Description: Season 2, Episode 21
Air Date: March 24, 1961
Plot Summary: A gambler attempts to use his friend's telekinetic powers to make money.
Review: This is a middle of the road kind of episode for me; it has its moments, but it could have been better. We don't get much in the way of back story for the characters, but the episode begins by introducing us to three people working at a diner or something: the main guy, a wannabe gambler, named Ace, the apparent owner of the diner, Jimbo, and the waitress/girlfriend of Ace, named Kitty. Ace is playing some little slot machine they have and losing consistently; ironically, the moment Ace stops playing the next person to try the slot machine wins. While mulling over the idea of marrying Kitty, Ace and Jimbo watch a car crash nearby. When the two men go to help, Jimbo reluctantly reveals he has telekinetic powers and flips the car over. It doesn't take long for Ace to realize they could use this ability to make money so they embark to Las Vegas immediately.
Of course they win huge as Jimbo can easily manipulate dice, the roulette wheel, etc. After winning hundreds of thousands of dollars, which would be the equivalent of millions now, Ace is still not content as Jimbo says he needs time to rest his powers. Little Kitty-cat does not like this level of greed, and tells Ace she is going home. For some reason Ace decides to pick up a new chickadee for luck as he challenges a local gangster to a private game of craps. Predictably so, Ace is winning until he decides to go all or nothing right when Jimbo's powers are tired again. Ace loses everything like an idiot, that chickadee runs off, and Jimbo claims he has permanently lost his powers. The two go back home where Ace asks Kitty to marry him. What? And I thought this guy was done with gambling. Kitty even flips a coin in regard to whether she'll say yes. That's funny--flip that coin again and we'll find out if you get divorced. The episode ends with Jimbo using the force on a broom--proving he did not really lose his powers after all. Overall, it's a decent tale but nothing really sticks out. The girls are cute--especially this one background extra--but the episode is straightforward without a lot of extra depth TZ is known for.
Ace's friend's gift was a good idea and not used too much in the TZ, being able to move objects with his eyes. Ace deciding to use his buddy's gift for moving dice with his eyes to win at gambling was not too surprising though, after seeing from the start that he was a gambling junkie. Ace was obnoxious. He didn't listen to or respect his girlfriend, he didn't respect his buddy enough when he told Ace about his headaches and wanting to give his gift a rest, and Ace carried an ego the size of Montana. Just the way he kept talking in the third person such as saying "Ace loves ya baby!"
ReplyDeleteHis greediness becomes unnecessary and stupid later on, which as he deserved, costed him his girl (but temporarily it turned out) and all his winnings. The guy as already won what looked like multiple six figures easily, which I'm sure would be over the million mark today, but it just wasn't good enough for Ace, to the point where he drove his girlfriend away, even after walking after her as the walked away, he idiotically still insisted on continuing to gamble. After of course stupidly losing all the money, she was kinda stupid to go back to him. Ace insisted on wanting to try and look like a big shot to a bunch of gangsters. Of course then at the most crucial moment while betting the works, Ace's buddy "loses" all his powers and can no longer move the dice with his eyes, and he loses his roll and his entire wad. Of course, his friend turning out he lied about losing his powers to teach his friend a lesson. That was stupid too though, as stupid and selfish Ace was being, he still should've let him win, they would've all been set. Him, Ace, and his girl would've had the good life. But I guess Rod Sterling felt the need to teach the viewers a moral lesson on greediness. I don't fully understand that though cause this was the Twilight zone, not some educational program