The Zombie Apocalypse, Old West style.
Rod Serling: Introducing Mr. Jared Garrity, a gentleman of commerce, who in the latter half of the nineteenth century plied his trade in the wild and wooly hinterlands of the American West. And Mr. Garrity, if one can believe him, is a resurrecter of the dead – which, on the face of it, certainly sounds like the bull is off the nickel. But to the scoffers amongst you, and you ladies and gentlemen from Missouri, don't laugh this one off entirely, at least until you've seen a sample of Mr. Garrity's wares and an example of his services. The place is Happiness, Arizona, the time around 1890. And you and I have just entered a saloon where the bar whiskey is brewed, bottled and delivered from the Twilight Zone.
Air date: May 8, 1964
In 1890, traveling peddler Jared Garrity (John Dehner) arrives in the little, recently-renamed town of Happiness, Arizona, offering to bring the townsfolk's dead back from Boot Hill cemetery. Initially, they don't believe him, but when he appears to resurrect a dead dog struck by a traveler's horse-drawn wagon, they do believe him. After performing the resurrection ritual, Garrity casually reminds the people about the dead and departed, all but one of whom were murdered – who died having a score to settle with whom, and so forth. The townsfolk grow uncomfortable at the thought of facing problems they thought buried with the dead, and when one apparent resurrectee is seen approaching town, his brother, who shot the man himself, bribes Garrity to reverse the ritual and the figure vanishes. All the other residents similarly decide to pay Garrity to not revive their "loved ones."
Later that night, Garrity and his assistant (who was both the wagon driver and the "resurrectee") ride away with the money, laughing about how they cannot actually bring the dead back to life; they had simply performed a few smoke and mirrors tricks to con the townsfolk and used a dog that was alive the whole time but simply knew how to play dead. After they have left the town, the last scene reveals that the dead really are rising from their graves, with one observing that the peddler underestimates his own ability.
Mr. Garrity and the Tropes:
- Affably Evil: Garrity. This is a necessity for a con man but his friendly interaction with his assistant and the affection he shows the dog, Spot, that they used as part of the con show that his charming personality is genuine. He also apologizes to the dead for not being able to raise them and does refuse to take money from one woman who's afraid of her abusive father-in-law returning.
- Angel Unaware: Garrity. It's never specified what the source of his power is, but it's clear he's not the ordinary conman he thinks he is.
- Back from the Dead: Garrity claims that he can resurrect the dead. After performing the resurrection ceremony, he swindles the townspeople of Happiness, Arizona out of their money by promising that he will not bring the people buried in Boot Hill Cemetery back to life (since most of them caused problems for the living before they died). It turns out that the ceremony had actually succeeded in resurrecting the dead, a fact which Garrity is completely unaware of.
- Con Man: Played With. Mr. Garrity claims he can bring back the dead, but believes that he can't. However, the resurrected dead say he doesn’t do himself justice.
- Dirty Coward: Sheriff Gilchrist shot "Lightning" Peterson in the back, late at night, while Peterson was alone and unarmed and the sheriff was accompanied by seven deputies. He then pays Garrison not to bring Peterson back to life so he doesn’t have to face him in a fair fight. After coming back, Peterson intends to settle the score.
- Domestic Abuse: Gooberman's wife, Zelda, broke his arm six times. After she returns from the dead, she plans to do so again.
- Dramatic Drop:
- When Mr. Garrity tells the bartender that he brings back the dead for a living, the bartender promptly drops a full mug of beer.
- When Mr. Garrity tells the bartender that his resurrected brother had a limp, the bartender decides that this proves that Garrity had indeed resurrected the bartender's brother and drops a glass filled with an alcoholic beverage.
- Due to the Dead: Before he and his associate drive off, Garrity faces the graves on Boot Hill, apologizes for not being able to revive the dead buried there, and wishes them a good night. And as soon as he's gone, the dead arise.
- From Bad to Worse: There's a lot of abusers, angry drunkards, and trigger-happy bandits in Boot Hill cemetery, almost all of them having been murdered, and after Garrity got himself a pretty penny from people asking him to not bring them back, the dead rise with a desire to continue their awful ways and season it with a little bit of revenge.
