“The Night of the Man-Eating House” flirts even more with the supernatural than what was hinted at in “The Night of the Returning Dead.” It establishes the series shares the similar motif of the early seasons of The X-Files wherein it is either proven, nor denied, that anything extraordinary happened. Jim and Artie are assigned to escort an escaped prisoner back to Beaumont, Texas. The prisoner is Liston Day, a man convicted of betraying Sam Houston’s forces to Santa Anna thirty some years ago. He has been in solitary confinement since then and is quite mad. Right off the bat, they let you know the story is Artie’s dream. Fortunately, it is not the cop out you might think.
Jim, Artie a local sheriff, and Day stop at a dilapidated old mansion for the night. The house seals tem in. As they attempt an escape, the house, in a woman’s voice, cries out in pain at the damage they cause. While attempting to figure what that is all about, they realize the mansion is the day family home. Day escapes from their custody to the upstairs. The house refuses to let our heroes follow.
After the house kills the sheriff--he was never given a name, so you knew he was not long for this Earth--they decide to cooperate with the house. Our heroes are lead to a hidden diary which reveals not only is the woman Day’s mother, but she knows he is innocent ad took the treason rap to save his father, a respected doctor.
Jim and Artie convince te house they can clear her so’s name if she lets them go. She does so, but Day, now appearing thirty years younger, captures them himself. Turns out he did not take the rap for his father. Both of them were traitors. He wet to jail I order to allow his father to continue his work breeding rats with carry the Black Plague. He plans to release the rats, spreading the disease to all the gringos "occupying” Texas.
Or heroes stop the plot in typical fashion. Artie awakes from his dream, when the four of them are back on the trail, they have encountered the house from his dream. It is in the same dilapidated condition and all. Jim opts to stay for the night just as he did in the dream. Is it all coming true? Your guess is as goo as mine. The episode ed as they enter.
I give ’The Night of the Man-Eating house” high marks for creativity. It is a uique episode and a stand out I the series. The frequently strange camera agles, reminiscent of the then popular Batman, add to the macare, dark atmosphere. The episode is one of the best of the series.
Rating: **** (out of 5)
