The Tale of the Photo Finish

The Tale of the Photo Finish
Season 7 , Episode 9
Air date	May 14, 2000
Written by	Alan Kingsberg
Directed by	Mark Soulard
Episode guide
Previous The Tale of the Reanimator	Next The Tale of the Last Dance

The Tale of the Photo Finish is the Ninth episode of the Seventh Season of Are You Afraid of the Dark?, as well as the Eighty-Seventh episode in total.

Cast

Midnight Society Cast

• David Deveau as Andy
• Daniel DeSanto as Tucker
• Kareem Blackwell as Quinn
• Elisha Cuthbert as Megan
• Vanessa Lengies as Vange

Story Cast

• Robin Weekes as Alex
• Patrick Thomas as Chandler
• Robert Crooks as Renfrew
• Victor Knight as Professor Felix Barish
• Andrew Craig as Jasper Davis
• Frances Brady-Stewart as Librarian
• Vincent Sheffield as Tom the Library Guard
• Jonathan Stark as The School Security Guard
• Sacha Cantor as Kid #1
• Steven Wieferig as Boy #1

Intro

That night, Quinn and Vange enter the circle. There we see Megan frustrated and ticked off. Tucker stands up and mentions it's about the ring club that he's in at school. Quinn says he must mean the snotty club that is full of jocks. Tucker is annoyed saying that it's a service club, and Megan mentions that Andy tried to join it, but they turned him down.

Vange is mad and asks Tucker if stood up for him. Tucker says that he sure did, he told them how great a guy he was and how lucky they would be to have him. Megan says that they still turned him down though, and goes to sit down. Tucker tells Vange and Quinn, that Andy probably knows by now and not to mention it to him when he shows up.

Andy shows up, and he's not mad, in fact he is taking it very well. Andy says that life isn't always fair, but he got a good story out of it. Then goes to sit down. Quinn says if it's about the guys from the club, then it must be a horror story! Tucker defends them by saying that the guys aren't so bad once you get to know them.

Andy sits down and says his story is about trying to a join a club, and the different things you can do don't if you don't get in...

• 1. You can let it go and move on.
• 2. You can get mad.
• 3. Or.. you could get even!

Andy's friends all look excited and intrigued hearing this. Then Andy opens the pouch and tosses in a handful of the campfire dust. This makes the fire more intense while he submits his story for approval for The Midnight Society. He calls his story "The Tale of the Photo Finish" and begins the story.

Story

Andy, tells the story, it first takes place at a club initiation. We see four pledges are given a test of bravery. They are told that before each of them is a bowl that contains cold intestines of a wild boar. They must be brave and eat it, or they will fail the test. Three of the pledges slowly begin eating the disgusting slop, while the forth pledge is freaking out about how gross it is and he runs off scared.

The lights go on and the club president Renfrew tells the three pledges that they have passed the test of bravery. The club is called the Lions Society, which is the coolest club at Tillinghast Academy. Renfrew tells two boys Alex, Chandler and a third boy, that their final test to get in is that they each must pull a prank or a joke. One that is creative and original and they must not get caught.

Renfrew likes Chandler and tells him that's immediately accepted into their club. Chandler is thrilled to hear this, but not so happy to hear Renfrew say that they're not interested in his friend and roommate Alex. And they didn't think he would make it so far into his initiation. Chandler tries to stand up from Alex by saying he's an excellent student and athlete. Still Renfrew does not change his mind and threatens to kick him out too if he doesn't agree with their decision.

That afternoon on the way back to their dorm, Alex is so excited. This is because he believes that once they're in the club, they'll rule the school and be popular. Alex discusses the prank he might pull, such as sending out a fake email that there is a holiday. Or sending out a fake message, that the lizards have escaped from the biology lab. Therefore they could be just about anywhere and to carefully watch where to sit.

Chandler disappointingly says he Is thinking of swiping a painting from the Hall of Headmasters and putting it up in the detention room. Alex asks Chandler what's wrong and he blurts it out. He tells Alex that Renfrew told him that they don't want him to in the club. Alex can perfectly guess it's because unlike Chandler, Renfrew and the rest of the Lions Society, who are from rich families and paid to attend the school, he isn't. He's from an average income family and came to the school on a paid scholarship. Since they're best friends and a team, Alex tries to convince him to quit. But Chandler believes that since his grandfather and father were members at a time, that he must carry on he family tradition and stay in the club.

