We are by nature social creatures. Oh, granted, some people detest society, but most of us need companionship to survive. I don't know if this man was given the tools to end his life, but it certainly could have been an outcome. He is dying for one game of chess or a bit of talk. The hostility of the men who bring supplies seems incredibly cruel. This is an outrageous sentence, and the murder he is thought to have committed must have been horrible. Either that or the earth has become a senseless, cruel place (which it is in many ways). He is given a chance to interact with a robotic woman, left behind by a compassionate spaceship captain. He develops a relationship and eventually falls in love. We could see this as sick, but remember the circumstances. There are moments when we wonder if he will stay behind and give up his freedom. Fortunately, or not, he has that decision taken from him when the robot is shown to be a mass of wires and circuits. This is an excellent episode and Jack Warden showed what a good actor he was.
Review of The Lonely
