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| Phyllis Thaxter |
Karen Stewart (Phyllis Thaxter) has a drinking problem and is terrified of losing the man she loves, Jeff (Warren Stevens). One night at a party she gets jealous of the hostess, Renee (Louise Allbritton), and throws a drink in her face. A concerned Jeff goes to her home, and she decides to go back to the party, where Renee is surprisingly understanding. But Renee's brother, Marlow (Jack Mullaney), who also indulges to excess, lets it slip that his sister wants Jeff and is hoping Karen will make a mess of things. Instead of making up her mind that this will not be the case, Karen has a martini -- and then another and another. She winds up intoxicated at a bar with Marlow when Jeff and Renee come in and Karen picks up a broken bottle ...
Never Again features fine performances from the entire cast. Thaxter, in the performance of a lifetime, is absolutely outstanding as the troubled and self-loathing Karen. Warren Stevens plays his part in such a way that you're not absolutely sure how he feels about Karen until the end. At the tragic close of the episode, Alfred Hitchcock does not make his usual quips but urges people with serious drinking problems to get help before a tragedy occurs in their own life. Never Again is absorbing and hard-hitting stuff with a devastating ending.
Verdict: Classic episode; classic TV. ***1/2.
