Review of The Man Who Was Death

The strange circus-like music that plays over the rather heart-wrenching opening sequence is so eerily jaunty that it almost doesn't fit with the dire events taking place on the screen. It certainly is a shocker of a series debut, I honestly can't think of another tale to feature such a raw and disturbing prologue. It's no wonder this was chosen as the first episode to air for broadcast, even if it may not have been the first one filmed. William Sadler stars as the protagonist, or antagonist depending on your point of view. The entire episode pretty much rests on his shoulders and I'd say he did an awesome job, as it's really his cold and cocksure performance alone that makes it a hit and worth seeing. I enjoy his frequent "breaking of the fourth wall" narrative that runs throughout, I find it very sharp and engaging and it gives things a distinctive tone. And he's right about at least one thing. Television ratings would indeed go sky high if they ever showed executions. Sadler plays a completely heartless bastard who seems to truly relish the absolute terror that the condemned go through when their time has come. That's some kind of seriously sick excuse for a human being that can stare straight into the eyes of some desperate soul that's mere moments away from shedding this mortal coil... In the story, after the death penalty's been temporarily abolished he's fired because they claim he'd be in danger due to the inmates knowing about him, and I thought that was a fairly realistic touch, but I also get the feeling that it's because he creeps them out a little. He enjoyed the grim work just too much. And then, unsure of what his purpose is, he takes it upon himself to become the judge jury and of course executioner of what he deems to be the human garbage of the deep dark city, and loses his head in the power of it all. Okay, the spectacle of the thunderous spark and sound effects that accompany each of the electric deaths are all quite thrilling and great fun to watch! Gerrit Graham has a bit part as one of the victims. He's one of my favourite character actors and it's a shame they never had an episode with him as the star, because they could have got something special out of his personality. And hey, it's the sadly late and great Roy Brocksmith in his first of three Crypt appearances as the barkeep! I wonder if it's the same barman from "Cutting Cards". It doesn't seem to make sense the way that "Talbot" goes after the stripper at the end, but at a guess, I think it's meant to show that his mind's starting to slip and he's beginning to punish the more innocent people that really don't 'deserve' it, and that his desire to kill is overpowering his already warped sense of justice. And at the end when it's finally his turn to get the chair he pleads for his life as much as any of the felons he had earlier mocked. And that's fine, but I think it would've been more interesting if he'd played it slightly differently. Of course still like he's scared, but also perhaps a little exited to be experiencing the ultimate execution - his own, after being 'Mr.Death' for so long... The series must have meant a lot to Sadler, seeing as he was also in the first movie "Demon Knight" as the hero, and great in that as well, and he also had cameos alongside the Cryptkeeper in the episode "The Assassin" as the grim reaper from "Bill and Ted", and in the terrible "Bordello of Blood" as a mummy! Thanks to Sadler, it's a gripping, grim and very effective story. Great watch.