Later that night, Chandler sneaks in through a window into the Hall of Headmasters. Chandler sneakingly chooses a painting to swipe. When suddenly another one moves and falls off the wall. This set off the alarm and Tom the Library Guard almost Catches him. Chandler just misses him and swipes the fallen painting and runs back to his dorm.

An elderly Professor, frantically has a Security Guard check every room. Chandler panics and can't find anywhere to hid the old painting, So Alex reluctantly helps him. They figure out that they can just peel it off. So they peel it off and roll it up, and hide it in their closet. When they peeled off the portrait, they were shocked to discover a black and white photo was behind it. One of a small old house. Therefore they hang it up on the wall to just blend in with the room setting.

The Security Guard, finally makes his rounds to their room. They nervously watch as he inspects their room, and they are cleared. Then afterwards, Chandler is relieved and thanks Alex for his help. Because if caught he might have faced expulsion. Alex coldly welcomes him, and looks at the old house photo. Alex notices a creepy teenager in a checkered blazer and bow tie sitting on a chair. Then later that night, Alex wakes up hearing knocking sounds, but no one is there. Then he notices the kid in the photo is gone. A bit confused he asks Chandler whether or not he was in the picture earlier but Chandler is too tired too care. 

Alex decides to see if the noises came from the hallway. When outside he's startled, after he bumps into Renfrew coming out of the bathroom. Hearing more noises, Chandler gets up and he notices the kid in the portrait is back. He is shocked and calls out to Alex to come see. Alex runs back, and just as he points out that the kid is back, Chandler suddenly freezes and gets captured into the portrait. The kid in the photo is now giving a smirking look. Alex is terrified and runs into the hall screaming for help. Renfrew and the Lions Society all come to see what his problem is. Alex is scared, telling them all that the kid in the portrait captured Chandler inside the photo. Renfrew and the others aren't amused. Renfrew in a cold and smart tone, tells him not to bother pulling a prank since their club isn't interested in letting him join. Alex tries to convince them it's not a prank, but they don't believe him and leave.

The next morning, Alex asks The School Librarian about the painting. The Librarian said it was a painting of Headmaster Broffman, which was done in the 1940's. Alex asks her if possibly anything was behind it and she is confused and tells him to check the old yearbooks for more information. Meanwhile, the elderly professor from the other night is nearby and nervously suspects him.

Alex looks through the 1944 yearbook of Tillinghast Academy. He is not surprised to see The Lion's Society was near the beginning of the book. As he looks through the yearbook, he comes across a memorial page in the camera club section. The memorial was for a student named Jasper Davis, born 1929-1944. Alex is shocked when he hears noises and senses someone is approaching. Suddenly on the other side of the bookcase the Professor pops his head in and nervously asks him if he has the photograph. Alex is calm because it's only Professor Barish, but he asks Alex if he has the photograph. Professor Barish mentions where might Alex be, this hints to him he knows what the photograph does. The Professor reveals that he believes him, because many years ago his friend got trapped into it too!

Professor Barish takes Alex, into the Lion's Society Clubhouse. He reveals to him that both he and Jasper Davis enrolled in the Academy in 1944 and were soon best friends. Professor Barish soon joined the Lion's Society and got Jasper permission to take their pictures. Then soon the Lion Society decided to play a prank on Jasper. They told Jasper they wanted him to join their club. He was thrilled because he finally felt as if he was going to fit in. Then soon enough the Lion's Society revealed to him, they had no intention of letting him join because he was poor. Then they begun to chase him around and tease him about his clothes and the way he spoke. They chased him all the way onto the clubhouse roof. This was where he accidentally fell off and died.

Then soon enough, the clubhouse moved from the old part of campus to where it is now. Then a month later a mysterious photograph of the old clubhouse appeared. Professor Barish saw his friend and a fellow member get trapped into it. Nobody believed him, they thought he was either crazy or playing another prank. So he hid the photograph behind the painting of Headmaster Broffman. Professor Barish is scared and suggests Alex to do the same thing before it captures anybody else.

