Description: Season 4, Episode 14
Air Date: April 11, 1963
Plot Summary: A business tycoon makes a deal with the devil to travel back in time in order to capitalize on his advanced knowledge of the future.
Review: This episode has a lot working in its favor, but, alas, the ridiculous overacting and predictability practically kills it. This episode even boasts the infamous Julie Newmar playing the devil no less. She certainly indulges in the role and adds a layer of sexiness to it. In fact, there is one moment where she, sort of, giggles to herself--it's half maniacal, half orgasmic, but 100% hot! It's disheartening that she only appears twice in the story however. Womp womp.
So we meet the asshole tycoon, named Feathersmith, just as he has destroyed his main business rival and acquired the final touch on his business empire. Later that night, Feathersmith slips into drunken disappointment as he realizes he had more fun pursuing his goals rather than completing them. This leads to Feathersmith reminiscing about the good ol' days of Cliffordville--a small town he grew up in. By the way, Feathersmith comes off ridiculously over the top and unrealistic. This is further hindered by the immediate realization that his janitor, Hecate, will obviously switch positions with Feathersmith by episode's end; you see, both men came from beloved Cliffordville, and the story emphasizes their different paths to put them where they belong.
Attempting to leave, Feathersmith is stopped on a different floor where he comes across the devil or whatever she was supposed to be. The devil, realizing what Feathersmith wants, offers him the chance to travel back in time. Feathersmith likes this proposition, but, suspecting a trick, he tries to set the terms of the time traveling to work in his favor. He wants to make sure he's still young, has his memories of the past 50 years intact (to manipulate time in his favor), and a guarantee that the town will not be altered when he gets there. Agreeing with these terms, the two discuss the price, but the devil reveals she already has Feathersmith's soul due to him being naturally evil. For whatever nonsensical reason, the devil wants Feathersmith's money. Eh, I don't know. Many continuity aspects stop making sense here. I mean, Feathersmith is left with a certain amount of money from the present yet what happened to the original timeline's version of him? I think it's best not to overthink this, because it flat out is loaded with plot holes.
Arriving in the past, and now young, Feathersmith thinks he's a genius as he tries to trick everyone around him with his knowledge. This part is admittedly funny especially when he keeps calling the young Hecate "Rip" as in Rip Van Winkle due to his sleeping. On top of that, the episode highlights how our vision of the past tends to be romanticized. For example, Feathersmith liked a young girl once, and now he sees she was a complete imbecile. Anyway, Feathersmith buys up a lot of land (he knows has oil under it) with his remaining money only to realize the drills to get to it haven't been invented yet. As time goes on, Feathersmith realizes his memories aren't exactly perfect as he's forgotten the natural progression of the world over a 50 year time frame. Soon people think he's an idiot speaking sheer nonsense about things not yet invented.
The devil later reveals that Feathersmith is a fool who was only successful at lying, stealing, and manipulating people--he had no real knowledge of what it took to keep his industries afloat at the ground level. Another trick revealed is that, although Feathersmith looks young, his internal body is still that of an old man. Wanting desperately to flee back to the future, the devil agrees to this as long as he pays her. This means Feathersmith must give up the only thing he has left--a deed to the land with the oil under it. Big shock, he sells it to Hecate. Now in the future again--surprise--Hecate is now the tycoon, due to the oil, and Feathersmith is simply the janitor; all of this is because of the time changes in the past. The episode concludes in the most lackluster of ways as we don't get a final sense of justice. I mean, it's not like Feathersmith learned his lesson really. I'd say Feathersmith doesn't even appear to remember the original timeline so it's all moot. If anything, due to the nonsensical request for money from the devil, it should have been revealed that someone else sold their soul in order for the devil to do this to Feathersmith. I don't know...I like a lot about this episode, but it's undeniably predictable and flawed. And, seriously, the overacting has to be seen to be believed. A mixed bag I suppose--certainly some great ideas and themes but boggled down by weak execution.
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