Games - The Obsolete Man

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	Games - The Obsolete Man

Cast

Burgess Meredith, Fritz Weaver

Synopsis

In a future totalitarian society, Romney Wordsworth (Meredith) is a man put on trial for the crime of being obsolete. Secretly, he is a librarian (punishable by death), and religious (also punishable by death). He is prosecuted by the chancellor (Weaver), who expresses in detail that he is not needed by society.

Eventually, Wordsworth is sentenced to die, and is given the choice of method of dying. He secretly chooses his punishment, known only to him and his assassin, to be administered at midnight.

Wordsworth is put into a room that is monitored and broadcast live to the nation, so they can see the condemned in his final hours. He summons the chancellor, who shows up at 11:15 PM. After some discussion, Wordsworth reveals that he has locked the door, and that his chosen method of death is by bomb. He intends to show the nation how a spiritual man faces death. He also points out that, as the events are being broadcast live, the State will not interfere to rescue a high-ranking chancellor. Wordsworth’s calm acceptance of death may be directly compared with the chancellor’s increasing panic.

As the last few moments before the bomb explodes elapse, the chancellor begs the old man to let him go: “In the name of God, let me out!”, and the old man fulfills his wish and allows him to leave.

The chancellor bursts out of the room and down the stairs just as the bomb explodes, killing Wordsworth.

The final scene shows the chancellor, now stripped of his rank, being put on trial for being obsolete.

Trivia

Themes

Basically this is an allegorical political story that takes place in a dystopia.

Reference

This episode refers to Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, as the society strictly forbids books and burns whatever has words.

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