The Tale of the Carved Stone

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Midnight Society

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Air Date: Saturday, February 19, 1994
Storyteller: Gary (Ross Hull)

Frame: As the majority of the Midnight Society approach the clearing for their meeting, they notice a mysterious figure dressed in a black cloak and black large-brimmed hat. Assuming it's Gary, since he's the only one not among them, they try calling him out on his prank, only to discover Gary's right behind them. However, Gary soon confesses that he set it up to tell his story, obtaining the cloak and hat from his Dad's shop (as seen in 'Super Specs'), which has a fascinating origin that Gary uses to introduce his tale.

Story: Alison Denny (Aidan Pendleton) has just moved into town and is having a tough time making friends. After an accident involving gag glasses, Alison heads to Sardo's (Richard M Dumont) shop to buy a new pair. Here, she's convinced by Sardo to purchase a mysterious black stone that will magically make her popular. The stone doesn't do that, but it does provide a time portal through her bedroom mirror, where she meets Thomas Jefferson Bradshaw (John White). However, soon, both the kids and Sardo must confront a strange, cloaked man named Septimus (Frank Gorshin), who will stop at nothing to obtain the powerful stone.

Review: I like this episode, but I'm not sure I'd consider it one of my favourites. I enjoy the time-travel aspect, the intimidatingly hypnotic villain in Gorshin's performance, which has a sort of discount Hannibal Lecter aspect to it, as well as the likable heroes. However, there are aspects, such as how time travel might work and the concept of no consequences, which render the butterfly effect moot in this context. On the other hand, being a show for kids, one can look past it and find more of what they're looking for in an episode of this series. It's far from perfect and doesn't top my list, but it's still worth checking out.

Final Rating: Spooked

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