When Alex returns to his room, he's not too happy to see Renfrew there, who is looking for Chandler. Renfrew rudely invites himself in. Then rudely explains to Alex he wouldn't have been happy in their club anyhow. Renfrew sees the photograph on the wall. He recognizes it saying that it is the Old Lion's Society Clubhouse on the old part of Campus. Alex warns him not to look at Jasper. But it's too late, Jasper captures him into the photograph. Alex is nervous. Then he remembers that Renfrew mentioned that it is on the old part of campus.

Alex wraps the photo in a shirt (not to capture anyone on the way) and heads over to the old clubhouse. The place is old and abandoned now. When entering the clubhouse with the photograph, it acts as a port key. Then Alex is traveled into the black and white dimension inside the photograph. Alex then sees many empty wall mounted pictures, and finds the pictures of Professor Barish's friends from 1944. He also sees the captured pictures of Chandler and Renfrew.

Then he is welcomed by Jasper Davis. Alex is shocked to see him because he's deceased. Jasper reveals he's a vengeful ghost, and he blames the Lion's Society for his death. Because he felt that if they had just let him into the club, he never would have fallen off the roof. Jasper feels he now has the last laugh, taking the club down with him. When any Lion Society Club Member looks at him or his photograph, he takes their picture and captures them. He then traps them forever on wall mounted pictures. He reveals he now intends to do the same thing to Alex, possibly because he wanted to be a member, or sees him as a threat.

Then just before Jasper takes Alex's picture, Professor Barish runs in and demands him to leave Alex alone. Jasper is stunned to see him. He addresses him as Felix and remarks about how old he's become. He reveals that Felix Barish was his friend at first, but being a club member was more important. How he along with the others chased him onto the roof and he covered up his picture leaving him lonely for all those years. Professor Barish states he was trying to help him not chase him. Also he had no choice, he had to cover his photograph. Or else he would have captured the rest of the club. Jasper expresses his hatred and feelings of betrayal. Then says he has a spot on the wall just for him. Professor Barish screams no! Then his picture is taken and he is captured. A moment later he appears mounted on the wall in a picture.

Jasper then sets his sights to Alex, Alex has nowhere to run but to hide in a corner. He then finds out when looking out the window, he can see the reflection of anyone standing nearby. Then Alex pretends to surrender and to let him capture him. Jasper tells him to say cheese, and then as he squeezes the bulb. Then Alex quickly steps away and Jasper gets caught in his own reflection, and camera and sent into a picture on the wall.

Alex then opens the camera, and exposes the film. This frees all of the captured souls, but the realm begins fading and exposing. Alex runs out just in time, when looking at the old photo; it vanishes. Professor Barish and Chandler are both free and thank him and applaud him on his bravery. Professor Barish says he hopes his friends from 1944, along with Jasper are now in a better place and at peace.

Then Renfrew, appears and he is astounded and amazed with Alex. Believing he just pulled the most incredible prank in history. Therefore he lets him join The Lion's Society. Alex turns him down and quits saying he has better things to do, then to hang out with a club of snobs. Chandler agrees with him, and quits the club too. Chandler then goes off to return the painting of Headmaster Broffman. Renfrew spooked about the old house, runs along with them.

Ending

Andy ends his story simply by saying: The End. His friends are very impressed and they all tell him it was a really good and creepy story. Quinn asks him if he plans to get even with those guys, for not letting him into their club. Andy, says no because getting even with people is not the way he is. Also as it turns it, he got into the club and he happily shows them his new ring, Tucker and Megan are both very happy for him.

Andy says he got in all because of Tucker, Tucker really stood up for him and when they still said no he quit. Megan and Vange are both very proud and impressed of what Tucker did for Andy. However Tucker is confused, asking him if the club let him in because they changed their minds. 

Andy says that, since Tucker quit there was an extra spot available and so now he's in. Tucker is furious to hear he took his place, and says he's gonna get those guys and runs away.

Afterwards, Megan asks him if he really took his spot. Andy laughs and says of course not, they're both in the club. He just likes to tease him and get him going. Hearing this, they all laugh, then Quinn puts out the campfire and they leave.

