#12: Night Visitors

no Air Date written by Leonard Katzman Directed by Paul Krasny

One of the last trio of episodes that never aired, this had the sci-fi series suddenly go the gothic, ghostly route for one episode. The trio of fugitives are moving in their craft through the forest during a dark and stormy night. They think they see a couple of figures standing a short ways from them, in the woods. Then they reach an old house, decidedly 20th-century in style. Inside, they are greeted by a strange couple (Paul Mantee & Barbara Babcock), who offer them shelter and food. The couple seems to be waiting for the long-in-coming return of someone named Gavin (George Maharis), who does indeed return within the hour. Rem, conducting his usual analysis of a situation, mentions how the house furnishings are 500 years old but retain a new appearance and that the house may be haunted. Based on answers to his questions, Gavin soon targets Jessica for his plans. It turns out that the three occupants of the house are part of some satanic cult and they practice old rituals involving a death for a life. Gavin has a dead wife he plans to revive - or, as he puts it, to bring her back from limbo (the wife is preserved in her coffin by the Prince of Darkness).
This episode does address the intriguing question of what happens to satanic cults in the far future (the answer is - not much; they continue much as before even in the 24th century, just with less members). But, it's an awkward mix of pentagrams and laser guns in this episode and it just doesn't jell well - not to mention that most of it doesn't make much sense. At the very end, Jessica says that she doesn't understand any of it and she was probably speaking for much of the audience. Rem explains about the old beliefs in God and the Devil, suggesting that these are merely delusions, yet the entire episode shows that Satan, at least, seems to really exist. The cult members have vast powers derived from their master, such as immortality and teleportation, as well as making themselves immaterial (like ghosts). Rem does deduce a convenient weakness - fire; Logan's gun proves to be their undoing, but why would fire & brimstone do the trick? In all, this episode attempted to graft a supernatural story unto a science fiction narrative, and it just cannot work well. BoG's Score: 5 out of 10

Logan's Trivia: though hampered by an awkward story, this episode finally advanced the Logan-Jessica relationship to the beginnings of a romance. Star Trek TOS actor alert: Babcock had appeared in the episode Plato's Stepchildren