I agree with those who say this is one of the best episodes. Hitchcock himself directs, and begins with us spying on a couple from outside. They argue, he grabs a poker from the fire and bludgeons her to death. Now he has to dispose of the body. It's more than 10 minutes in before we hear anything other than the soundtrack (first a siren, then a voice).
The whole episode is an exercise in tension. It's hard not to find ourselves rooting for the protagonist (the killer, played by David Wayne), we've been with him from the start.
There are only two other characters, the police officer and a garage mechanic (still working at night). The ending is understated, as was often the case in the series.
The whole episode is an exercise in tension. It's hard not to find ourselves rooting for the protagonist (the killer, played by David Wayne), we've been with him from the start.
There are only two other characters, the police officer and a garage mechanic (still working at night). The ending is understated, as was often the case in the series.