The Energy Eater
Written By: Arthur Rowe and Rudolph Bochert
Directed By: Alex Grasshoff
Directed By: Alex Grasshoff
"The city of Chicago sparkles with monuments to man's achievement; his aspirations, his quest for the truth, his respect for the law, now a different sort of monument. There was a theory that dying institutions erect their own mausoleums before they die. This particular monument was to be a hospital and research center, dedicated to extending the life of man, improving the quality of that life. It succeeded instead in introducing a new horror, a new way of death – a mystery."
While attending the unveiling of the new, state-of-the-art Lakefront Hospital, Kolchak discovers that several people have died in gruesome deaths from unknown causes, the machinery doesn’t work the way it’s supposed to, and that mysterious cracks appear in the walls of the building as if there was something wrong with the foundation. Digging deeper, Kolchak discovers that the hospital was built on the hunting grounds of Matchemonedo, an ancient Eldritch Abomination, and it’s hungry...
"Lakefront Hospital won’t be up much longer. It’s coming down to make room for a new marina, one with deep channels of icy lake water. Dr. Ralph Carey has gone back to private practice from the safety and comfort of an office in his own home, I hear. Walter Green, construction wunderkind, has another project going for him. His company is building the new lakefront marina. Some people can make a profit on anything."
Tropes:
- Ask a Stupid Question...: Invoked Trope when Vincenzo catches Kolchak signing out two expensive cameras in an attempt to photograph Matchemonedo.Vincenzo: What do you think you're doing with two of our best cameras?
Kolchak: I'm gonna hock 'em, what do you think? You ask a stupid question, you get a stupid answer. - The Casanova: Jim Elkhorn, who's shown juggling several relationships at once.
- Cyclops: Based on the little we're shown, Matchemonedo is a Blob Monster whose single eye is its only distinguishing feature — not that anyone gets to see it directly anyway.
- Eldritch Abomination: Matchemonedo is a legendary invisible creature which has been preying on humans at least since the Neanderthal era.
- How We Got Here: The episode starts with Kolchak in a hospital bed, then explains how he got there in the epilogue. (Don't worry, the hospital isn't Lakefront.)
- Invisible Monsters: Matchemonedo is one of these. However, Kolchak and Elkhorn (along with the audience) get an idea what it looks like when it exposes some X-ray sheets during one of its attacks. Kolchak finally gets a photo of it at the climax.
- Life Energy: Matchemonedo consumes any kind of energy, but it specializes in the life energy of humans and animals.
- Magical Native American: Downplayed Trope with Jim Elkhorn, a high steel construction worker. He's a shaman who's aware of all the ancient tribal legends and rituals, but he's also very assimilated and has little interest in using his knowledge. He helps Kolchak reluctantly because Matchemonedo killed some of his men.
