Air date: December 25, 1959
In a run-down bar, in a part of town where both people and buildings have seen better days, in walks Mr. Pedott, a nondescript little man carrying a briefcase who introduces himself to the patrons, including a lonely woman, washed-up ex-baseball pitcher "Lefty", and perennial gambling loser Fred Renard. Pedott tells these people that his briefcase holds exactly what they need. For the woman, he pulls out a bottle of powerful stain remover. Lefty scoffs at Pedott's claims, asking the man if he can come up with a new arm to replace the one he overused and wore out. Pedott says he can't do that, but he pulls out two bus tickets to Scranton. Lefty and the bartender laugh it off, saying that Lefty can go dig coal with his bad arm since he can't pitch anymore. Suddenly, the phone rings, and Lefty answers it to hear his former manager. He's been trying to reach the pitcher for three days to offer him a job coaching minor league... in Scranton! The tickets are for a bus arriving in a couple hours, so he tries to leave, only to get coffee spilled on his jacket. The woman remembers her stain remover, and removes the stain for him as the two go off to the bus station together.
This entire series of events gets Fred's attention. How does this little man seem to know exactly what people need and be able to give it to them in the nick of time? Pedott hems and haws, but the gambler is threateningly insistent. Pedott reaches into his case and produces a pair of scissors, which Renard thinks is a desperate attempt for Pedott to free himself, but the little man insists that they're what he needs. He leaves Pedott unblemished for now, but still thinks his offering was just a ploy... until his scarf is caught in the elevator doors and he uses the scissors to free himself.
Now doubly convinced that Pedott can predict the future, he tracks the man down, asking for Pedott to tell him what lies in store. Pedott is more nervous, but when Fred gets aggressive again, Pedott provides a leaking fountain pen. A drop of ink lands next to a certain horse in tomorrow's races, and Fred wins a fortune from betting on this horse. Still not satisfied, he tracks Pedott down again, who refuses to hand him anything more. The incensed Renard rummages around the case and steals a pair of new shoes. In his avarice, he puts them on immediately and notes the leather soles (which he hates because they have no grip). As Pedott attempts to sneak away without telling Renard what the shoes are for, Fred gets more heated and tries to give chase with slow, careful steps... but when a car speeds through, he slips on the wet crosswalk and can't get out of the way in time. Before the inevitable crowd comes to see what happened, Pedott looks back to Fred's body and admits to him that he knew all along that the desperate gambler was going to try to kill him eventually; the shoes were what Pedott needed.
When the police and the TV news show up, Pedott turns to a young couple who witnessed the accident and hands them a comb, just in time to tidy themselves up when the local news team senses a photo op.
What Tropes You Need:
- Adaptation Name Change: In the short story, Peter Talley's ability to see the future is taken advantage of by Tim Carmichael. In the television adaptation, their names are Pedott and Fred Renard.
- Adaptation Deviation: In the television adaptation, Pedott is a street peddler whose unexplained ability to determine what people will need is seemingly natural. In the short story by Lewis Padgett (the pseudonym of the writing team C. L. Moore and Henry Kuttner), the equivalent character Peter Talley owns a curio shop on Park Avenue which typically caters to extremely wealthy customers. He is able to determine what people will need in the future by virtue of a machine that he invented. This machine allows him to examine different lines of probability by turning a calibrated dial.
- Asshole Victim: Sure, being given a pair of shoes that get you killed by a speeding car would be a Cruel Twist Ending in most cases, but Fred's increasingly cruel behavior and attempt to kill Pedott mark him as one of these.
- Be Careful What You Wish For: It turns out the shoes were what Pedott needed, not Renard.
- Black Comedy: Before departing the scene of Fred's death, Pedott gives a couple (woken by the commotion) a comb. Why? Because they're about to have their picture taken for the inevitable newspaper article.
- The Bully: Even before attempting to kill him, Fred Renard harasses and threatens Pedott when he learns of his talent.
- Bullying a Dragon: Pedott is a nice, meek man who just wants to go about his business, but he can see the future and use his briefcase to carry items that will cause a certain outcome. When he realizes Fred won't stop harassing him and will eventually kill him, he orchestrates his death via his abilities.
- Career-Ending Injury: Lefty had to retire from baseball because his pitching arm went out from overuse.
- Car Fu: An indirect case; Pedott gives Fred a pair of shoes that have no grip, and does this so the gambler meets his end by speeding car.
- Christmas Episode: The episode aired on Christmas Day 1959, and has an overall theme of giving and gratitude.
- Death by Materialism: Pedott had already saved Fred's life AND gave him a valuable racing tip that made him a fortune, but Fred still is not satisfied, and Pedott has to kill Fred in self-defense before Fred can kill him.
- Dramatic Drop: Pedott drops his briefcase, trinkets spilling everywhere, when he enters his apartment to find Renard waiting for him.
- Edgy Backwards Chair-Sitting: Fred does this when intimidating Pedott into being his "partner".
- Establishing Character Moment:
- Fred gets his in the prologue when the bartender tells him off for ordering drinks without paying. Renard merely snarls "How would you like a flying jump to the moon?"
- Pedott gets his moment when he uses his gift to bestow two people what they need, no charge.
- Eyes Never Lie: Pedott tells Renard that he knew he would be trouble because he could see his own death in the man's eyes.
