CABINET OF CURIOSITIES Episode 5 Pickman's Model Ending Explained

I review, breakdown and explain Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities Episode 5 'Pickman's Model' on Netflix. I discuss the anthology series and react to moments such as Thurber getting obsessed with Pickman's art along with Rebecca and James mirroring the painting which was the moment at the ending.
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#CabinetOfCuriosities #PickmansModel #CabinetOfCuriositiesEpisode5

[@BrainPilot]

What's been your favourite episode of the anthology so far? Comment your thoughts below!

[@minuette1752]

Pickman's Model for sure.

[@n2bfw884]

Pickman's Model. I think the set design stood out the most to me.

[@Mangolite]

1. Graveyard Rats for the claustrophobic chase in the rat tunnels. 2. The Murmuring for its emotional impact, and both leads' performances were top-notch. 3. The Autopsy for a deadman walking outwitting an alien life form. 4. Pickman’s Model because it was based on an H.P. Lovecraft short. 5. Dream in the Witch House for the witch design. 6. The Viewing for the bonker ending. Unfortunately, Lot 36 is last and The Outside didn’t make it on my list.

[@qarymeegamer4468]

The Autopsy is the best and most well-written ... the others seem like creepypastas with the American Horror Story treatment.

[@ulfingvar1]

The Murmuring and The Autopsy

[@Kyledoe88]

It was super disturbing to me! I feel like this may have all been in his head, and he was slowly going insane/trapped in his own head.

[@BrainPilot]

That’s an interesting view to have!

[@dubuyajay9964]

I think you would like the original story better.

[@vcbot7]

That's excactly what i thought. Like he had multiple psychoses or something

[@Kyledoe88]

Right!? For example, no one else saw the condition of his friends face towards the end when it was mutilated, if they did it could be assumed it was off screen, unlikely though due to know one mentioning it afterwards

[@Kyledoe88]

No one*

[@Lauren-rb1jr]

This was so much like Dorian Gray which was trippy as it’s the same lead actor! My fav is the Autopsy one for sure 😊

[@Mangolite]

Ben Barnes played Dorian Gray in the 2009 adaptation.

[@Lauren-rb1jr]

@@Mangolite that’s him too right?

[@Mangolite]

@@Lauren-rb1jr Yes. While here with the hair and mustache, he could play as Nikola Tesla in a biopic about the legendary Serbian-American inventor, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, and futurist best known for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current (AC) electricity supply system. When they showed him older with his wife and kid, I couldn’t believe how much he looked like Tesla, almost a spitting image of him.

[@Lauren-rb1jr]

@@Mangolite yes!! He did look just like him!

[@Mangolite]

@Overlord Audiobooks I only saw the first few episode of Netflix’s Punisher before it got cancelled and moved over to Disney +. However, Ben Barnes is credited as Jigsaw, a character in the Punisher series.

[@mizzourita3896]

I still have so many questions. Why did Pickman's paintings only affect Thurber with insanity in the beginning? Why did it take everyone so much longer to go mad? Was Pickman an ordinary man or a descended sorcerer which is why he had power to make his paintings have that effect? Was Levinia the one making the paintings appear to come to life? Why did the creature drag Pickman down the well? Was it comfortable around Pickman enough that it wouldn't attack him, like a servant of the family or something, or was Pickman just really careful around it? Was Pickman really evil or did he think he was just making art? He seemed to know that Thurber was going mad, why did he need him more than anyone to look at his work if he knew he would most likely try to stop him from showing it to the world? Was he going to sacrifice Thurber to the well monster? Why did he need Thurber to know it was all real? I think I'll just go read the Lovecraft story and see if there's any explanation

[@frenkhorsky7633]

I can't answer all those questions as most of these come from the episode and it, to be frank, changed a lot of the original story. In the original story, Pickman is either a hybrid of human and ghoul. Having in him something from his scavenger, layers of reality hoping, ghoulish ancestors gives him the ability to not go immediately insane, and so, as an artist, he went and met up with the many eldritch monsters of the world and painted them. The other artists considered his paintings disgusting, far too violent, and kicked him out of their circles. The horror of the short story doesn't come from the paintings themselves or Pickman. It actually comes from the main character's realization that the paintings are of real creatures and beings. Pickman's work is rejected by the little part of society that does notice it not realizing the truth behind it. Pickman eventually disappears (joins his ghoul brethren). The narrator (his old friend) is the only one who finds out about the truth (by complete accident) and is haunted by the knowledge and what's truly in the world until the end of his days.

[@mizzourita3896]

@@frenkhorsky7633 I think I like that ending way better, it makes more sense and doesn't overcomplicate things for shock value like the episode felt like it did

[@frordondanksey1822]

@@mizzourita3896 Can't beat Edgar Allan Poe at his own work. Edit: H.P. Lovecraft*

[@lifewithlee6298]

Maybe becuse he fought the evil 👿 right away where as other just that it was creepy art and we’re drawn to it.

