As another commenter noted, the idea of effects preceding causes is only used a few times, mainly at the beginning and end of the episode. What really is happening is best explained by a theory the main character has midway through, about how the universe is chaotic and random and only humans give it order. She apparently taps into the true nature of things...by being a hardcore hippie of sorts? It's interesting but muddled, however the ending is VERY disturbing, and worth seeing for that reason alone. If you want to watch one the real classic Darkside episodes, go with the "grither" episode, the one Stephen King wrote about a phonecall, or my all time favorite, the truly scary "Ursa Minor".
12 Reviews
Effect and Cause
holt-lover1 April 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Jeff brings a set of unwanted paintings to Kate's apartment, and strange things begin to happen. First, an ambulance shows up at the apartment saying someone called reporting an injury, but nothing has happened, then as the paramedics are there, Kate falls down the stairs and hurts herself. Later, a delivery boy from the grocery store shows up even though no one called him, and insists she doesn't need the groceries, but as the delivery boy reads off each item, the same item in her kitchen disappears. More strange things keep happening, and Kate questions why things seem to keep happening in reverse order (effect then cause), and things go haywire.
Tales from the Darkside--Effect and Cause
Scarecrow-8814 April 2013
Warning: Spoilers
This tale, my friends, was a wild one. Not sure if it was entirely successful, but Effect and Cause certainly was rather original. An artist moving into a bad-in-need-of-renovations house notices that objects disappear and events happen before they're supposed to (paramedics in an ambulance arrive at her house "before" she falls down the stairs, a grocery delivery boy arrives "before" she needs food items (she watches them disappear as he reads off the items!)). Before long, chaos reigns and her house becomes a virtual powder keg ready to explode. The purpose behind all the wacky antics happening to Susan Strasberg is that, through her own theory, the universe really isn't as ordered as led to believe. In fact, Strasberg feels that we ourselves bring the control needed for the universe to remain ordered. If we just let go and allow the universe to run things chaos will be free to take over. She learns the hard way that perhaps order is needed or the universe will totally ruin your life. Strasberg's house has water spraying from the stove, the faucet shooting out flame (the stove and faucet, in essence, "switch places"), and objects "replacing" other objects. Oh, the doozy, is when a pair of keys (Strasberg's pal's keys; her friend performed by Ben Marley) vanishes and appears in a different place, and where Strasberg's telephone winds up after disappearing is a definite hoot. Strasberg was a lot of fun to watch for me anyway; she shows the exhilaration of such discoveries at the onset and then through the course of the episode steadily psychologically worsens until total horror wears on her face as the house literally comes unglued. The stove turns on, the door bell has a dangerous short, Susan trips over her paints, getting some white smeared over her face, and then sirens going off, men on the other side of her living room window, and the hint of a possible explosion. So matters get out of hand and the show ends with us left unsettled by how the universe really does need order or *this* could happen. Judith-Marie Bergan is Janet, Strasberg's sister; Janet has her share of problems with Strasberg, primarily because she feels that her sister should drop the flower-child/hippie routine and get a real job, accepting responsibility in "the real world". The episode does view Strasberg as a hippie who has rejected conventional ways to live in society, and through her willingness to accept the universe as unordered pays the price. Well, the plot is quite a mindful and needed to really follow through to be totally effective, but there's something there, I think, that is rather interesting. What if we were to allow the universe to have control and no longer cause order to stay in place? Strasberg, for whatever reason not quite established (perhaps she is more susceptible to chaos in the universe because she doesn't live conventionally or with order?), is able to see the universe as it truly is when no longer confined by order. It can be kind of heady. I'm not sure folks who watch Tales from the Darkside are quite prepared for a tale quite like Effect and Cause. It has quite a wacky story to tell. There's a hint that perhaps the root cause of what transpires might be a series of painted canvases that Strasberg planned to use for her own work to save money. Bad karma invited could beckon chaos?
