The Ray Bradbury Theatre S1E1
Episode 1 "Marionettes, Inc"
A man is seen in the early morning trying to have a nice breakfast. I mean, he does. What is there not to like about his breakfast? His wife is happy and spry albeit awfully chatty about everything under the sun anything from the weather to topping up his coffee. Her non stop chatter is met with the husband who has not said on word. Almost like he is dissatisfied about something. However, he still lets his dear loveable wife chat away with a dearly departed hug. Despite her being well meaning, it is now becoming apparent that he feels smothered by her. Just her constant need to alter anything for his betterment. OVERBEARING. That's the word I am looking for. Nice wife but overbearing as fuck. And man, is he hella exhausted.
Once he finally gets to work, his assistant greets him by handing over a note indicating that a man who called for him but never leaves his name. He begrudgingly takes the paper and puts it in a drawer where it becomes apparent that this is has been a frequent occurrence.
He opens up his laptop to start his day but almost immediately it glitches into a screen detailed Marionettes, Inc and proceeds to display all known details and facts about his life. Anything from his wife's name to heart conditions and even his likes/dislikes. Worried, he looks around him to see if this was some kind of prank being pulled on him but everyone is acting well, normal. Curiouser and curiouser his fax also starts pumping out paper with the same name and logo.
Flash forward to another scene where he is on the street buying a newspaper from a stand, and he comes across a business card from you guessed it, Marionettes, Inc. Another scene where he is at a restaurant AGAIN out of pure randomness a card in the same likeness gets dropped in there too.
Back at work when he tries to show potential clients about the latest computer model, ONCE AGAIN it glitches and drops all this personal info about him but now in front of other people! He tries to play it off as a joke but he is totally freaking the fuck out inside.
After work he stops by a bar with a fellow colleague and rants to him about it. He whips out the laptop and proceeds to show him that every time he starts it up, this info shows and nothing he can do to stop it. He doesn't know why or who????
His colleage theorizes maybe someone is trying to blackmail him and maybe he should pay these guys a visit.
He does.
Head heads on over to the headquarters where he meets an unnamed man who cuts to the chase and says he wants to help him. He inquires more about what he means by that. He walks him into a room and BAM! It's an exact replica of him. Since they know all about him and his burnout of life and everything, they want to offer this robot body double of sorts.
Bewildered and perplexed at the sight of him, he comes to find that he is just about nearly identical to him down to his birthmarks and bodily imperfections. Well, except the heartbeat which is just basically the clinks and clanks like a grandfather clock. He clearly walks and talks like him to and it's just like....WHOA. The man then leads him into observe an adjacent room where these other robots are being tested and stuff.
Waaiiiit a minute.
This is actually a solicitation for HIM to buy one. He's like WTF, bro! The man then calmly says how overworked he is and he deserves to have a well deserved break. How much? About 25k Crazy, huh? Still skeptical, he decides to sleep on it and get back to him wheneva.
After some time has passed, he returns to the same aforementioned bar to a much delighted colleague, the same as before. He's happy to the man as he says this is the first in a long time that he appeared at the bar at NIGHT time. However, this dude's demeanor is completely flipped upside down. Instead of the normal lethargic 'ol dude, he's now a more excited and elated 'ol dude. Colleague is like "Wut even?" And he is all too eager to show him...
He takes him to his own home and gives him the same rundown about the switcheroo. He said this was the bestest decision he has ever made! He gets to stay out late, watch movies and shit it's awesome! The colleage asks how much it set him back and sounds like he obviously wants in on this stuff too!
He rushes home and went straight to his checkbook but DUN DUN he finds every last cent is wiped. He's like WTF WIFEY!!! He quickly pieces together and goes to his sleeping wife to hear her heartbeat and holy shit, it has that janky ass robotic heartbeat.....
This guy is having the time of his life until one night when he sneaks a peak at his doppleganger and sees his wife opening up presents to her extreme glee. For some reason, this rubs him the wrong way. He sneaks into his basement and pulls out a receiver and pushes it. This signal is received into what looks like a headache and he quickly excuses himself out the room. She's none the wiser as she is too enveloped in these beautiful gifts that her husband bought for her.
Or did he?
Once met in the basement, he confronts the doppleganger and asks him what's up. He's wining and dining her? Riling her up? PRESENTS? Why does he have the audacity to be the perfect little husband?! Just get back in the box and don't do that anymore.
Doppleganger replies back "No, I don't think I will." And proceeds to say that once upon a time he sympathized with him but over time he shifted and began to admire just how much the wife as done that goes unappreciated and that shit has to STAHP.
He tries to head back up stairs but doppleganger blocks him which ended up getting them both in a struggle which somehow ends up with the real guy in the chamber. Satisfied with the outcome, he locks the chambers and heads back upstairs to his wife where they have their happily ever after.
THE END.
Episode 2 is next.