[@lifewithlee6298]

The monster grabbing his body down the well makes me wonder if that was his mom and she was carrying her died child the way many animals would. Or .. it’s just a monster going to eat a dead body it found. Makes you think

[@valoredramack9117]

Pickman's Model reminds me of the Event Horizon, movie in terms of the concept that witnessing disturbingly horrific and grotesque events or images can corrupt or break a person's mind.

[@gabrielnemirovsky421]

Yes! Event Horizon meets Dorian Gray.

[@youshallnotpass3937]

Event Horizon didn't invent that. That concept is really common.

[@valoredramack9117]

@@youshallnotpass3937 No one said that Event Horizon invented anything, I said that the Pickman's Model episode reminded me of Event Horizon. Your snarky comment is like the unnecessary rhetoric of a Devil's Advocate.

[@youshallnotpass3937]

@@valoredramack9117 sure, I just thought it was a wierd comparison, since all of Lovecraft's work and those inspired by him use that concept.

[@matejkodada17]

H.P. Lovecraft really made a lot of amazing stories, but Pickman's Model is still one of my favourite Btw Pickman is also mentioned in other Loveraft's story called The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath, where he is revealed in his full form of ghoul (that creature that dragged Pickman into darkness)

[@BrainPilot]

Now that is very dark!

[@Rynewulf]

@@BrainPilotits presented as happy in Dreamquest: he had found his people (of underground dog people)

[@bluesclues8288]

Ngl, Crispin Glover always nailed a creepy and weird looking character. For me he's one of the best in this category. 😄

[@midknightgeek6629]

Hands down the very best episode of the season imo Also the very best Lovecraft adaption I've ever seen. Faithful and amazing production values! Cast did a wonderful job! Though it did take a moment to get behind Crispin Glover's accent lol BUT was wonderful to see him as part of the cast!

[@GothPaoki]

Best Lovecraft adaptation you've seen???? You're trolling right?

[@midknightgeek6629]

@@GothPaoki In all honesty no, I'd put Dagon as a close second, never seen the original Dunwich Horror (1970) but plan to. And while the Re-Animator films are fun as hell, classic horror over the top camp which I love...these deviate far to much from the stories they are (loosely) based on. So yes, as far as production value and all other factors included such as script and performances, this is my favorite and what I'd consider as close to an authentic Lovecraftian film that I've seen. The tone and spirit and story are all closely in line with what I feel the Lovecraft story is trying to convey. I didn't make the comment lightly. But I'm sure others might/will feel differently. And that's fine. Was only speaking for myself and my own limited viewing of films based on his work. Though I have read (i think) all of his original stories. Cheers 😎 👍

[@thelouster5815]

I always saw Pickman as a good guy carrying an overwhelming burden. My interpretation is Pickman was somehow keeping the evil his family carries and he sees at bay by creating art of them. As if he was somehow satiating their hunger. I think he saw Thurber as a genuine friend and the first time he ever experienced some kind of light in his life. I think he wanted Thurber to be his friend so he doesn’t have to face this darkness alone, and the evils tortured Thurber out of enjoyment. It would explain why after Pickman died, all Hell literally broke loose. With no one to “feed” the dark entities, they began to hunt for the cruelty and sadism they very apparently feast on.

[@loupiote2315]

Maybe I'm just over-thinking it but I did see a deeper meaning in this episode. As from the very beginning Pickman is depicted as an outcast because his trauma made him awkward and "not fit" for socialising, meeting Thurber and seeing him taking an interest and understanding (or at least being affected) by his art meant the world to him. Later on, even if some men wanted to showcase his work, I'm pretty sure he doesn't value their opinion as much as Thurber's, because Thurber seem to be the only one really affected by it. So that's why he wants to stay friends with him and insist on inviting him to his house.. Concerning Thurber, I'm pretty sure that the initial thing that drove him mad was his jealousy. He wasn't really an original artist, and when he watched Pickman's work, he craved to paint something that unique, hence why there's a scene where he tries to draw in Pickman's style. But as time went by, his jealousy turned into a projection into the paintings, driving him insane. The real darkness within Thurber, and the real reason why he doesn't want people to look at Pickman's paintings is his jealousy. I believe that him shooting Pickman is a turning point and after that, everything is just Thurber's illusion. (I know this isn't the original book's story, but that's what I got from the episode!)

[@donlagmanx]

Pickman was a good friend that Thurber did not deserved...

[@classvee]

Ohhhh that's a really good observation. And yes he did grow curious ans walked over during class and was impressed. But he kept mentioning about a debt being paid / money. What was that about ?

