Pickman’s Model
Rebecca is taken to Arkham in 1909, where she meets an artist named Will who’s forced to make a quick getaway in the morning to avoid being seen by the woman’s father. The artist is desperate to create something beautiful, but he’s quickly overwhelmed by the conditions and the people around him. He’s forced to make choices that could have serious consequences, and he soon realizes that he can’t keep living in a world where art is outlawed.
Richard Pickman, an old man who has his portrait drawn, hangs around the cemetery. Will visits him late that night to get a closer look.
The artist, Pickman, is quick to show off sketches of a demonic creature, the manifestation of corruption and misery? Or is it something more?
Richard’s work has a disturbing effect on Will the following night. He ends up seeing Richard’s work first-hand over at his place, and with the light swinging across the portrait, he spins out of control and heads outside, promptly throwing up on the floor.
Will wakes up in his room, and begins seeing strange ethereal figures. One of which shows up right behind Rebecca’s father’s head, which gives him quite the fright.
Rebecca is angry after Will embarrasses himself at the party. She points out how important this meeting was to her and how he’s screwed everything up.
In 1926, Will is a respected scholar and married to Rebecca. His son is quite the artist, but he still experiences horrible nightmares which haven’t dissipated since his time at college. A picture he receives from Richard Pickman is written off, but Pickman returns with a vengeance, much to Will’s dismay.
Pickman is a prolific artist who has also brought along a few of his paintings. Will refuses to indulge these pictures, believing them to be a bad omen. However, Pickman shows up at Will’s place that night and starts painting.
James reminds Will of himself after an unnerving dinner and beyond.
Pickman leads Will through a narrow passageway, covered with sketches on each of the walls. This alone causes Will to begin panicking and spiraling out of control.
Will tries to reach for his sketchbook but Pickman shoots him dead. As the man bleeds out on the floor, he tells Will that the spirits work through him and they’re not a product of his imagination – but actually real. And now, they’re coming for Will.
With that, a demonic creature rises out of the well and notices the place on fire, a product of Will’s panic a little earlier in the chapter. Anyway, it pulls Pickman’s body into the well, feasting in delight, while Will rushes away.
Willis is not safe and when he notices Joe across the gallery some time later, his face is disfigured with one eye hanging out. Will is enraged and immediately wants Pickman’s work to be destroyed. He implores Gabriel, one of the workers at the gallery, to burn them all and not look at them.
When Will heads home, he tells Rebecca he’s going to do better but she’s too busy chopping in the kitchen. Her face is a mangled mess, her eyes are missing.
The woman tells Will that he’ll spoil their meal if he’s not careful. “Soon we will feast.” She says, giggling away while the oven smokes. So where is James? Well… inside the oven. Will is shocked, bringing this gory episode to a close. ..
The episode is set in a small town in the middle of nowhere and it’s clear that the residents are scared and paranoid. The townspeople are constantly on edge and they seem to have no idea what’s going on. The only thing that seems to be making them feel better is the art that’s being displayed in the town square. It’s a nice touch to have a Gothic horror edge to the show, it really sets it apart from other shows out there.
The story is well-told and the camera work and cinematography are excellent. The ending is left open-ended, but it works well to keep the story thought-provoking.
