The temptation will perpetually be with us for one reason: our minds can not stop thinking about what might happen if we don’t. We want to picture what our lives might be like if we made a different decision or took a bigger risk, and the thrill of the prospect may lead us to interesting places. After all, we all fall prey to temptation from time to time, and the end result is either delight or regret.
However, while temptation is a part of our daily lives, it is important to analyze if it is a condition that simply affects humans. Sure, it is easy to imagine that such a concept may apply to our pets, but let us take it a step further and investigate the great conundrum known as the Afterlife. Do those non-corporeal forms of humanity have the same trappings as we do in life, and are they as prone to temptation as we are? In the intriguing episode ‘The Yattering and Jack,’ Tales from the Darkside decided to study this topic.
‘Tales from the Darkside,’ a horror anthology series created by renowned horror filmmaker George A. Romero, delves into the macabre, but frequently with a twist. The show, which has a small budget but a significant cult audience, explores horror and paranormal tales and hosts a number of well-known performers. Many episodes of ‘Tales From the Darkside’ are based on stories by Stephen King, John Cheever, Clive Barker, and Harlan Ellison, among others. Following the series, a feature film called ‘Tales From the Darkside: The Movie’ was released.
Tales From The Darkside – The Yattering and Jack Explored
The episode starts with eerie theme music and an introduction to the show. The scene changes to a Christmas tree, with lively Christmas music playing in the background. A strong gust of wind knocks some books off a shelf and disturbs the water inside a fish tank. A rod slams into a painting before falling to the ground. Jack Polo (played by Tony Carbone), cheerfully singing ‘Deck the halls,’ opens the door, entering the house. He keeps the bag he’s carrying before looking into a mirror that promptly cracks. He remarks on the house’s foundation and walks inside.
Suddenly, we see the Yattering (played by Phil Fondacaro) flash in the broken mirror. The episode originally aired on Phil Fondacaro’s birthday. Jack sees the mess created by the gust of wind and wonders if the raccoons caused it. Just then, another frame behind him comes crashing to the ground, and he says, “Que sera sera .”Jack then notices the fish inside the tank boiled to death and wonders if the thermostat needs to be changed. As he turns away, the books under the fish tank fall to the ground, and Jack seems irritated.
Just then, Amanda (played by Danielle Brisebois) opens the door to the house, and Jack goes up to her. We see the Yattering destroying a throw cushion on the couch for a split second. Jack tells Amanda that she is supposed to be spending Christmas with her mother, that he’s surprised to see her, and that he’s been having a difficult time. Amanda tells her father that she doesn’t want him to spend Christmas alone.
Jack tells her that he bought a turkey, took the tree out, and decorated it. Overjoyed at this, Amanda goes to the living room, only to find it in a terrible state. Jack tells her that it’s just him being clumsy, but Amanda refuses to believe him. Jack disagrees, and the pair leave the room.
As soon as they go, the Yattering appears and tries to follow them but cannot open the door. Scowling, he scratches the door. Amanda, hearing the scratching sound, comes back to the living room and shows her dad the damage on the door. Jack lies and tells her those are old marks and hands her a gift. Actress Danielle Brisebois, who plays Amanda, also played Janie Benett in The Premonition.
Amanda opens the gift and gasps as she sees the pearl necklace inside the box; Jack tells her the pearls are not genuine, but Amanda, overjoyed, hugs her father. The duo hears carolers at the door and goes to sing with them. The Yattering appears, distressed by the sound of the carols and pleas to Lord Beelzebub to make it stop as Lord Beelzebub makes an entrance and tells the Yattering to shut up because all hell is murky with the echo of his yattering.
The Yattering tells Lord Beelzebub that he cannot snatch jack’s soul and believes him to be some kind of saint. Beelzebub informs the Yattering that Jack is not a saint but a pickle salesman and will eventually break like everyone else in the presence of evil.
The Yattering disagrees and tells Beelzebub that he has tried everything. Jack’s response to his creative attacks is Que sera sera, which means ‘what will be, will be in Italian and is a charm against disappointment. The demon then requests permission to touch Jack, and Beelzebub shows the Yattering a Treaty of the job and informs him the penalty for touching is slavery. He also tells the demon that he will suffer for all of eternity if he fails before disappearing.
Jack and Amanda come back inside the house, and Amanda smells a pungent smell inside the house. Jack reckons that it’s probably the drains. Suddenly, the grocery bag in Jack’s hand begins moving, and the featherless turkey starts gobbling and flies atop the Christmas tree.
Jack attempts to calm Amanda down and pours them a drink. He remarks that the only possible explanation for all the strange stuff happening is a poltergeist, but he doesn’t believe in things like that. Amanda insists there’s something evil, but her father tells her they’re going to have to live with it and says Que sera sera. Amanda begins to protest, but Jack shuts her down and tells her he is trying to take life as it comes and trying not to let all the eerie events go to his head. Suddenly the Yattering snarls, and the turkey begins gobbling again.
The Christmas tree moves rapidly, and gifts under the tree start flying at Jack. Jack shouts and swats the gifts away as Amanda watches. The two then decide to go out for a walk, and Beezlebub appears again and informs the Yattering that he is about to fail, as Jack is planning on going back to his wife. The demon attempts to lock the two inside. Panicked, they decide to try the back door, but Jack quickly opens the front door and tricks the Yattering. Desperate, the demon holds on to Jack’s hand to stop him but becomes visible to Jack and Amanda because he breaks the rules.
Jack then drags the Yattering inside and shows him the mess inside his house; he is aware of all the rules and the demon’s identity, much to the Yattering’s surprise. Jack informs Amanda and the Yattering that the demons wanted him because his mother was a witch, before promptly ordering the Yattering to clean the house and make Christmas dinner.
Amanda is afraid Jack won’t go to heaven if he has a demon slave, but Jack isn’t worried and remarks, “Que sera sera.”
Who is the Yattering, and how does Jack know his identity?
The Yattering is a minor demon who is commanded to haunt Jack. The Yattering is after Jack because an ancestor broke a contract with the devil many years ago. Because the Yattering is a demon, he does not dress. The Yattering is nearly driven nuts attempting to corrupt Jack Polo because he ignores the Yattering and its creative attacks. Jack Polo is like this because he will suffer everlasting damnation regardless of what happens to him if he shows any negative feelings.
Meanwhile, if the lesser demon tormenting him actually assaults him without provocation (rather than just torturing him indirectly), it has breached the laws that govern it and must serve him for the rest of his life as punishment. This is precisely Jack’s intention throughout the exercise, albeit the Yattering realizes it is way too late to escape it.
Why should you watch Tales From The Darkside – The Yattering and Jack?
“The Yattering and Jack” is based on a creative and inventive premise. “The Yattering and Jack” benefits from both major characters’ father-daughter relationships. Amanda, in particular, shows a poignant worry for her father, whose casual attitude toward poltergeist activity originates from a loving, paternal wish to shield his daughter from a terrible family secret.
Working from a clever script by Clive Barker, director David Odell offers an excellent evocation of the yuletide spirit, relates the enjoyable story at a snappy pace, maintains a likable, lighthearted tone throughout, and further jazzes things up with an amusing sense of amiable off-the-wall humor. As Jack’s beautiful daughter Amanda, Danielle Brisebois provides solid support, while Thomas Newman assaults his juicy part as Beelzebub with wonderfully growly passion.
Best of all, there’s a heartfelt primary message about the lasting power of maintaining a positive view of life. This episode is one of the most cleverly written and played out of the entire series and becomes a must-watch for anyone who enjoys a sprinkle of the Christmas spirit mixed with some classic horror-comedy.