Effective moments but an ineffective story
michaelmallory-5782524 May 2023
"Effect and Cause" is almost a mini-metaphor for "Tales from the Darkside" overall: it has its creepy moments, but also flounders in amateurish production values. The series strong point was always its casts, though it was "Summer Stock" casting, with one or two big name actors, often miscast, supported by unknowns. The big name in "Effect and Cause" is Susan Strasberg, who is badly miscast in a stereotypical young, kooky ditz role. Her relationship with the other characters is vague at best, but the biggest problem is that the script really makes no sense at all. Written by Michael Kube-McDowell (not to be confused with the more successful horror writer Michael McDowell, who also wrote for the show), it sets up an intriguing situation but offers no explanation whatsoever as to why it is happening. It apparently has something to do with paintings, but maybe not. Director Mark Jean makes the most of several scare moments, but again, there is little attempt to rationalize what's going on. As for the ending...well, a lot of "TFTD" episodes didn't really end, they simply stopped, and this is a prime example.
Not bad, not great.
shellytwade23 January 2022
This one has a really decent premise but unfortunately goes a little off the rails with delivering it's ideas with clarity. Still it has some cool ideas behind and some good jumpy moments. It's definitely not the best from the series but it's far from the worst and you can't help what it could have become with another rewrite or two.
Zinc Oxide and You
Gislef23 July 2023
Warning: Spoilers
This episode reminds me of that segment of 'Kentucky Fried Movie'. Things start disappearing basically because some omnipotent and essentially unseen narrator says so. The beginning and end have effect following cause, but why does it all start? Who knows? And then in the middle, things just start disappearing and/or changing. Again, why? Who knows? It apparently starts when main character Kate starts painting over some paintings. And one has the face of a screaming woman, which later appears in a jump scare. Is the whole painting-over thing starting the reality-changing thing? Again, who knows?
Some people describe this as a comedy, but there's nothing funny about it. The hapless character gets in over her head, and comes to a bad end. She's a little flaky, but doesn't deserve her bad end. She learns nothing, she doesn't get a second chance to turn her life around. She just... dies, in a semi-ironic manner.
The episode reminded me of a lot of Darkside episodes, where there's no point. Someone gets a strange ability, or something strange happens to them, they tamper "in God's domain", suffer an ironic end, and that's 30 minutes over.
But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong. What do you think?
Some people describe this as a comedy, but there's nothing funny about it. The hapless character gets in over her head, and comes to a bad end. She's a little flaky, but doesn't deserve her bad end. She learns nothing, she doesn't get a second chance to turn her life around. She just... dies, in a semi-ironic manner.
The episode reminded me of a lot of Darkside episodes, where there's no point. Someone gets a strange ability, or something strange happens to them, they tamper "in God's domain", suffer an ironic end, and that's 30 minutes over.
But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong. What do you think?
Muddled Tales from the Darkside episode.
poolandrews7 April 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Tales from the Darkside: Effect and Cause starts as David (Ben Marley) drops some old paintings off at his friend Kate's (Susan Strasberg) home for her to paint over & reuse the canvas. Then bizarrely there's a knock at her front door & two paramedics standing there ask David where the person who fell down the stairs & hurt themselves are, David is confused & suggests they have the wrong house but then behind them Kate falls down the stairs & breaks her leg. Just a coincidence? Maybe but the strange events continue to happen as the physical effect happens without or before the cause...
Episode 11 from season 2 this Tales from the Darkside story was directed by Mark Jean & like a lot of Tales from the Darkside episodes Effect and Cause has a neat little fantasy based premise but really doesn't do much with it. The script by Michael Kube-McDowell has a certain novelty value & a potentially interesting premise but there's a lot of silly exposition will will lose most viewers & the whole Effect and Cause phenomenon doesn't come across that well, it feels more like random things happening with only the paramedics arriving before Kate's accident coming across like an effect before a cause. The twist ending isn't that great either & it's never made clear why erasing the paintings sets the whole situation off, in fact there's very little reason behind anything in Effect and Cuase which maybe is deliberate in an attempt to mirror the premise of the episode itself, or maybe not.
Like most Tales from the Darkside episodes there's no scares & it's more of a Twilight Zone fantasy story, at least they are short only lasting twenty odd minutes each. Also like usual the entire story takes place in single location. The late actress Strasberg was at the tail end of her career when she starred in this.
Effect and Cause could have been a clever little episode if it hadn't bogged itself down with confusing exposition & a novelty plot that wears thin after the first ten minutes.
