well-being.

TRIVIA, USELESS TRIVIA

T: Catherine Crawley might be named after Alistair Crowley, the famed occultist. It’s a letter off, but the name pops up a lot in fiction concerning dark magic.

E: Oh that’s an interesting connection. He was a pretty weird dude.

T: Eric is played by Andrew W. Walker. This was one of his first roles, and he’ll pop up next season, and he is still working today. He went on to do Student Bodies with Ross Hull, he was Sabrina’s new love interest in Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and a lot of guest roles on TV. Lately, he’s been doing a lot of Christmas movies.

E: Ah -- that sounds about right.

MODERNIZE ’90s CANADIAN KIDS

T: First of all, Joyce’s Soviet studies would have to be updated. The bones of the story are great. Who doesn’t want something they can’t have? Or want a better version of it? The structure is a little like Stephen King’s Needful Things, but that was hardly the first story about an evil peddler.

E: The core of the story is classic and I love that it’s girl-centric. But since the fashion is such a key piece, that definitely needs to be updated. Also -- I can’t believe I’m asking this -- do teenagers shop in actual stores anymore? Or do they buy everything online? I feel like Instagram shopping has completely overtaken mall shopping.

T: I would have agreed with you, except in the time before COVID when I was up in New Hampshire, you took me to the mall and it was absolutely crawling with teens.

E: OMG it was, wasn’t it?! LOL.

JUST GIVE IT A NUMERICAL RATING ALREADY

T: I did not remember this episode at all, so I was pleasantly surprised throughout. The acting’s great, the story doesn’t try to do too much, there’s a growing sense of tension. This is a solid 9 CAMPFIRES OUT OF 10.

E: I love all the pretty-creepy imagery and the “everything comes with a price” themes. I’ll second your 9 CAMPFIRES OUT OF 10.