A Piano in the House

Description: Season 3, Episode 22

Air Date: February 16, 1962

Plot Summary: After a man buys a piano for his wife, he discovers it can make people reveal their inner thoughts and secrets.

Review: I think they missed the mark a bit on this episode. The idea was to portray a despicable character making a fool of everyone around him before having the tables turned against him, however, this is hardly the presentation that is demonstrated. If anything, they make the main guy somewhat sympathetic until a sudden transition into an asshole. Sure, they keep telling you he's a bitch, but a visual medium should show this. So we get the main guy, Jerry, buying a gift for his idiotic wife as we see the piano's power firsthand with a douchebag shopkeeper changing his tune (see what I did there) once the magical piano starts playing. For one, the abilities of the piano are ambiguous as it magically knows who to target with its power even in a full room. And for two, if you're trying to showcase your main character as an asshole, don't have an even bigger asshole outdo him in the opening scene!

Anyway, when Jerry brings the piano home it reveals that his wife wishes they never got married, and, later, that she is cheating on him with some other bitch-boy. Despite seeing this bizarre power for themselves with no reaction, the wife and bitch-boy stick around for a party where Jerry intends to use the piano on more "friends." Well, let's face it, if you surround yourself with elitist assholes, is it really any wonder that they're going to have shallow personalities? Regardless, I didn't really see Jerry as anything more than a dick until he suddenly starts laughing at some fat chick. Then, of course, the wife uses the piano to force Jerry to reveal he's a big baby who is jealous of everyone. I love the look of shock on everyone's face. Noooooo, say it isn't so, a rich snob is an asshole? Can't be! Then the episode ends with the butler saying Jerry isn't funny anymore--implying now things are just sad. Right. I understand where they were going with this episode, but they dropped the ball by making all the characters unlikable. This would have worked better with a naive person realizing they're surrounded by people who use them, or, alternatively, this could have worked with a genuinely evil person having the veil lifted in front of everyone. But you have to pick one instead of sort of going with both. Eh, another middle of the road tale.