There's no real plot, instead the entry's more like a character study. That's likely why heavy- duty actress Fontaine was hired. Her wealthy wife Alice Pemberton means well, and in that sense she's a paragon. But her constant "I know better than you do and it's for your own good" attitude is alienating everyone, including husband John (Merrill). And she's so blithely confident about it, there's no getting through to her. Naturally, something has to give.
Note the spooky hook at the outset that grabs viewers before all the talk starts. The hook's meaning also pays off in the final scene. It's a larger than usual cast, as Alice goes from one family member to the next, in her quest to improve lives by finding fault. Merrill's quite good as her patiently exasperated husband who can't get through to her. Plus, it's a tribute to Fontaine's acting skills that she's more exasperating than dislikable. Were it the latter, the episode might be off-putting. One more thing, catch Hitch's brief closing remark. I think it amounts to a quip on the series' special, ground-breaking appeal. All in all, it's an unusual entry that makes a good, if often overlooked, point.
Note the spooky hook at the outset that grabs viewers before all the talk starts. The hook's meaning also pays off in the final scene. It's a larger than usual cast, as Alice goes from one family member to the next, in her quest to improve lives by finding fault. Merrill's quite good as her patiently exasperated husband who can't get through to her. Plus, it's a tribute to Fontaine's acting skills that she's more exasperating than dislikable. Were it the latter, the episode might be off-putting. One more thing, catch Hitch's brief closing remark. I think it amounts to a quip on the series' special, ground-breaking appeal. All in all, it's an unusual entry that makes a good, if often overlooked, point.