Episode 11 from season 2 this Tales from the Darkside story was directed by Mark Jean & like a lot of Tales from the Darkside episodes Effect and Cause has a neat little fantasy based premise but really doesn't do much with it. The script by Michael Kube-McDowell has a certain novelty value & a potentially interesting premise but there's a lot of silly exposition will will lose most viewers & the whole Effect and Cause phenomenon doesn't come across that well, it feels more like random things happening with only the paramedics arriving before Kate's accident coming across like an effect before a cause. The twist ending isn't that great either & it's never made clear why erasing the paintings sets the whole situation off, in fact there's very little reason behind anything in Effect and Cuase which maybe is deliberate in an attempt to mirror the premise of the episode itself, or maybe not.
Like most Tales from the Darkside episodes there's no scares & it's more of a Twilight Zone fantasy story, at least they are short only lasting twenty odd minutes each. Also like usual the entire story takes place in single location. The late actress Strasberg was at the tail end of her career when she starred in this.
Effect and Cause could have been a clever little episode if it hadn't bogged itself down with confusing exposition & a novelty plot that wears thin after the first ten minutes.
Messy Storyline
claudio_carvalho4 April 2022
The aspirant painter Kate Collins (Susan Strasberg) lives in a chaotic life style, and meets frequently her friend, the school teacher David (Ben Marley), at home. When she has an accident at the stairway of her apartment, her sister Janet (Judith-Marie Bergan) helps her. One day, she finds that she has the ability to change reality and her life turns upside down.
"Effect and Cause" is a messy episode of "Tales from the Darkside". The plot does not make sense and is absolutely forgettable. My vote is four.
Title (Brazil): "Effect and Cause"
"Effect and Cause" is a messy episode of "Tales from the Darkside". The plot does not make sense and is absolutely forgettable. My vote is four.
Title (Brazil): "Effect and Cause"
Nifty episode
Woodyanders18 September 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Struggling hippie artist Kate Collins (an excellent and appealing performance by Susan Strasberg) has her life turned upside down after she discovers that she has the ability to live backwards. Director Mark Jean, working from an offbeat and intriguing script by Michael Kube-McDowell, relates the compelling oddball story at a steady pace, nicely explores the premise of bad karma, and builds a good deal of tension as the plot unfolds towards a genuinely chilling surprise downbeat ending. Strasberg's vibrant and charming presence clearly dominates the quirky proceedings as her character makes a gradual transition from excited to frightened. Ben Marley as sweet loyal friend David and Judith-Marie Bergan as Kate's fed-up sister Janet offer sturdy support. Moreover, there's even a provocative central message about the perils of altering reality. A cool show.
Devoid of interest
Leofwine_draca5 June 2015
Another unwise comedy episode of TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE, EFFECT AND CAUSE tells the tale of a scatterbrained young woman who has a passion for painting. Unfortunately the woman is also an accident prone figure as seen in a series of groan-inducing slapstick routines, but in addition she has weird things constantly happening at her home. It soon transpires that her paintings have the power to influence reality, and she must decide what to do with her gift.
Susan Strasberg was a well-known actress of her era (her father was Lee Strasberg, who ran an actor's school that pretty much all of the most famous actors around went to) who started out in the likes of Hammer's psychological thriller A TASTE OF FEAR. I guess she had to pay the bills in her later years which is why we see her appearing in this piece of fluff.
Susan Strasberg was a well-known actress of her era (her father was Lee Strasberg, who ran an actor's school that pretty much all of the most famous actors around went to) who started out in the likes of Hammer's psychological thriller A TASTE OF FEAR. I guess she had to pay the bills in her later years which is why we see her appearing in this piece of fluff.
Lack Luster
pinkviola15 June 2021
My interpretation
dave-4871114 April 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Kate's theories about what's happening in her house are probably wrong. I think it's simple: the paintings were angered about the fact she was going to erase them, so they lashed out at her by haunting her, bending reality around her, and ultimately murdering her horribly. This was confirmed for me at the end of the episode by the appearance of the painting she previously erased.
As for why the paintings were haunted? Who knows. Maybe the painter who did them put some sort of spell on them, or maybe it was specifically only the creepy, black-hair painting that was haunted. This show isn't afraid to leave things unexplained which I think is cool. It adds to the mystery.
As for why the paintings were haunted? Who knows. Maybe the painter who did them put some sort of spell on them, or maybe it was specifically only the creepy, black-hair painting that was haunted. This show isn't afraid to leave things unexplained which I think is cool. It adds to the mystery.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
