History Recap / TheTwilightZone1959S1E31TheChaser

* DramaticDrop: PlayedForDrama; Leila telling Roger they're expecting shocks him into dropping the poison-laced champagne he planned to hand her, ensuring he's stuck with the consequences his obsession with Leila and his plot to kill her for the rest of his life.

* HateSink: Roger Shackleforth, the episode's "hero", checks most of the boxes. He's creepily obsessed with Leila, uncomfortably and disturbingly in love with her, calls and possibly stalks her several times every day, and basically drugged her to fall in love with him, all despite Leila ''clearly'' not loving him in return, he's utterly impossible to root for.

Roger Shackleforth is a frustrated young lover who is obsessed with an aloof woman named Leila. After having his love repeatedly turned away by the young lady, Roger pays a visit to the eccentric Professor Daemon, buying a love potion so Leila will finally be his. The potion turns Leila utterly lovesick for Roger, but as the months roll on, Roger can't stand the constant affection any longer. He returns to Daemon for something else that could help him, if he's willing to go to such lengths.

* EverybodyHasStandards: Downplayed. For a stalker who uses a love potion to make the girl he's creepily obsessed with fall in love with him, Roger takes the time to ask Professor Daemon "It won't [physically] hurt her?" All the same, it doesn't stop him from using the love potion on her. Later, although he's initially willing to use the "Glove cleaner" on the love-crazy Leila, Roger finds that he doesn't have it in him to kill [[WhamLine the mother of his child]].

Roger Shackleforth, a frustrated young lover who is madly in love with a woman named Leila, buys a love potion from an eccentric professor. It actually works...but much too well.

->'''Creator/RodSerling''': Mr. Roger Shackleforth, who has discovered at this late date that love can be as sticky as a vat of molasses, as unpalatable as a hunk of spoiled yeast, and as all-consuming as a six-alarm fire in a bamboo and canvas tent. Case history of a lover boy, who should never have entered the Twilight Zone.

* AdaptationExpansion: The original story by John Collier is a one-scene BlackComedy, taking place solely in the potion-seller's place of business. The beats that the episode goes through are only implied, and for all we know the potions are all duds.
* AdaptationNameChange: In the short story by John Collier, Alan Austen is madly in love with Diana. In the television adaptation, their names are Roger Shackleforth and Leila.
* AnAesop: There is such a thing as too much love, and there's a difference between [[InLoveWithLove being in love with somebody]] and being prepared to unconditionally love them full time.
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: Roger desired to have Leila's love, a wish that disappoints Professor Daemon as his wish for some random girl's love is a dime a dozen. Roger gets exactly what he wanted, Leila's love -- she never ''stops'' loving him, and when Roger tries to end it, it's already too late.

* BrickJoke: Professor Daemon compares the love potion's brand of love to a Cocker Spaniel. Later in Act II, when Roger is sick of Leila's smothering love, he suggests to the Professor that they transfer her love to something like a Cocker Spaniel.
* DeadlyEuphemism: The Glove Cleaner, which is in fact a PerfectPoison.
* DisappointedByTheMotive: Professor Daemon keeps guessing what it is that's prompted Roger to come to him. Could it be power? Riches? Ambition? Nope, all he wants is "Leila's love". The Professor is nothing short of disappointed that Roger only wants something so petty and common as some random, interchangable girl's affection.
* DramaticDrop: PlayedForDrama; Leila telling Roger they're having a baby shocks him into dropping the poison-laced champagne he planned to hand her, ensuring he's stuck with the consequences of initially using the love potion on her.
* DroppingTheBombshell: Although she doesn't ''outright'' say it, Leila calling him "rabbit" and showing him a [[KnittingPregnancyAnnouncement tiny bootie she's knitting]] is enough to make Roger realize [[WouldntHurtAChild he can't go through with killing her]].
* EverybodyHasStandards: Downplayed. For a creep who is about to use a love potion to make a girl fall in love with him, Roger takes the time to ask Professor Daemon "It won't [physically] hurt her?" All the same, it doesn't stop him from using the love potion on her. Later, although he's initially willing to use the "Glove cleaner" on a love-crazy Leila, Roger finds he doesn't have it in him to essentially kill [[WhamLine the mother of his child]].

* GoneHorriblyRight: Professor Daemon's LovePotion works, except it has made Leila [[NoSenseOfPersonalSpace exceptionally clingy and suffocating]] to Roger.
* HateSink: Roger Shackleforth -- the episode's "hero" checks most of the boxes. Considering he was uncomfortably and disturbingly in love with her and basically drugged Leila to fall in love with him -- despite Leila ''clearly'' not loving him in return, he's near impossible to root for.
* InLoveWithLove: It seems Roger is more infatuated with the idea of being in love with Leila than he actually is with her. Once the love potion causes her to fawn all over him, he instantly falls out with the idea.
* ItsAllAboutMe: Roger learns (albeit too late to do him any good) that giving Leila the LovePotion was wrong because it backfired and made him miserable; he never considers it from Leila's point-of-view, and the question of whether or not it was morally wrong to make her fall in love with him against her will (regardless of whether he likes the effects or not) never occurs to him.
* JustFriends: Roger really likes Leila, but all Leila sees him as the brother she never had. A very ''annoying'' brother.
* KarmicTwistEnding: Roger buys a second potion from Professor Daemon in order stop the spell over Leila. It is actually a poison to kill her. By the time he gets ready to use it, Leila ''announces her pregnancy'', shocking Roger enough to make him drop the poison. Roger will be stuck with the lovestruck Leila for the rest of his life. [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor Whether he likes it or not]].

