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Title

Stand-In for Murder

Plot

The desire to murder his wife so he can marry his assistant causes a scientist to clone himself, and use the clone to kill her. Things become sticky when his doppelganger begins thinking independently and develops ideas of his own.

Episode

1161

Air Dates

  • First Run - February 18, 1981
  • Repeat - April 2, 1981

Actors

Writer

Listen

Rating

75
66     9


2 Responses to Episode 1161

A scientist seeks a way out of a loveless marriage so that he can run-off with his mistress (who also happens to be his research assistant). The problem: his wife holds a terrible secret that she would use against him if he ever dared leave her. His solution: create a clone of himself and use it to get rid of his wife once and for all. This is a mildly interesting story but it never really gets going. Genre: Sci-fi/Drama

Don Fernando Jose

I rate this episode ★★★★☆ for GOOD. This story, written by Ian Martin, was amusing. The 1st Act was slow with its dramatic feel, but it picked up afterwards with its Sci-Fi plot points. It would be suitable as an episode for THE TWILIGHT ZONE series. The title is catchy, but another way to title this Drama/Fantasy-Mystery would be “A Taste Of His Own Medicine,” “The Imperfect Murder,” “Victim And Culprit,” or better yet “The Gentle Simulacrum.” In our Host’s Prologue, E.G. Marshall brings up a verse from the Book of Ecclesiastes: “There’s no new thing under the sun,” hinting that this is a tale about life’s monotony (that changes later on). In ACT-1, informing us that this is a fantasy/function of disbelief as we meet our characters in a laboratory. In ACT-2, not only see that this is an imperfect murder plan, but also see there’s no escape for the leading lady to get away from her lover who has kept his dark side and left his good side to the doppelganger. In ACT-3, with its sufficient Climax, our Host points out that this was a strange and profoundly disturbing tale. In his Epilogue, the Resolution revealed: the leading lady and her new companion drove off to start a new life together. Pleasing narrations, our Host gave us. The music was perfect with its dramatic tunes, plus the Sci-Fi tracks that brought tension and suspense. The sound effects of the chemistry equipment bubbling, cyclotron beeping, phone ringing, diffusion pump beeping, doors, capsule powering up, compressor, surgical table, locked gate hissing, typewriter, doorbell, birds chirping, clock chiming, firing of the .38 handgun, and body thud were phenomenal. And so was the cast: Teri Keane (as Dr. Jean Thurston), Carol Teitel (as Phyllis Hall), and Paul Hecht (as Dr. Gareth “Gary” Miles Hall and his Doppelganger). SPECIAL NOTE: Himan Brown plays the role of Grover the Butler. All of them have done excellent work in other CBSRMT episodes before, but putting them all together into this episode was a great collaboration. Check this episode out. SPECIAL BONUS: It has commercials of CBS-TV, Preparation H, Pat Collins for Children with Learning Disabilities, Metamucil Laxative. Pat Summerall for True Value Hardware, Booklet on Feeling Good, Buster Crabb’s arthritis exercises, the Autobiography of G. Gordon Liddy, American Heart Association’s PSA on cigarettes, noodle soups, “Kane And Abel” 1979 novel by Jeffrey Archer, Duration Nasal Spray, and Minute Maid Orange Juice. Until next time…pleasant dreams. =0)

Russell


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