‘Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities’ The Outside Ending, Explained

Welcome to the Ending Explained for Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities, Episode 4, titled “The Outside”. The episode is an adaptation of a short story written by Emily Carroll, an award-winning fantasy writer, who became famous thanks to her work in the comics, and webcomics industries. The episode, now available on Netflix, stars Kate Micucci, Martin Starr, and Dan Stevens. The episode is also directed by Ana Lily Amirpour, an independent director who has directed films such as A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, and The Bad Batch.

The Outside might be the worst episode of the anthology so far. On a technical level, the episode works just fine, and on a thematic level, there are interesting ideas about self-worth, advertising, consumerism, and more. However, the execution of the idea leaves some things to be desired. The episode is the longest of the anthology so far, and yet, it is the one where fewer things happen. The performances and surreal tone are very welcome, but this could have been half as long and better for it.

The following paragraphs contain spoilers for Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities Episode 4, The Outside. Read at your own risk.

Why does Stacey want to Change In The Outside?

The episode starts by introducing us to Stacey, our main protagonist. The first thing we can say about Stacey is that she feels ugly. She is not particularly pretty in any way. Her eyes are big, her chin is small, her hair is terrible, and she doesn’t really look like a woman who takes care of her appearance. People see it like this, but she also feels it. She doesn’t like herself. She spends most of her time watching television and also doing taxidermy. Not only that, but she grabs dead animals and makes them pretty again.

Her husband is a local cop, and he says he is okay with the way she is. He thinks she is perfect. Stacey is not so sure. She works as a clerk in a bank, and she has a hard time connecting with other women at work. It is sad. However, one of her co-workers, a woman who is classically beautiful, and who Stacey describes as “having a catalog life” invites her to her house for a party. This is the first time she has been invited to a party, so she is excited and puts on her best clothes and even cuts her hair.

At the party, the women drink and gossip. Stacey is there, but she is not included in the conversations. The host comes out with some secret friend presents and gives each woman, including Stacey, a box. When they open the presents, we see that the present is actually a lotion called Alo Glo. It is supposed to be the best lotion on the market. They all apply the lotion to their hands and faces, and they seem happy doing it. However, the lotion has an allergic reaction to Stacey’s skin, and she goes red and swollen.

Does Stacey Keep Using Alo Glo In The Outside?

One night, while feeling extremely down, Stacey sees an Alo Glo commercial on the TV, and suddenly the spokesperson begins to talk to Stacey from the TV. It is a surreal moment, but when Stacey talks back, they start a conversation. The spokesperson, says to Stacey that she is ugly, and not someone people want around them. He says that she needs to buy more Alo Glo. Stacey answers that the lotion hurts her skin, to which the spoken person says that if it hurts, it means that is working.

Stacey gets convinced. She needs to get rid of her current skin and change for the best. She buys boxes of Alo Glo and starts applying them to her face and body. Her husband is concerned. He thinks she is perfect the way she is and tries to convince her to not use the lotion. Stacey even bathes with the lotion, and one night she sees a body emerging from the bath of lotion. The spoken person on the TV tells her that the figure is her new body, but that she needs more Alo Glo to complete it.

Stacey buys even more Alo Glo and keeps bathing in the substance. Her husband discovers her and tries to convince her that she doesn’t need to change. Stacey says that there is something wrong with him if he thinks she shouldn’t change. She stabs him in the forehead and then kills him with an axe. She baths once more in Alo Glo and fuses with the body. We see Stacey stuffing her husband, as she does with her dead animals, and we also see her emerging from the Alo Glo, as a new self. She goes to work and people now consider her to be pretty. Stacey has finally become like all the other women.