CBSRMT Episode Information Next Episode

Title

The Better Half

Plot

Despite having murdered her in a fit of envious rage, a young ad agency executive continues to receive advice from his brilliant and deceased wife.

Episode

1050

Air Dates

  • First Run - January 14, 1980
  • Repeat - April 29, 1980

Actors

Writer

Listen

Rating

159
122     37


3 Responses to Episode 1050

This is another episode, the fifth, that I am surprised to be the first commenter on. It is about murder, but its tone is very light. It is actually more about the male ego, and was written around the time "women's lib" was a big topic. Or maybe anyone who ever had their ideas at work being overshadowed by another could identify here! The other 4 episodes were actually maybe a little better than this one: "Flash Point", "Silver Medal", and "the Other Soul" and. "End of a Memory"

Melanie

Part of this story reminds me of Ep. 1152-SMALL MONEY where the main character kills his wife because he was being overshadowed by her. The wife is smart, beautiful, and talented and the guy's ego gets the better of him to commit murder. In this Fantasy-Mystery, the ghost of the deceased wife continues to help him. I think the story would've worked best if the female ghost told the story from her perspective and she explains on how she handles her jealous husband and the tile of the CBSRMT episode would be called "The Bitter Half." The cast is excellent in this one: Tony Roberts (as Bobby Boyle), Patricia Elliot (as Jeannie Frye), Fred Gwynne (as Jack Martin & Sergeant Mullins), and Veleka Gray (as Linda & Lieutenant Diana Pollock). Even though Fred Gwynne & Veleka Gray weren't the main actors, they were still a delight to hear. Tony Roberts & Patricia Elliot playing as polar opposites in a relationship was a gem. The music had constructive feel to build up the mystery. At the 8-minute 27-seocnd mark, there was this peaceful/serenity guitar tunes that were different from all of the mystery tunes that we've heard over the years. ACT-2 had music that brought up the suspense for the main character to remove any loose ends. ACT-3 had suspenseful tracks as well. ACT-1 had sound effects of tableware clinking, the settings of a diner, rotary phone, the piano playing at the restaurant, the automatic gun being fired. In ACT-2, there were sounds of the car running, the brakes and a boat in the back ground. Then in ACT-3, all you can hear is a door closing and lounge music. A lot of music, but not enough of the sound effects. As for our Host, great intro & outro from every act. In his Prologue, E. G. Marshall brings up the topic of Consciousness Raising; to focus the attention of a wider group of people for a cause. It makes sense to bring this up because it raises awareness for our main character of what changes he's going to go through. In ACT-1, our Host gets straight to point; a woman with beauty & brains married to a guy with an unhappy ego; where an average person can have a breaking point. In ACT-2, our Host talks about the old days where guys use to be secure with their dominance and "The Better Half" saying came around. In ACT-3, he quotes Henry D Thoreau by saying, "Our life is fritted away by details." Then he quotes Thomas Carlyle who said, "Genius is the capacity for taking infinite plains." In the end, he asks us fans what moves people: Sex? Hunger? Pride of Authorship? Another mystery we must solve on our own. At the Epilogue, he mentions the PYGMALION story; which is a good because what we've learned from this is that we cannot change people into something else. E.G. Marshall quoted the "Let sleeping dogs lie," but it wasn't Dickens who said it. It was Robert Walpole. Anyway, tune in to this mystery tale, everybody. It's a good one with Fred Gwynne in it. =0]

Russell

I liked this episode and found it humorous almost that this guys ego was so strong as for him to reveal he killed her to prove the ideas were his! Check this one out!

chris


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