A couple of buddies get together on D-Day every year for a reunion to re-live their World War II days in France. One man's daughter and the other man's son are now engaged to be married and they are living in New York - the site of this year's reunion. (The other man lives in Iowa where he is the president of a bank.) Doug, the son of one of them, is a computer engineer and has been involved in the development of a hand-held computer that can only be described as a sort of "Magic Eight-Ball." People ask it questions, and it prints out an answer on a small tape. He and the other man's daughter are getting ready to attend a charity fund-raiser and use the computer to tell people's fortunes as a way of raking in donations. Before they leave, the young lady demonstrates the computer to her father and future father-in-law. But, it provides some disturbing answers to the questions they ask it - and that sets the stage for the rest of this adventure. Reply With Quote

A scientist invents a super computer that can tell the future. He and his fiancee use it as a party favor and it tells them that one of their fathers (two old war buddies) will miss their next reunion because they'll be dead.

Goofy little tale about a computer that can read the future, or at least parts of it. The owners of the computer can think of nothing more profitable from this amazing device than to stage parlour tricks as a fund raiser (when they could be asking the future of stock prices and sporting events). Their fathers are old war buddies and make annual reunion visits. The computer predicts that next year there will be no reunion. (da dummmmm)

Fateful Reunion was my absolute favorite, the ending made the hair go up on my neck!!! 😬

Not too bad of a listen, if not a little over dramatic at times. I thought it interesting that they had developed a computer so advanced back then that it could recognize speech (still not the best today) and then consider a reply based upon some sort of data that was entered into its memory. Memory at that time was so small that to get all the information they were discussing into it would've made it non-portable. However, most people probably don't realize that so can stretch their belief a bit more than I can.

This episode is actually a great documentation of the pre- Microsoft/Apple PC era we live in now. If you are of a certain age, you remember when computers took up a room, and had whirling spinning discs and buttons and knobs, and usually belonged to government, universities and corporations and institutes. Cultural Anthropologists could use this episode as a time capsule of how people thought about and feared computers as they were being developed. Much science fiction at the time mirrored humans uneasiness with the thought of the human brain being eclipsed by machine and what those consequences would be. Now with our IPads and PC's it's difficult to remember how people were feeling as the computer age was rearing up - these types of stories remind us about how people were distrusting those machines. If you were born in the sixties or before, you are a phenomenon- the only generation to have seen the computer age develop: from a black and white TV with tubes, Polaroid and Kodak camera with detachable Flash, and a typewriter- to a calculator, to a word processor, to a computer, to a PC, to the Internet, to color then flat panel TV, to microwaves, to a cell phone, to a digital camera, to a Smart Phone, to a laptop, to a Tablet, to an iWatch and the Cloud. WE SAW IT ALL!!

The son of one of two World War II buddies who have been holding a reunion on the anniversary of D-day since 1945 works for a company that has developed a “thinking” computer which can predict the future. While testing it, he is told by the machine that his father and friend will never have another reunion, that one will die before their next observance of D-day. The two have several brushes with death, but both are still alive the day before their next meeting.

A great commentary on generational changes from the WWII era where getting away, relaxing, personal time and traditions were a way of life to the dawn of the computer age and the fears and anxieties this generation originally had of the unknown world of computers and their capabilities. As someone prior wrote, the jump from the 1960s to 2019 has been an era of immense technological advancements, both good and bad, but as with all change - inevitable.

I rate this episode ★★★★★ for EXCELLENT. Elizabeth Pennell wrote a terrific mystery episode that’s keeps you guessing until the very end; literally! At the end of each Act, you’ll be guessing which 1 of the 2 men will be dead before their reunion. The final scene where the engaged couple are dead silent and too afraid to answer the ringing phone to find out who lived and who died, that will give every CBSRMT fan goosebumps! Plus, the idea of a super computer that predicts future events reminds me of 2 episodes of THE TWILIGHT ZONE series (“From Agnes—With Love” and “Nick Of Time”). In our Host’s Prologue, E.G. Marshall narrates a theme of “What Ifs.” In ACT-1, pointing out the difference between computers and people, is the effect an idea can have when it’s implanted in the human brain. In ACT-2, unsettling view that a subject or even an object would tell someone’s going to die. In ACT-3, this story is compared to a Chess player where we make our move to the final Act. After the final scene, the inevitable happened and we will forever guess who was the one that survived. In his Epilogue, E.G. Marshall narrates more on predictions and happenstance. But also, advises CBSRMT fans to avoid the crystal ball, but look forward to a long & happy life. Great narrations from a great Host. The sound effects of cups clinking, beeping noises from the super computer, doors, city traffic, tires screech, car crash, piano music at the restaurant, car engine, horn honk, police & ambulance sirens, crowd murmuring, phone ringing, elevator beeps at the Hospital, dialing the rotary phone, and radio music were super-efficient for this episode. Dramatic music tunes added a lot of suspense, but the best tunes were at the 29:26 mark and the 34:04 where themes of happiness fills up the reunion. And finally, our cast: Robert Dryden (as Gary and Restaurant Employee), Jennifer Harmon (as Lucy), Ken Harvey (as David and Radio News Reporter), and William Redfield (as Doug and Taxi Driver). These 4 were dynamite! Both Ken Harvey & Robert Dryden were a perfect buddy-duo. And Jennifer Harmon & William Redfield were a perfect match to play as an engaged couple. I highly recommend this one. SPECIAL BONUS: It has commercials for State Farm Insurance, “48 Hours” on CBS-TV, American Will Kit, Steve Allen for the American Cancer Society, and CBS-News from WWJ Detroit. Until next time…pleasant dreams

Upon the review provided by Russell I will give it a listen

An okay listen but Jennifer Harmon’s overly-dramatic performance was just too much for me. And the ending was unresolved, which I find annoying in some of the episodes that already lacked direction. Too bad...I like Elizabeth Pennell.

Jennifer Harmon's character talks to her husband like he is an idiot. He is so patient to put up with her constant scolding and tone of superiority without getting mad. It's not what she says, but the way she says it. If she could just talk to him like he is a human being, and not dirt beneath her feet, then maybe this episode would have been more enjoyable.