MovieChat Forums > Tales from the Darkside (1983) Discussion > Create a Better Ending for 'Trick Or Tre...

Create a Better Ending for 'Trick Or Treat'

posted 8 years ago by soggybottom (127)
7 replies | jump to latest

One of my favorite episodes of the series is the pilot "Trick Or Treat". It's a great Halloween episode with an interesting plot and some good old-fashioned scary haunted-house fun.

However, after reading reviews on the internet, the consensus seems to be that the ending is rushed and doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Everybody is glad to see Mr. Hackles get the crap scared out of him for a change, but there doesn't seem to be any reason for it to happen...

He's right in the middle of his "Let's see which kid can find the IOUs and get their family out of debt" Trick-or-Treat tradition, and all of a sudden, a nasty old witch comes to the door, and (just like that) Hackles is off to hell, and Billy gets the loot.

Wait...What?

Sure, Hackles was a crabby ol' miser, but did he really deserve that just for doing a scary haunted-house game for the kids?

And Billy doesn't really do anything to earn the loot either. He just wasn't scared of the witch, and apparently that's all that it takes to go home a winner?

Here's my proposal for an alternate ending...

Billy arrives at the house. Hackles tries everything that he can think of to scare him away, but nothing works. Eventually Billy finds the IOUs and heads to the door. But Hackles can't handle getting beat by the new kid, so he trips the kid and tries to snatch away the IOUs. Billy breaks free and runs for the door. Hackles throws something hard at him, hitting him in the head and knocking him out.

And THEN the witch and the demons come to take Hackles away.

Billy eventually regains consciousness, wonders where all of this loot came from (which is now surrounding him), gathers it all up, and goes home as the big winner.

And take away the tombstone that reads "Here lies Gideon Hackles--A businessman who took it with him when he went" because he doesn't end up with any of it--Billy does (And he hasn't even been found yet, let alone buried!) That tombstone never made one damn bit of sense to me...

But I do admit that it sounds cool!

[–] andersonb85 (2062) 5 years ago

I like your ending better. Good idea. On the tombstone: "Here lies Gideon Hackles, a businessman who couldn't take his treasure with him - but got his reward"

[–] Jeepster (1145) 4 months ago

The tombstone said “He took it with him and with it he went.” Meaning hell of course. You can’t take it with you or so the saying goes but they’re saying “Yeah he took it with him”. And then go on to say but “yeah with it he went” Meaning yes he’s got his “reward” his money but like the money, he went straight to hell with it. Get it? It makes PERFECT sense to me.

[–] soggybotton (34) 4 months ago

You've totally lost me. He didn't take ANY of the money to hell. You even said so yourself. So what "reward" are you talking about? He went straight to hell with WHAT?

[–] Jeepster (1145) 4 months ago

Don’t be dense. I explained it to you so a 5 year old could get it. He coveted his money so much that in the end they were like “Alright, take your stupid money with you, Yeah you CAN take it with you but with it, you’re going to go meaning hell.” Because he wanted it so much. So again he got what he wanted he died and figuratively “took” it with him, where him and his money went straight to hell so “with it” he went.

[–] soggybotton (34) 4 months ago

But he didn't take any of it with him. Did not not see the end? The kid got it all.

[–] legnadibrom (6215) 4 months ago

i think the prop department took it & used it in another episode

[–] soggybotton (34) 4 months ago

Good point. At least someone has some brains on here.

I was trying to figure out why Jeepster was so off his rocker, and then I realized that he must've missed the part where the kid got all of the money as he was leaving the house.

That's the only explanation I can think of because the miser definitely did NOT take it with him.