The Devil's Platform

Air Date: 11/15/74
Writers: David Chase, Donn Mullally, Rudolph Borchert, Larry Markes, Norm Liebmann
Director: Allen Baron
Story: Tim Maschler
Actors: 
Tom Skerritt as Sen. Robert W. Palmer / Ellen Weston as Lorraine Palmer / Stanley Adams as Louis the Bartender / Jeanne Cooper as Dr. Kline / Julie Gregg as Susan Driscoll / John Myhers as Senator James Talbot / Dick Patterson as Stephen Wald / Keith Walker as TV Reporter / John Dennis as Second Maintenance Engineer / Robert Do Qui as Park Policeman / Sam Edwards as Bernie the Mailman / Ike Jones as First Maintenance Engineer / William Mims as Officer Hale / Bruce Powers as First Policeman / Ross Sherman as Second Policeman / Bill Welsh as TV Announcer / Peter Paul Eastman as Mr. Ludlow

Memorable Line:
Kolchak: "The people's candidate: Fearless, independent and energetic. Why can't the peoples' candidate be like the rest of us... timid, insecure and lazy"

Story:
A Senator sells his soul to the devil and destroys anyone who gets in the way of his political aspirations.

Review:
Slick and clever dialog pepper the script of this episode and are the highlights to a solid show. McGavin earns some great lines ("expletive, deleted"). Plus the exchanges are funny (Vincenzo compares Carls hat to a Bird Feeder), playful (Miss Emily presents gifts) and when spoken by Senator Palmer, tinged with darkness.

Tom Skerritt is rather laid back, almost sleepy as Palmer. But he's also cool and arrogant, a man without fear. And that gives him a scary edge. Unfortunately, he also has a weakness that presents itself early on and lessens the story's impact. That weakness is that he can only manifest his power while he wears a medallion.

For example, Palmer can turn into a fearsome Mastiff, a dog that can't be killed - either by fall or by bullets. Yet when Carl rips the medallion free in a skirmish with the pooch, the Senator is stuck. This leads to some great scenes where Carl is tracked by the menacing mutt but undercuts the overall threat.

It also makes for an ending that is too quick and convenient. Yes, the scene where the hell beast is turned into a playful pet was poetically humorous. And Skerritt's performance with McGavin features some wonderful writing. But that Palmer didn't wield his power more impressively and that he had it wrested from him so easily (Carl takes the medallion twice), proves to be a fatal flaw in an otherwise solid episode.

Of Note: Jerry Fielding introduces new music to the score. It had violins and a rattling snare drum. It was nice to see TV vet Sam Edwards (The voice of Thumper in "Bambi". Red in the "Beatniks") in a small part. Oh, and the film mentioned in this ep, "Musical Holiday" with Alice Faye and John Payne? Not a real movie.

Grade: B