[@JKS_Crafting]

Great ideas! Lots fit very well into the episode. Myself i got "stuck" in his the episode almost could have been narrated in a industrial age horror book (yes i want to say hp Lovecraft but don't want to) in the way how there is something very inevitable in the story 'about a man who passed another in his life and were forever changed'. Also there is a mental health/sickness aspect that i find intriguing. The fear that sharing your darkest corners of yourself your 'demons can infect others'. In this case the story is told from the outside and from the perspective of the unsuspecting soon to be victim by someone else's cracks in their sanity. There's a fruit if knowledge in there somewhere is all I'm saying. :) Great episode that might just be interpreted in a wonderful amount of ways, depending on our fears..

[@Marco.91]

I love this theory on the episode!

[@quirogatnonerrat3214]

I am also an artist and this episode was the one that shook me to the core the most or impressed me/stayed with me the most. Had a huge impact and I do not have any questions as they were all answered. It's just interesting that Pickman made the promise that he won't bother the main protagonist again after the protagonist will come and see his art because Pickman knew that was the last piece of the puzzle for his monstrous art to come to life around the protagonist's world, town and life.

[@minuette1752]

"Well-that paper wasn’t a photograph of any background, after all. What it shewed was simply the monstrous being he was painting on that awful canvas. It was the model he was using-and its background was merely the wall of the cellar studio in minute detail. But by God, Eliot, it was a photograph from life." -Pickman's Model

[@dubuyajay9964]

Yeah, the added stuff was unnecessary. They could've stuck with the original story as is and done fine.

[@r.jenkin-brown]

@@dubuyajay9964 Although, for TV, I appreciate the change into a "living-being-model". The episode had 15 minutes extra, it must have ended when the creature emerged from the well. And I did need more paintings of it.

[@donsolo7860]

I will never not see him ripping out Drew Barrymore’s hair and sniffing it profusely. I also may never understand this episode fully.

[@garlandgarrison3739]

I'll never unsee the Rat Man😂😂

[@charlotterxx]

I think it's brilliant they chose the same actor that did the Picture of Dorian Gray! Very similar themes as well with images coming alive and haunting you!

[@Eninhor]

😱 Finally! It was driving me crazy, because I knew him from somewhere. The only thing I remembered was a painting. 😂😂😂

[@jessicalukram74]

@@Eninhor he also played Prince Caspian in Narnia movies.

[@qiminong5634]

@@jessicalukram74 Not forgetting Jigsaw from The Punisher

[@ItsTheGLife]

Exactly my thoughts, yess ✨ The way the paintings are moving and the eerie ghoulish sounds..very much like in Dorian Gray. And it's such a delight that Ben Barnes is here. Yet again another painting lol 😂 Truly brilliant that they had Ben Barnes here

[@Laura41474]

I personally think it was more than just a straight forward story. As someone who's dealt with anxiety and depression before, this episode reminded me of that. Pickman was the very impersonation of it. He needed Thurber to see his truth, even though it was horrible and would drive him mad. He even says "they wouldn't understand" when Thurber tells him to show his work to someone else who's a fan of it. I've always felt that anxiety is very much like that: a horrible presence feeding off of you gazing at it, unable to look away because it feels like the truth, it feels like answers and if you were to look another way, then well, you're a coward. You're not strong enough to handle the truth. Thurber is the one who first approaches Pickman, seduced by his work, by his mind and ideas and wants to befriend him. Pickman asks him "do you want to see my paintings?" and he says yes. He eventually realises that's no good for him and for those around him, it makes him paranoid and it would prevent him from big opportunities in his life, so he manages to push it away. But just like in real life, for no good reason, when everything is going just fine for him, Pickman comes back. The paranoia, the horrible truth, the eery predictions of a gruesome future drive him mad again. He is decided to burn it all down, to destroy it, but he never opens up about it. He keeps pushing people away to protect them. And that's what ultimately makes the 'prophecy' true. But it wasn't the monsters, it was him. And at the same time, it was not his fault. And even after the very presence of evil is gone, he's left with this horrid picture, the consequences of his sickness.

[@zacadams8263]

Bravo 👏 I thought there was an underlying meaning to mental health (depression/anxiety/trauma etc.) the second I heard that line of "they wouldn't understand" too. Clinical anxiety and depression can be just like that particulary - especially if you are someone who has lived with it for a long time. After decades you learn to accept it, as well as accept a lot of people will never fully understand it's darkness. So you don't hide it - but you mask and cover it up - because it is exhausting to explain to people who might kind of "see it for what it is" but never truly - you also don't want to burden others with your burden. But then you meet special people in your life - who truly do "get it" (see it - in the episodes case - probably because they live with this knowing of too) and "understand" and you let them fully in. At first it can go well and make both feel empowered - trauma bonding per say. But overtime, usually, bonding over darkness doesn't work out. In this episodes case, it ends much worse than "not working out".

