This episode is illogical and probably one of the worst in the series.
Frank Partridge is having financial troubles and schemes with his wife to fake her death and then wait seven years to collect from an insurance policy.
They both plot that she will change her appearance and move to another city, while still secretly maintaining contact with each other for the seven years necessary to get a court judgment of death, and collect $25,000 in insurance money.
During the next seven years Partridge is relentlessly stalked by an insurance investigator (Mr. Kettle) who is convinced Partridge actually murdered his wife.
Mr. Kettle is relentless, and such a constant and intrusive presence in Partridge's life, that you have to wonder why Partridge doesn't call the police for harassment, or physically throw this guy off his property. This harassment continues for seven years!
The seven years are almost up, but then a few days before he can get his court judgment to declare his wife dead, she shows up at his house and declares that she's made a new life with a new man and wants a divorce, and no longer wants any part of the crooked scheme. Partridge is so enraged after enduring seven long years of misery, that he murders her on the spot and buries her body in the back yard.
Then on the day when Partridge is leaving his house to go to court and get the declaration of death judgement, Kettle shows up at his door (again), and tells Partridge he's won the battle and the long fight is now over, AND, as a good will gesture, Kettle tells Partridge that he's going to tend to Partridge's garden while he's away, then he grabs a garden spade proceeds to dig up and overturn the soil in the back yard -- Partridge just stands there stupefied with a look of sheer terror on his face. (END)
There are several ridiculous things about this episode, but the thing that takes the cake, is that Partridge was able to murder his wife in an instant, but he allowed Kettle to hound him for seven years and does absolutely nothing, and he stands there again at the very end and still does nothing as Kettle starts digging up his back yard where his wife is buried. Why didn't he just grab the spade away and tell that jerk to get off his property for the last time or he's calling the cops?
Even Hitchcock admits in the epilogue that this episode was "disappointing".
Frank Partridge is having financial troubles and schemes with his wife to fake her death and then wait seven years to collect from an insurance policy.
They both plot that she will change her appearance and move to another city, while still secretly maintaining contact with each other for the seven years necessary to get a court judgment of death, and collect $25,000 in insurance money.
During the next seven years Partridge is relentlessly stalked by an insurance investigator (Mr. Kettle) who is convinced Partridge actually murdered his wife.
Mr. Kettle is relentless, and such a constant and intrusive presence in Partridge's life, that you have to wonder why Partridge doesn't call the police for harassment, or physically throw this guy off his property. This harassment continues for seven years!
The seven years are almost up, but then a few days before he can get his court judgment to declare his wife dead, she shows up at his house and declares that she's made a new life with a new man and wants a divorce, and no longer wants any part of the crooked scheme. Partridge is so enraged after enduring seven long years of misery, that he murders her on the spot and buries her body in the back yard.
Then on the day when Partridge is leaving his house to go to court and get the declaration of death judgement, Kettle shows up at his door (again), and tells Partridge he's won the battle and the long fight is now over, AND, as a good will gesture, Kettle tells Partridge that he's going to tend to Partridge's garden while he's away, then he grabs a garden spade proceeds to dig up and overturn the soil in the back yard -- Partridge just stands there stupefied with a look of sheer terror on his face. (END)
There are several ridiculous things about this episode, but the thing that takes the cake, is that Partridge was able to murder his wife in an instant, but he allowed Kettle to hound him for seven years and does absolutely nothing, and he stands there again at the very end and still does nothing as Kettle starts digging up his back yard where his wife is buried. Why didn't he just grab the spade away and tell that jerk to get off his property for the last time or he's calling the cops?
Even Hitchcock admits in the epilogue that this episode was "disappointing".