Mr. Bigelow awakens in what appears to be his apartment, but it turns out to be a replicate, a "simulacrum" imprisoning him until he can completely, unequivocally gives up smoking, the face of Mr. Synapses (Sam Anderson, always ace at laying out a smugness that gets under the skin) on a television screen his "guide" through the process, a smoke alarm going off each time he lights up a cigarette (a test of his willpower, lots of packs of cigarettes are supplied periodically as means to tease him). Bars on the windows, bars on the exit door, and each time Bigelow lights up a cigarette, he is punished, creature comforts (radio, chairs, bed, etc) are removed until nothing is left except wooden floor and empty shelves/cabinets. Soon a torn hole in the wall (Bigelow by doing this realizes the apartment isn't real) reveals the voice of a job colleague Matthews who seems to be an ally against the no-smoking program (Synapses tells Bigelow their success rate is 100%), trying to negotiate cigarettes for certain details that are supposed to help him achieve the ability to smoke in peace—but it is obvious that this is only another part of the program to help Bigelow stop smoking. Like many other episodes of Tales from the Darkside, this is essentially a one-man show with actor Richard Romanus fighting his captors with everything he has so he can continue his habit. He tears apart a ridiculously large smoke alarm, ripping out its guts to no avail. It is a satire on the extremities behind kicking a habit through the means of a program that uses unorthodox methods to "heal" their clients. The twist at the end, regarding his exhilarating taste of a hot cup of coffee, puts the finishing touches on a rather amusing episode. Nothing spectacular, but certainly an interesting take on helping someone defeat a habit that can kill you.
Review of Bigalow's Last Smoke
