Split Second

This has to be one of the most violent episodes that the series had to offer. But it is still great to watch, and has one of the best all-time endings of the series!!! The two characters of the husband and wife are completely despicable. The acting and writing are both great in bringing the despicable sides of these two people to the screen.

Split Second gives old-style film noir overtones to its story by having protagonist Liz Kelly give voiceover narration. She waits tables in a seedy bar, often fighting off male advances, sometimes succumbing to them. Her tone is world weary and depressed as she tells how she wants to move out but has trouble raising money from poor tips. Banjo, a fellow she had a tryst with, seeks another. "Just because we got friendly once doesn't mean I care to make a habit of it," she rebuffs. He won't take the hint until suddenly a gun is at his neck. Liz likes being fought over and even more likes having someone come to the rescue. She accepts a date with rescuer Dixon. Balding and older, he owns a logging company. It's a whirlwind courtship and she is soon his wife. A woman in the crude rough man's world of loggers, she thinks at first she could be happy because the house is big and Dixon's money is good. However, she soon finds herself plagued by boredom. "The whole marriage thing had worn thin in record time," she thinks. Handsome and buffed young Ted looks for a logging job. "A cure for boredom just showed up at the door." But her cure for boredom arouses her husband's jealousy, then his violence, and then the horrible revenge of the perverse loggers. The whole thing is quite nasty but set off by the good looks of Michelle Johnson and Ted Wirth. It belongs in "Tales from the Crypt."

This is definitely one of the better remembered episodes of the series. The voice over narrative by Michelle Johnson works perfectly and it's a great tale in the fact every character is a little amoral which is really what Tales from the Crypt is all about.

My favourite story from 'tales from the crypt'. Brion Jones was born to play the part of the maniac lumberjack,axe swinging madman Steve Dixon.Having seen him before in Tango&Cash I can state this actor never got the proper credit he deserved. A jealous husband takes offence in his wife showing an interest in a hunky young worker he's just employed.And you know when Dixon finds out there's gonna be hell to pay!The young worker Ted(Billy Wirth)receives an almighty beating from Dixon leaving him blind.Now how is a blind lumberjack supposed to work? A tribute to black humour if there ever was one! The co stars do a pretty good job too supporting Ted when Dixon when he has his initial suspicions about his wife desiring another man.Dixon's behaviour making the bond stronger closer between the colleagues.One even stated he became a changed man when he got married.Though Ted should have done the wise thing and left when he could!

Gorgeous barmaid Liz Kelly marries mean and jealous lumberjack Steve Dixon (played by Brion James with a voice that sounds a lot like that of Lance Henriksen) that is the owner of a logging camp. Time passes and Steve becomes furious when everyone even looks at his wife. Liz eventually manages to ruin everything when she falls for the handsome new lumberjack Ted and Steve beats him with his axe making him blind. After a while his two best buddies manage to make his revenge: putting Liz and Steve in two logs and Ted has to break them with an electric saw (and we see LOTS of blood sprayed on him).

After two loser episodes, I found this episode much better especially when it came to the ending as I was happy that Ted had his final revenge against that scumbag lumberjack and his promiscuous wife that made him blind. A return to greatness in the show.