Rod Serling: James Elwood: master programmer. In charge of Mark 502-741, commonly known as Agnes, the world's most advanced electronic computer. Machines are made by men for man's benefit and progress, but when man ceases to control the products of his ingenuity and imagination he not only risks losing the benefit, but he takes a long and unpredictable step into... the Twilight Zone.
Air date: February 14, 1964
A computer expert (Wally Cox) is called in to work on the world's most advanced computer, which has the soul of a jealous woman.
From Tropes With Love:
- Absent-Minded Professor: James is clearly a brilliant man, but he has a phenomenally low emotional intelligence quotient, being awkward and having difficulty with social norms and cues.
- A.I. Is a Crapshoot: Agnes is a less harmful variation, but nonetheless will act up if she has a crush on you and suspects you like someone else.
- An Aesop: Take the advice of others with a grain of salt, especially if they may not have your best interest at heart.
- Batman Gambit: Agnes gives "advice" to Elwood, counting on him to be too socially awkward to recognize what would really win Millie over (example, she advised him to get Millie a bouquet of roses when she knew Millie was allergic to them).
- Book Ends: The story begins and ends with a genius warning his replacement to "Watch out for that Femme Fatale".
- Clingy Jealous Girl: Agnes, despite being a supercomputer, was in love with James and tried to sabotage his love life so she could keep him to herself.
- Dutch Angle: One is used in the opening scene in which Elwood and his supervisor find Fred Danziger frantically arguing with Agnes.
- Foregone Conclusion: Elwood warns Walter at the end of the episode that he is already screwed with Agnes, as she already knows all about Walter's relationship with Millie.
- Haunted Technology: Agnes is a highly advanced computer with the sentience and soul of a woman.
- Here We Go Again!: The episode ends with Walter Holmes taking Elwood's place as the computer programmer assigned to Agnes, just as Elwood replaced Fred Danziger. Elwood lampshades this at the end, telling Walter that he is doomed, as Agnes already knows about his relationship with Millie.
- Horrible Judge of Character: Elwood starts out as this, believing Agnes' advice on wooing Millie to be fool-proof. Progressively, this starts to wear off as each advice backfires.
- Innocently Insensitive: Elwood likens Agnes to being like a mother for giving him dating advice. She takes it as well as you'd expect.Agnes: MOTHER?!
- Love Triangle: There are two related examples. Agnes soon falls in love with Elwood, who is interested in Millie. Although Millie is fond of him, Elwood's fumbling and Agnes' deliberately bad advice results in him ruining all of their dates. Agnes suggests that he introduce Millie to an inferior male so that he will look better by comparison. Unfortunately for Elwood, Agnes recommends the third floor programmer Walter Holmes, a suave, handsome ladies' man with a blue sports car. He and Millie hit it off immediately, as Agnes knew would happen.
- Master Computer: Agnes is the most advanced and powerful computer in existence that is being used by the US government to determine the feasibility of sending a probe to Venus.
- Running Gag: Throughout the episode, Elwood gives items to a passing secretary. On the first occasion, he gives her the box of chocolates that Millie turned down because of her diet. On the second, he gives her the bouquet of roses to which Millie was allergic. On the third, he gives her his nameplate.
- Tantrum Throwing: Played with. Agnes may not have a body, but she knows how to act up.
- Wham Line: "I love you!" is considered this to Elwood.
Rod Serling: Advice to all future male scientists: be sure you understand the opposite sex, especially if you intend being a computer expert. Otherwise, you may find yourself like poor Elwood, defeated by a jealous machine, a most dangerous sort of female, whose victims are forever banished... to the Twilight Zone.
