Review: Dream Corp LLC “88’s Weekly”

It’s time to look inward, Patient 88.

Overview (Spoilers Below)

The patient on this episode of Dream Corp is none other than Patient 88, whose progress, I’ve been told, is going quite well. Dr. Roberts drops him into dream therapy and then reveals a fantastic new device which can implement smells in a patient’s dream to direct their therapy. It becomes clear that Dr. Roberts is a lot more interested in showing off his new device than he is about solving Patient 88’s confidence issues.

Poor Patient 88 is subjected to a series of smell-fueled nightmares about his family during his therapy, while the Dream Corp team tries to keep up with providing new smells. A variety of shenanigans ensue, and Randy accidentally gets volume two of his cyst videos taped over, but things go quite well, for the most part. Just as Dr. Roberts leads Patient 88 into the womb, the smell machine short circuits and Patient 88 is suddenly pulled out of his dream in the terror of simulated birth. But, other than Patient 88’s renewed terror of the world, everyone is fine, so I guess it all worked out in the end.

Our Take:

Dream Corp brings us an extensive look at one of the most valued members of the “Dream Corp LLC” team, Patient 88, whose “progress” has been going quite well. Well, as well as it might good with people like Randy reading your personal dream journal. Regardless, Dream Corp expands its lore and continuity with an episode that brings the long-standing “Patient 88” arc to a close. Well, for the most part. Still, you’re sure to enjoy this episode as much as any other, especially if you’re keeping up with the week by week of Dream Corp.

What’s fun about this episode is that it’s all about the team trying to take care of their own, with the added bonus of Dr. Roberts trying to earn some rep with his exciting blend of smell and dream therapy. Because of this, the team gets a lot more time to shine than usual, with lots of little character gags accompanying one of the most bizarre and disturbing dream sequences yet. And that’s saying a lot.

Without a good dream sequence, I’d feel cheated, but boy oh boy does Dream Corp deliver with one hell of a nightmare for Patient 88 to endure. While the last episode was all about good times and spectacle, this week is about the real suffering of a poor boy’s inferiority complex with his bully of a father. Anyone who has ever been laughed at or humiliated knows the pain of Patient 88, which makes his confidence troubles that much relatable and empathetic. Of course, the drama of the scenario is met with just as much comedic timing with this episode long gag of Patient 88 being doused in different slimes and smells. This is essential because the tone of the episode would be way too horrific without the hilarity of the team’s shenanigans offsetting Patient 88’s nightmares. The best laugh of the episode no doubt comes in the form of one of Randy’s cyst videos being accidentally taped over during the filming of the dream therapy.

Dear viewer, you’re in for one hell of an episode, equal parts funny, terrifying and disgusting. I’d love to say that everything gets resolved with a happy ending, but poor Patient 88’s therapy doesn’t end here. In fact, it probably got a whole lot worse for him. But it makes great entertainment and finishes out another wondrously insane episode of Dream Corp LLC.