* KnittingPregnancyAnnouncement: Roger gives a love potion to the gal he is truly-madly for, but within months grows tired of her cloying devotion. He plans to kill her with a "glove cleaner" sold to him by the same mysterious old man who gave him the love potion. However, he drops the poisoned drink in shock when she presents him with a tiny knitted bootie.

* LouisCypher: Professor Daemon. Professor ''A. Daemon''.
* LoveHungry: Roger is desperate to win Leila's affections at first. When he doses her with the love potion, Leila becomes overwhelmingly affectionate and clingy.
* LovePotion: Roger buys one from Professor Daemon in hopes of winning Leila's love.

* NoSenseOfPersonalSpace: Thanks to the LovePotion, Leila loves Roger, but to suffocating extremes, as she ''never'' leaves his side.
* PerfectPoison: The Glove Cleaner, or so Daemon claims; as noted, we never get to see it in action.

-->'''Roger''': A Thousand Dollars?! But that is all I have.
-->'''Professor''': I know, that's how it is, that's how it always is.

* SpannerInTheWorks: Roger's plan to poison Leila with the "glove cleaner" is foiled when Leila announces her pregnancy and Roger drops the poison in shock. Fortunately, Roger is such an unpleasant individual that this is actually very satisfying to the audience.

* WouldntHurtAChild: Downplayed: it's realizing she's pregnant that makes Roger back out of killing Leila.

* DroppingTheBombshell: Although she doesn't ''outright'' say it, Leila calling him "rabbit" is enough to make Roger realize [[WouldntHurtAChild he can't go through with killing her]].

* HateSink: Roger Shackleforth -- the episode's "hero" checks most of the boxes. Considering he was uncomfortably and disturbingly in love with her and basically drugged Leila to fall in love with her -- despite Leila ''clearly'' not loving her in return, he's near impossible to root for.

* SchmuckBait: It's not explicitly stated, but it's pretty clear why Daemon offers the love potion for only a dollar and demands a thousand for the "antidote".

* AdaptationExpansion: The original story by John Collier is a short-short, with a single scene set in the potion-seller's place of business.

* AnAesop: There is such a thing as too much love. And there's a difference between [[InLoveWithLove being in love with somebody]], and being prepared to unconditionally love them full time.

* EverybodyHasStandards: Downplayed. For a creep who is about to use a love potion to make a girl fall in love with him, Roger takes the time to ask Professor Daemon "It won't (physically) hurt her?" All the same, it doesn't stop him from using the love potion on her. Later, although he's initially willing to use the "Glove cleaner" on a love-crazy Leila, Roger finds he doesn't have it in him to essentially kill [[WhamLine the mother of his child]].
* {{Fainting}}: Roger does this when he realizes he's stuck with Leila forever. She just smiles and starts kissing him on the face.

* LoveHungry: Roger at first, then Leila becomes this under the effects of the Love Potion spell.
* LovePotion: Roger buys this from Professor Daemon in hopes of winning Leila's love.

* EverybodyHasStandards: For a creep who is about to use a love potion to make a girl fall in love with him, Roger takes the time to ask Professor Daemon "It won't (physically) hurt her?"

* DisappointedByTheMotive: Professor Daemon keeps guessing what it is that's prompted Roger to come to him. Could it be power? Riches? Ambition? Nope, all he wants is "Leila's love". The Professor is nothing short of disappointed that Roger only wants something so petty and common as some random girl's affection.

* RightForTheWrongReasons: Roger learns (albeit too late to do him any good) that giving Leila the LovePotion was wrong because it backfired and made him miserable; he never considers it from Leila's point-of-view, and the question of whether or not it was morally wrong to make her fall in love with him against her will (regardless of whether he likes the effects or not) never occurs to him.

* SelfProclaimedLoveInterest: Rod Serlng's poetic opening speech tells you about the nature of Roger and Leila's relationship before the love potion enters the scene, as does the page image. [[SarcasmMode Doesn't she just look so happy to see him?]]

* LaserGuidedKarma: For drugging Leila to forcibly fall in love with him against her will, Roger gets his just deserts on two levels. On the first level, he's already miserable enough with Leila smothering him in love to the point where he's fed up with it. On the second level, however, his troubles only get worse when (in an attempt to put Leila out of her misery with the "glove cleaner") he learns she's pregnant with their child and drops his only chance of escaping her. So, as Leila so puts it, he's doomed to spend the rest of his life with her.

* AnAesop: There is such a thing as too much love. And there's a difference between [[PuppyLove being in love with somebody]], and being prepared to unconditionally love them full time.

* WhamLine: In-Universe: although she doesn't ''outright'' say it, Leila calling him "rabbit" is enough to make Roger [[DramaticDrop realize]] [[WouldntHurtAChild he can't go through with killing her]].

* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: Roger gets exactly what he wanted, Leila's love, and she'll never stop loving him for the rest of their lives, and when Roger tries to stop it, it's already too late.

* WantingIsBetterThanHaving: Roger desired to have Leila's love, a wish that disappoints Professor Daemon as his wish for some random girl's love is a dime a dozen. Sure enough, Roger comes to find it smothering to have someone in love with you all the time.

* SelfProclaimedLoveInterest: The page image and Rod Serlng's poetic opening speech tells you about the nature of Roger and Leila's relationship before the love potion enters the scene.

* AnAesop: There is such a thing as too much love. And there's a difference between [[PuppyLove being in love with somebody]], and being prepared to love them full time.

-->'''Roger''': [[HeroidcSOD (shell-shocked)]] It's alright, I couldn't have done it. I couldn't have gone through with it, I could never have gone through with it.