Production Details[]
Directed by: Warner Shook
Written by: Harvey Jacobs and Jule Selbo
Story by: Harvery Jacobs
Sir Edmund Halley: Fritz Weaver
Englebert Ames: Anthony Heald
Charlene Ames: Kate McGregor-Stewart
Lara Burns: Sarah Rush
Synopsis[]
A man with a pushy wife makes an unbelievable discovery while looking for Halley's Comet.
Plot[]
Act I[]
Amateur astrologist Englebert Ames spends his night eagerly awaiting the arrival of Halley’s Comet. His uninterested wife Charlene tells him her parents (Engelbert works for her father) have invited them to a black tie event, but he would rather stay home. Due to the comet only making an appearance every 75 years, Englebert knows this will be his only time to witness it with a larger-than-life telescope In their attic. He tries convincing her tonight is a “night for lovers” and that they should stay home to gaze up at the “shower of diamonds”. A persistent Charlene declines and orders her husband to get ready for the event.
Act II[]
While stargazing through the telescope, Engelbert sees a woman calling for help. The telescope suddenly opens up and she is inexplicably ejected into the room; she tells Engelbert to close the telescope so someone won’t follow her, which he does. The woman — who’s clearly out of touch with the time period — is Lara Burns, the previous owner of the house and telescope. She tells Englebert she was taken away the night of her wedding while she and her fiancee were viewing the comet in 1910. She reveals that the astrologist Sir Edmund Halley pulled her through a “window” and has been riding the comet with him the last 75 years. Her stories excite Englebert, and the two develop an attraction for one another.
Lara tells Englebert her story
Charlene enters, but not before Englebert hides Lara in a closet. When she finds out her husband is not ready for the event, she yells at him and smacks the telescope. It starts to smoke and the room rumbles; the closet door swings open to reveal Lara. Charlene demands to know who she is, but suddenly the telescope opens and another person comes out of it — landing right on top of Charlene. He is revealed to be Edmund Halley.
Act III[]
Edmund helps Charlene to her feet and explains “a flip flop of a most serious nature” happened to bring his body from the comet back to Earth. While Engelbert is overjoyed to meet his idol, Charlene is annoyed for not knowing any of these people in her house. Edmund quickly states his intention of bringing Lara back to the comet, but she does not want him following her anymore. This baffles Edmund, who questions why she would return to the “material world”. Lara looks to Engelbert for help; Charlene insists that her husband won’t help her.
Engelbert asks to speak to Edmund alone, but merely stalls by asking the accomplished astrologist a few questions to assure his identity. Edmund catches on and tries assuring him Lara is better off with him, even claiming she could be ”Queen of the Universe” while in the cosmos together. Lara announces she doesn’t want that and her attraction to Engelbert becomes obvious to both Edmund and Charlene — comparing Engelbert to her mustache-less fiancee. Edmund demands Lara come with him while the time window is still open on the grounds that the universe will be out of order if she doesn’t. Charlene tires of Lara and threatens her with a hammer. Edmund calms the storm by offering the coordinates to a supernova that Engelbert can discover himself if he lets Lara go. As Engelbert considers it, Lara tries to escape the room but Charlene blocks her path. Edmund opens up the telescope and is sucked back into the time window. Before Lara is sucked in, Engelbert tells her to stay with him. Charlene attempts to push Lara through but misses and gets sucked into the time window. The two stand in the quiet room and realize Charlene won’t be back for 75 years. This along with the idea of introducing Lara to the modern world excites Engelbert. He passionately kisses Lara.
Meanwhile, Charlene is heard off-screen bickering with Edmund for driving the comet too fast. She demands to be called Queen of the Universe and for Edmund to show her the sights; he offers to show her a nearby black hole.
Trivia[]
- This marks the second show appearances for Fritz Weaver and Kate-MgGregor Stewart; Weaver was previously in the classic episode “Inside the Closet”, and Stewart was in “Grandma’s Last Wish”.