- Hypocrite: When Gooberman and the bartender both bribe Garrity to keep their dead relatives from coming back to life, Sheriff Gilchirst apologizes to Garrity, claiming that he’s ashamed of their behavior. Then when Garrett points out that “Lightning” Peterson, an outlaw the sheriff killed, will be resurrected as well, the sheriff also bribes Garrity to keep Peterson dead.
- I Need a Freaking Drink: Sheriff Gilchrist has to pay Garrity 1,200 dollars not to resurrect “Lightning” Peterson. He then asks the bartender to give him the whole bottle.
- In the Back: "Lightning" Peterson was shot in this way by Sheriff Gilchrist, who understandably does not want him brought back to life.
- Ironic Name: The town of Happiness, wherein many murders have been committed and the guilt still eats at the townsfolk (for one reason or another).
- Laser-Guided Karma: Many of the people in Happiness, Arizona are murderers and Mr. Garrity cons them into believing he can raise the dead, so they have to pay him not to resurrect the people they murdered. Then, after he leaves, it turns out he really can raise the dead, and the dead people come back to life, anyway, seeking revenge on their murderers.
- Monster Protection Racket: Mr. Garrity's scam in a nutshell. Turns out that the only part of the scam that is an actual scam (unknown to Mr. Garrity) is the part where he says he can "protect" the townsfolk.
- Obnoxious In-Laws: Played for drama. One of the people of Happiness is a young woman who endured lots of abuse at the hands of her father-in-law and, horrified at the thought of having to deal with more of it if the man comes back from the dead, pays Garrity to not bring him back. Garrity refuses the payment and tells her he won't. Notably, we don't see whether or not the man is one of the zombies Garrity accidentally revived.
- Our Zombies Are Different: Completely cognizant, capable of talking, no signs of decay or physical impairment, and wishing revenge upon the people that killed them, showing that they retain all their old memories of who they are and how they died. They also express no desire to eat flesh and seem to have the same needs and urges as before, with one eager to get back to drinking.
- Pet the Dog: A literal example as Garrity is shown being affectionate to his dog, Spot, that he used in his scam, as well as his assistant who he seems to be friends with. He also refuses to take money from a frightened woman afraid of her abusive father-in-law returning.
- Post-Modern Magik: Invoked. Mr. Garrity claims he can resurrect the dead through the application of various scientific principles that he picked up in the Himalayan Mountains. While his claim is entirely false, he did somehow manage to bring back the dead.
- Real After All: Garrity's scam involves a well-trained dog and an assistant dressed like someone the townsfolk can recognize from a distance (and want to keep gone)... and then it turns out that he really can bring back the dead.
- Reverse Psychology: The center point of Garrity's Monster Protection Racket is his announcement that he can bring people back from the dead, but the local Boot Hill is full of people so despicable and who died under circumstances that would make them most definitely come gunning for revenge (in the case of some of them literally), that the townsfolk pay Garrity to not bring them back.
- Sharp-Dressed Man: Garrity wears a very expensive and fancy looking suit.
- Too Dumb to Live: Sheriff Gilchrist taps his forehead with his gun, while boasting that it takes brains to be sheriff.
- Weird West: What else can be described from a con job about allegedly bringing back the dead that went horribly wrong (or horribly right) and actually brought back the dead?
- When the Clock Strikes Twelve: Mr. Garrity tells the people of Happiness, Arizona that he will resurrect the people buried in Boot Hill at midnight.
- The Wild West: The setting of the episode.
- Wretched Hive: Considering how many of its people died by murder, and how even the one who didn't was a rotten woman who physically abused her husband, Happiness probably applies.
- Zombie Apocalypse: What Mr. Garrity has accidentally unleashed upon Happiness, Arizona, by the end of the episode.
Rod Serling: Exit Mr. Garrity, a would-be charlatan, a make-believe con man and a sad misjudger of his own talents. Respectfully submitted from an empty cemetery on a dark hillside that is one of the slopes leading to the Twilight Zone.