- Foreshadowing: In the prologue, when Pedott enters the diner, he takes one look at Fred and gets a mortified expression. In the end, it's revealed that from the moment he laid eyes on Renard, Pedott's psychic abilities foretold that Renard was going to try and kill him.
- Giving Them the Strip: Fred finds out why Pedott gave him scissors the hard way, when his scarf gets caught between the closing doors of an elevator. He nearly strangles to death before he cuts the scarf with the scissors.
- I Did What I Had to Do: Pedott explains to Fred's body why he gave him the shoes, though he appears regretful that it came to this.
- If I Can't Have You…: Non-romantic example. By the final act Renard decides that if Pedott is not going to bend the knee and keep giving him stuff, he is better off dead. Pedott makes clear as Renard is dying that he knew this was the only way it was going to end from the very first second he saw Pedott, so he arranged things so Renard would get killed.
- Ignored Epiphany: Pedott tries to reason with Fred that what he really needs isn't material possessions or money, but values like serenity, peace of mind, and good humor. Fred seems reflective for a split-second, only to purposefully ignore this and continue to bully Pedott for more stuff.
- It May Help You on Your Quest: The items Pedott keeps in his case are entirely random. None of them seem useful on first glance, but they end up being exactly what the people who they are given to need at the moment.
- Jackass Genie: A reluctant example. Pedott didn't want to hurt any of the people he was giving his wares to, but Fred had backed him into a proverbial corner.
- Jerkass: Renard, of course. The bartender also unrelentingly mocks Lefty's troubles with his retirement.
- Karmic Twist Ending: Fred, who abused the nice fellow who gave him what he needed and saved his life, is indirectly left stuck in the path of a speeding car.
- Killer Outfit: Fred almost is strangled when his scarf gets trapped in the elevator doors, but is later run over by a car he fails to avoid while wearing leather-soled shoes.
- Last-Second Chance: Pedott tries to tell Fred that what he needs are the kind of qualities that can't be provided with the goods in his briefcase. Fred almost immediately rejects this and helps himself to the shoes that ultimately bring about his death. It's made clear that Pedott was sincerely trying to appeal to him to change his ways before it was too late.
- Lightswitch Surprise: When Mr. Pedott arrives home, he enters and turns on the light. When he does, he discovers that Fred has broken in and is waiting in a chair to talk to him.
- No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: Most of the people that Pedott helps are quite grateful for his assistance. Renard is most assuredly not.
- Obsessive-Compulsive Barkeeping: Some of the episode takes place in a bar, so the bartender is seen doing this.
- Oh, Crap!: Pedott has a very concerned look on his face when Renard first stares at him in the bar. He knew then what was likely to happen.
- Pre-Mortem One-Liner: Pedott saying that the slippery shoes are what he needs. Renard is struck dead by a car immediately afterwards.
- Romance-Inducing Smudge: Ex-pitcher Lefty has coffee on his jacket, which he wants to get cleaned off before heading out for a new job opportunity. The lonely woman to whom Pedott gave the stain remover offers to help him clean it, and it's implied the two will end up together as a result.
- Rule of Three: Renard aggressively threatens Pedott into giving him what he needs three seperate times. The third time proves to be his last.
- Shipper on Deck: Pedott knew what he was doing when he gave that woman the stain cleaner instead of the matches she asked for.
- Skepticism Failure: Everyone has a look of surprise when they find that Pedott gave them just what they needed.
- Taking Advantage of Generosity: Fred hassles Pedott for more stuff, planning to kill him for refusing to provide more.
- Throw the Dog a Bone: Lefty gets a job offer in Scranton and can get there because Pedott gave him a bus ticket. A lonely woman also hits it off with Lefty when he notices a spot on his jacket and cleans it with the cleaner that Pedott gave her.
- Trespassing to Talk: When Mr. Pedott arrives home at his apartment, he enters and turns on the light. When he does, he discovers that Renard has broken into his room and is waiting in a chair to talk to him.
- Tuckerization: The jockeys riding in the race on which Fred bets include Serling, Houghton, Clemens, Denault and Butler. They are named after the show's crewmembers Rod Serling, producer Buck Houghton, director of photography George T. Clemens, assistant director Edward Denault, and set decorator Rudy Butler.
- Ungrateful Bastard: Fred. After Pedott gives him what he needs twice (one of which saved his life), the guy demands even more.
- Villain Protagonist: Fred, our cruel, selfish, and bullying gambler. He crosses the line when he tries to kill Pedott when he's denied anymore stuff.
- Wasteful Wishing: Fred keeps hunting Pedott for more things he needs, threatening him when he refuses.
- Wham Line: "...They are what I need." This comes from Pedott, who's letting Fred know that the shoes he took out of the case weren't for his well-being, but to anticipate his dangerous and greedy tendencies. What's more, this line affirms that, even though he's normally too humble to do so, Pedott can indeed use his powers to protect himself, especially because the situation calls for it.
- We Help the Helpless: Pedott seems to specialize in helping those who are down on their luck and generally ignored by others.
- You Have to Believe Me!: Averted. While people seem dubious of what he can do for them, Pedott calmly makes the case for seemingly unneeded objects in a completely calm, if a bit strange, manner.
