Night Gallery episode review — 3.8 — Finnegan’s Flight

Original air date: December 17, 1972
Director: Gene Kearney
Writer: Rod Serling

Rating: 6/10

Rod Serling’s penultimate script for Night Gallery fittingly stars Burgess Meredith, who played in some of the best epiosdes of Serling’s previous show, The Twilight Zone, as well as starred in one of the best segments for this show. So I had my hopes up for this one.

Charlie Finnegan (Meredith) is an inmate who finds himself under observation after a bizarre attempt at escape.

Another inmate, Pete Tuttle (Cameron Mitchell) admits that he had hypnotized Finnegan into believing his hands were indestructible.

As we see Tuttle continue his experiments, it feels like he’s just torturing the poor guy, but he also seems to have a point. Finnegan’s fingers are blistered after putting them in lukewarm water that he’s been convinced is boiling hot.

Things get a little too silly as the experiments continue, with Tuttle convincing him he’s flying in a jet. It’s too awkward to really be exciting, though it does end on a nice sentimental note.