One lives in constant terror of deadly viruses and survival in the midst of a catastrophic epidemic. But what if the virus’s origins are proven to be alien? Is it possible to have enough faith in the alien to find a solution, or are they doomed? ‘Glim Glim’ is the 13th episode of the horror anthology show ‘Monsters’ [1988 – 1990], which deals with a new monster in each story and dabbles in extraterrestrial invasions and science fiction.
The alien monster ‘Glib Glib,’ who may be a friend or a foe, is the subject of this segment, directed by Peter Stein. This episode tells an intriguing story about monsters and viruses that is well worth seeing!
Glim-Glim: The Misunderstood Monster
As the episode opens, the camera zooms into civilization and focuses on a family of three, who watch a TV show ‘Monsters’. As the opening credits roll, the shot pans towards the television, where the story of ‘Glim-Glim’ begins.
Two men and a young girl sneaking into a room through a window, which we learn is the basement to a library. One of the men, Carl, does not seem too happy about it and complains about the monster living upstairs. In a parallel scene, we get a glimpse at the green monster residing right above the basement. As they settle down, the young girl, Amy, says that she can hear the monster in the reading room. Carl calls her a weird kid and even blames the monster for something terrible that has happened to Amy’s mother. Amy’s father asks her to go look out the window and warns Carl to stop bringing up his dead wife.
It appears that the alien monster’s arrival caused a virus, and they had to watch everyone around them die. The plague had also caused Carl’s father’s death and he was determined to make it pay.
In a parallel scene, the monster makes movements and speaks in a strange language that the men cannot figure out. The audience learns that the monster is trying to understand human civilization. It has used the library to find a power source and is also aware of the humans hiding in the basement. He tries to find ways to approach them and is aware that they are frightened of him.
Meanwhile, an annoyed Carl just wants to escape and fears that the monster will end up killing him. Amy calls for her father while he tries to calm Carl down, and asks him to be grateful for surviving until now. We can resonate with their worries and the isolated life they are forced to lead due to a virus.
While Amy and her father look outside, the alien expresses worries about human armies breaking down his force field. It appears that the monster put up a force field to contain all inhabitants within the area, and is afraid that the human armies will break it down.
As the two men brainstorm over the plaque, they explore the possibility that if the alien dies they could be sealed within the force field forever.
As night falls, Amy waits for the two men to doze off before she sneaks out of the basement. She approaches the reading room and comes across the monster. She names the monster ‘Glim-Glim’, as it spots her and approaches her. The monster intertwined his limb with Amy’s fingers, and the two become friends.
The next day, the duo decides to sneak a look into the library while Glim-Glim goes outside for a while. They ask Amy to keep a watch and warn them when the monster returns. She agrees and even reassuringly says that the monster won’t hurt them.
The men look around the library and find that the monster has been reading up about human nature, to learn more about them. They suspect that the monster is looking for ways to kill them, and they look around to find more about it. However, they come across a severed head of an acquaintance ‘Harry Baker’ and even find the rest of his body laid across a table. As they move towards the body, they find Glim-Glim lurking in a corner and escape the library.
The monster continues to log records of his stay, and it appears that he has found the cause of the human deaths. The monster states that the deaths were caused by an intestinal liquid in his body, that does not harm his species but is lethal to humans, who he refers to as ‘the aliens’. He further records that the force field will soon fail due to a lack of batteries and that the virus will contaminate the planet. Glim-Glim also talks about Amy, as she does not fear him and he wishes to find a way to communicate with her.
Meanwhile, the men return to the basement and Carl reveals that he stole guns to attack the monster. In a parallel scene, the monster continues to log the events as it looks for a way to get the humans to trust him.
We learn that three humans survived because of the antibodies created by their bodies that fought off the “six square nine” virus. The monster is determined to replicate its immune system to find a way to fight the virus. One cannot help but pity the monster rather than fear it, as it just longs for a way to put an end to the virus and return to its planet and its family. It even feels guilty for causing so many deaths on earth and is regretful of the situation.
As night falls, Amy once again sneaks to meet Glim Glim and tries to teach the monster how to write. While the two men doze off, the monster communicates with Amy and tells her that it needs assistance in making medicine that will help fight the virus. The monster asks Amy for some blood to study their immune system and she agrees.
They ponder over ways to get Carl and her father to trust the monster when Amy hatches a plan. She returns to the basement, while Glim Glim builds something that could convince the two men that he is on their side. As night falls, Amy returns to the library and Glim Glim asks her to give blood right away. Amy agrees; while her father awakens from his sleep and watches as the monster draws her blood.
He returns to the basement to awaken Carl, and the two men approach the monster with guns in their hands. They inquire about Amy’s whereabouts and upon getting no reply from the monster, they shoot him dead and continue to look for the little girl.
They find her safe and sound, while she plugs in the Christmas Tree that Glim Glim made overnight. While Amy keeps asking for her friend, the men realize that it’s Christmas Eve. As the camera pans towards Glim Glim, he lies lifeless with a handwritten ‘Merry Christmas’ card in his hand.
Why you should watch ‘Glim-Glim’?
Released during the festive season, ‘Glim Glim’ was labeled as the ‘Saddest Christmas Episode’ of the show. The episode dives into a tale of isolation, being stuck in unfamiliar places and situations, and survival in the worst of times. With a runtime of just 21 minutes, it explores not only a world with an alien monster but also deals with loneliness, the death of dear ones, and isolation in a realistic manner.
The virus and pandemic-like situation also make it a rather relatable watch as we can understand the terror of the survivors while they escape the virus. The story is quite ahead of its time, and the actors do a brilliant job of bringing it to life. This episode ends on a rather sad note and makes for an emotional watch with a festive touch. If you enjoy tales of monsters and alien invasions, ‘Glim Glim’ is a thoroughly enjoyable watch!