A sadistic sea captain from the nineteenth century haunts a New England home and poisons the lives of a married couple (Robert Webber and Nancy Hadley) after taking possession of the husband's mind.
These haunted house stories require a deft touch to prevent them from being ludicrous; and a deft touch is just what this episode lacks. Charles Beaumont's script seems workable enough; and the actors seem competent. But little things here and there provoke eye-rolling and laughter instead of chills. Robert Webber launches too quickly into his gruff captain voice. Nancy Hadley finds a diary in the attic and awkwardly reads out loud from it. Little things betray the producers' lack of time and money. The couple is introduced in a long shot and it takes at least a minute before we get a good look at them.
You can't blame this show's faults on age. "The Twilight Zone" is still fresh and original long after its elements have become over familiar. I think part of the blame lies with this series' serious attempts to argue for the paranormal, which "Twilight Zone" never did. This shackles the writers to pseudo-realism and prevents their imaginations from taking flight.