THE CARD (3 of 10)
A spendthrift housewife with horrible credit (Blakely) accepts an offer for a new credit card. When her account goes delinquent, she learns the credit company's collection practices are more draconian than she expected.
The idea behind this story would appear to be a natural fit for the Twilight Zone, as the theme of one's vices leading to bizarre and horrible consequences was a staple for the original series. The execution of the idea from a writing, direction and effects standpoint, on the other hand, falls far short. In many of the original series' episodes (e.g., "The Masks", "Escape Clause") used the running time to flesh out the characters to give the payoff special resonance; "The Card", on the other hand, simply uses the 22 minute running time to dutifully run through each step of the escalating collections process, and giving the audience little or no additional insight into the Blakely's character (or anyone else's, for that matter). The result is a plodding, by-the-numbers episode that has an unnecessarily cruel end.
Blakely's character is the only one who's given more than one dimension (Atherton is particularly badly served by Michael Cassutt's script), and even that additional dimension is limited to the fact that she loves her family. Blakely gives a game performance, but she's given no room to run; indeed, she comes off as a deeply flawed individual, but one hardly deserving of the sadistic end that comes to her.
-- SPOILER COMING --
The direction is no better, as nothing in the staging or shooting of the episode makes it any more effective. Indeed, the visual effects of everything disappearing around Blakely's character are unspeakably juvenile, complete with "whoosh" sound effects.
In short, this is an episode that takes a one-note "twist" idea, and adds absolutely nothing to it.
THE JUNCTION (6 of 10)
A miner on the outs with his wife (William Allen Young) is trapped in a cave-in while exploring a new shaft; although he thinks he is alone, he finds he's trapped with another miner (Chris Mulkey), who was apparently trapped in the same mine seventy-five years earlier.
The story here is one that would pass for minor league "Twilight Zone" fare -- no deep moral truths, and although some believable character shifts, nothing terribly memorable -- but it's reasonably effective for what it is. Virginia Aldridge's script and the production design do a nice job of setting the feel of the coal town, and the dialogue between Young and Mulkey is believable and effectively delivered.
While the twist plays more like something out of "One Step Beyond," it's still effective enough on its own terms. If nothing else, it's a welcome relief from the awful segment that preceded it.
A spendthrift housewife with horrible credit (Blakely) accepts an offer for a new credit card. When her account goes delinquent, she learns the credit company's collection practices are more draconian than she expected.
The idea behind this story would appear to be a natural fit for the Twilight Zone, as the theme of one's vices leading to bizarre and horrible consequences was a staple for the original series. The execution of the idea from a writing, direction and effects standpoint, on the other hand, falls far short. In many of the original series' episodes (e.g., "The Masks", "Escape Clause") used the running time to flesh out the characters to give the payoff special resonance; "The Card", on the other hand, simply uses the 22 minute running time to dutifully run through each step of the escalating collections process, and giving the audience little or no additional insight into the Blakely's character (or anyone else's, for that matter). The result is a plodding, by-the-numbers episode that has an unnecessarily cruel end.
Blakely's character is the only one who's given more than one dimension (Atherton is particularly badly served by Michael Cassutt's script), and even that additional dimension is limited to the fact that she loves her family. Blakely gives a game performance, but she's given no room to run; indeed, she comes off as a deeply flawed individual, but one hardly deserving of the sadistic end that comes to her.
-- SPOILER COMING --
The direction is no better, as nothing in the staging or shooting of the episode makes it any more effective. Indeed, the visual effects of everything disappearing around Blakely's character are unspeakably juvenile, complete with "whoosh" sound effects.
In short, this is an episode that takes a one-note "twist" idea, and adds absolutely nothing to it.
THE JUNCTION (6 of 10)
A miner on the outs with his wife (William Allen Young) is trapped in a cave-in while exploring a new shaft; although he thinks he is alone, he finds he's trapped with another miner (Chris Mulkey), who was apparently trapped in the same mine seventy-five years earlier.
The story here is one that would pass for minor league "Twilight Zone" fare -- no deep moral truths, and although some believable character shifts, nothing terribly memorable -- but it's reasonably effective for what it is. Virginia Aldridge's script and the production design do a nice job of setting the feel of the coal town, and the dialogue between Young and Mulkey is believable and effectively delivered.
While the twist plays more like something out of "One Step Beyond," it's still effective enough on its own terms. If nothing else, it's a welcome relief from the awful segment that preceded it.