[@harlequinade2709]

This episode fucked with me man. I watch a lot of horror, and while I agree that this episode was not the best crafted that I've ever seen, but it's the first story in a while that made me feel genuinely unsettled. I have no idea why.

[@joebenzz]

Pickman's paintings have this effect on you too. Soon you will carve out your eyes 😛

[@thevillainy1783]

I miss the days when I watched film through a child's eyes - no nitpicking expectation of how it "should be written". Just pure watching. Loving ALL of these episodes no matter where they go.

[@SonHoang-qi9xq]

Just do it. Be curious and find things. How hard can it be?

[@isatche]

Funny how tastes differ. For me, this was the best episode so far. I just love the tone of it, the idea of some ancient curse spreading through art for generations.

[@jaguarnero]

I’m kind of surprised that some people aren’t seeing a “deeper meaning” on this episode. It seemed kind of obvious to me that the main character William was haunted by the darkness, trying his best to look away from terror, thus haunting him from the very beginning to the end of the episode. In an allegorical way, it’s like looking away from travesty. Just like his wife Rebecca said at one point, “not all of the world is pleasant” … or something to that effect. And he was the only one that was openly haunted by the images in the paintings and drawings. To me, the entire time skip is entirely in his mind, and I’m pretty certain that there were no creatures actually haunting him, only nightmares of facing the disturbed darkness. His wife nor his son didn’t seem to have any personality, so I assume he was entirely in a dreamlike state. And I genuinely think Pickman truly only wanted William to see the paintings, not necessarily embrace the darkness, but to look at it. Compare this to real life, where we look away from abuse, homelessness, children in need of clean water, food, shelter, racism, misogyny. William decided to keep looking away and running from the ugly, disgusting, disturbing, dark things he kept seeing until it came to his own home. There was nowhere else to hide or run to. And it’s also why it only truly haunted him and no one else, because somewhere deep down, he knew there was something wrong with looking away.

[@Zekrom569]

Yes, it is a very good interpretation, William was burying his head in the sand about existing problems which led to him going mad while Willian was able to face his own and express them in a healthy way.

[@jakerawlings6150]

Breh the source material literally says that the Ghoul at the end is a real being. That's the deeper meaning, everything that Pickman painted was real. The implication is everybody is ignorant to such things to keep their quiet life, quiet. Ignoring fear and where it lives.

[@Demon_1408]

IT's a nice way to understand the story !

[@dextersbeard3472]

Thats an interesting interpretation but its incorrect. The creatures were real all along. You should read the original story, it would help you understand what was happening a bit better.

[@iloveyougumi]

Yeah the deeper meaning is that it’s a curse mentioned in Deuteronomy 28 of the Bible and when you know what the world is about to go through it makes sense. They are about to have a feast

[@halesm5720]

I really like that they got Dorian Gray (Ben Barnes) for this.

[@ItsTheGLife]

Indeed! 💖✨

[@Ph0t0bug]

I think you have to remember the show was based on H.P. Lovecraft’s short story of the same name. Knowing Lovecraft’s work truly helps in understanding the piece.

[@MourningCoffeeMusic]

No one’s gonna mention how William started talking like Pickman whenever he wasn’t around? Strong Fight Club vibes. Also, I believe this episode had the deepest meaning out of all of them. How if you try to always remain in the light and avoid the darkness, you attract it. Similar to the human condition: we crave to be good and avoid negativity, yet the most holy of people typically are the most hateful and negative towards anything that’s different. Just how William reacted to the paintings. That’s incredibly powerful.

[@warrick3w881]

Personally think there is more meaning to it than what we saw at surface level. Maybe am reading to much into it but i think there is more meaning to it. Remember what happened right after he saw the 1st painting of the feast. He saw his girlfriends father in the couch and someone or thing ripped his shirt and when he woke up it was ripped for real. Like Dickie his eyes were open to the world behind the curtain and maybe Dickie wanted to pass on the key to him like a gate keeper who has been holding the darkness at bay. Maybe thats what Dickie was doing with his paintings and keeping them locked in but after he died they were set free and no one to keep them in check. But thats just me

[@lonelystranger7114]

Interesting interpretation. Makes sense.

