#19: Happy Birthday, Mr. McBurger
Original airdate: May 19, 1998
Production no.: AM-119
Written by: Martin Vale & Elise Pritchard
Directed by: Leonard K. Ames
Guest stars: Helen Drake as Judge Hopkins; Victor Bell as opposing counsel
Screen capture from my EP tape. Please credit this site.
THE WHOLE STORY (SPOILERS!!!)
Alan’s birthday party features every woman who has ever turned him down, as guests, gifts and apologies. He casts Dies Perpetuus so the party never ends. Rachel brings cake. Bethany brings a gift she cannot remember buying. Ronnie tries to leave and the door opens onto the same living room.
Daniel arrives holding a balloon and says nothing. At midnight it restarts and Alan makes a silent wish. We never hear it. Continuity: the cake gets shorter each time.
⚖ CASE OF THE WEEK
Birthday v. Birthday: an unlawful loop.
💭 INSIDE ALAN’S HEAD
Alan makes a wish. We do not hear it. That is the scary part.
📖 CODEX LORE
THE LOOP: the Codex can trap a day. Noon is the smallest cell it has.
My Two Cents
Scariest thing on TV all year. It's just a party!! I could not breathe. The no-dialogue wish at the end gave me goosebumps. I went to check the doors. I give it 🍔🍔🍔🍔🍔 out of five burgers.
Best Quote
RONNIE: Is it noon again? Alan, is it noon AGAIN?
Continuity Watch / Theories
The cake gets shorter each loop. By the 4th it's a single slice.
A second screencap from my VHS archive
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Last updated: June 10, 1998 | Webmaster: McBurgerMan97 | McBurgerMan97@aol.com