Like the paraphrased reference to Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin, this episode brings two very good entries, and a dud.
"Room With a View" (7 stars out of 10)
While the vast majority of Night Gallery's shorter segments tended to be unfunny flops, Room With a View is a happy exception, one that would be just as at home on Alfred Hitchcock Presents as Night Gallery. Much of the credit for this must go to Dresner's clever script construction, and Wiseman's performance. Dresner's intriguing use of obtuse insinuation, with the edge smoothed down by Wiseman's alternatingly grumpy and faux-nebbishy performance, makes his manipulation of Keaton's character fun to watch. Indeed, half of the fun of this episode is trying to guess which string Wiseman is going to pull next.
"The Little Black Bag" (9 stars out of 10)
Kornbluth's story of near redemption quashed by greed has been adapted several times before, but never quite as effectively as in this segment. Rather than using the greedy wife/daughter as a counterpoint for the down-and-out doctor, in his two derelicts, Serling effectively offset the man with the ability to see his potential redemption against the one who is so far gone as not to care about it. The performances of Meredith and Wills are essential here: you can almost see the life and confidence flood back into Meredith's body and face as he uses the futuristic black bag to recover his lost art, whereas Wills' body language evolves from shambling drunk to a threatening, almost bear-like presence as the story progresses.
Serling's script easily fits this story into his more familiar Twilight Zone style, and this enhances the power and tragedy of the story. Szwarc's direction is also extremely effective, particularly in the scenes where Meredith reassumes his role as a doctor, and where Wills decides to step in.
Segments like The Little Black Bag understandably give the impression that the series as a whole could have been a triumph on the order of The Twilight Zone.
"The Nature of the Enemy" (2 stars out of 10)
The first clunker of the series, this episode strongly suggests that Serling either lost interest in the story half way through, or was trying to play it for comedy (never his strong suit). The story is only mildly interesting for the first two thirds, leaving the viewer to hope there is a knockout ending to pull it over the finish line. Unfortunately, the "twist" is so unfathomably stupid that the natural viewer reaction is less of a laugh or a "wow", than an "oh, come on!" While Campanella manages to retain his dignity throughout the episode, one has to assume he was watching the equivalent of a green screen so as not to show his disdain for the stupid ending.
"Room With a View" (7 stars out of 10)
While the vast majority of Night Gallery's shorter segments tended to be unfunny flops, Room With a View is a happy exception, one that would be just as at home on Alfred Hitchcock Presents as Night Gallery. Much of the credit for this must go to Dresner's clever script construction, and Wiseman's performance. Dresner's intriguing use of obtuse insinuation, with the edge smoothed down by Wiseman's alternatingly grumpy and faux-nebbishy performance, makes his manipulation of Keaton's character fun to watch. Indeed, half of the fun of this episode is trying to guess which string Wiseman is going to pull next.
"The Little Black Bag" (9 stars out of 10)
Kornbluth's story of near redemption quashed by greed has been adapted several times before, but never quite as effectively as in this segment. Rather than using the greedy wife/daughter as a counterpoint for the down-and-out doctor, in his two derelicts, Serling effectively offset the man with the ability to see his potential redemption against the one who is so far gone as not to care about it. The performances of Meredith and Wills are essential here: you can almost see the life and confidence flood back into Meredith's body and face as he uses the futuristic black bag to recover his lost art, whereas Wills' body language evolves from shambling drunk to a threatening, almost bear-like presence as the story progresses.
Serling's script easily fits this story into his more familiar Twilight Zone style, and this enhances the power and tragedy of the story. Szwarc's direction is also extremely effective, particularly in the scenes where Meredith reassumes his role as a doctor, and where Wills decides to step in.
Segments like The Little Black Bag understandably give the impression that the series as a whole could have been a triumph on the order of The Twilight Zone.
"The Nature of the Enemy" (2 stars out of 10)
The first clunker of the series, this episode strongly suggests that Serling either lost interest in the story half way through, or was trying to play it for comedy (never his strong suit). The story is only mildly interesting for the first two thirds, leaving the viewer to hope there is a knockout ending to pull it over the finish line. Unfortunately, the "twist" is so unfathomably stupid that the natural viewer reaction is less of a laugh or a "wow", than an "oh, come on!" While Campanella manages to retain his dignity throughout the episode, one has to assume he was watching the equivalent of a green screen so as not to show his disdain for the stupid ending.