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Trollheart · 06-21-2022, 09:07 AM

Title: “Last Rites for a Dead Druid”
Series: Night Gallery
Season: 2
Year: 1972
Writer(s): Alvin Sapinsley

Storyline: Note: as mentioned, each Night Gallery episode was broken into two or more segments, and I’m only taking one segment per episode. This is the second in episode 18 of the second season. A woman finds a statue in a junk shop which she exclaims looks just like her husband (it doesn’t; it looks nothing like him - I don’t know what they’re trying to pull here) and he is not impressed at her spending his money on useless junk. He wakes to find the statue standing over his bed, but when he “wakes” it is gone. Did he dream it? His wife certainly thinks so. He’s not so sure though, and when he goes out into the garden the next morning and the statue is there, he’s less than relieved, as there are what appear to be footprints leading away from it towards the house.

On researching the statue further, he finds that it’s of an ancient druid, known as Bruce the Black, reputedly a sorcerer and worshipper of Satan, who had the power to turn people to stone. He also finds out that the thing is missing one part, a sort of weapon it was holding. He’s less than pleased to hear that his wife’s friend Mildred, whom he detests and who picked out the statue, is coming to dinner. Completely to his surprise he ends up making a pass at her, after first talking to the statue and telling it it is nothing but a hunk of rock and is going back to the shop at the earliest opportunity. His wife, of course, is not present when he makes his move, but he feels like he has been… manipulated? Controlled? Used?

Then he looks into the flames of the barbeque and sees the face of Bruce the Black laughing at him. He goes glassy-eyed and tries to sacrifice the neighbour’s cat on the fire but the maid sees him, screams and breaks the spell. That night the statue appears in his bedroom again, and exhorts him to kill his wife so he can have Mildred. He goes to smother her, then comes to his senses. The statue vanishes, and he runs outside to smash it up. There’s a flash of light and his wife comes down to find him transformed into the statue, with the live figure of Bruce the Black lying on his back, grinning.

Comments: Yeah, this kinda thing might have flown in the 50s, but even in the 70s this is lame with a capital lame. It’s very badly put together, the dialogue is so stilted it could be later sold to a circus performer to get around on, and the ending is, well, dumb. Not what I’d expect from Serling, especially post Twilight Zone. I know he didn’t write this one, but still. Poor.

Rating: C

06-21-2022, 09:07 AM	#14 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,996	Title: “Last Rites for a Dead Druid” Series: Night Gallery Season: 2 Year: 1972 Writer(s): Alvin Sapinsley Storyline: Note: as mentioned, each Night Gallery episode was broken into two or more segments, and I’m only taking one segment per episode. This is the second in episode 18 of the second season. A woman finds a statue in a junk shop which she exclaims looks just like her husband (it doesn’t; it looks nothing like him - I don’t know what they’re trying to pull here) and he is not impressed at her spending his money on useless junk. He wakes to find the statue standing over his bed, but when he “wakes” it is gone. Did he dream it? His wife certainly thinks so. He’s not so sure though, and when he goes out into the garden the next morning and the statue is there, he’s less than relieved, as there are what appear to be footprints leading away from it towards the house. On researching the statue further, he finds that it’s of an ancient druid, known as Bruce the Black, reputedly a sorcerer and worshipper of Satan, who had the power to turn people to stone. He also finds out that the thing is missing one part, a sort of weapon it was holding. He’s less than pleased to hear that his wife’s friend Mildred, whom he detests and who picked out the statue, is coming to dinner. Completely to his surprise he ends up making a pass at her, after first talking to the statue and telling it it is nothing but a hunk of rock and is going back to the shop at the earliest opportunity. His wife, of course, is not present when he makes his move, but he feels like he has been… manipulated? Controlled? Used? Then he looks into the flames of the barbeque and sees the face of Bruce the Black laughing at him. He goes glassy-eyed and tries to sacrifice the neighbour’s cat on the fire but the maid sees him, screams and breaks the spell. That night the statue appears in his bedroom again, and exhorts him to kill his wife so he can have Mildred. He goes to smother her, then comes to his senses. The statue vanishes, and he runs outside to smash it up. There’s a flash of light and his wife comes down to find him transformed into the statue, with the live figure of Bruce the Black lying on his back, grinning. Comments: Yeah, this kinda thing might have flown in the 50s, but even in the 70s this is lame with a capital lame. It’s very badly put together, the dialogue is so stilted it could be later sold to a circus performer to get around on, and the ending is, well, dumb. Not what I’d expect from Serling, especially post Twilight Zone. I know he didn’t write this one, but still. Poor. Rating: C __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018