[@IndigobluBeauty]

This is my favorite one so far…maybe bc i was at an art museum last weekend. I loved the art and horror element. His family (dickie) had some type of deal with the devil

[@satiricgames2129]

im with you, i dont think they all have to be insane for us to enjoy, i loved the costumes and the mood of this ep

[@Artemisthemp]

I was excited the moment the title was shown, as I love H.P. Lovecraft and this work especially

[@Rynewulf]

I felt Pickman was quite sympathetic. He seemed quite an innocent personality that didnt understand that the dark influence was harmful for other people, and was genuinely friendly. For a disturbed hermit he could be quite social and charming, and seemed to really enjoy connecting with friendly people like Thurbers wife and son and art gallery friend. He even convinced the monsters to not hurt Thurber, because he just wanted to show him his pretty pictures he made

[@Justdont693]

Maybe if he should have painted happy endings for people 😂 I wonder if that would have worked

[@Rynewulf]

@@Justdont693 I think he was too edgy for that xD The actor playing him did a good job of being like "Look its you but waiting to see an optician :)" so I like to think that was his attempt at happy paintings, he's just a silly little guy

[@Justdont693]

@@Rynewulf oh I get it haha my idea definitely is not as entertaining hahaha it’s a spooky show. Can’t have a guy painting unicorns and piles of money 😂

[@Rynewulf]

@@Justdont693 tbf that would make a great take on The Monkeys Paw! "Look its a painting of you riding a unicorn and holding bags of money" and then the person is kicked by a horse into a pipe and impaled and their family gets life insurance payments. Oddly enough thats part of the original Monkeys Paw's plot, the main old couple wish for £200 and the next day their son dies in the factory and they get sent money because of it

[@celine52]

I like your review on the show! Haven't watched it but I like the summary of what each episode you have made :)

[@BrainPilot]

Thanks a lot! Glad you like them!

[@Falderos8729]

One thing that annoyed me, was how the only response Rebecca can have to Will’s actions is “aRe YoU dRiNkInG aGaIn??” When he clearly is having problems that don’t seem to be him being drunk. Just his attitude and the way he carries himself, just doesn’t seem like my first thought would be “yeah this dude’s blasted”

[@UnderTimothy]

Though not the original story I adore this episode so much, it is actually my favorite. I think this is the scariest one, the idea that everyone is submitted into darkness while you are the only one who is running from that common darkness.. I think death would have been easier

[@TheBearAspirin]

Interesting note: "Pickman's Model" was an episode in Rod Serling's "Night Gallery" that aired in 1971. In that version, the story takes you up to the denizens of hell entering out world but ends there. This version is almost a continuation of the story showing what happens to the characters beyond the revelation that the paintings are actually a portal.

[@GoingHamAllTheWay]

I was lost for most of this episode but after the end I realized he was painting what he saw and allowed others to unlock that reality over top of ours

[@angelalita77]

Loved the lovecraftian influence. It took me awhile to see it but when we saw Pickmans basement, it reminded me a bit of In The Mouth Of Madness.

[@Potaters12]

It's not a lovecraftian influence - it IS Lovecraft! This is one of his stories.

[@pacback1143]

Despite it not being true to the original story I really enjoyed this interpretation of the story.

[@juicemane7655]

Only u and a small few..was Azz

[@heizgoth]

Are the people in the painting feast supposedly historical figures? I think I saw GREGORI RASPUTIN there

[@Kroododile553]

Definitely came to mind

[@fjinatic9615]

this is the most uncomfortable episode to watch, but i enjoyed it😂

[@southernfriedmedia3968]

Whoooo that picture was so scury it made me go crazy

[@TeddyBearQueen24]

This episode definitely gave me the chills 😰

[@mknees1467]

I don't know what it says about me, but watching this episode made me want to go back to paint.

[@ThenGetIdOffUrChest]

This was one of 2 I didn't finish because it wasn't interesting to me. This one and the last episode I didn't finish. I'll try again

[@ladyamalthea3218]

Dorian Grey is scared of paintings now

[@Crusader-Ramos45]

Hey guys, when reading Lovecraft’s story “Pickman’s Model” and watching the Netflix adaptation of it, doesn’t it give us a hunch about art being done as a form of magic, including dark magic in Pickman’s case? Pickman’s Model also reminds me of the John Carpenter movie “In the Mouth of Madness”.

[@Auryanne]

I might need to watch that!

[@lennyrex1]

This one and Dreams in the Witch House although The Autopsy was also jaw dropping

[@BrainPilot]

Good choices!

[@catbuikhang6482]

I know a real life Pickman, his name is Junji Itou

[@bv431]

Very first episode I watched! I like this show a lot. it threw my off how some of it I felt was in his head and others were real. Like was the ending in his head? Did he just go mentally insane? Like it’s up for interpretation. I love how they took a little bit of shutter island with the ending, just like when leonardos character came home to his wife committing a terrible act

