'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' "The Crystal Trench" (1959)
Opening thoughts: "The Crystal Trench" is the second Season 5 episode to be directed by the justly coined Master of Suspense Alfred Hitchcock (a favourite since mid-teens), after the very well done and underrated Season 5 opener "Arthur". Did like the idea for the episode on paper, though mixing mystery and morality can risk being disjointed and/or muddled tonally, and seeing the always worth watching Patrick MacNee pre-'The Avengers' was interesting to see.
On the whole, "The Crystal Trench" is a watchable episode, if more for a curio or completest sake if wanting to see all the series' episodes. There are definitely worse episodes of 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents', such as "The Hidden Thing", "Sylvia", "Don't Interrupt" and "Safety for the Witness" when talking about previous outings. There are also much better, such as "Breakdown", "The Creeper", "Lamb to the Slaughter", "Poison" and "The Crooked Road". Of Hitchcock's episodes, "The Crystal Trench" to me is in the lower middle of the road end and that applies for the series in general too. A long way from a disaster, but falls well short of being great let alone a series classic.
Good things: Beginning with the good, the acting is fine with the two leads giving everything they've got and while his character is too on the absurd side MacNee is fun. The photography has some nice atmosphere, likewise with the lighting.
Furthermore, the main theme is as wonderfully macabre as ever, one of the best uses of pre-existing classical music in television. The bookending is amusingly ironic, while there is some intrigue and an interesting twist.
Just wish however that most of what came before it was as compelling. The story is pretty thin, with a few too many relatively uneventful stretches, which does affect the pacing which is dull. The story is also too ridiculous and not much makes sense, with agreed the meeting with the geologist being particularly total nonsense.
Bad things: There is not much of a mystery, and what there is completely lacks suspense and contains few surprises other than the ending. The moralising felt undercooked and didn't feel needed. The script is very bland and lacks tautness, while the beginning confused from trying to keep up with the character introductions. While there is atmosphere and mood in the photography and lighting the sets are phony and indicative of low budget and rushed production.
Hitchcock's direction is disappointingly pedestrian. Didn't find myself caring for any of the characters and that shouldn't have been the case for this type of story. The episode never really develops them and motivations came over as too vague and silly. The chemistry between the two leads could have done with more spark.
Closing thoughts: Concluding, watchable but uninspired and middle of the road.
5/10.
Opening thoughts: "The Crystal Trench" is the second Season 5 episode to be directed by the justly coined Master of Suspense Alfred Hitchcock (a favourite since mid-teens), after the very well done and underrated Season 5 opener "Arthur". Did like the idea for the episode on paper, though mixing mystery and morality can risk being disjointed and/or muddled tonally, and seeing the always worth watching Patrick MacNee pre-'The Avengers' was interesting to see.
On the whole, "The Crystal Trench" is a watchable episode, if more for a curio or completest sake if wanting to see all the series' episodes. There are definitely worse episodes of 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents', such as "The Hidden Thing", "Sylvia", "Don't Interrupt" and "Safety for the Witness" when talking about previous outings. There are also much better, such as "Breakdown", "The Creeper", "Lamb to the Slaughter", "Poison" and "The Crooked Road". Of Hitchcock's episodes, "The Crystal Trench" to me is in the lower middle of the road end and that applies for the series in general too. A long way from a disaster, but falls well short of being great let alone a series classic.
Good things: Beginning with the good, the acting is fine with the two leads giving everything they've got and while his character is too on the absurd side MacNee is fun. The photography has some nice atmosphere, likewise with the lighting.
Furthermore, the main theme is as wonderfully macabre as ever, one of the best uses of pre-existing classical music in television. The bookending is amusingly ironic, while there is some intrigue and an interesting twist.
Just wish however that most of what came before it was as compelling. The story is pretty thin, with a few too many relatively uneventful stretches, which does affect the pacing which is dull. The story is also too ridiculous and not much makes sense, with agreed the meeting with the geologist being particularly total nonsense.
Bad things: There is not much of a mystery, and what there is completely lacks suspense and contains few surprises other than the ending. The moralising felt undercooked and didn't feel needed. The script is very bland and lacks tautness, while the beginning confused from trying to keep up with the character introductions. While there is atmosphere and mood in the photography and lighting the sets are phony and indicative of low budget and rushed production.
Hitchcock's direction is disappointingly pedestrian. Didn't find myself caring for any of the characters and that shouldn't have been the case for this type of story. The episode never really develops them and motivations came over as too vague and silly. The chemistry between the two leads could have done with more spark.
Closing thoughts: Concluding, watchable but uninspired and middle of the road.
5/10.