The Chaser at work.
Rod Serling: Mr. Roger Shackleforth: Age: youthful twenties. Occupation: being in love. Not just in love, but madly, passionately, illogically, miserably, all-consumingly in love with a young woman named Leila who has a vague recollection of his face and even less than a passing interest. In a moment you will see a switch; because Mr. Shackleforth, a young gentleman so much in love, will take a short but very meaningful journey into the Twilight Zone.
Air date: May 13, 1960
Roger Shackleforth (George Grizzard) 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.
The Troper:
- Adaptation Expansion: The original story by John Collier is a one-scene Black Comedy, taking place solely in the potion-vendor's place of business. The beats that the episode goes through are only implied, and for all we know the potions are all duds.
- Adaptation Name Change: In the short story, Alan Austen is madly in love with Diana. In the television adaptation, their names are Roger Shackleforth and Leila.
- An Aesop: There's such a thing as too much love, and there's a difference between being in love with somebody and being prepared to unconditionally love them full time.
- Be Careful What You Wish For: Roger desires above all else to have Leila's love. Professor Daemon is utterly disappointed, as his wish for some random girl's love is a dime a dozen. Roger gets exactly what he wanted, Leila's love — but she never stops loving him, and when Roger tries to end it, it's already too late for him.
- Blowing Smoke Rings: Daemon blows a smoke heart at the end of the episode.
- Brick Joke: Professor Daemon compares the love potion's brand of love to a Cocker Spaniel. In the second half of the episode, 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.
- Deadly Euphemism: The "Glove Cleaner", which is in fact a Perfect Poison.
- Disappointed by the Motive: Professor Daemon keeps guessing what it is that's prompted Roger to come to him, whether it be power, riches, or ambition. Instead, 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.
- Dramatic Drop: Played for Drama; 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 of his obsession with Leila and his plot to kill her for the rest of his life.
- Dropping the Bombshell: Although she doesn't outright say it, Leila calling him "Rabbit" and showing him a tiny bootie she's knitting is enough to make Roger realize he can't go through with killing her.
- Everyone Has Standards: 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 the mother of his child.
- Faint in Shock: Roger passes out from shock and horror when he realizes he's stuck with Leila forever. She just smiles and starts kissing him on the face.
- Gone Horribly Right: Professor Daemon's Love Potion works, except it makes Leila exceptionally clingy to Roger, even moreso than he was to her.
- Hate Sink: 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.
- In Love with Love: 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 of the idea.
- It's All About Me: Roger learns (albeit too late to do him any good) that giving Leila the Love Potion 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.
- Just Friends: Roger really likes Leila, but Leila only sees him as the brother she never had. A very annoying brother.
- Karmic Twist Ending: Roger buys a second potion from Professor Daemon in order to stop Leila's over-the-top affection, though it's actually a poison to kill her. By the time he gets ready to use it, Leila announces that she's pregnant, shocking Roger enough to make him drop the poison. Having squandered his opportunity, Roger will be stuck with the lovestruck Leila for the rest of his life, whether he likes it or not.Leila: (cleans up the spilled champagne) Oh, we won't worry about it. We don't need champagne. We've got each other.Roger: (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.Leila: Just think of it, darling. This is only the beginning. We'll be like this for the rest of our lives. Won't we?Roger: The rest of our lives. (passes out)
- Knitting Pregnancy Announcement: Roger gives a love potion to the girl he's madly in love with, but within months, grows tired of her nonstop 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 bootie.
- Laser-Guided Karma: For drugging Leila to forcibly fall in love with him against her will, Roger gets his just desserts 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.
- Louis Cypher: Daemon. Professor A. Daemon.
- Love Hungry: Roger is desperate to win Leila's affections, but when he doses her with the love potion, Leila becomes overwhelmingly affectionate and clingy.
- Love Potion: Roger buys one from Professor Daemon in the hopes of winning Leila's love.
- Named by the Adaptation: In the short story by John Collier, the potion seller is not given a name. In the television adaptation, his name is Professor A. Daemon.
- Noodle Incident: Whatever service Daemon offered that prompts Homburg, the impatient man at the phone booth, to recommend him to Roger.
- No Sense of Personal Space: Thanks to the Love Potion, Leila loves Roger to suffocating extremes, as she never leaves his side.
- Perfect Poison: The Glove Cleaner, or so Daemon claims. Though we never get to see it in action.
- Schmuck Bait: It's not explicitly stated, but it's pretty clear why Daemon offers the love potion for only a dollar and demands the buyer's entire savings for the "glove cleaner".Roger: A thousand dollars?! But that's all I have!Daemon: I know. That's how it is. That's how it always is.
- Self-Proclaimed Love Interest: Rod Serling'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. Doesn't she just look so happy to see him?
- Spanner in the Works: Roger's plan to poison Leila with the "glove cleaner" is foiled when Leila announces her pregnancy, causing Roger to drop the poison in shock. Fortunately, Roger is such an unpleasant individual that this is highly satisfying to the audience.
- Wham Shot: When Leila surprises Roger with a half-knitted bootie, this coupled with her calling him "rabbit" is enough to make him realize he can't go through with using the glove cleaner.
- Wouldn't Hurt a Child: Downplayed: it's realizing she's pregnant that makes Roger back out of killing Leila.
Rod Serling: 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.
