I rate this episode ★★★★★ for EXCELLENT. The 8th episode of CBSRMT was Ian Martin’s 1st episode to write and he wrote a great mystery story that had a surprising beginning and a shocking ending. Another way to Title this would be “A Tale of Death & Life.â€ A Drama-Mystery as terrific as Elspeth Eric’s THE RED FRISBEE (ep. #0417) and Sam Dann’s THE ONLY BLOOD (ep. #0125). And speaking of terrific, our cast: John Baragrey (as Buford Montgomery), Ruby Dee (as Nancy Lee), Bryna Raeburn (as Mrs. Randolph Price Montgomery), Roxy Roker (as Hannah), and Todd Davis (as William). It’s too bad that Roxy Roker & Todd Davis only did 1 episode for the series; they were really talented in this. It’s always a pleasure to hear a CBSRMT regular like Bryna Raeburn, listen to the way she says, “Buford, what is this Slut doing here?â€ at the 33-minute 55-second mark. Ruby Dee made so many films in her career and having her on this show is a like a special bonus. And John Baragrey played the villain really well. I can imagine Russell Horton or even John Lithgow playing this part, but John Baragrey nailed it! Listen to the way he says, “Huh?â€ at the 17-minute 35-second mark and “What!?!â€ at the 25-minute 27-second mark; it’s amusing. The music was suspenseful, deep, and shocking all throughout the story; surprising twists & turns. I enjoyed the sound effects of the doors, footsteps, hammering, crickets, smooth relaxing jazz music playing, whisky glass, sound of hard rain, the sliding of the secret door, and bodies thud. And finally, our Host. In his Prologue, E.G. Marshall used his classic line, “Welcome to the terrifying world of the imagination.â€ Followed by saying he’s a man filled with milk of human kindness (interesting choice of words). In ACT-1, he talked about ghouls who rob graves and epileptic seizures; which is one of the topics in this story. Later, he matches the villain’s actions by quoting William Shakespeare’s KING LEAR: “How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is to have a thankless childâ€ (and the villain Buford Montgomery should’ve appreciated what his mother had given him, such as food, clothing, and shelter, but apparently that wasn’t enough for him). In ACT-2, E.G. Marshall states that Buford Montgomery is no match for the ladies. In ACT-3, he states that it’s one thing to get of someone who is supposedly dead, but getting rid of the bride in this tale is another. In the end, where he informs us about Buford Montgomery’s “condition,â€ plus being buried afterwards, THAT’s a shocker; shocking as the ending in Bob Juhren’s THE SUMMER PEOPLE (ep. #0367). In his Epilogue, our Host apologized for the image of our villain’s “departure,â€ but the irony is perfect. SPECIAL NOTE: if you have the CBSRMT Episode Guide Book, you’ll notice a typo in the Casting Credits where it reads “Sarahâ€ as Bryna Raeburn’s character. Her role was Mrs. Randolph Price Montgomery and that’s not even written in the pages. Nevertheless, this is a classic to tune into if you’re a fan of Ruby Dee and/or searching for a mystery tale with an ending that's a real eye-opener. Until next time…pleasant dreams. =^D