June 9, 2023-number 31

Spoilers

“The Chaser”

Strange when you think about it, this whole episode happened because someone needed to use the phone.

“Mr. Roger Shackelforth. Age: youthful twenties. Occupation: being in love. Not just in love, but madly, passionately, illogically, miserably, all-consumingly in love – with a young woman named Leila, who has a vague recollection of his face and even less than a passing interest. In a moment, you’ll see a switch, because Mr. Roger Shackelforth, the young gentleman so much in love, will take a short, but very meaningful journey into the Twilight Zone.”

Roger Shackleforth was desperately in love with Leila. She couldn’t be bothered. Roger was in the phone booth, trying to get Lelia to answer. To get him out of the booth, a man offered him the card of a man whom would be able to fix everything for him. That would make the man desperate to make a phone call the inciting incident. Weird writing.

The man whose card was given to Roger was for a man named “A. Daemon,” a professor who was reading and working in what appeared to be a library. The professor tried to get Roger to buy “glove cleaner” but eventually offered him a love potion to help with his troubles. He warned Roger that this potion would make Leila fall hopelessly in love with Roger, and she would dote over him forever.

Roger went to see Leila and immediately gave her the potion in some champagne and, sure enough, she became breathlessly taken with him.

They would marry and she would do everything for him, constantly gazing upon him, back rubs, anything for him. And he was becoming tired of the mindless obsession.

He tried to return to the professor and he purchased the “glove cleaner” to “take care” of the problem. However, Roger could not bring himself to give Leila that potion and he committed to live his life in this way.

I was not a fan of this episode. Leila was quite annoying, but Roger’s use of the love potion is the same as forcing someone to do something that they did not want to do. The idea that he would then murder her to get away from her is a horrible thought.