The Chaser

Description: Season 1, Episode 31

Air Date: May 13, 1960

Plot Summary: A man obsessed with some dumb chick gives her a love potion with easily predictable consequences.

Review: If it feels like you've heard this tale before, chances are, you have. While this episode is one of the earlier incarnations of this story, it's not the first, and, for once, I don't feel it's the best either. More so, the love potion concept has been around for a long ass time and is a pretty standard morality tale in regards to love, lust, and obsession and the difference between the three. In this episode, we meet a so-called "lover boy," named Roger, as he pines over a girl named Leila. Ehhh, Leila looks okay, but you could do better, lover boy. The episode doesn't provide us with any real reason why Roger likes her which was kind of annoying. Give me anything--I don't care. Leila, on the other hand, is a pain in the ass tease, but they don't even get her character correct since we don't get the full picture on this chick's situation. She appears to have other admirers, but we never see them or hear about them. They should have had a line that explained how the two crossed paths or something deeper to address the backstory.

One night, while endlessly calling Leila at a bar's payphone, of all places, an old man in a hurry ends up giving Roger a business card to meet with a man called Professor A. Daemon. Oh, no, that's not suspicious sounding at all! Actually, I would have liked to know more about the old man's story. Who was that son of a bitch, and what potion did he end up with? Anyway, Roger meets demon-man who is another pain in the ass. He thinks Roger wants to be something great and offers him remedies, but Roger claims all he wants is Leila. Demon-man thinks this is a lame scheme but obliges the request with a love potion that will clearly make someone crazily obsessed. Roger, being a dumbass, doesn't care and later begs for a meeting with Leila. Leila, being a tease, humors this proposition long enough for Roger to slip her the love potion. Of course this potion works its wonders, and Leila is hopelessly enthralled by Roger. We then bypass the honeymoon phase and skip to Roger already annoyed with Leila. They mention something about being together for 6 months so I guess that's how long it takes to go crazy. I did like how annoying they made Leila--asking shit over and over and perpetually vying for Roger's attention. Roger can no longer take the situation and goes back to demon-bitch for a cure except there is none. On the other hand, demon-man offers a potion that will seamlessly kill Leila instead. Roger, Roger, Roger...are you a complete imbecile? If Leila will do anything you say, just tell her to commit suicide or somehow trick her into getting killed! Or, grab a knife and put a smile on that face! Too far? Well, Roger goes to poison Leila but learns she is pregnant and drops the poison. He then comes to terms with the fact he is stuck with Leila forever. Other incarnations of this story typically tweak the ending to make things unique, but I do like TZ's version. Either way, there are worse fates in life than this, Roger. Plus, you can't kill Leila after she gives birth? Overall, not too bad of an episode, but it's been done better. I also feel this is a tale that could be told better nowaday with an adult tone to seriously address the themes fully.