Kolchak: The Night Stalker - episode 21 (The Youth Killer)

release year: 1975
genre: TV horror/suspense
viewing setting: home DVD, 12/28/05

what Kolchak faces in this episode: A modern-day Helen (of Troy) - who is half-goddess, half-mortal and can only stay young by stealing the youth of healthy young beautiful people.

impressions: This episode was not only entertaining, but cynical in a humorous way: it seemed to be making fun of the health-conscious young generation of free-living snobs. Bear in mind that this was 1975, and people who cared about their health were not only scarce, they were often considered to be weird, egotistical, or both. What this episode had was an ancient being who lures the "beautiful people" into an exclusive club (thanks to their own vanity) and then consumes them, aging them to 100 in a matter of seconds. Of course, only Kolchak is in the right places at the right times to allow him to put it all together. This one also featured a fresh police official who actually tries to be friendly to Kolchak (though not for long) and also an obnoxious woman who tries to do matchmaking for Kolchak. Guest stars: Cathy Lee Crosby as the villainess, Reb Brown as a young victim, George Savalas as a Greek cab driver.

body count: 4

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