First episode of the second season stars veteran actor Norman Lloyd as Harold Stern, a frequent blood donor whose services are especially in demand because of his rare blood type, which is now desperately needed to save the life of a teenage girl(played by Suzanne Pleshette) Despite the pleading of a police Lt.(played by David White) Harold is reluctant to donate again because he believes that his blood carries a curse that will lead to the death of the recipient, though he finally relents and becomes involved in the life of the girl, with tragic consequences... Strange episode has a good cast, though is a bit too vague. Still, the twist ending may come as a surprise.
5 Reviews
Who could explain the inexplicable events in the life of Harold Stern?
sol121813 July 2010
Warning: Spoilers
***SPOILERS**** There's not really anything supernatural about this episode in that it's main character Harold Stern, Norman Llyod, was more delusional then anything else. Stern came up with this cockeyed theory about him giving his extremely rare blood type, through a blood transfusion, to strangers somehow gave him a link, or blood link, into what was to happened to them in future events.
This has to do with the last, of 31, five person who received his blood whom he somehow tuned into and knew, good or bad, what their future would hold for them! It's when Stern was forced by police Let. Barry, David White, to donate a paint of his blood to dying 19 years-old Marta Wizinsky, Suzzanne Pleshette,that he in thinking that he knew what her future was going to be really went off the deep end! With Marta just out of the hospital and paying Stern a visit to thank him for saving her life the old man started to completely try to control her.
At first just trying to be helpful Stern later had Marta move into his house as his live in secretary in helping him make out tax returns for his clients. Stern did in fact earlier save Marta's life by, with his intuition, breaking into her hotel room where she was found unconscious in being overcome by gas from the stove that she, by falling asleep drunk, forget to light. But this was more of a coincidence, anyone else could have smelled the gas leak, then anything supernatural. It's when Marta's new boyfriend the hard drinking and fun loving Fearless Fosdick, John Brennan, came on the scene that Stern's demeanor as a harmless eccentric with a Nostradamus complex started to turn ugly.
***SPOILERS*** Convincing himself that Fosdick is a bad influence on Marta Stern tried to break up their relationship by trying to get her to believe that she'll end up dead or murdered by the, what seemed like, good natured and harmless looking beach boy! It's when Stern caught both Marta and Fosdick making out outside his house that he really lost it! With Marta now just about having all she could take from the overbearing an over possessive Stern and about to walk out on him a crazed and wild eyed looking Stern locked her inside his house, with Fosdick outside and unable to come to her aid, and brutally attacked her strangling poor Marta to death! In a way Harold Stern was in fact right in that he can see the future of the people that he donated his blood to. In the case of Marta Wizinski he was the one who made her future become a deadly reality!
This has to do with the last, of 31, five person who received his blood whom he somehow tuned into and knew, good or bad, what their future would hold for them! It's when Stern was forced by police Let. Barry, David White, to donate a paint of his blood to dying 19 years-old Marta Wizinsky, Suzzanne Pleshette,that he in thinking that he knew what her future was going to be really went off the deep end! With Marta just out of the hospital and paying Stern a visit to thank him for saving her life the old man started to completely try to control her.
At first just trying to be helpful Stern later had Marta move into his house as his live in secretary in helping him make out tax returns for his clients. Stern did in fact earlier save Marta's life by, with his intuition, breaking into her hotel room where she was found unconscious in being overcome by gas from the stove that she, by falling asleep drunk, forget to light. But this was more of a coincidence, anyone else could have smelled the gas leak, then anything supernatural. It's when Marta's new boyfriend the hard drinking and fun loving Fearless Fosdick, John Brennan, came on the scene that Stern's demeanor as a harmless eccentric with a Nostradamus complex started to turn ugly.
***SPOILERS*** Convincing himself that Fosdick is a bad influence on Marta Stern tried to break up their relationship by trying to get her to believe that she'll end up dead or murdered by the, what seemed like, good natured and harmless looking beach boy! It's when Stern caught both Marta and Fosdick making out outside his house that he really lost it! With Marta now just about having all she could take from the overbearing an over possessive Stern and about to walk out on him a crazed and wild eyed looking Stern locked her inside his house, with Fosdick outside and unable to come to her aid, and brutally attacked her strangling poor Marta to death! In a way Harold Stern was in fact right in that he can see the future of the people that he donated his blood to. In the case of Marta Wizinski he was the one who made her future become a deadly reality!
"Thanks for the blood, I hope it brings me luck."
classicsoncall30 January 2015
Warning: Spoilers
See now, here's an episode that doesn't seem so outlandish that it couldn't have happened. The one thing we don't know for sure is if Harold Stern (Norman Lloyd) was actually delusional as the title of the story suggests. Since he's the one who stated that three of his prior blood donor recipients died, there's no way to verify that to wonder whether Martha (with an 'h') Wizinski was really in danger or not. If that was the case then his exaggerated worry over Martha's welfare would have been well placed. If not, then of course the way the story ended makes Stern one of the all time great 'One Step Beyond' characters who's own demise was written in blood. Check this one out for an early credited appearance of future Emily Hartley of 'The Bob Newhart Show', Suzanne Pleshette. Going in cold one might recognize her easily enough, even though she had somewhat of a Latin look to me which kept me guessing. Too bad she didn't make it to the end of the story.
Prophecy or fantasy?
