‘The Creep Tapes’ Season 2: Mark Duplass & David Dastmalchian Sharpen Franchise With a Killer Twist (PHOTOS)

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for The Creep Tapes Season 2 Episode 1 “Joseph.”]

A first-person POV follows an unseen figure returning to a pristine cabin, wandering downstairs, and opening a door to reveal a bloodied man tied to a chair, a pillowcase over his head. “Oh my god, oh my god,” the distorted voice coos. “You had 10 minutes down here… and you didn’t even try to escape.” As the man whimpers, a masked captor calls him his “favorite” before burying an axe in him. But when the killer removes his dime-store wolf mask, it’s not the familiar predator from The Creep Tapes, but a whole new monster (David Dastmalchian) — an imitator looking to impress his teacher, Peachfuzz (star and show co-creator Mark Duplass).

Welcome to Season 2 of Shudder’s The Creep Tapes, where apparently, there is a new Peachfuzz in town. Kind of.

“They say imitation is the highest form of flattery. I’m not so sure,” says the man, a serial killer whose real name still eludes viewers even after two movies and a series.

Written and created by Duplass and writer/director Patrick Brice, The Creep Tapes is a horror anthology series that expands the world of Duplass’s Creep films, diving into the disturbing video archives of the serial killer known as Peachfuzz. Each episode reveals a different “tape” documenting his encounters with people he hires for odd jobs, only to manipulate and murder them.

However, Episode 1, “Joseph,” turns the concept on its ear as the man opts to answer a “Cameraman Needed” ad placed by his copycat and willingly becomes his prey.

In a scenario familiar to fans of the original film, the man returns to his old hunting grounds in Crestline, California, where his biggest fan now resides. The new killer introduces himself as “Joseph,” lifting the same occasional alias the man once used, and the whole setup feels eerily familiar. After a bear hug, this Joseph launches into a play-by-play reenactment of the man’s original hunting techniques, but everything is just a little off. His timing is sloppy, his setups need work, and his mask is downright “janky.”

The man decides to toy with his overzealous stan, leaning into an off-putting humor that completely undercuts Joseph’s attempts to creep out the creeper.

When the truth comes out, Joseph crumbles under the realization that he has failed to impress his idol. Desperate to fix the situation and prove himself, he accepts the axe the man hands him in a supposed moment to shine. Instead of turning it on his mentor, he buries it in his own skull, ending his brief and disastrous tutelage.

TV Insider spoke to the creators and stars about the meta episode and Dastmalchian’s role within it.

“We had this wonderful experience where we were showing The Creep Tapes at Vidiots in L.A., and David was there. We had never met him before and were fans of his, and he was a fan of ours, and he was actually sitting right next to Patrick and Patrick’s wife watching the show,” explained Duplass. “Then, during a particularly oddball moment [on screen], he leaned over to Patrick and he’s like, ‘You are so f**king weird, dude. I love you guys.’ And we were like, ‘Would you come do one next season with us?!’ So yeah, I sort of built that episode for and around David.”

“One of the unexpected joys of creating The Creep Tapes is the fact that we get to work with so many incredible guest stars,” said Brice. “And because we are normally shooting on location, and in most cases living together inside those locations, the production of our show is an incredibly unique and intimate experience. The line of work and play is blurred in a whirlwind of filming, eating together, laughter, and therapy sessions.”

Brice went on to praise Dastmalchian and his role in Season 2. “We couldn’t have found a collaborator more game to work in this manner than in David Dastmalchian — a deeply thoughtful, loving talent who I am so grateful found his way into our orbit. Someone who was completely comfortable with their day starting with a lovely breakfast together in pajamas and ending with an axe being buried in one of our skulls,” quipped Brice.

As a horror vet with roles in Late Night with the Devil, The Boogeyman, and The Last Voyage of the Demeter, Dastmalchian was eager to work with Duplass and Brice and their uniquely sideways take on the found footage genre.

“Getting to work on The Creep Tapes with Mark, Patrick, and the very small team that gathered in the wooded cabin where we shot was an experience that really changed the way I consider filmmaking,” said Dastmalchian of working with Duplass. “I’ve been a fan of the franchise since its inception, and Mark has always been a storytelling hero for me.”

“When we ventured off into the woods to make our episode, I was deeply moved by the way they welcomed me into the creative conversation. There was improvisation, brainstorming sessions, long meals, and conversations,” recalled Dastmalchian. “It was like being at sleepaway camp with your buddies…while making some terrifying psychological horror together.”

Welcome back, creeps. Peachfuzz is up to his old tricks — and a whole new set of victims is about to face his particular brand of terror. Take a look at the behind-the-scenes photos from Season 2 Episode 1 “Joseph” below.

The Creep Tapes, Season 2, Fridays, Shudder