Till Death Do We Part

"What if? A gigolo romancing a mob-connected older woman eyes an attractive young waitress."

-- DVD description for the episode

Till Death Do We Part
Season	5
Episode	13
Airdate	December 8, 1993
Comic Source	The Haunt of Fear #12
Next Episode	Let the Punishment Fit the Crime

Plot

Smooth young gigolo Johnny Canaparo makes a living as the kept boy of dangerous mob-connected older woman Ruth Sanderson. Johnny incurs Ruth's lethal jealous wrath after Ruth finds out that Johnny has been romancing attractive young waitress Lucy Chadwick on the side.

Opening Segment

"Welcome back, spurts fans, to game seven of the world scaries. It's the Fright Sox versus the Boo Jays. I'm your announcer, Vin Skull-y. Can the sox keep their winning shriek alive? That's the big question today. Wait a minute, looks like there's going to be a pitching change. The Jays are bringing in their rot hander and while they do that, we'll take another look at the defense. We have ooze on first, guts on second and tonight's terror tale on third. It concerns a young lady who's pretty fond of die-amonds herself. And doesn't mind a little squeeze play to get 'em. I call it Till Death Do We Part."

Closing Segment

"That Lucy! What a cutup! I'll bet she wishes she were the one on the chopping spree. Well, kiddies, looks like I've got to work myself out of a jam. Two on, two out. The tie run's in the s-goring position. Spatter up!"

[Crypt Keeper throws ball to knock heads off two skeletons]

"What do you know? A double be-header!"

Trivia

• In the Crypt Keeper's introduction, the baseball diamond diagram lists "Gaines" on the pitcher's mound and "Feldstein" on the home plate. This is a reference to William M. Gaines and Al Feldstein, who were, respectively, the publisher and prominent writer/artist for the original Tales from the Crypt comic book.
• The dream sequence involving the gun battle at Ruthless Ruth's is very close to the opening sequence of The Killer (1989) by John Woo. For example, John Stamos enters by knocking on the door, shooting someone in the stomach, forcing his way in by using two guns (one in each hand) simultaneously and then shooting the bartender (who is armed with a shotgun). There is also a Mexican standoff between the Kate Vernon and Eileen Brennan, which is very common in a John Woo movie.
• The sportscast heard throughout makes many references to a pitcher named Scott Nimerfro, who was in fact a frequent associate producer and contributing writer for the series.
• The title is a line from the Christian wedding ceremony that implies that the marriage that one is about to enter is a life long commitment.
• During the first flashback, if listened closely to, the song "Hey! Pachuco!" by the band Royal Crown Revue can be heard playing in the background. While famously known for appearing in The Mask (1994), this episode predates the usage of that song by half a year (the film was released on July 29, 1994, the episode aired on December 8, 1993.)

Gallery

Mike Vosburg's comic cover

Lucy Chadwick

Johnny & Ruth

Lucy and Johnny

Lucy & Johnny prepare to shoot up Ruthless Ruth's