Bad Wolf Down/The Finger

'Bad Wolf Down'. Written and directed by Rob Schrab. During WWII, a platoon of American soldiers is forced to hide from German forces inside an abandoned police station. There, they find badly mangled bodies and a distraught French woman (Kate Freund) with a deadly secret. Once they find out what her story is, they decide to use it to their advantage in order to escape the German soldiers who are closing in. Other than a typically fun performance from genre stalwart Jeffrey Combs (as a vengeance-crazed Nazi officer), this basically amounts to pretty goofy nonsense: watchable enough, but terminally silly. The gore is fine, and this viewer didn't mind the look of the werewolves too much. Most of the acting is not-so-hot, especially from a Jerk soldier named Quist (Nelson Bonilla); the name, of course, is a reference to "The Howling".

Things pick up a bit in the macabre but endearing "Man and his Highly Unusual 'Pet'" yarn 'The Finger'. Written by David J. Schow, and directed by series creator Greg Nicotero, this has a lonely but sympathetic loser, Clark Wilson (DJ Qualls) finding a severed finger during his walking tours of L.A. (The guys' main character trait is that he likes to pocket things that other people have discarded.) The finger soon grows into a full-sized creature, admittedly kind of a variation on the Xenomorphs in the "Alien" franchise, but not a full-blown imitation. Clark dubs the creature "Bob", and finds that Bob constantly displays a real loyalty to his master, nastily dispatching anyone with the capacity to cause Clark misery. (Even a debt collector!) The appealing relationship between Clark & Bob makes this an entertaining enough story to watch (Bob loves popcorn and watching soap operas), and there is more than enough splatter to keep some horror fans happy. Qualls delivers a very engaging performance, although this viewer could have done with a little less of that popular "lead character talks directly to the audience" device. The dialogue actually manages to reference "Midnight Run"!

All through the episode, there is some truly wonderful comic book art; those responsible truly need to take a bow.

Seven out of 10.

First half of the episode is a 6, nothing original but found it decent enough. Nothing that hasn't been seen before in film or tv. However, really campy and didn't take itself too seriously which made it more enjoyable.

The second half, The Finger, absolutely brilliant, 10/10. DJ is fantastic in the role, so unhinged and funny. The style of story telling is excellent for the black humour of the piece. His interaction with Bob is hilarious and weirdly heart warming. It makes me want a Bob of my own. Glad to see original pieces that showcase the actor's ability included in the series. Hoping for more like these!

The first part Bad Wolf Down was complete garbage, terrible acting and story. I was really bored all the way through this one.

The finger however was absolutely thrilling. I'm not usually a fan of DJ Qualls, but his performance in The Finger was really great, his disheveled and mentally unstable character was both creepy and fun, and his relationship with Bob was the high point here. The design of Bob was really reminiscent of Alien, yet unique in it's own way. Really great production quality on this one.

Hopefully the rest of the episodes is as good as The Finger.

The Finger, on the other hand, is VERY good, even if it's not especially scary. Or anything even CLOSE to scary. At all. But it IS fun! Even if just for DJ Qualls, who's a friggin gem in everything he's in. He's predictably great (in the best way) as Clark Wilson, a lonely man who's treated badly by pretty much everyone. Until one day he finds a mysterious severed finger, takes it home, and it slowly grows into someone - someTHING - that just wants to help...

Bad Wolf Down, on the other hand, is a waste of time except for Jeffrey Combs playing a typically-unhinged character - a Nazi officer out for revenge over his dead son, this time. Pretty much everything else has been time dozens, if not hundreds, of times before, and done far better.

This dual-segment offering delivers classic horror anthology thrills with a satisfying blend of period atmosphere and grotesque practical effects that would make Tom Savini proud. The first tale plunges viewers into the muddy trenches of World War II, where cinematographer Daryn Okada crafts a genuinely immersive wartime hellscape through desaturated palettes and claustrophobic framing. The werewolf reveal feels earned rather than cheap, building tension through shadows and suggestion before unleashing surprisingly effective creature work.

Jeffrey Combs anchors the supernatural segment with his trademark intensity, bringing gravitas to what could have been B-movie schlock. His commanding presence elevates the material, particularly during the story's more exposition-heavy moments. The practical makeup effects deserve special mention - the transformation sequences avoid digital shortcuts in favor of tactile, visceral imagery that recalls the anthology's EC Comics roots.

The second segment shifts gears entirely, embracing body horror with gleeful abandon. DJ Qualls delivers an unexpectedly nuanced performance as a down-on-his-luck protagonist whose discovery of a severed finger leads to increasingly bizarre circumstances. The episode's strength lies in its commitment to practical effects over CGI wizardry, creating genuinely unsettling imagery through old-school craftsmanship.

Both stories benefit from tight pacing that respects the anthology format's constraints while building genuine atmosphere. The production design authentically recreates each story's distinct setting, from war-torn Europe to contemporary urban decay. While neither segment reaches the heights of the original series' most memorable entries, both demonstrate solid understanding of what makes anthology horror effective.

The episode succeeds by embracing its pulp origins without descending into parody. These are stories told with conviction and crafted with care, featuring committed performances and impressive technical work that honors the source material's legacy while establishing its own identity.