Ep 11. Surprise Party

During the 1994 season of the horror anthology series, Tales From the Crypt aired an eleventh episode titled "Surprise Party". The episode is centered around a wealthy businessman named Roger who is on the brink of celebrating his 40th birthday. He's an abrasive, power-hungry man who's managed to amass a great deal of wealth and success throughout his life, but he's got a deep dark secret - he's cheating on his wife. To feed his affair with a younger woman, Linda, he's been using company funds which, if discovered, would lead to his ruin.

Roger's wife Mildred discovers the affair and becomes enraged, but bides her time to exact her revenge on her disloyal husband on his 40th birthday. She throws a surprise party for him in the office, inviting all of his colleagues and peers along with Linda. The party starts off well but takes a dark turn when Linda presents Roger with a gift certificate which is actually a blackmail note. The note explains that if Roger doesn't leave his wife and children, the affair would be revealed to the CEO along with the financial scandals that he's creating using company money. Roger is distraught and embarrassed and his colleagues start to abandon him.

As the party progresses, things get worse for Roger. His wife unleashes her final plan, where she hires a stripper that looks like Linda and Roger believes it to be her. The stripper is meant to give him a present and enact his fantasy of being with Linda, but when she rips off her mask and reveals herself to be Mildred, Roger is horrified. Mildred brings out a cake that looks like her husband with a knife in his back and presents it to the guests. They all laugh and leave, but Roger remains haunted by the experience.

In the end, Roger, who is fully disillusioned by his own reality and has a guilty consciousness, attempts to take his own life. However, his failed suicide attempt leads him to a realization that he was not a good person and deserved what he got. Mildred leaves him with a mirror, exhorting him that the only person he has to face is himself and the person he had become. Roger is left to face his own demons.

"Surprise Party" is a chilling episode that delves deep into the psychology of revenge, greed, and selfishness. It presents us with a character that is unabashedly unlikable, but still manages to make him relatable through his inner thoughts and struggles. The episode also manages to surprise the audience with its twists and turns, leading to a satisfying conclusion that leaves behind a haunting message. Overall, it's an excellent episode that is sure to make viewers shiver with dread.