"Tales from the Crypt" Operation Friendship (TV Episode 1994) Poster

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4/10
One of the worst episode from the entire show.
poolandrews6 August 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Tales from the Crypt: Operation Friendship tells the story of computer programmer Nelson DeMears (Tate Donovan) who is pushed around & taken advantage of at work by his colleagues while he has no social life or friends apart from the imaginary Eddie (Peter Dobson). Then one day all that changes when the beautiful Jane (Michelle Burke) moves into the apartment across the hall & they quickly fall in love with each other. Nelson's imaginary friend Eddie is not prepared to stand by & let Jane steal Nelson from him, in fact Eddie is longer happy just to be an imaginary friend anymore & decides to take a more prominent role...

This Tales from the Crypt story was episode 4 from season 6, directed by Roland Mesa I have to say that I thought Operation Friendship is probably one of my least favourite episodes from this once great series, unfortunately it is widely accepted that season six & seven were definitely low points in the show's history compared to what had came before. Of course there were still the odd great episode here & there but then there was also the odd total stinker like Operation Friendship & coming straight after another stinker in Whirlpool (1994) there has now been two poor episodes in a row although the next episode Revenge is the Nuts (1994) get the show back on track. The script by Rob Ross was based on a story from the 'Tales from the Crypt' comic book & is basically a strange little story about a computer geek & his imaginary friend who doesn't intend to stay imaginary forever. There's no horror content which is maybe the most disappointing aspect, it's largely played for laughs but since it's not funny in any way it doesn't work in that regard & to be brutally honest it's a pretty dull twenty five minutes apart from the always entertaining opening & closing Cryptkeeper sequences. The story has a really odd twist ending which isn't that dark or ironic & doesn't really make a whole lot of sense, did no-one not notice that Nelson looked totally different at the end? A really disappointing episode that I couldn't even describe as horror themed.

Unusually there is not one single drop of blood in Operation Friendship, there are no scares, there is no violence & in maybe a Tales from the Crypt first not one single person dies or is killed on screen. Generally well made but unremarkable there's no style or substance here.

Operation Friendship is a hugely disappointing Tales from the Crypt episode, I didn't like it at all to be honest but then I do like the ghoulish horror themed episodes with dark twists which Operation Friendship most certainly isn't.
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9/10
Among the really entertaining episodes in the entire show
bellino-angelo201410 July 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Mild mannered and talented computer programmer Nelson DeMears (Tate Donovan) is without friends and taken advantage of by his colleagues because of its nature. After a very bad day at work he returns home and finds his loud and obnoxious imaginary friend Eddie that he had since childhood. Nelson soon falls for his cute neighbour Jane (who recently moved in in his condominium floor) and even proposes her to dinner but Eddie puts himself in the way. Fortunately only Nelson can see and hear him because Eddie is a real pain in the neck. When Eddie thinks that Nelson doesn't need him anymore, one night he shows Nelson (while he is in bed with his girlfriend already asleep) the people who mocked him in the past and only Eddie helped him going through the mocking. After Eddie kinda throws Nelson out of the window, we see the next day that Nelson has a new personality: he is more open, capable to respond adequately to his colleagues and boss' taunts and not at all the wimp he used to be!

This episode was very funny especially when Nelson had problems with the invisible Eddie as it reminded me a lot of movies with similar situations (such as GHOST with Patrick Swayze) and the ending... I have to talk about it. See, when Eddie kinda threw Nelson out of the window it looked a bit like a merging window. So, Nelson fell in Eddie's vortex and it achieved his personality. That is probably the main reason why I loved this episode and can't understand its low score of 5,7 right now.
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8/10
Enjoyable comic episode
Woodyanders9 August 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Meek and nerdy computer programmer Nelson (a solid and likable performance by Tate Donovan) falls for adorable new neighbor Jane (a perky and appealing portrayal by the attractive Michelle Rene Thomas), but has his love life hampered by his obtrusive and irritating imaginary friend Eddie (robustly played to the amusingly obnoxious hilt by Peter Dobson). Director Roland Mesa, working from a sweet script by Rob Ross, relates the charming story at a snappy pace, maintains an amiably lighthearted tone throughout, and milks the pleasant humor in an able and effective manner. The sturdy acting by the capable cast rates as another real plus: Donovan and Thomas do engaging work in the lead roles, with fine support from John Caponera as Nelson's smooth'n'smarmy coworker Jack. Peter Bernstein's bouncy score keeps it bubbling along. The slick cinematography by Levie Isaacks provides an impressive glossy look. The ending is a total hoot. A cute show.
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