Strong moral message and passionate performances really lift this ordinary "desolate miserable impoverished town" story, as a Mexican man named Luís (John A Alonzo), awaiting his execution to hang for running over a little girl while drunk with horses is under scrutiny by locals unsettled with the crime, preparing to see him die. Thomas Gomez (of the previous TZ episode, "Escape Clause") has a memorable part as a filthy, shifty, loud-mouthed, obese trader/seller of merchandise, Peter Sykes. Peter makes sure to pass by Luís's jail cell to insult and ridicule him, making sure to rib him something fierce. Vladmir Sokoloff, an actor I absolutely love, steals the episode as this agonizing father of Luís, begging everyone in town for compassion and understanding, hoping they try to realize that his son was in pain and the only salvation he felt he could find was in a bottle. John Larch rounds out a solid cast as the tormented sheriff, gruelingly contending with town anger, hurt, and the hot sun. Having to execute a young man is not what this sheriff wants at all, recognizing the tragedy of this whole situation. Considering this is a TZ episode, you'd have to think something otherworldly might result from this whole ugly ordeal, and "magic dust" (and some supposedly strong rope) might just be the answer. Peter, never one not to seize upon an opportunity if it brings him some coins to pocket and capitalize on a tragedy, offers to sell Sokoloff's Gallegos "dust equipped with spiritual properties to bring love to those that hate his son"
Peter, in actuality, grabs a handful of dust out of the dirty street in town and fills a tobacco bag with it. Peter also sold the rope to the town to hang Luís, claiming that it is the best kind of material to meet the demands of snapping a neck and killing the convicted murderer at the gallows. So Peter is heavily invested in this execution, providing both the rope to kill and the dust supposedly to save! He couldn't possibly imagine what might happen next
Predictable conclusion doesn't undermine dedicated performances and the setting is appropriately haggard, depressing, and melancholic. That there is some compassion to arise out of what is a terrible ordeal for the parents who lost their girl for Luís proves that sometimes "enough is enough"
and Luís does suffer and will continue to do so, for which is a punishment in itself. Serling includes racism and raw emotion in the screenplay and Larch's sheriff has a powerful scene with a father who organized this trip for his kids to see what happens when a "drunk murders an innocent girl". What Gallegos goes through, spreading the dust around to a viewing public laughing at him and his unwavering belief in his son's rescue brings him such sympathy...you ache for this father just wanting others to realize that his son's not a monster.
Review of Dust
