Bigalow's Last Smoke
Frank Bigalow (Richard Romanus) is a heavy smoker who enjoys starting the day with a cigarette. On this particular day, however, he finds his cigarettes missing, his windows barred over, his other possessions disappearing, and a strange man watching him through his television. This man, Dr. Synapsis (Sam Anderson), is a counselor at a rehabilitation clinic Frank joined in the hopes of kicking his habit. To this end, Frank has been imprisoned in a prison designed to perfectly replicate his apartment, punished by flashing lights and blaring sirens whenever he lights up. Frank learns that the only way he can escape his prison is if he quits smoking of his own accord, but such a task is easier said than done.
Tropes:
- Affably Evil: Dr. Synapsis acts and appears villainous, what with trapping Frank in a prison meant to look like his apartment, but he genuinely wants to help Frank and others like him quit smoking.
- Big Brother Is Watching: Dr. Synapsis constantly watches Frank through his TV, trying to get him to understand the point of his prison.
- Bottle Episode: The episode never leaves the simulacrum Frank finds himself stuck in.
- Catapult Nightmare: Frank bolts up in bed after trashing the smoke detector and earning a third smoking demerit.
- Cold Turkeys Are Everywhere: Frank keeps finding packs of cigarettes in his empty simulacrum, to the point where they just start falling from the ceiling, but he's hesitant to light up for fear of Synapsis' punishment.
- Deadly Doctor: Dr. Synapsis, though he truly wants to help people stop smoking.
- Deadpan Snarker: Dr. Synapsis gets quite snarky through his stoic tone.
- Double Agent: Matthews, who Frank begins speaking to through the hole in his wall, appears to be a similarly captured prisoner who offers to disconnect the smoke detector on the ceiling in exchange for a pack of cigarettes. As soon as Frank hands him the pack, the alarms begin blaring again, revealing Matthews to be an undercover mole for the clinic.
- Foreshadowing: As Frank goes to destroy the smoke detector, it suddenly turns huge, then reappears fully constructed when he lights up again, hinting that he's actually dreaming.
- Hell Is That Noise: The sirens that blare whenever Frank earns a "smoking demerit".
- Here We Go Again!: By the end of the episode, Frank has finally kicked smoking after waking up from what he thinks was a horrible nightmare. His relief quickly disappears when he notices his possessions are gone again, and then hears Synapsis' voice on his TV set, the doctor stating that now they're going to work on kicking his addiction to coffee.
- Insistent Terminology: Synapsis claims that Frank's temporary residence isn't a prison, but a simulacrum.
- Large Ham: Frank, as withdrawal of his cigarettes and coffee get to him.
- The Mole: Matthews, who dupes Frank into giving him cigarettes by lying that he'll disconnect the smoke detector.
- Meaningful Name: Dr. Synapsis, based on synapses, the part of the brain that sends nervous impulses throughout it.
- Must Have Nicotine: Frank's tobacco withdrawal drives him insane as the episode progresses, to the point where he tears the smoke detector off the ceiling and destroys it with his bare hands.
- Nothing Is Scarier: How did Frank even end up in his prison? And who keeps taking his possessions away when he smokes?
- Or Was It a Dream?: Frank wakes up finding everything just as it was the night before. When he pours himself some coffee, he finds that his possessions are missing again, and then hears Dr. Synapsis telling him that they're going to start working on his caffeine addiction.
- Roaring Rampage of Revenge: After being double-crossed by Matthews, Frank goes out of his mind and destroys the smoke detector on his ceiling with his bare hands.
- Sensory Abuse: Whenever Frank lights up, he's punished with flashing lights and incessantly loud alarms that warn him to extinguish his smoke.
- Smoking Is Not Cool: This is the entire point Dr. Synapsis and his clinic are trying to state to Frank, complete with anti-smoking propaganda being broadcast over his radio.
- The Stoic: Synapsis hardly raises his voice when talking to Frank, especially in comparison to the latter.
- Tempting Fate: A half-asleep Frank ponders what kind of day it'll be today, obviously not prepared for what he's gotten himself into.
- Trademark Favorite Drink: Just as much as he enjoys smoking, Frank also enjoys a good cup of joe. The ending has Dr. Synapsis state that he's going to help Frank kick his caffeine addiction just as he did with his smoking addiction.
- Wham Shot: Early in the episode, where Frank finds his door and windows barred up, as well as spotlights mimicking sunlight outside said windows.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: Dr. Synapsis truly does want to help people stop smoking, but his approach leans less towards aversion therapy and more into Pavolvian conditioning, as he has them locked in replicas of their homes, deprives them of their possessions, and torments them with lights and sirens when they relapse.
- Whole-Plot Reference: To Stephen King's short story "Quitters, Inc.", which also dealt with a man who was given firm psychological punishments (albeit more violent and severe) to quit smoking. The story was also adapted into the film Cat's Eye, which was released in the same year as the episode.
