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Gray Matter Recap

In a small-town grocery store, Chief Connors boards up the doors against a coming hurricane. He walks by a board filled with posters of missing pets. Inside, Doc and Dixie Parmalee are playing cards. A boy, Timmy Grenadine, comes in and asks Dixie if she has any beer for his father Richie. Dixie goes to get it, and Connors and Doc joke about Doc's wife walking out on him 28 years ago. The owner brings a case of the beer back, and Doc notes that the town is practically dead. Dixie notes that the case is covered with mold, and Connors says that no matter what he does to get rid of it, it keeps coming back.

On the radio, the announcer says that due to the weather, the police have suspended the search for the missing Grady twins. Dixie notes that the dollar bills Timmy is paying for the beer are covered in grey slime. Noting that the boy appears nervous, Dixie asks him if everything is okay. Timmy says that Riche has changed and is real sick, and he tells them that he never wants to go back. Dixie tells him to stay there, and tells Connors to check on Richie. Richie agrees, but Timmy tells them not to go. He then asks them if they would really do it, and Dixie gets Timmy some food because he looks starved. Connors tells Doc that a man saw something in the sewers years ago that spooked him, and Timmy has the same look. He remembers that his father told him there are things in the world that if someone gets a clear look at them, they'll go insane. Doc notes that after Richie's wife Martha ran out in the middle of a storm and died, Richie has never been the same since.

Dixie makes Timmy eggs and the electricity goes out from the storm. She persuades Timmy to tell her what happened, and the boy says that it started a few years ago after Martha died.

Richie drinks and tells Timmy that a real man never cries. He started drinking constantly and finally got fired for drinking on the job. One night, Richie wakes Timmy up and tells him that he knows he's been no good and he's sorry, and he's going to quit and be Timmy's daddy again.

Dixie figures that Richie didn't quit and says that she's sorry. Timmy tells her that was the beginning of Richie changing, not the end.

Connors and Doc go to the Grenadine house.

Timmy says that Richie only became good for drinking contests and that's how they paid their bills.

Richie gets a beer from the refrigerator. He notices Timmy watching him and says that one day he's going to quit. The boy closes his bedroom door and hears Richie swear. Richie vomits in the sink, and finds grey goo in his mouth and laughs.

The next morning, Timmy checks on Richie and finds him unconscious on the kitchen floor. The beer can near Richie's hand is covered in grey goo, and the inside of the can smells rotten. Timmy covers Richie over with a blanket and leaves. Two days later, Timmy finds Richie sitting in the living room watching soap operas. Richie asks Timmy to shut the shades and buy him a case of beer.

Two weeks later, Richie continues bringing Richie a case of beer. Richie never left his chair and continued watching his soaps. One day, Richie calls Timmy in and tells him to turn off the bedroom light. He tells his son to study at a friend's house, after he blacks out the windows. Timmy says that he really misses Martha, and Richie just tells him to go.

Dixie says that Timmy has to tell them what's happening with Richie so they can get him help.

Connors and Doc arrive at the house and go up to the second floor where the Grenadines live. They call to Richie, saying they have his beer, and find the door broken down and covered in grey slime. Connors draws a gun and they go inside. The banister is covered in slime and the radiator is running full blast.

Timmy tells Dixie that Richie told him to heat up his beer and wanted the radiators on full-blast.

One day Timmy comes home and finds Richie fully wrapped up in his blanket. Richie says that he doesn't know what's happening to him, but it feels kind of nice. He forbids Timmy from calling the doctor or he'll touch the boy and make him like Richie, and Timmy runs out.

Connors and Doc find beer cans all over the apartment and a smell of rot.

Timmy begs Dixie not to tell her what happened to her father, but Dixie insists that Martha would want him to.

Coming home, Timmy and sees Richie feeding on something.

The house is covered in grey slime, and animal bones lay in the kitchen.

Timmy says that Richie wanted more than just beer. He says that what scared him is what his father is going to do, and explains that he brought the Grady twins to Richie.

Doc vomits in the sink and finds what's left of the twins.

Dixie asks Timmy what Richie is going to do.

Connors and Doc hear something moving behind a bedroom door. The chief orders Richie out, saying that he's under arrest. The door opens and the mutated slime-covered creature that was Richie moves in behind the two men. It falls on Connors, killing him, and Doc runs as the Richie-creature turns to face him and divides down the middle.

Doc returns and says that they have to go. Dixie calculates how long they have until the Richie-creature and all of its spawn overwhelm the planet. She figures that they have six days until the end of everything. The creature bursts in through the ceiling, grabs Doc, and drags him up screaming.

Written by Gadfly on Nov 30, 2019

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