[@evilnick2885]

at first i was a bit disappointed with the ep. After autopsy its pretty hard to actually get better. I will say though autopsy and this felt like the only 2 FULL stories to me with real development and an open an close. I first brushed this off but then after you take some of the smaller bits you can KIND OF built a bigger story that works more with lovecraft vs just "paintings make people go cray cray". I believe the real moral of the story was that Pickman was actually holding the dark at bay with his paitings. Why did Pickman never go mad? Was he mad and we just didnt see it? Why was he SO hellbent on Will being involved with his work? Well no pickman wasnt mad. He was the descendant of a powerful sorcerer which allowed him to see these things that existed outside the realm of our own comprehension. It shaped his personality but did not make him a self harm inflicting maniac like others. He accepted the darkness and through that quelled it. he gave the darkness a sense of ease by painting and sharing it which kept it at bay and everyone else safe. Didnt anyone else notice people COULD see his work and though be troubled werent insane after. None of his other classmates or teachers went crazy after viewing they were just disgusted and left. Pickman produced the work and accepted the darkness for them. Until will. With will he saw a way to end his loneliness through another who could see and be part of the darkness. Someone else like Will who could handle the brunt of it and keep others safe. This is why Pickman was also so insistent on getting his art out to others. The more who viewed his art and appreciated the more the darkness was satisfied and kept back from reality. PIckman was a self sacrifice but now with Will he didnt have to do it alone and he implored Will to not be afraid and "paint what you see" or else the darkness was going to come out and look for others to do it and the mass of society was not going to be able to handle that. Hence when Will killed Pickman and burnt the works the darkness was enraged and bellowed out a roar. Anyone else hear Pickman giggling telling the creatures "shhhh no dont eat that". He was well aware of what existed there and lived along side of it. he was long prepared for what was invisible to others so it wouldnt break his mind. Pickman was telling Will "youre going to have to take up the mantle and continue where I leave off or the world will burn", and Wills world did when he decided to walk away from it all instead of taking over. Without PIckman or even Will there to quell the darkness and acknowledge its existence it would be free and those who could not handle it, like his co worker and family would be driven mad by knowing what was really out there.

[@sharrigarvin3348]

Crispin Glover deserves a nomination from somebody He is a sensational actor whom I haven't seen since he was a teen? If it were the 60's or 70's he would have been in more movies

[@Drawin-Circles]

This show is like watching X-Factor as a kid. I love it.

[@Anonymous-cn6zl]

X-Factor? Did you mean X-Files?

[@Drawin-Circles]

@@Anonymous-cn6zl Oh, yeah. It has a different name in my country, so I got it mixed up.

[@yaboyjosh3023]

My lovecraftian lore is a bit rusty. But from one of the hallucinations, you can hear them chant YOG SOTHOTH. Yog is one of many of HP Lovecraft's great old ones. Infact it is the main powerful god of his work. Aka The Blind Idiot god, this monstrosity lies in the deep unknown void of space and is unconscious. Unconscious because of his many dreams, he dreams of our reality. I think the paintings were a doorway to madness, but also anyone who viewed them gained Knowledge of the Great Old ones. These monsters, these horrors have always been around. We just could never see them. Once they knew of this knowledge, it causes madness because it is far from what the human mind can comprehend. Maybe all our troubles, all our nightmares, and all of our hardships in life, were nothing more than the dreams of a sleeping god. Edit: Another theory I have of this, is that Pigman is Nyarlathotep taking the form of a human man. To spread his madness through paintings. After all, Nyarlathotep is the only entity in the cthlulu mythos who is powerful enough to bring the outer gods into our world. Like Yog Sothoth.

[@poochyboi]

dunno why but this episode put me to sleep...i loved the aesthetic and theme but something about the way this was directed just put me to sleep. i had to complete this one over 3 nights

[@Kroododile553]

Have any nightmares?

[@poochyboi]

@@Kroododile553 nah but i slept good

[@Kroododile553]

@@poochyboi always good to hear. Best not to wander the Dreamlands

[@caveman7024]

They look like the black painting from Francisco Goya

[@kurukokoko6453]

to me, this story is about competition among artists, and their insecurities and jealousy

[@juliawidmaier5334]

I definitely got that from it as well.

[@lonelystranger7114]

Didn't get that impression myself. Sure the other artists and even the protagonist's wife suspect this but it was made very clear from the beginning that the paintings had a dark effect on the protagonist's mind.

[@ntmetroid]

Just watched this episode today. My second favorite so far - just behind The Autopsy

[@BrainPilot]

Good choices!

[@dirtdauberadventures]

Reminded me of the movie In the Mouth of Madness

[@angelapalmer3464]

I didn't really care for this episode. However, I do love that it was based on a short story by HP Lovecraft. With this knowledge it made more sense to me.

[@-Henry-cu9vu]

I watched this on shrooms shit felt so real I thought I was possessed. But I caught myself

[@jamesbrooking1287]

It is an underrated Lovecraft story

[@cassieldark4954]

Have hear this Story about six Years ago a a Creepypasta and found it fantastic. See this like a Movie is so wonderful.

[@BrainPilot]

Yeah it's awesome isn't it!

[@colincampbell3199]

The deeper meaning was, no matter how hard you try, you could always lose the ones you love.

