Guest star Dean Stockwell is great in this episode. But while he is playing the most important role in the story, we also have a strong performance by William Smithers. During his long career, Smithers was often cast as villains. Here, Smithers is a Svengali-type psychiatrist that does not have the well-being of his patient in mind. In fact he's going to use the guy to commit murder.
The doctor is less interested in helping Charlie Blake (Stockwell's character) and more interested in helping himself...to his wife's money. But he can only get his hands on the dough if she's out of the way. So he will use Charlie to accomplish this. The doctor's wife (Sharon Acker) calls him evil during their first scene together at his office. I sort of wondered why doesn't she leave him.
At one point later in the narrative, the doctor says his rich wife bought his soul years earlier, when they married and she helped set him up in practice. Is he a victim in some way, or just manipulating the situation for sympathy?
As for Charlie, we are first introduced to him at the police station where Lt. Mike Stone (Karl Malden) is having Inspector Steve Keller (Michael Douglas) interrogate known sex offenders because of a recent rape and murder in the area. We find out right away that Charlie has a criminal past, but he is now supposedly reformed.
Stockwell seems to have a gentle way about him, despite the scruffy appearance and the character's backstory. Still there are moments as the story progresses where we get to see Stockwell portray Charlie as a bit unhinged.
There is a long brainwashing scene where the doctor records Charlie making a sexually harassing phone call. I had to ask myself if this was at all realistic. Also, would this type of scene cause viewers to distrust psychiatrists? Maybe that was one of the goals the producers had in doing this episode.
Lieutenant Stone (Malden) and Inspector Keller (Douglas) note the odd coincidences that crop up in the case. But they do not initially suspect that Charlie's being framed. It isn't until Keller sees the tapes the doctor makes of patients that he starts to piece it all together.
What I like most about this episode is that while it gets a bit too psychological and sinister, we also get to see a tender romance occurring with Charlie and his girlfriend. It's a relationship that has some lies, or omissions of fact, in it. This is because Charlie has been afraid to divulge his past to her. But after the bad doctor is nabbed, Charlie and his girl make up, and they are assured of a happy ending.
The doctor is less interested in helping Charlie Blake (Stockwell's character) and more interested in helping himself...to his wife's money. But he can only get his hands on the dough if she's out of the way. So he will use Charlie to accomplish this. The doctor's wife (Sharon Acker) calls him evil during their first scene together at his office. I sort of wondered why doesn't she leave him.
At one point later in the narrative, the doctor says his rich wife bought his soul years earlier, when they married and she helped set him up in practice. Is he a victim in some way, or just manipulating the situation for sympathy?
As for Charlie, we are first introduced to him at the police station where Lt. Mike Stone (Karl Malden) is having Inspector Steve Keller (Michael Douglas) interrogate known sex offenders because of a recent rape and murder in the area. We find out right away that Charlie has a criminal past, but he is now supposedly reformed.
Stockwell seems to have a gentle way about him, despite the scruffy appearance and the character's backstory. Still there are moments as the story progresses where we get to see Stockwell portray Charlie as a bit unhinged.
There is a long brainwashing scene where the doctor records Charlie making a sexually harassing phone call. I had to ask myself if this was at all realistic. Also, would this type of scene cause viewers to distrust psychiatrists? Maybe that was one of the goals the producers had in doing this episode.
Lieutenant Stone (Malden) and Inspector Keller (Douglas) note the odd coincidences that crop up in the case. But they do not initially suspect that Charlie's being framed. It isn't until Keller sees the tapes the doctor makes of patients that he starts to piece it all together.
What I like most about this episode is that while it gets a bit too psychological and sinister, we also get to see a tender romance occurring with Charlie and his girlfriend. It's a relationship that has some lies, or omissions of fact, in it. This is because Charlie has been afraid to divulge his past to her. But after the bad doctor is nabbed, Charlie and his girl make up, and they are assured of a happy ending.