Goingbegging25 September 2021
"Reported as true by those to whom it happened... Nobody has been able to disprove it..." Always the glib phrases, delivered by the charming and plausible John Newland by way of a statutory disclaimer as to the truth of the (supposedly) real-life episode.
A beautiful young woman lies close to death in hospital, and the police are urgently scouring the city for a donor with the same rare blood-group. They knock on the door of the Norman Lloyd character, a lonely bachelor recluse who has changed his name because he doesn't want to be found. This throws up a technicality on which the cops are able to arrest him, and they then deliver him to the hospital on false pretences, where he has to be shamed at last by her desperate father into enabling the transfusion.
Presently it becomes clear why this regular blood-donor has become so reluctant. Several of the more recent recipients have met with tragic accidents, and he claims he can foresee early death for the girl. When her landlady smells gas coming from her locked bedroom, this prophecy seems to have been fulfilled, though the leak turned out to be accidental (yet still potentially lethal, surely). Equally a swimming incident leads to misunderstandings. Then suddenly she feels it necessary to accept a job as housekeeper to her saviour ("I haven't had any better offers"), but there we have to leave it.
Now it is simply not plausible that a girl half as glamorous as the young Suzanne Pleshette would have been short of offers. Not living in America, I got a shock when I saw the name, as I had caught her only in her fifties in the title role of 'Leona Helmsley: The Queen of Mean', where her charms are distinctly camouflaged.
About average for the series, I suppose. The versatile Norman Lloyd heads a strong cast, and I enjoyed the Gershwin-style summer-day music near the end, deceptively leading us away from tragedy.
A beautiful young woman lies close to death in hospital, and the police are urgently scouring the city for a donor with the same rare blood-group. They knock on the door of the Norman Lloyd character, a lonely bachelor recluse who has changed his name because he doesn't want to be found. This throws up a technicality on which the cops are able to arrest him, and they then deliver him to the hospital on false pretences, where he has to be shamed at last by her desperate father into enabling the transfusion.
Presently it becomes clear why this regular blood-donor has become so reluctant. Several of the more recent recipients have met with tragic accidents, and he claims he can foresee early death for the girl. When her landlady smells gas coming from her locked bedroom, this prophecy seems to have been fulfilled, though the leak turned out to be accidental (yet still potentially lethal, surely). Equally a swimming incident leads to misunderstandings. Then suddenly she feels it necessary to accept a job as housekeeper to her saviour ("I haven't had any better offers"), but there we have to leave it.
Now it is simply not plausible that a girl half as glamorous as the young Suzanne Pleshette would have been short of offers. Not living in America, I got a shock when I saw the name, as I had caught her only in her fifties in the title role of 'Leona Helmsley: The Queen of Mean', where her charms are distinctly camouflaged.
About average for the series, I suppose. The versatile Norman Lloyd heads a strong cast, and I enjoyed the Gershwin-style summer-day music near the end, deceptively leading us away from tragedy.
Give Blood or Die!
wes-connors14 March 2010
Fifty-three year old clairvoyant Norman Lloyd (as Harold Stern) is reluctant to donate his rare blood type to save the life of sexy nineteen-year-old Suzanne Pleshette (as Martha Wizinski), who has fallen unconscious. Previously, Mr. Lloyd was a frequent blood donor, but some supernatural force has caused him to change his name, and hide from patients needing blood transfusions.
With blood supplies obviously in demand, police lieutenant David White (as Barry) tracks Lloyd down. During a confrontation over blood donations, Mr. White asks Lloyd, "What kind of a crumb are you?" Lloyd tells the future "Bewitched" boss (Larry Tate) he is disturbed by psychic bonds with those receiving his blood. Future "Dark Shadows" handyman George Mitchell (Matthew Morgan) begs Lloyd donate blood to save his daughter's life, calling the reluctant donor a potential "Murderer!"
In a dissolve, Lloyd relents. A month later, Lloyd meets Ms. Pleshette, who has recovered nicely enough to swim with handsome John Brennan. She thanks him for saving her life, and he gives her what looks like the combination of a steely glance and a come hither look. Then, Lloyd has a nightmare. He complains to White, certain some horrible event is about to occur Host John Newland says this "Delusion" (the second season premiere story) is "reported as true."
**** Delusion (9/15/59) John Newland ~ Norman Lloyd, Suzanne Pleshette, David White, George Mitchell
With blood supplies obviously in demand, police lieutenant David White (as Barry) tracks Lloyd down. During a confrontation over blood donations, Mr. White asks Lloyd, "What kind of a crumb are you?" Lloyd tells the future "Bewitched" boss (Larry Tate) he is disturbed by psychic bonds with those receiving his blood. Future "Dark Shadows" handyman George Mitchell (Matthew Morgan) begs Lloyd donate blood to save his daughter's life, calling the reluctant donor a potential "Murderer!"
In a dissolve, Lloyd relents. A month later, Lloyd meets Ms. Pleshette, who has recovered nicely enough to swim with handsome John Brennan. She thanks him for saving her life, and he gives her what looks like the combination of a steely glance and a come hither look. Then, Lloyd has a nightmare. He complains to White, certain some horrible event is about to occur Host John Newland says this "Delusion" (the second season premiere story) is "reported as true."
**** Delusion (9/15/59) John Newland ~ Norman Lloyd, Suzanne Pleshette, David White, George Mitchell
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
