I couldn't believe it -- I selected another episode of Two Second Horror Stories at random , "Fix," and here's what I found:
Scene 1: After a dream involving an old man on a swing, Jackson (Kevin Alves) wakes up in bed. An arm around him...is that....no, it couldn't be...it's a guy! His boyfriend Reza (Albert Nicholas).
They talk about Jackson's sister, whom he hasn't seen for two years: He touches the cross around his neck. "I know God wants me to forgive her, but it's hard." Apparently she was a drug addict who kept swindling her family and friends. The last straw was stealing their Dad's wristwatch (from his corpse) and using it to buy drugs.
"Maybe it's time," Reza suggests. "She just lives ten minutes away."
Religious, gay, and -- Reza is a Persian name -- a Middle Eastern boyfriend. That's representation. And kudos for not making all gay people anti-religious.
Scene 2: He shows up at the apartment. Sophie says she's been clean and sober for months, no thanks to him. "I'm sorry," he says. "I've been praying to learn how to forgive."
"Forgive me?" she snarls. "You big hypocrite!" So, what did Jackson do wrong? I hope she doesn't mean being gay.
Scene 3: Jack finds their Dad's old Bible, and another book with pictures of demons. Sophie comes in. "I want to help you," he says. She laughs. "You help me? I'm not the one who needs help!" Is she talking about being gay?
"Anyway, I found someone who understands me. He made all the pain go away."
Scene 4: Jackson taking a shower, feeling gulty about being called a hypocrite.
Other than the gratuitous body shot, what for? If he lives ten minutes away, he can go home and come back later.
He overhears Sophie talking to someone, then screaming behind a locked door. He bursts in, but no one is there. He collapses.
Scene 5: Jackson awakens in the kitchen. Sophie, cooking, explains that she has found peace and happiness with Flauros the Demon. And he can make all of your pain go away, too. I hope she doesn't mean the pain of being gay.
She turns around revealing that she's making a maggott sandwich. She gets white eyes and starts bouncing around the room and talking in demon talk. Jackson screams and runs.
Not up the stairs, you idiot! Get out of the house!
Normal voice: "Jackson, I'm sorry. I don't know what's happening to me. Help me, please."
Don't go out there -- it's a trap! Haven't you ever seen a horror movie?
He goes out there. Demonic Sophie attacks. He collapses again.
Scene 6: Jackson awakens in a dark room surrounded by candles. Demonic Sophie says "I hoped you would come around, but this is just as good. Soon all your pain will be gone."
After some demonic backing-and-forthing, he takes the cross from his neck and presses it to her chest. She collapses.
Scene 7: Jackson awakens yet again next to Sophie on the couch. It was all a dream! He says it will be ok now, he'll take care of her.
Big reveal: Jack is also a recovering addict. Sophie began using through him. That's the source of his pain!
Sophie opens her mouth to puke black butterflies, and her eyes go blank.
Later, Reza comes in and finds Jack and Sophie both dead with heroin needles in their arms.
Scene 8: Psych! Reza got Jack to the hospital in time to save him. The doctors say that the shock of seeing Sophie like that caused him to start using again.
Like what?
Spoiler alert:
When Jack got to the apartment, Sophie had been dead for two weeks.
Jack and Reza hug. The end.
Two sentencse:"My sister needs to talk. She's been so angry since she died."
Question: Did the writers expect audiences to assume that Jackson's pain was over being gay? Is that why they made him gay in the first place, as a red herring so we wouldn't expect drug addiction until the Big Reveal? Or did that never cross their minds?