For anyone confused about the ending to the third episode of Guillermo Del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities then allow us to try and help! We’ll also be covering the remaining episodes of Guillermo Del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities, but here is the ending explained to The Autopsy.
The Autopsy is the third episode of Guillermo Del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities, and was directed by David Prior, and was written by David S. Goyer, Guillermo del Toro, and based on the short story by Michael Shea.
A seasoned sheriff investigates a dead body in the woods, and calls on an old pal, a medical examiner, to help piece together a series of chilling events.
What happened in The Autopsy?
Sheriff Nate’s investigation into the disappearances and murder of some local townsfolk led him into the path of Joe Allen, formerly going by the name Eddie Sykes. After taking the mysterious orb-like object from Sykes’s room, Sheriff Nate proceeded to the mine, in order to confront and arrest him. However, Sykes smashed his way into the window of the cop car and took back his mysterious orb.
This was the moment from earlier in the episode when “Joe” had jumped onto the top of the mine shaft elevator and used the orb to blow up the inside of the mine. Except we now know he was running away from being arrested.
Cutting back to Carl’s autopsy of the dead miners, two of the miners that had died alongside Sykes had also been drained of all their blood, just like his previous victims. Just as Carl realized he would need to do an autopsy on Sykes, his body reanimated, made its way to Carl.
The body of Sykes had become possessed by the larvae of an Alien creature, revealing that the mysterious orb was in fact its spaceship. In order to remain undiscovered, the Alien was forced to destroy the spaceship and attempted to kill itself.
The Alien was forced to use a lot of its energy to make Carl unconscious, and strap him down to the table. It would then reveal to Carl its intentions to take over his body, remove his cancer, and use Carl’s profession as a coroner for easy access to food.
Before transferring bodies, the Alien revealed its cruel nature to Carl. While in the mine, and feasting on the bodies of the other two miners, it had used half of the energy it needed to stay alive, in order to keep them alive, only for the purpose of communicating with them, letting them know how and why they were being consumed. Even the mind of Eddie Sykes was still active, but unable to take back control from its parasite.
During the transfer, Carl came to the realization that the creature required its human host in order to gain senses. Without a host, the Alien loses all of its senses, except for touch.
Carl comes to the sad realization that the only way to stop the Alien is by making himself an unsuitable host. Taking advantage of his limited mobility, and a small window of time, Carl uses a scalpel to destroy his hearing and sight and slices his own throat.
As the Alien begins to take control of Carl’s body, he begins to mock the parasite, revealing that he had sabotaged the body, and would be dead within minutes, trapping the Alien inside. Carl also revealed that he has been recording the conversation the entire time, which would reveal the Alien’s existence to the world.
Nate arrived just as Carl’s body died, and upon finding his friend on the floor, a message, written in blood, was left on his chest “PLAY TAPE, BURN ME.” So long as Sheriff Nate follows those instructions, the Alien will be destroyed for good, and its species exposed to the world.
Or so we hope.
Civilisation destroyers?
In his conversation with Carl, the Alien revealed that some of the hosts it had taken over, had led to the destruction of civilizations.
Empires have risen and fallen over the course of human history. But this also begs the question, which civilizations had the Alien species destroyed over the years?
There are many monarchs and world leaders over the centuries that started out reasonably normal in their youth, but in later years would become vicious tyrants, poor leaders, or acquire the strangest hobbies, sexual deviants, or outright murderous.
It’s known that in his youth, British monarch Henry VIII suffered traumatic head injuries through sporting events, which may have led to his tyrannical reputation. Or perhaps, an Alien parasite found its way into the body of one of Europe’s most powerful rulers?
What did you think of The Autopsy? Let us know in the comments below!