Description: Season 2, Episode 17
Air Date: February 10, 1961
Plot Summary: A woman, staying at a hospital, believes her nightmare regarding an ominous nurse is real.
Review: Once more, we have an episode that is actually based on an existing story. I haven't read the source material, but most horror veterans should be familiar with the core concepts as this particular tale has inspired many incarnations; the most remarkably, similar instance of this would be the first "Final Destination" film. There have also been interpretations of this story as if it's an urban legend of some kind; an episode of "Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction" tried to portray this tale as such. I, for one, think this is a cool episode and probably falls in the underrated category. It does receive recognition, and it does appear in marathons, but it's not one of the staple episodes. I will probably have to make a list of top 10 episodes as well as top 10 underrated. Might as well throw in a top 10 worst, right?
So we have a woman, named Liz, who is staying in a hospital due to fatigue or something. She claims to be a dancer, but, at the same time, they mention she's a stripper. Hmm, well, if she's a stripper, she's the classiest one I've seen (not that I see many strippers--I promise!). Each night Liz has had a reoccurring nightmare that involves her following a shady nurse to the morgue or room 22. When Liz arrives, the nurse taunts Liz with the statement "Room for one more, honey." After this, Liz would wake up from the dream, but she is convinced it is real or an extension of reality in a way. Two things: the nurse is played by that little chickadee, Arlene Martel, from the "What You Need" episode. The second item is that they use an awesome lighting effect to obscure the nurse's face which, in turn, creates an unsettling look; that's some next level Kayako shit right there.
Liz is portrayed in an almost cartoonish manner for whatever reason, but it kind of goes hand in hand with the '60s persona she exudes. Liz's doctor, played by the villainous-looking Jonathan Harris, does not believe her as he brings in the actual night nurse to show to Liz. I have to mention I loved that Liz refers to the doctor as laughing-boy; a girl with the same humor as me...oh, Lizzy baby! Under the direction of laughing-boy, and without support from her manager, Liz is told to control her dream by doing things differently this time. That night, like clockwork, the dream appears to begin, but Liz attempts to alter the circumstances. Despite her best efforts, the dream still plays out like usual with the nurse appearing and beckoning Liz toward the morgue. A hysterical Liz is sedated and laughing-boy laments that Liz somehow knew that the morgue was room 22 without ever going there.
We cut to Liz being released from the hospital as the fatigue has been overcome, but we get the inference that she was not fully helped. When at an airport that night, Liz notices the circumstances of her dream being recreated in an indirect manner. She feels a sense of dread and unease as she attempts to rationalize the series of events before her. When about to board the plane, Liz realizes that the stewardess is the same nurse from her dream and delivers her same line. Oh man, sexy nurse and stewardess?! Just need the schoolgirl outfit to complete my dream trifecta! Scared senseless, Liz runs away from the plane as it takes off moments later. To Liz's horror, the plane suddenly explodes, confirming her dreams as a premonition of doom.
Ms. Martel in stewardess form:
Room for one more, honey? Never used to know that this episode is likely what inspired the first Final destination. I also didn't realize til I saw this again that it's the same woman who played that nice woman at the bar in TZ ep What you need. She played a much spookier character here.
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