[@hanmasantan7282]

Tbh he didn’t try very hard to protect the ones he loves

[@nna1u39]

When Richard leads will into his room to see his painting, there was the loud noise; I didn’t know if it was a noisy tavern or the drawings!

[@zeking3844]

This one is based on a short story by H.P. Lovecraft called "Pickman`s Model"

[@SomaC-7]

One of the best Lovecraft adaptations ever!

[@mrsubject1]

Those incisions on her head are actually the elder sign from Lovecraft mythology

[@haileycrowe6101]

My favorite ep so far has been ep 2, the one with all the rats. Its jumpscares are awsome! Very tense and clostrophonic in the best way. I was never scared of rats beforr watching that one. Well... I am now. Lol

[@joniblue7475]

It's funny that I watched Insidious Red Door and this episode on the same day and no idea they are fairly similar. But they actually are connected in some way.

[@pawlpoche8736]

I absolutely love this episode! I was genuinely scared

[@BrainPilot]

Yeah the art was so creepy!

[@animewatcher22]

Spoiler alert: What scared me the most was the ending scene with the sounds of his wife chopping and his dead child

[@bettybagwell3712]

This episode really got to me. It was so creepy and intense. Definitely s good anthology series though.

[@Gya2foonsj]

I loved this episode it’s so traumatizing yet leaves few crucial questions for the viewers. Main one for me is; why was William attracted to Richard’s art in the first place?

[@pennyp6125]

Best episode hands down.

[@BrainPilot]

It was a great one!

[@Sovreign87]

One of the VERY few movies/short movies that made me feel uneasy.

[@geryddle]

Just watched this ep from under a blanket it was so scary

[@Sch1z0Aff3ct1ve-xm1bt]

This one is my favorite so far. Especially because of all the H.P. Lovecraft references.

[@hsheean]

I liked this installment quite a bit, and it had a lot of going for it (Lovecraft essence, cinematography, acting, storyline, etc.) Super creepy. The best part for me was seeing Crispin Glover on the screen. He has always been an interesting actor to watch, and I have always liked whatever he's been in (Back to the Future, Wild at Heart, Hot Tub Time Machine to name a few) A super memorable character, and I even forgave him after he appeared on the David Lettermen show and threw a wild roundhouse kick to Dave's head...

[@Crusader-Ramos45]

Aslan, get your messianic mane out there and help Caspian with the unholy paintings; they’re soaked in dark magic!!

[@carlketsup1028]

I like the h.p Lovecraft energy, this episode has. Love it

[@Buggolious]

Story is from hp lovecraft

[@nna1u39]

Furthermore, Pickman seemed like only a cog in a wheel.. to know what he knew; at first he didn’t want to share it and at the end he almost seemed happy he could let go

[@jesspeaceful]

This has been my favourite episode so far - I loved the ending (serious creepy Event Horizon meets Hansel and Gretel vibes) and actually preferred it to the original HP Lovecraft story. Sacrilege and controversial to say, I know. The only let-down for me were the paintings themselves, though the people who created them obviously knew their stuff with the echoes of Goya, Bosch, and other masters of horrific art. I just don't think any image can evoke the pure terror Pickman's paintings are intended to, so perhaps it might have been better to only show people's reactions and let our imaginations do the rest? The accents were also a bit much and the actors could have toned them down a bit so as not to slip into caricature. Those are nitpicks though. I did love the cinematography in this episode and the way it really added to the sense of existential dread that permeated throughout.

[@dubuyajay9964]

Considering it was supposed to be in New England in the original story they should've hired some Native actors and called it a day.

[@gndora7]

The episode is so deep and it represents how magic affects the eyes and through the eyes it gets to your brain and thats a fact 👌🏻 the spiritual cooking for baphomet and molokh ,thurber was just a bait for the dark powers … p.s it also looks like they were pointing to pizza gate group and those who are using the same cults

[@Music34897]

I think in terms of depth, the story is about sweeping the signs of trouble in our life under the rug instead of dealing with the trouble, his wife is obviously unsatisfied but he never actually addresses that, just covers it up and cuts off conversation. Same thing with the paintings. He refuses to listen to Pickman that the evil is not coming from the paintings, the paintings just give you knowledge of an evil that is already present. Instead of confronting that reality, Thurber just destroys the evidence of the problem, and fails to keep it from destroying his life.

[@squamish4244]

"But by God, Eliot, it was a photograph from life!" - The last sentence of the short story.

[@lifewithlee6298]

Do the LAST episode of this series, it’s sad 😢 but ends on a bitter sweet note.

[@BrainPilot]

That's the next one i've got to go!

[@Darcvideosbaseoncelebrations]

Rebecca was low-key super hot, lol. Also, loved all of William's outfits and his name, lol.

[@dubuyajay9964]

0:40. Because it was. It wasn't one of Lovecraft's deeper tales. It was a quickly typed out pulp made for a needed quick buck. Just like Re-Animator.

