Review of Since Aunt Ada Came to Stay/With Apologies to Mr. Hyde/The Flip-Side of Satan

Michele Lee and James Farentino (who were married in real life at the time) star as a happy married couple with a slight wedge in between them: "Aunt Ada," a relative who's come to stay with her niece at her home, much to the chagrin of her husband. Through a little research and the advice of his colleague (nicely played by Jonathan Harris, in campy doom-and-gloom mode), it's found that this woman is an impostor. She's a witch, looking for a new young body for her soul, and Lee's will do just fine, thanks. The pleasure of this clever and slightly shivery episode is the chess game between Farentino and Jeanette Nolan (who seems like she's having a lot of fun as the old witch), each trying to keep Michele Lee's character to themselves. Lots of neat little visual tricks (as witches gather en masse, disappear, burn...)and a dollop of humor from scriptwriter Alvin Sapinsley and William Hale, who know very well this story's best served with a wink. This is one of those stories that Rod Serling might have criticized for just 'stopping' instead of 'ending,' but the episode ends on a deceptive point of 'normalcy' ("Is she, or isn't she?") which is very satisfying. There are a few blips in the screenplay (What college class meets around the midnight hour??) but overall, this is a most enjoyable story.