Written by Dan – Thoughts on Creeped Out – Episode 5: ‘A Boy Called Red’ in which Vincent is spending time at his fathers old family house, where he finds an orb that takes him back to his father’s childhood, and he soon discovers that he was his fathers best friend.
‘A Boy Called Red’ is a wonderful story. It’s a really beautiful tale about family and I loved watching the episode greatly. The cast is great, the writing on point, and the direction masterful. But, it’s not an episode of Creeped Out.
Vincent’s Dad is taking him to see his old family house following what we are lead to assume an argument with his wife. Stressed, and upset Vincent’s Dad keeps himself to himself. Vincent”s Aunt tells Vincent that his Dad’s best friend ‘Red’ fell down the well in the garden and has since hated being at the old house. Vince’s Aunt encourages Vincent that his Dad will be all right, and that things will soon fixed between him and Vince’s mother; and that, in the meantime he should explore the house and have some fun. After exploring most of the house, Vince ends up in the basement, where he discovers a strange glowing orb. Upon touching it he’s sent back in time to 1985 where he meets his Dad and Aunt when they were his age. The episode follows, Vince becoming his Dad’s best friend and earning the nickname ‘Red’. Vince uses this opportunity to try and learn more about his Dad to connect with him during this difficult time for him, though must also be wary as to not find himself falling down the well and disappearing for good.
The episode stems off from Doctor Who in its play with time travel, but particularly within the very aesthetics of episode (it’s hardly a surprise that director Steve Huges, has previously directed for Doctor Who). The look of the episode is really pleasant, a real magical feel to the events which unfold. It is really admirable in its confrontation of family disputes, and the consequences of family disputes. As Vincent and his Dad are made to move out the house, further to this it’s surprising to have sequences of a father crying, and unable to connect with his son, amongst the emotional turmoil. It feels very real, further to this it presents ‘new masculinity’. This isn’t an angry Dad, who doesn’t talk with his son and hates his wife, he’s a good father who just doesn’t now what to do. Vincent takes it upon himself to help his Dad, and keeps visiting the past in order to get to know his younger self better as to learn what made him happy when his dad was young, and re-invigorate him with these memories in the present.
Vincent is successful in doing this, after learning that his Dad always wanted to beat the high score on Asteroids (Atari game). Vince finds the old console in the basement, and encourages his Dad to play with him, in what is a sincerely sweet moment of the episode. However, as much as I liked the episode, it’s difficult to write about in terms of it as a Creeped Out episode. It’s a great story, wonderfully told, but, every episode so far has had a distinct moral/message, this week there doesn’t appear to be one. The narration which bookends the episode rather poses the question as to who shapes our futures ‘us’ or ‘someone else’? Whilst present within the episode, this question isn’t what the episode is about. The episode is about a son connecting with his father.
Up until this point every episode has essentially been about punishing someone for doing something wrong. We have been successful creeped out, and left with a feeling of dread for certain characters. Yet this episode is simply pleasant, its about a family reconnoitring with one another. Whilst it is nice. It doesn’t fit the remit episodes 1-4 have established. Playing with formula is by no means a bad thing, but this episode should have come earlier to establish this variety. The episode has a similar fantastical nature about it as the first four episodes, though used to very different effects.
The end of the episode is lovely, really nice. I’ve been wanting this from Creeped Out for since it started, but the reason Creeped Out has worked out so well is because it’s always refused to give us this happy ending. At the end of ‘A Boy Called Red’, the family gets back together, Vincent avoids falling down the well, and some how the Aunt is magical and has got Vincent’s Mum back around and Dad’s cooking everyone dinner. It’s nice, it makes me feel warm, but I don’t know what we’re supposed to learn from it, and further more where are we being creeped out? It’s not scary, as praise worthy as the episode is as a piece of television and as an analysis of fatherhood, it’s great. But it fails in what the series has showed us to try and do according to episodes 3-4.
I don’t want to dismiss this story, as it is brilliant, and it’s discussing subjects and doing things which children’s TV needs to do more often. But what happens in the episode wasn’t an episode of Creeped Out, and the shoddy book ending narration only highlights the lack of thought gone into the inclusion of this story. As the series goes on we might get more episodes that play around a bit more, which I greatly hope so, as the weeks go on this episode may earn it’s place, but it will only be in hindsight. To have four episodes follow a solid formula which works, seems a little shoddy to just suddenly break it.
Time will tell if ‘A Boy Called Red’ has earned it’s place within the Creeped Out universe. Is it a good piece of children’s TV? Yes, it’s spectacular, brilliant, and I would one of the most important pieces of children’s television in a while. But, it’s not an episode of Creeped Out.
I’ll be back soon with my thoughts on Creeped Out – Episode 6: ‘The Call’.
FNORD 
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