[@Auryanne]

I think this was my favorite episode.

[@BrainPilot]

Awesome!

[@thelonglakerockstar]

As great as the episode is, the simplicity and open ending of the original short story is still so much more terrifying to me.

[@PerhapsNotAnAiButMaybe]

I'm suprised nobody seems to be talking about the fact that they were attending Miskatonic University, which is straight out of Lovecraft's universe!

[@Brahlam]

Pickmans Model is one of Lovecrafts most famous short stories... even for those who dont know that, it was written in huge letters in the beginning of the episode..

[@Buggolious]

They dont talk about it because everyone already read the text saying the story was by hp lovecraft

[@Foxwolfred]

I love hp lovecraft and this is one of my favorite stories of his del toro did a great job with the multiple episodes that had hp lovecraft stories as the basis…if you liked the series you’ll love hp lovecraft books

[@ronmercer9052]

I’m surprised there isn’t more discussion on the internet about what the entity actually is. The paintings featuring a black goat make me think it’s Shub-Niggaurauth, but she is typically described as female, but Pickman refers to the entity as “he” (though our concepts of gender may not really apply to Lovecraftian deities). The whisperings of Yog-Sogoth could indicate that it’s an incarnation of him instead or perhaps Yog-Sogoth is just being invoked to transport the entity to Earth?

[@HashiraHatake]

While people have been whining and complaining I’ve honestly just sat back and enjoyed the show without nitpicking everything you like what you like or hate what you hate but I was never those that criticized hard on movies and shows I pretty much just enjoy the entertainment

[@thevillainy1783]

Childhood is over when you watch shows like an adult.

[@HashiraHatake]

@@thevillainy1783 definitely agree on that lol you understand everything

[@pugbuddykachoo]

The episode was technically very well done and performances all around were very good as well. But I was annoyed by the additions to the original story, even though one could argue that they were somewhat taken from bits and pieces within it. Additionally, I'll admit that the original story is very difficult to capture accurately. But this wasn't it, at least to me. That doesn't mean the episode was bad. I just wasn't what I hoped for. I found the many "feast" references to be annoying (what "feast"? one might ask) and the paintings effect(s) on people uneven throughout the story, for unknown reasons. Pickman seemed almost an afterthought in it; the coven "feast" storyline was far more prominent. Just my thoughts.

[@marie-helenemartel7147]

For me, this episode is perfect. This is what Cosmic horror is for me.

[@r.jenkin-brown]

Cosmic horror was exactly what I couldn't find in this episode =/

[@awareness-mb5do]

The only one in this series that gives me chill

[@BrainPilot]

It was so haunting - the artwork alone was creepy!

[@mayankbhatt4788]

Please can anyone explain me what happen in the end Why she possessed? Or its just illusion ?

[@jaguarnero]

Open to interpretation but I think everything from the point he’s “scratched by the witch” and wakes up is all an illusion. He’s trying to run from and avoid looking at “the darkness” even though avoiding something that will always be there is inevitable. You can’t always avoid the issues in the world, like world hunger, homelessness, etc., eventually it will come back to a place that is too close to home, if not your own loved ones. In my opinion, it’s also why Rebecca lost her eyes, it’s not something she needed anymore because she saw the darkness (in his illusion, again my opinion/take) and it’s a reminder to William that he still needs to see it and acknowledge it’s existence rather than simply avoiding it entirely.

[@killingjoker797]

I implore more people to seek out the og book. It has much more to offer. Focuses much more on the characters and cuts upon the stuff they did to stretch this one out.

[@MidNight_StoryTeller]

I absolutely love Pickman, he is the one of the best characters. I would definitely befriend him ❤

[@DL_2021]

Those paintings scared me for real.

[@BrainPilot]

They’re definitely creepy!

[@aussiecoastie72]

It was an unusual episode , I didn’t mind it . Not great not bad

[@BrainPilot]

That’s a fair review!

[@Rex-dk1rx]

This was my favourite so far. Classic h.p Lovecraft very dark

[@BrainPilot]

Yeah it was a good one!

[@greyLeicester]

Mr McFly has barely aged! My God!

[@Starlee123]

You forgot to mention that the incision on Rebecca's head at the end is the same mark as the witch in the painting. Maybe she was possessed by the witch.

[@grnman86]

Anyone know who did the paintings from that episode? Quite fantastic.

[@BrainPilot]

Don't look at them!

[@grnman86]

@@BrainPilot lol that doesn’t answer who did the actual art for the show !

[@thevillainy1783]

@@grnman86 Hell I want to know who did those too. I can't pick a favorite.

[@Auryanne]

It lists them in the credits! I don't remember the name but I remember seeing that there.

[@grnman86]

@@Auryanne Oooo I should check !