Herschel Daugherty's previous three 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' episodes are well worth the watch. Especially "The Creeper", which is not just one of the best and creepiest episodes of Season 1 but of the entire series. While his third was the second episode of Season 2, and although it was a long way from flawless it was leagues better than the season opener. Hume Cronyn, already a Hitchcock regular, deserves more credit as an actor today and James Gleason was always watchable and more.
"Kill with Kindness" is not one of his best episodes however, actually consider it his weakest episode up to this point. It is one of those episodes with a fine cast that are better than the story, which is really not the strongest story of 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' and that is putting it mildly. "Kill with Kindness" is far from a bad episode and there are definitely worse episodes of the series, but it did feel like something was missing and it's fairly middling.
Am going to start with the good. The best thing about it is Cronyn, who is absolutely excellent in a role that is perfect for him (eccentric but also with intense edge). He really dominates the episode while not completely swamping it. Carmen Matthews matches him beautifully for pretty much the same reasons. Really loved their psychologically interesting characters and they are entertaining and unsettling together. Gleason is well cast too in a role that was quite different for him.
There are other things that "Kill with Kindness" does well. The black humour is deliciously dark at its best and effectively unsettles, it did amuse me though it won't be for those that don't like or get dark humour. The production values are solid enough, while the main theme is still haunting and Hitchcock's dry humour amuses just as much. The characters are interesting psychologically.
Really do wish however that the story was much better, it just came over as too far fetched, with some serious credibility straining needed later on, and bland with far too little suspense. This is a kind of story that calls for sinister creepiness and suspense, and there is not enough of that. The ending was also flat and more a going out on a whimper rather than a bang.
Furthermore, some of the writing veers on being too talky and the pacing could have been a good deal tighter. Daugherty's direction is rather workmanlike.
Summing up, a little above average but nothing special. 6/10.
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