Episode 31: Forked Lighting

This episode originally aired on Nov. 17, 1959.

(This is one of the episodes which appears to be in pretty bad shape.) The episode opens with the narrator talking about some kind of storm above a city. (This turns out to be odd since the lightning has absolutely nothing to do whatever with anything that happens in the story. “Forked Lightning” is only a metamorphic in this sense since it refers to something happening to two different people are roughly the same time.)

At a factory a worker spaces out at a grinder and is nearly injured. He's examined by the plant's doctor. (The episode is really, really dark physically, obviously not in good shape. Also, it's a good example of why it's almost impossible to try to examine the legitimacy of the stories, as there is no reference made to any specific city, any specific date or any specific person, unlike, say, in Unsolved Mystery ghost episodes where specific information is given that a person can check out.

In a house at the other end of the town a woman is really freaked out about the lightning storm. (The picture at this time is so dark it's very hard to see much of anything.) She had previously dreamt of her husband lying dead on the floor of the bank.

The doctor at the plant thinks that the guy suffered a mild stroke. (The guy still hasn't said anything.) When he finally does speak the guy says he will die that night.

In the house the guy has agreed to stay home from the bank that day. However, he changes his mind and goes to the bank anyhow. The bank examiner is coming in that day and apparently the guy has done something illegal and needs to hide it from the examiner.

The guy from the plant has a daughter that is ill and needs to use a wheel-chair.

He goes to the bank to set up a trust fund for his daughter. He is fairly poor, though, and can't set up the size of a trust fund that he needs for his daughter. He goes to his insurance agent to get a bigger policy when the bank stuff doesn't work out. He won't be able to get it, though, since it will require an examination by a doctor the next day.

The woman calls her husband at work to tell him whatever is going to happen has started; meanwhile the guy from the plant has gotten his gun.

The one guy shows up to rob the bank. (No attempt to hide his appearance, notice.)

The guy's wife shows up and he yells, causing the guy from the plant to shoot. The guard returns fire and hits the guy.

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