I enjoy suspense and this is chock full of it! Very good episode!

Norman Rose at his cool, malignant narcissistic, best.

James Agate, Jr. wrote a suspenseful tale filled with character development, a thickening plot, and an ending that was satisfactory. However though, this is suppose to be based off of Edith Wharton's "The Blond Beast" from 1910 and it is distinctly different. I read Edith Wharton's short story and the only thing that her version & James Agate Jr.'s version have in common, is the notion of Egotism. Everything else, different. Different setting, different characters names, different time period as well. But still, this CBSRMT episode is an entertaining Drama-Mystery. For instance, E.G. Marshall quoting William Shakespeare's HAMLET about fate controlling destiny and asking us CBSRMT fans a serious question: "Are we masters of our fate, or slaves to our sins?" Now, that's a mystery we'll be solving on our own. The music had its standard mystifying tunes where the suspense was building up slowly. And using music from the 51st episode of the TWILIGHT ZONE again was always a nice touch. But the sound effects of the car running, the car screeching, the thunderstorm, the doorbell ringing, the rotary phone being dialed, garden hose spraying, the phone & typewriters at the police station, the seagulls, the bell buoy, the fog horn, the boathouse door, climbing of the ladder, the splashes in the water, and the gun shot at the Finale were all the right pieces you needed to feel like you were there in Cape Cod, which is where this story takes place. And if there was one word to describe our cast: Norman Rose (as Henry Trevor), Robert Dryden (as Chief Rufus Clay & Wayne), Russell Horton (as Bartholomew Gates & Simon), and Carol Teitel (as Martha Trevor), it would be: REMARKABLE; especially Norman Rose. If you thought Ralph Bell, Evie Juster, Fred Gwynne, Bryna Raeburn, and many others could play malicious villains, wait until you hear Norman Rose because he plays a villain that you'd love to hate. A villain who is so selfish, so self-centered, so naive, so spoiled, so greedy, so narcissistic, he is a beast that you can hate with a passion. Bravo to Norman Rose.

I rate this episode ★★★★☆ for GOOD. James Agate, Jr. wrote a suspenseful tale filled with character development, a thickening plot, and an ending that was satisfactory. However though, this is suppose to be based off of Edith Wharton's "The Blond Beast" from 1910 and it is distinctly different. I read Edith Wharton's short story and the only thing that her version & James Agate Jr.'s version have in common, is the notion of Egotism. Everything else, different. Different setting, different characters names, different time period as well. But still, this CBSRMT episode is an entertaining Drama-Mystery. For instance, E.G. Marshall quoting William Shakespeare's HAMLET about fate controlling destiny and asking us CBSRMT fans a serious question: "Are we masters of our fate, or slaves to our sins?" Now, that's a mystery we'll be solving on our own. The music had its standard mystifying tunes where the suspense was building up slowly. And using music from the 51st episode of the TWILIGHT ZONE again was always a nice touch. But the sound effects of the car running, the car screeching, the thunderstorm, the doorbell ringing, the rotary phone being dialed, garden hose spraying, the phone & typewriters at the police station, the seagulls, the bell buoy, the fog horn, the boathouse door, climbing of the ladder, the splashes in the water, and the gun shot at the Finale were all the right pieces you needed to feel like you were there in Cape Cod, which is where this story takes place. And if there was one word to describe our cast: Norman Rose (as Henry Trevor), Robert Dryden (as Chief Rufus Clay & Wayne), Russell Horton (as Bartholomew Gates & Simon), and Carol Teitel (as Martha Trevor), it would be: REMARKABLE; especially Norman Rose. If you thought Ralph Bell, Evie Juster, Fred Gwynne, Bryna Raeburn, and many others could play malicious villains, wait until you hear Norman Rose because he plays a villain that you'd love to hate. A villain who is so selfish, so self-centered, so naive, so spoiled, so greedy, so narcissistic, he is a beast that you can hate with a passion. Bravo to Norman Rose. 4 out of 5 stars for this one. =0]

This episode is based partly on Wharton’s short story Th Choice. Read that and you will see very clear parallels between Wharton’s romantic triangle and Agate’s. The Choice is set on a lake, but a motor boat and boat house play key roles in the story’s climax, just as in the radio play. The hit and run incident that opens Agate’s play may be entirely his invention; i can’t find evidence it was inspired by Wharton.

E.G. says this episode is based on an Edith Wharton story, and the Payton & Grams book claims it's based on Wharton's "The Blond Beast." This is wrong. The only resemblance between the stories is in the title. Lazy scholarship.

The backstory, the affair and the incident in the boathouse are based on Wharton’s short story The Choice. I don’t know if the hit and run incident is based on Wharton. Probably not.

I was not a fan of this episode. The wife was just as unsavory as her husband. Essentially saying- I can be a widow and a murderer, but not a divorced woman. The son will end up going to jail for killing Henry so justice really isn’t served, revenge was.

I doubt the son will get jail time.... he will plead temporary insanity, crime of passion etc and get off with some couch time ;-)