Description: Season 1, Episode 32
Air Date: May 20, 1960
Plot Summary: After an alcoholic trumpet player commits suicide, he finds himself in an unusual afterlife.
Review: I don't think you'll hear me say this very often, but I don't recall ever seeing this episode before. While the story does tackle similar themes to other episodes, it has a unique spin to the situation. Also, it stars the great Jack Klugman who we will see again in one of the best episodes, "A Game of Pool." Anyway, the story focuses on a washed up musician named Joey. Joey used to be one of the great trumpet players, but, nowaday, he spends more time drinking than anything else. He claims he needs the alcohol to invoke his true, musical potential or something along those lines. Once Joey meets up with an old friend, and realizes he's lost his chance at greatness, Joey decides to pawn away his trumpet and spend the money on more booze. This is followed up by a deliberate walk in front of a truck to end the misery once and for all. Although, the editing of this shot is shoddy, and the closeup of the random woman screaming was laughably bad.
Joey comes to his senses moments later and believes everything is okay until he tries to interact with individuals; it would appear no one is able to see or hear him. It doesn't take long before Joey realizes he must surely be a ghost. This part was kind of funny since Joey's immediate reaction to this revelation is to try and scare someone. As Joey wanders the city aimlessly, he remarks that things are out of place and is still able to interact with reality. Eventually Joey comes across a strange man playing a trumpet who can hear and see him. This man knows all about Joey and informs him that he's not really dead; to the contrary, it is everyone Joey sees that is actually dead. In this version of the afterlife, people go on living their lives as usual while being oblivious to the fact that they're dead. Joey is offered the choice to return to the real world or to stay in this limbo. Of course Joey wants to return as he has gained a new found appreciation for life. As the strange man reassures Joey of his purpose in life, we learn that the man is actually the angel Gabriel; I liked the shot they used here of Gabriel standing under the street light. Joey then awakes after being hit by the truck and magically has no serious injuries. The truck driver bribes Joey to keep this accident between the two of them, and, in turn, Joey uses the cash to buy back his trumpet. With his reverence for life restored, Joey plays to his heart's content atop the roof of his apartment when he comes across a girl admiring his playing. The two flirt a bit as the episode ends with the implication that the two will get together. Damn, angels hooking this fool up with a second chance at life and a chickadee?!
I guess we could put this episode among the underrated ranks. It didn't have as meaningful of a theme as it could have, but Mr. Klugman plays his characters quite passionately. Likewise, TZ loves exploring the concept of failed success and the influence this has on a person. However, the introduction of this limbo world was cool and not something typically explored; this helped to spice up the ordinary nature of the tale. The angel aspect was predictable, considering Joey mentioned it earlier, but I am okay with it. Overall, not too bad for an episode that probably almost never airs on TV these days. Maybe this has something to do with it being a slightly longer than usual episode...I mean, we can't possibly go without as many godforsaken commercials as possible, now can we?!
Yeh, no kidding, with your last commercial comment, it's true, they gotta squeeze in as many commercials as possible.
ReplyDeleteThe afterlife world of Joey was quite similar to "Ghost", with the spirit still roaming the city alongside the living with the living unable to see or hear them. Joey at first gets agitated at how no one will make eye contact with him or respond to anything he says. One question, how is Joey in spirit form able to still pick up a booze bottle in a bar and drink it, and then the bartender who's right there doesn't see the bottle lifting up and tilting with no one grabbing it?
I kinda liked the character Gabe. I didn't see anything wrong with the screaming woman though, who wouldn't scream while seeing someone apparently commit suicide in front of them. A pretty good episode overall.
The family guy episode where Peter plays piano better when he's drunk kind of copies this episode with Joey saying that he plays the trumpet better while drunk.