Reverting back to SFT’s trope of never naming locations, Truman Bradley tells us “at a large eastern university, an explosion occurred recently in the laboratory of Dr. Edmond Blake.” The army is impressed by this explosion that “generated millions of BTUs, enough to vaporize the entire building, including the steel girders.” They have called in Dr. Sheldon Thorpe [1] to explain how steel melted, and the apparent controlled demolition of Dining Hall 7.
Hey, take off that hat!
As is frequently the case on SFT, the old/dead scientist has a hot daughter. Sheldon visits Cynthia to discuss her father’s work. As they talk, she casually feeds her father’s papers into the fireplace. Hey wait, that last one said Epstein Flight Log! Sheldon stops her, but she says there are some things people were not meant to know.
Cynthia admits she does not know what her father was working on, so even she does not know what people should not know. Trivia: She later becomes Director of COVID censorship at Twitter. However, feeling overheated by the fire and seeing a chance to double his per diem, Sheldon recruits Cynthia to help him.
She first takes him to Madam DiCosa”s restaurant where Blake ate everyday. Sheldon pronounces it Nicosa even though they are standing right in front of the freakin’ sign! That’s OK, IMDb spells it DeCosa. She says she saw a glowing ball land on Dr. Blake’s roof before it melted. She believes it was punishment by the aliens for Dr. Blake making too many discoveries too quickly, but it could have been the union.
They next visit Blake’s chess partner Mr. Adams. He says that Blake often discussed flying saucers. Cynthia interrupts to say that her father might have been curious, but certainly did not believe in flying saucers. Adam mansplains that Blake did take the flying saucers seriously, and was also interested in lightning.
They next go to the gym where Blake got a weekly rubdown for his arthritis. The masseuse says Blake was not usually much of a talker, but he did say that flying saucers might be real. I found this dialogue hilariously delivered:
Masseuse (who Sheldon has never met): I was talking about my retiring to a chicken ranch. You know, I’ve been studying up on the hatching of chickens.
Sheldon (in his stoic Gary Cooper voice): No, I didn’t know.
That reminds the masseuse that Blake did get excited one time. Well, twice, but one time because their conversation gave him the idea for a new kind of chicken incubator using a magnetic field.
Sheldon continues his investigation at casa de Blake. He finds some scribbling on a table and wants to take it to his lab. Cynthia refuses. She is worried all this talk of flying saucers and weekly male massages will tarnish his reputation.
Cynthia finally allows the table to be taken. Sheldon examines it with “infra-red and x-ray film” even though the symbols are visible and a couple are just Lucky Charms.
After his analysis, he tells Cynthia not to worry about her father’s reputation. “He never believed in flying saucers. He undoubtedly questioned those crackpots [2] you saw him with to gather information.” He continues, “Your father was trying to duplicate flying saucers under laboratory conditions.” So, he wanted to duplicate something he believed did not exist?
Sheldon builds a device from Blake’s notes. It causes a feed-back loop and explodes. He is, however, able to see practical applications for a less explodey model. Why, irrigation channels could be cut into the desert! Canals could connect waterways to increase trade to poor landlocked countries! But the army general really only gets hard when the beam blows up a 10 cent model jet airplane.
One more episode left. At this rate, I will need a new series in about a year.
Other Stuff:
- [1] Portrayed by discount Gary Cooper, Bruce Bennett.
- [2] Who are these “crackpots”? 1) An immigrant who opened her own restaurant, 2) Blake’s well-dressed chess opponent, and 3) a entrepreneur who is planning a career in chicken farming.
- Proximity Alert: Bruce Bennett’s 4th appearance this season. Give someone else a chance!
Rutherford reminds her he is worth $11 million, and this is back when that was a lot of money. [1] His ex-wives have been taken care of, and not in the usual AHP way. They have been paid off so a new Mrs. Rutherford would be his sole heir. He puts his hand on her leg and says she is a lucky gal. He estimates that because of his bad heart, he has only a few months to live. With no heirs, she would get his entire estate rather than, say, leaving it to that depressing Children’s Hospital down the street. [2]
I love the economy of these 30 minute episodes. There is a quick cut to soon after the the Rutherfords’ wedding. Rutherford gives his wife a necklace with a single pearl on it: “A token of an old man’s love and gratitude for sharing his last days.” He says he regrets that he won’t be around to give her more.
Anna Parish and her mother are planning for Anna’s beau Danny to visit the house — the first time anyone has been inside since they moved to Boston. As they work on the Boston Baked Beans and Boston Cream Pie, they are surprised to hear someone shriek outside. Mrs. Parish assures her daughter that no one can see in the windows.
Anna screams that she hates her brother. Mrs. Parish gives her two really good slaps. [2] Anna runs out of the room. Her father tells his wife that either they put Jason “some place” or he will leave her. So that’s the end of Mr. Parish.
As she is about to ventilate Mr. Parish, Anna enters the room, all smiles. With her is Jason, now a handsome, unblemished young man. Doc Brown’s crazy hypno-therapy got him out of that room! Although the two of them living in there eating beans everyday for 3 months was probably also a factor.
Agatha asks Sally [5] (pop quiz, hotshot: which is which?) how work is going. Sally says the hours are long, but it keeps her in New York. She also mentions seeing a lot of George who lives in her building.
She writes a note for the milkman that I-am-trapped-by-a-killer-please-for-the-love-of-God-let-me-out!, and also no more cheese because it makes the cat fart. She slides it halfway under the door, but seconds later notices the paper has already been taken. Through the peephole, she sees Andy leaving Agatha’s apartment. Well wait, was he doing wind-sprints from Agatha’s door, to Sally’s door to grab the note, back to Agatha’s door, then fleeing Agatha’s door again? She tries to get the attention of the Peeping Tom across the alley, but his wife busts him before she can get her blouse off.
Harry Pope is a little haggard himself as he has been on the wagon for three weeks. He is also feeling pressure from his boss. Harry works in India training citizens there to speak English. His boss in London orders him to hand over the training classes to Bengali teachers because of reports that some Indian immigrant’s kid in Podunk, KY came in 2nd in the Spelling Bee.
Hours later, for some reason, his British pal Timber brings a blonde dame back to Harry’s house. In a low voice, Harry calls him into the bedroom. He tells Timber and the girl that there is a krait on his stomach, under the sheet. He implores his friend to call for help, and maybe another girl. Timber calls Doctor Kunzru — hey there’s an actual Indian in India — that the woman knows.
Harry goes to the kitchen, rather than Europe, which would have been my move. He takes a bottle of Stoly out of the well-stocked liquor cabinet which all recovering alkies keep close by. He reaches for a glass and the snake strikes, biting him and coiling around his arm. He dies on the spot — the spot made by his own pool of urine, I imagine.