History Recap / TheTwilightZone1959S1E6EscapeClause

Walter Bedeker is a "perpetually ill" hypocondriac who constantly despairs over the [[WeAreAsMayflies frailty and impermanence of human life]]. Despite receiving a clean bill of health after yet another visit from his doctor, Walter is bemoaning his impending demise when a man suddenly appears in his room. The man introduces himself (this month, anyway) as "Mr. Cadwallader", and he offers to make a trade with Walter. He can grant him immortality and complete indestructibility for as long as he wishes in exchange for a rather small, unimportant, inconsequential item in Bedeker's possession: [[DealWithTheDevil his soul]]. Although Walter realizes that Cadwallader is the Devil and is initially hesitant, he reluctantly agrees to the trade. To assuage Bedeker's lingering [[WhoWantsToLiveForever doubts]], Cadwallader writes an [[TitleDrop escape clause]] into their agreement. If at any time, for whatever reason, Bedeker wishes to die, Cadwallader will end his life quickly and painlessly.

With his new CompleteImmortality, Bedeker commits a string of thrilling spetacles to flaunt his new ability, usually jumping in front of trains and the like to collect insurance settlements from the associated companies. When he becomes bored of these scams, he decides to jump from the roof of his building, much to his wife's dismay. After pleading with him not to jump, she accidentally falls off the roof herself. Wanting to give the electric chair a try, Bedeker calls the police and tells them that he killed his wife. To facilitate his lie, Walter acts as uncooperative as possible during his trial, but his lawyer manages to get him a sentenced to prison "for the rest of his natural life". Terrified at the prospect of living in prison for hundreds of years, Bedeker decides to use the escape clause. Cadwallader appears and happily complies, giving Bedeker a fatal heart attack.

-->'''Creator/RodSerling:''' You're about to meet a hypochondriac. Witness Mr. Walter Bedeker, age forty-four, afraid of the following: death, disease, other people, germs, draft, and everything else. He has one interest in life, and that’s Walter Bedeker. One preoccupation, the life and well-being of Walter Bedeker. One abiding concern about society, that if Walter Bedeker should die ''how will it survive without him?''

-->'''Creator/RodSerling:''' There's a saying: "Every man is put on Earth condemned to die, time and method of execution, unknown." Perhaps this is as it should be. Case in point: Walter Bedeker, lately deceased, a little man with such a yen to live. Beaten by the devil, by his own boredom, and by the scheme of things in this, the Twilight Zone.