Duplass brothers anthology series Room 104 will have horror episodes

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

Anthology shows will often stick to one genre, more or less. The tone may change from episode to episode, but the genre tends to remain the same. Occasionally, an anthology will come along that isn’t anchored by genre, able to change completely from episode to episode. Steven Spielberg’s Amazing Stories comes to mind as an example.

Another anthology that will work with all genres is the upcoming HBO series Room 104, created by Mark and Jay Duplass. The first season of the show is set to run for 12 episodes, and they’ll all

take place in the same motel room — room 104 of a typical American chain motel — but each week highlights a different story, tone, and era.

Comedy, sci-fi, drama, horror, it will all be in there. In fact, the premiere episode – which will air on HBO on the night of July 28th – sounds like it’s kicking things off with horror, centering on a babysitter charged with taking care of a creepy kid.

Judging by the trailer seen below, Room 104 is going to be quite weird even when it’s not dealing with horrific subject matter. The Duplass brothers have said they’ve released their “inner weirdos” while crafting this show, and that comes across loud and clear.

Here’s the Room 104 episode guide: 

Episode #1: “Ralphie”
Starring: Melonie Diaz, Ethan Kent, Ross Partridge
Written by Mark Duplass; directed by Sarah Adina Smith.
Debut: FRIDAY, JULY 28 (11:30 p.m.-midnight ET/PT)

Episode #2: “Pizza Boy”
Starring: James Van Der Beek, Davie-Blue
Written by Mark Duplass; directed by Patrick Brice.
Debut: FRIDAY, AUG. 4 (11:30 p.m.-midnight)

Episode #3: “The Knockadoo”
Starring: Sameerah Luqmaan-Harris, Orlando Jones
Written by Carson Mell; directed by Sarah Adina Smith.
Debut: FRIDAY, AUG. 11 (11:30 p.m.-midnight)

Episode #4: “I Knew You Weren’t Dead”
Starring: Jay Duplass, Will Tranfo, Frank Ashmore
Debut: FRIDAY, AUG. 18 (11:30 p.m.-midnight)

Episode #5: “The Internet”
Starring: Karan Soni, Poorna Jagannathan
Written by Mark Duplass; directed by Doug Emmett.
Debut: FRIDAY, AUG. 25 (11:30 p.m.-midnight)

Episode #6: “Voyeurs”
Starring: Dendrie Taylor, Sarah Hay
Written by Dayna Hanson; directed by Dayna Hanson.
Debut: FRIDAY, SEPT. 1 (11:30 p.m.-midnight)

Episode #7: “The Missionaries”
Starring: Adam Foster, Nat Wolff
Written by Mark Duplass; directed by Megan Griffiths.
Debut: FRIDAY, SEPT. 8 (11:30 p.m.-midnight)

Episode #8: “Phoenix”
Starring: Amy Landecker, Mae Whitman
Story by Xan Aranda and Ross Partridge; teleplay by Ross Partridge; directed by Ross Partridge.
Debut: FRIDAY, SEPT. 15 (11:30 p.m.-midnight)

Episode #9: “Boris”
Starring: Konstantin Lavysh, Veronica Falcon, Biff Wiff
Written by Ross Partridge; directed by Chad Hartigan.
Debut: FRIDAY, SEPT. 22 (11:30 p.m.-midnight)

Episode #10: “Red Tent”
Starring: Keir Gilchrist, Brian Hostenske, Hugo Armstrong
Written by Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck; directed by Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck.
Debut: FRIDAY, SEPT. 29 (11:30 p.m.-midnight)

Episode #11: “The Fight”
Starring: Natalie Morgan, Keta Meggett, Stephen Rannazzisi
Written by Mark Duplass; directed by Megan Griffiths.
Debut: FRIDAY, OCT. 6 (11:30 p.m.-midnight)

Episode #12: “My Love”
Starring: Philip Baker Hall, Ellen Geer, Jacqueline Wright
Written by Mark Duplass; directed by Marta Cunningham.
Debut: FRIDAY, OCT. 13 (11:30 p.m.-midnight)

I think I’m going to have to tune in for Room 104.