Friday the 13th: The Series: A Cup of Time (1987)
Season 1, Episode 4
7/10
Coffee, tea, or death?
1 July 2009
Warning: Spoilers
A social worker friend expresses her concerns about a rash of unsolved murders of homeless people to the Curious Goods gang. They discover that the killer is actually an up-and-coming rock star who has found a fountain of youth of sorts in the bottom of a cursed teacup which transfers the youth and vitality of its victims to the owner.

Not a lot of people seem to like "A Cup of Time," but I actually did. It's so campy and over-the-top it's hard for me to not get some enjoyment out of it. I find it's rather unique premise to be somewhat intriguing and it spotlights the 80's hair metal scene, which I also admittedly love.

As I said before, what makes this episode so much fun is the camp factor. You have Jack, for some reason, trying to breed hamsters and being chased by a love-struck social worker who even dresses seductively to try and get his attention. We have Ryan listening to loud 80's metal, the ultra-cheesy Lady Die; the name alone is enough to elicit chuckles, much less her performance and the stereotypical hard-nosed gruff detective who thinks Micki and Ryan are to blame. There's also a girl with spiked hair who really makes the most of the one line she's given. Finally, we have a child runaway who is just too cute to be believable.

I almost totally forgot about the plot. The events that unfold in this episode have our heroes barging into a morgue to question a detective who would later arrest them in a "Three's Company" style misunderstanding. Birdie, the social worker, dresses in a Flashdance-inspired outfit to try to win over Jack (and actually, she looks good in it) and constantly complains about being old. The hard-rock send-up of "I'm A Little Teapot" is not to be missed, as is Ryan's one-liner about the death of Fat Eddie. While on that subject, were we really supposed to believe that his bones had been left in that house for two years?

The one scene that takes the cake is the chase between an ancient Lady Die and Birdie in the park. Not only is it hilarious, but the age makeup on Lady Die is so bad that she looks like a witch. Perhaps this was their intention? I will give them points for somewhat convincingly portraying Birdie's dilemma about using the teacup for herself. It at least showed the real truth that sometimes even good people can be momentarily seduced by power.

"A Cup of Time" can be lots of fun as long as you don't take it seriously, but then again this episode pays tribute to an era that holds a special place in my heart. I could see how it wouldn't be for everyone.
7 out of 8 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Recently Viewed