In Praise of Pip

This is incredibly cinematic for a TV show. The use of the hall of mirrors is remindful of The Third Man and Harry Lime. I'm sure there was a little of that in Serling's mind when he did this episode. This is an excellent story. It begins with a soldier, lying on a litter, ready to be taken to an evac hospital. He has little chance of survival. Cut to Jack Klugman's character, a cheap bookie who has no prospects. His son Phillip, called Pip, is the soldier. He is the only thing of significance in the man's life. He worries about him and expects news from time to time. He is, of course, at the beck and call of the guy who runs the book. Anyway, Klugman gets news that his son is dying in Vietnam (a place that many didn't know very well as of yet). To save another young man, he takes a bullet from a thug, retaliates, and goes on the run, rapidly losing blood. This is where Pip comes in. He appears as a child, giving Klugman's character a chance to spend some time with him. The man is known as a guy who has never made a sacrifice for anyone. Now he gets his chance. Very good episode.