• Trivia
• Gallery

• The club candidates are instructed to devour the intestines of a wild boar, a possible reference to the species of animal Dr. Vink had the brain of on display in the Season One episode "The Tale of the Phantom Cab".
• Patrick Thomas, who portrayed Chandler, previously appeared in the show before. He first appeared in the episode "The Tale of the Gruesome Gourmets" as Tommy.
• Victor Knight, who portrayed Professor Felix Barish, previously appeared in show a few years earlier. He first appeared in the original series episode "The Tale of the Long Ago Locket" as Mr. Olshak.
• Victor Knight, was the husband of Kathleen Fee.
• Robin Weekes and Daniel DeSanto, both appeared together in a few episodes of the children's show The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon as Dudley's human friends, Matt and Terry.
• Not only does this episode mark the second appearance of Patrick Thomas, but earlier, he had appeared in Goosebumps: Say Cheese and Die... Again (1998) - also about a camera that had been seen (in its previous episode about it, "Say Cheese and Die") to trap its victims.

Alex

Chandler

Renfrew

Professor Felix Barish

Jasper Davis

Chandler and Alex are trying to joins the coolest club at school "The Lion's Society"

The club President Renfrew, says their last test to join, is each of they must pull a prank or a joke and not get caught

Renfrew likes Chandler and immediately lets him join

Alex isn't too happy to hear he's not wanted, because he's in school on a scholarship Instead of being from a rich family

For his prank, Chandler sneaks into the Hall of Headmasters to steal a painting and hang it up in the detention room

Then it falls and sets off the alarm

Chandler just makes it out to avoid being caught by the guard

Professor Barish is nervous and insists every room be searched for the painting

To hide it they peel it off and roll it up, only to discover a photograph is underneath it

It works and The Campus Security Guard didn't suspect them

in the photograph a creepy kids sits in front of the house

When waking up in the middle of the night, Alex is confused because now the kid seems to be gone

Suddenly Chandler is shocked to point out that the kid in the picture is now back!

Then suddenly Chandler actually gets trapped inside the photo!

That kid in the photo, then giving a smirking "yep that's right!" look

Terrified, Alex screams his head off for help

Nobody believes him, and The Lion's Society think he's just trying to pull a prank

The next day, the School Librarian tells him to check the old yearbooks for more information about the painting

Meanwhile Professor Barish suspects Alex..

When looking through an old 1944 yearbook, he discovers the creepy boy in the photo is named Jasper Davis

Professor Barish frightens him demanding to know if he has the photo

To avoid getting into trouble, he denies until he's asked where chandler might be

Because Professor Barish has friends trapped inside the photo as well, He informs Alex that when he was in school he joined the Lion's Society but his poor friend Jasper Davis wasn't wanted.

They also played a prank on Jasper, and he fell off the roof and died when they chased him onto it. Soon the photo appeared and his ghost begun trapping members of the club

Back at his room, Renfrew rudely invites himself in looking for Chandler

Renfrew recognizes the photo to be the old Lion's Society Clubhouse, that's on the old part of campus

Renfrew notices Jasper in the picture and is warned not to look at him

But it's too late! Jasper captures him too!

Alex heads over to the old clubhouse

With the photo it acts as a port key and takes him into the black and white realm inside the photo

He finds Professor Barish's friends trapped on wall mounted pictures

Along with Chandler!

Renfrew as well!

Jasper Davis reveals it's his realm to trap all members of the Lion's Society for eternity and plans to trap Alex too!

Professor Barish shows up and tries to reason with his old friend

But Jasper feels even he betrayed him and traps him into a picture!

Then prepares to capture Alex

When hiding in the corner, Alex realizes that anyone's nearby reflection appears in the window

Alex jumps out of the way from the window, and Jasper gets caught in his own reflection!

Then trapped into one of his own pictures

Alex opens the camera and frees all the captured souls

The realm begins quickly fading and exposing

Alex makes it out just in the nick of time!

Then Jasper's photograph vanishes

Professor Barish and Chandler are both safe and sound

Renfrew thinks Alex just pulled the biggest prank in history and lets him in the club, but Alex says no thank you

Chandler quits the club too and returns the painting