It's always Carlotta. That name means nothing but trouble :)

No fair, my dearly departed mother's name was Carlotta :)

A novelist and his wife take in an old college buddy who's on the lamb from the law. The old "buddy" starts trouble between them almost upon his arrival. Story is not real believable and entirely sexist. Bell's performance is outstanding.

A policeman turns up at the isolated home of a writer and his wife telling them an infamous gangster has escaped custody and may be heading their way. They are told particularly because of the relationship the writer had with the criminal in college. We learn that the writer was only able to finish college and become who he was because the criminal robbed a bank for the money he needed for tuition. He accepted the money, and with it, an indebtedness that must, at some time, be repaid.

This was a typical nice girl, nice life, nice husband, falling for a scoundrel. It was a terribly predictable ending. Still, the story flowed and was a nice fit in the allotted time. A good listen. 4-stars.

Worth a listen if only for Bell's performance.

This is not the first time on Mystery Theater that a decent man has lost his wife to a villain because he's not manly enough. I did like the Mayberry-esque atmosphere of the episode, including a sheriff pulling over a car--with a siren--because he owed the driver $10!

I agree with Mike and James that Bell's performance is good, but that the story is in not believable and very sexist. If it weren't for Bell it wouldn't be worth listening to.

The story is totally believable. Weakness is far more distasteful than you know. Both the husband and wife are weak. Great premise and wonderful story. Nothing sexist at all.

With all the actors available , why couldn't they use actors whose age matched their role .Here Ralph Bell is old enough to be the other actors' grandfather and he sounds like it .

This episode , The Deadliest Favor, was interesting- about a favor, a fugitive and a woman. But after you listen to it, go and listen to The Woman Who Wanted To Live, also about a fugitive and a woman, you'll get a lot of bang for your buck, a good double feature. But listen to this one first to get the most out of them.

Ralph Bell was at his best, fantastic performance.

Once again, Ralph Bell's performance turns a rather bland story into a five-star episode. He always makes a jerk character very interesting and entertaining. Also, he is so creepy that one wants to slap his face, yet at the same time he is so charming and confident that one can see why the wife fell for him. That's what's so great about Ralph Bell. He makes his roles three-dimensional, colorful and realistic. The other actors were also pretty good as well.

What's with all the comments about sexism? Good grief! Men and women are different, and no amount of time is going to change that! I'm sick of all you meely-mouthed, pantywaist, pencilneck "men" who've replaced your scroti with murses! Oh, great episode bytheway!

Norman Rose, Marian Seldes and Ralph Bell together. Doesn’t get much better than that. Makes it worth listening to, although Carlotta’s decision... Oh my.

Norman Rose, Marian seldes (my fav two RMT actors) and Ralph Bell together makes this a worthwhile listen. Although Rose is a bit wasted as the poor clueless husband. And Carlotta’s decision! Oh my.

Ah, the story of a wife bored with the security she chose in marriage, when along comes the villain who has dangerous appeal. A good storyline with great acting. Really enjoyed this one and the commercials.